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G^M 


CHARLES  F  BOUN 


CHARLES  F  BOUN 


HISTORY  "^ 

of  the 

Y 

akima  Valle 

Washington 

Comiprismg 

Yakima,  Kittitas  and  Benton 
Counties 

y 

By  PROFESSOR  W.  D.  LYMAN 

Illustrated 

VOLUME    I 

THE  S.  J.   CLARKE   PUBLISHING  CO. 

1919 

1369772 
PREFACE 


In  presenting  this  work  to  the  public  the  author  desires  to  make  acknowledg- 
ments to  the  man}-  in  different  parts  of  the  field  whose  assistance  in  the  collection 
of  data  has  been  indispensable  to  accuracy  and  interest.  Special  mention  is  due 
to  members  of  the  Advisory  Board.  Inasmuch  as  a  little  change  has  occurred 
since  the  issuance  of  the  prospectus,  it  is  proper  to  name  here  the  members  of 
the  Board  as  finally  settled.  They  include  Messrs.  A.  E.  Larson,  H.  J.  .Snively, 
F.  C.  Hall,  Fred  Parker,  A.  W.  Cofifin,  David  Longmire,  L.  V.  McWhorter,  of 
Yakima ;  Prof.  Selden  Smyser,  Miss  Mary  A.  Grupe,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Davidson,  Oliver 
Hinman,  Hon.  Austin  Mires  and  Judge  Ralph  Kauffman,  of  Ellensburg; 
Messrs.  A.  G.  jMcNeill  and  G.  W.  Hamilton,  of  Prosser;  Messrs.  L.  E.  Johnson, 
J.  J.  Rudkin,  E.  M.  Sly  and  A.  R.  Gardner,  of  Kennewick. 

To  the  intelligent  and  helpful  cooperation  of  these  advisers  a  great  debt  of 
thankfulness  is  due.  Gratitude  is  also  owed  to  those  who  have  contributed  special 
articles  for  the  last  chapter,  that  of  "Recollections."  These  articles,  as  well  as 
the  n.imes  of  the  authors,  speak  for  themselves.  After  reading  them,  the  readers 
will  unquestionably  add  their  thanks  to  our  own  for  these  essential  additions  to 
the  value  and  interest  of  the  book. 

Others  have  added  data  and  suggestions  of  great  value,  and  to  them  we 
make  our  acknowledgments  in  the  body  of  the  work.  We  wish,  however,  -to 
include  here  the  name  of  Mr.  Gerrit  d'Ablaing,  of  Ellensburg,  as  having  .provided 
a  large  amount  of  invaluable  material  in  written  form. 

.Special  note  may  be  made  of  the  hearty  cooperation  of  the  newspaper  men 
all  over  the  field.  Every  newspaper  in  the  three  counties  ha'  been  consuhed. 
They  and  their  publishers  and  editors  appear  in  full  in  the  chapter  on  "The 
Press  of  the  Yakima  Valley,"  and  need  not  be  particularized  here.  Specific 
mention  may  be  made,  however,  of  files  of  the  earliest  Yakima  and  Ellensburg 
papers  loaned  by  Mr.  C.  B.  Bagley,  of  Seattle,  some  of  them  probably  the  only 
copies  in  existence,  part  of  what  is  doubtless  the  most  complete  collection  of 
ne\vs]5aper  files  in  the  State. 

The  author  desires  also  to  include  in  his  note  of  thanks  the  valuable  aid  of 
his  wife  in  reading  and  correcting  manuscript  and  proofs,  and  thus  greatly  expe- 
ilitin.t;  the  preparation  of  the  work. 

It  may  be  added  that,  in  the  conception  of  the  author,  a  work  of  this  nature 
must  deal  with  the  great  vital  general  features  of  growth  and  development 
rather  than  with  the  minutiae  of  special  interests.  He  has.  therefore,  avoided  the 
encyclopedic  method  of  treatment  into  which  local  histories  sometimes  fall.  A 
work  of  this  kind  cannot,  in  his  judgment,  be  a  gazetteer  or  a  volume  of  statistics. 
The  end  sought  has  rather  been  a  portrayal  of  the  great  working  forces,  which, 
throughout  the  West — and  in  this  instance  in  the  Yakima  A'alley— have  planted 


iv  Preface. 

Americaii  civilization  in  the  wilderness  and  transformed  the  desert  into  the 
realms  of  beauty  and  productiveness  which  compose  the  scene  of  our  story. 

It  will  be  observed  that  a  topical  method  of  arrangement  has  been  followed. 

In  the  opinion  of  the  author  this  is  conducive  to  distinctness  and  unity  of 
impression.  It  involves  a  few  repetitions.  These,  it  is  believed,  will  not  be  a 
blemish,  but  will  rather  enhance  the  force  of  the  connections  of  the  different 
phases  of  the  story. 

Grand  and  beautiful  in  its  natural  features,  the  Yakima  Valley  has  become 
inspiring  by  its  exemplification  of  the  results  of  the  industrj'  and  intelligence  of 
its  inhabitants.  We  leave  it,  therefore,  in  this  good  year  of  1918,  in  the  full 
assurance  that  its  development,  great  as  it  is,  has  but  begim. 


CONTENTS 

PART  I 
CHAPTER  I. 


PHYSICAL  AND  ABORIGINAL  HISTORY. 

PHYSICAL  AND  GEOLOGICAL  FEATURES — GEOLOGY  OF  THE  YAKIMA  VALLEY,   BY'    MISS 

RUTH    JOHNSON — IN    THE    EOCENE    PERIOD GEOLOGY    OF    YAKIMA    VALLEY,    AS 

DESCRIBED    BY    GEORGE    OTIS    SMITH — PRE-TERTIARY    PERIODS TERTIARY    PERIOD 

— EOCENE  EPOCH — PRE-TERTIARY  ROCKS — EASTON  SCHIST — PESHASTIN   FORMA- 
TION— YAKIMA     BASALT — GOLD-QUARTZ     VEINS NICKEL     AND     QUICKSILVER 

COAL — BUILDING    STONE — ARTESIAN     WATER^KITTITAS    VALLEY 33 


CHAPTER  II 


THE  NATIVE' RACES  OF  CENTRAL  WASHINGTON 

THE     NATIVE    RACES    OF    CENTRAL    WASHINGTON — LITERATURE    OF    INDIAN     LIFE— 

AN      INDIAN     DEMOSTHENES — CLAIMANTS     SATISFIED;     SCALP     SAVED INDIAN 

MYTHOLOGY — INDIAN        NAMES — INDIAN         MYTHS — STUDENTS        OF        INDIAN 
MYTHS — ARCHAEOLOGY   OF   THE    YAKIMA   VALLEY 74 


CHAPTER  III 


ERA  OF  DISCOVERY 

DAYS  OF  FIRST  DISCOVERY — THE  "ERA  OF  LIARS" — RUSSIA  WAKES  UP — SPAIN'S 
OPPORTUNITY — HECETa's  ACCOUNT — ACTUAF,  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  COLUMBIA 
RIVER — FUR  TRADE  BEGINS — THE  COLUMBIA  REDIVIVA — THE  GEOGRAPHICAL 
SPHINX — THE   SIZE  OF  THE   COLUMBIA   RIVER 103 


CHAPTER  IV 


EXPLORATIONS  BY  LAND 

EXPLORATIONS  BY  LAND LOUISIANA   PURCHASE LEWIS   AND   CLARK   EXPEDITION 

INDIAN'S  VAPOR  BATHS MEASURING  THE  RIVERS START  ON  RETURN  JOURNEY 

— JEFFERSON'S    TRIBUTE    TO    CAPTAIN    LEWIS 120 


CONTENTS 
CHAPTER  \' 


ERA  OF  TRAPPERS.  HUNTERS  AND  TRAH^-MAKERS 

STARTING    OF   THE    FUR    TRADE — PROFITS    OF    THE    BUSINESS — AMERICAN    FUR    COM- 
PANIES  FOUNDING  OF  ASTORIA THE   FREE  TRAPPERS — RECORD  OF  DISASTER — 

SOME  STORIES  OF  THE  FUR  TRADERS ROSs'  STORV — HUDSON'S  BAY   COMPANY — 

THE    BOATS   OF  THE   TRADERS LATER    AMERICAN    FUR   TRADERS — SOME    UNIQUE 

FREE     TRAPPERS     131 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE  MISSIONARY  PERIOD 

THE    "book    OF    life" — FIRST    CHRISTIAN     CRUSADERS — MRS.    WHITMAN'S    DIARY — 

THE     WHITMAN     CONTROVERSY LOVEJOY's     LETTER — WHITMAN'S     LETTER     TO 

SECRETARY   POKTER — MRS.    PRINGLE  ON    WHITMAN — THE    WHITMAN    MASSACRE 
— ST.    JOSEPH     MISSION     BURNED 166 


CHAPTER  VII 


COMING  OF  THE  IMMIGRANTS 

FIRST      COMEK.S — GOVERNMENT      EXPEDITIONS THE      GREAT      IMMIGR.VTION FIRST 

IMMIGRATION  THROUGH  YAKIMA — GEORGE  II.  HIMES'  LETTER  To  E/.R.\ 
MEEKER — WINTHROP'S  DESCRIPTION  OF  SCENERY  AND  OF  ADVENTURE.'^ — THE 
PROVISIONAL    GOVERNMENT     19.3 


CHAPTER  VIII 


PERIOD  OF  INDIAN  WARS 

:KER-STEVENS     controversy — war     chiefs     of     THE      INDIANS — THE      CAYUSE 

WAR "lawyer" — DIAGRAM    OF    RESERVATION    AND   ORDER    OF    WITHDR.VWAL — 

OUTBREAK  OF  WAR BOLON    MURDER BATTLES  IN  VAKIM.\ DISCORD  BETWEEN 

VOLUNTEERS     AND     REGULARS — WALLA     WALLA     CAMPAIGN — VICTORY     OK     THE 
VOLUNTEERS — AFTERMATH    OF    THE    WARS — THE    DE.VTH    OF    LESCill  —  A     NEW 

ORDER    OF    THINGS — STEPTOE's    DEFE.XT END    OF    THE    WAR — NEZ    PERCE    WAR 

IN    THE   WALLOWA,    IN    1877 THE    PERKINS    MURDER — STORY    OF    KAKI.Y    DAYS: 

CHIEF    MOSES    SHOWN     IN     HIS    TRUE     LIGHT TRE.VTY     WITH     THE     YAKIMAS, 

1855    222 


CONTENTS 

PART  II 
CHAPTER  I 


ERA  OF  EARLY  GROWTH  AND  THE  MOTHER  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLEMENTS — FIRST  REAL  SETTLER — DEALING  WITH  THIEVING  INDIANS — 
GROWING  SETTLEMENT — MINING  IN  YAKIMA  VALLEY — SOME  CHARACTERISTIC 
STORIES  OF  OLD  TIMES 266 


CHAPTER  II 


COUNTY    MAKING   AND    OFFICIAL    RECORDS    OF    THE    MOTHER 
COUNTY  OF  YAKIMA 

AN    ACT    ESTABLISHING    AND    ORGANIZING    YAKIMA    COUNTY — ELECTION    OF    1876 

ELECTION    OF    188^1 ELECTION    OF    1888 FIRST    ELECTION    OF    UNITED    STATES 

SENATOR — ELECTION      OF      1892 ELECTION      OF      1912 ELECTION      OF      1916 

GOVERNORS     OF     TERRITORY — TERRITORIAL     DELEGATES      IN      CONGRESS — OTHER 
OFFICIALS     UNDER     TERRITORIAL     GOVERNMENT — ADDRESSES     BY'     EX-GOVERNOR 

MOORE      AND     GOVERNOR      FERRY FINANCIAL      STATEMENT YAKIMA      EXPORT 

PRODUCTION — SOME    CONCLUDING    STATISTICS 2S3 

CHAPTER  HI 


THE  TRANSPORTATION  AGE 

THE    STEAMBOAT    ERA — OREGON    STEAM    NAVIGATION    COMPANY — CAPTAINS,    PILOTS, 

AND  PURSERS — THE   PIONEER   STAGE   LINES THE  RAILROAD  AGE — THE  WAR  ON 

THE    RAILROAD — THE    GREAT    BOOM — NEW    RAILWAY    LINES — THE    INTERURBAN 
RAILWAYS WATER   TRANSPORTATION 329 

CHAPTER  IV 


IRRIGATION  IN  THE  VALLEY 

?IGATU1\  LAWS — AN  ACT  RECULATI  XC;  IRRIGATION  AND  WATER  RIGHTS — RECLAMA- 
TION ACT — PRIVATE  IRRIGATION   SYSTEMS — LATER  AND  LARGER  PRIVATE  CANALS 

—  IRRIGATION  IN  THE  KITTITAS — THE  SUNNYSIDE  CANAL COWICHE  AND  WIDE 

HOLLOW     IRRIGATION     DISTRICT — THE     CONGDON     DITCH,     OR     YAKIMA     VALLIA' 

CANAL THE   WAPATOX    CANAL — NACHES-SELAH    CANAL KONNEWOCK    CANAL 

— LATER  HISTORY  OF  IRRIGATION  IN  THE  LOWER  VALLEY' — RICHLAND,  HANFORD 
AND  WHITE  BLUFFS  SECTIONS — SUMMARY'  OF  PRIVATE  ENTERPRISES — GOVERN- 
MENT PROJECTS- — STATE  PROJECTS — DESIGNATION  OF  UNITS — SUNNYSIDE 
PROJECT     AND     EXTENSIONS — THE     STORAGE     SYSTEMS — COMPLETION     OF     THE 


CONTENTS 

TIETON    PROJECT — COST  t)F  TIETON    SYSTEM — THE   LAKE   RESERVOIRS — BUMPING 

LAKE    RESERVOIR KACHESS    LAKE    RESERVOIR LAKE    KEECHELUS    RESERVOIR 

LAKE    CLE    ELUM    RESERVOIR — ACREAGE    UNDER    GOVERNMENT    PROJECT— SOME 
OF  THE   POETRY  OF   IRRIGATION — ANNOUNCEMENTS,   ETC. 347 

CHAPTER  \' 


FOUNDING   AN/D   MUNICIPAL   GROWTH   OF   NORTH    YAKIMA 

MOVING    THE    CITY — ABSTRACT    OF    X.     P.    K.    R.     LANDS    FOR    TOWNSITE    OF     NORTH 

YAKIMA TRUSTEE      PROPERTY.      NORTH      YAKIMA PRESENT      RESIDENTS      WHO 

MOVED — A    TOUGH     PLACE    AT     FIRST — THE    CITY     CHARTER — POWERS     OF    THE 

CORPORATION GOVERNMENT ELECTION — THE       MAYOR,       HIS       POWERS      AND 

DUTIES — ORDINANCES MISCELLANEOUS   PROVISIONS SOME    STEPS   IN    MUNICI- 
PAL   LIFE MANY    PIONEER    BUILDINGS    LEFT    AFTER    TWENTY-FIFTH    BIRTHDAY 

ANNIVERSARY — TO    KEEP    OPEN    HOUSE — FIRST    DRUG    STORE — ^TWO    FACTIONS — 
AN    ACT  TO  REMOVE   COUNTY   SEAT    FROM    Y'AKIMA    CITY'    TO    NORTH    Y'AKIMA — 

ADVERTISEMENTS    FROM    "hERALD" "tO    THE    READING    PUBLIC"' — INVITATION 

PARTY' — NORTH    Y'AKIMA,    ITS    RAPID  GROWTH    AND    ITS    RESOURCES:    FROM    THE 
PORTLAND     "OREGON!  an"     392 

CHAPTER  VI 


SCHOOLS.    CHURCHES    AND    SOCIETIES    OF    YAKIMA 

SCHOOLS STATISTICS      OF       1918 DIRECTORY      OF      TEACHERS,       1917-18 PRIVATE 

SCHOOLS — WOODCOCK        ACADEMY THE        CHURCHES — AHTANUM — CHURCHES 

AND    PASTORS    OF    YAKIMA    AT    PRESENT    DATE FRATERNAL    ORDERS YAKIMA 

COMMERCIAL     CLUB — THE    STATE     FAIR "rEPUBLIC's"     WRITE-UP     OF     FAIR^ 

herald's   description    of    events.    ETC.    454 

CHAPTER    VII 


THE  PRESS  OF  THE  Y'AKIMA  VALLEY 

THE  first  paper — ADVS.   IN  THE   FIRST  ISSUE  OF  THE  "rECORD" THE  "SIGNAL" 

THE    "localizer" — DEATH    OF   D.    J.    SCHNEBLY — THE    "SPECTATOR"    AND    ITS 

EDITORS LATER    NEWSPAPERS    AND    SPECIAL    PUBLICATIONS    OF    YAKIMA    AND 

ELLENSBURG — TRANSIENT    PAPERS    OF    YAKIMA    AND    ELLENSBURG PAPERS    OF 

THE  OTHER  TOWNS — THE  PRESS  IN   THE  SMALLER  TOWNS  OF  YAKIMA  COUNTY 

THE    PRESS    IN     BENTON    COUNTY PROSSER    PAPERS — INDIAN,    CAYUSE    AND 

COYOTE — IRRIGATED  LANDS   NEAR   PROSSER THE   NORTHERN   PACIFIC  COMPANY 

PROSSER — PROSSER's  WATER  POWER — HORSE   HEAVEN   COUNTRY — KIONA  AND 

BENTON    CITY   PAPERS KENNEWICK   PAPERS KENNEWICK   ON   THE   COLUMBIA 

496 


CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER   VIII 
THE  YAKIMA   INDIAN   RESERVATION 

OUTLINE   OF    HISTORY    OF   THE    RESERVATION ALLOTMENT   OF   LAND    IN    SEVERALTY 

IRRIGATION    ON    THE    RESERVATION — FACTS    FROM    GOVERNMENT    REPORTS — 

STORAGE     WATER — PRINCIPAL    CROPS CENSUS    OF     CROPS.     1916-17-18 WHAT 

CHIEF    WATERS    SAYS INDIANS    ARE     WELL     PLEASED EQUAL     RIGHTS     WITH 

WHITES — EXTRACTS   FROM   ARTICLE  BY   SUPERINTENDENT   S.   A.    M,   YOUNG.._539 

PART    III 

CHAPTER  I 


COUNTY  DIVISION  AND  DEVELOPAIENT  OF  THE  TWO 
YOUNGER  COUNTIES 

BEGINNINGS  IN  THE  KITTITAS  VALLEY 

FIRST      SETTLERS WHEELER       BLOCK-HOUSE — BEGINNINGS      OF       I.MPROVE.MKNTS 

ROADS  AND  BRIDGES IRRIGATION — MILLS — DEVELOPMENT  OF  MINERAL  RE- 
SOURCES  COAL — BEGINNINGS  OF  STOCKRAISING  AND  FARMING CORRESPOND- 
ENCE    FROM     THE     "standard" — "tENDERFOOT"     TAKES     A     TRIP TOWN     AND 

COUNTY — LETTER  FROM  SWAUK — HISTORY  OF  KITTITAS  VALLEY,  BV  THE 
SIXTH    GRADE,   EDISON    SCHOOL,    ELLENSBURG 563 

CHAPTER  II 


POLITICAL  HISTORY  AND  LATER  DEVELOPMENT  OF  KITTITAS 
COUNTY 

COUNTY    DIVISION — EDITORIALS — THE    GRUMBLING    FEW — A    IXKIICAL    OPINION — PE- 
TITION   FOR  DIVISION — TO  ALL   PERSONS   WHOM    IT    MAY   CONCERN — AN    ACT   TO 

CREATE   AND   LOCATE   THE    COUNTY  OF   KITTITAS PAY    OF   COUNTY    OFFICERS — 

AN  ACT  TO  CHANGE  BOUNDARY  LINE  BETWEEN  KITTITAS  AND  YAKIMA  COUN- 
TIES— INAUGURATION  OF  THE  NEW  COUNTY — FIRST  COUNTY — ELECTION  REC- 
ORDS— STATEHOOD WALLA  WALLA  STATESMAN'S  REVIEW  OF  FUSION  1ST  CON- 
VENTION, 1898 — Bryan's  visit — woman  suffrage — constitutional  amend- 
ments— election  of  1914 — election  of  1916 — election  of  1918 — later 

general  history  of  county — irrigation — cascade  irrigation  district 

summary  of  engineer's  report  on  canal  improvements — special  meet- 
ing,   board  of   county    commissioners — RAILROADS — BUILDING    THE    C.    M.    & 

ST.    p.    RAILWAY    THROUGH     KITTITAS    COUNTY ^THE    COAL     MINES KITTITAS 

EXHIBITS  AT  NORTHWESTERN  INDUSTRIAL  EXPOSITION,  AS  PUBLISHED  IN 
"WASHINGTON    STATE    REGISTER"     592 


CONTEXTS 
CHAPTER  III 


THE  CITY  OF  ELLENSBURG 

FIRST    SETTLEMENT,    LAYING    OUT    OF    TOWN  SITE    AND    CHARTER YEARS    OF    EARLY 

GROWTH ADVERTISEMENTS    AND    EXTRACTS    FROM     "KITTITAS    STANDARD"    OF 

JULY,    1883,    INCLUDING    "DIRECTORY,"    EDITORIAL    AND    NEWS    ITEMS — POEM, 

"KITTITAS       VALLEY'" ELLENSBURGH       DESCRIBED,       DECEMBER,        1883 FIRST 

THINGS     IN      ELLENSBURG CHRISTMAS     TREE     AND     SUNDRY     SOCIAL     EVENTS, 

1883 — CITY    CHARTER AN     ACT    TO    INCORPORATE    ELLENSBURGH,     ETC. THE 

"standard"     SKETCHES    ELLENSBURGH    IN     1885 ITEMS    FROM     "LOCALIZER," 

APRIL,    1889 QUARTERLY   APPORTIONMENT  OF   SCHOOL   MONEY,   APRIL,    1889— 

FIRE    OF    JULY    4,     1889 BUSINESS    FAILURES — THE     WATER    QUESTION EDI- 
TORIAL   ON     CITY     WATER    SUPPLY — CITY     GOVERNMENT MAYOR's     MESSAGE — 

MAYORS   AND   CLERKS,    1886   TO    1918 CAUCUS    FOR    CITY    OFFICERS,    NOVEMBER 

5.   1918 643 


CHAPTER  IV 


SCHOOLS,  CHURCHES  AND  SOCIETIES  OF  ELLENSBURG 

THE  SCHOOLS— DISTRICTS KITTITAS  COUNTY  TEACHERS SCHOOL  BOARD — TEACHERS 

IN    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS — CLE    ELUM    SCH(K)LS STATE    NORMAL    SCHOOL    BOARD    OF 

TRUSTEES — STATE     BOARD     OF     EDUCATION ADMINISTRATIVE     STAFF — FACULTY 

FOR  1918-19 CHURCHES  OF  ELLENSBURG INTO  THE  HOSTILE  CAMP — FRA- 
TERNAL AND  MISCELLANEOUS  SOCIETIES THE  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE:  CON- 
STITUTION AND  BY-LAWS OFFICERS  AND  TRUSTEES KITTITAS  COUNTY  IN   THE 

SPANISH-AMERICAN    WAR — CITY    LIBRARY    OK   ELLENSBURG 703 


CHAPTER  V 


POLITICAL  HISTORY  AND  DE\'ELOPMENr  OF  BENTON  COUNTY 

EARLIEST    SETTLERS — BENTON     COUNTY     A     NATURAL     UNIT AGITATION     FOR     NEW 

COUNTY AN    ACT   TO    CREATE   THE    COUNTY    OF    BENTON BENTON    COUNTY    AN 

ACTUAL      FACT BENTON      COUNTY      GETTING      READY' BENTON      COUNTY THE 

RAILROAD    COMMISSION BENTON     COUNTY    DOING    BUSINESS OFFICERS'     BONDS 

FILED — COUNTY    NEWS    NOTES — RECORD    OF    ELECTIONS — ELECTION    OF    1912 

ELECTION     OF     1914 ELECTION     OF     1916 ELECTION     OF     1918 COUNTY     SEAT 

QUESTION SCHOOLS   OF   THE    COUNTY — TEACHERS   OF    BENTON    COUNTY 736 


CONTENTS 
CHAPTER  VI 


A    TOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   VALLEY— KITTITAS    AND    YAKIMA 
COUNTIES 

CLE    ELUil    AXD    ROSLVN — COAL    DISCOVERED — CLE    ELUM     FIRE:    DESCRIPTION'    AND 

EDITORIALS    FROM    THE    "ECHO" CLE    ELUM    HISTORY THE    CLE    ELUM    "eCHo" 

—LODGES — SCHOOLS — ROSLYN FIRE  AND  STRIKE — BANK  ROBBERY  AT  ROSLYN 

ROSLYN      CHURCHES ROSLYN      INCORPORATED HEAVY     VOTING     AT     PRIMARIES 

(1918) MINERS    ELECT    OFFICIALS — FROM    COAL    CENTERS    TO    ORCHARDS THE 

VILLAGE   OF  THORP — TOWN   OF   SELAH SELAH    GAP    AND   PAINTED   ROCKS SODA 

SPRINGS — NACRES AHTENUM,     WILEY     CITY,    TAMPICO,     MOXEE     CITY BELOW 

POHOTECUTE — -"hOW  IT  HAPPENED"- — WAPATO TOPPENISH^ — TOPPfiNISH  EX- 
CEEDS   LOAN    QUOTA — TOWNS    ON     NORTH    SIDE    OF    RIVER PARKER    BOTTOM 

2ILLAH    AND   GRANGER THE    NORTHWEST    MAGAZINE   ON    "IRRIGATED   LANDS" 

GRANGER SUNNYSIDE    AND    GRANDVIEW SCHOOLS    OF    SUNNYSIDE CHURCHES 

IN  SUNNYSIDE THE  SUNNYSIDE  "SUN" — SOME  SUNNYSIDE  PRODUCTS GRAND- 
VIEW — GRANDVIEW  ROLL  OF  HONOR— CROP  STATISTICS — IRRIGATION  BRINGS 
GOLD    FROM    LAND    760 


CHAPTER  VII 


A  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  VALLEY— BENTON   COUNTY 

PROSSER — THE      TOWNSITE — ABSTR.ACT      OF      TITLE — MUNICIPAL      GOVERNMENT      IN 
PROSSER — COMMERCIAL       CLUB       OF       PROSSER — INTERESTING       RECORDS       FROM 

PROSSSER    NEWSPAPERS A    MACHINE    SHOP    FOR    THE    TOWN THE    GENERATOR 

HERE — CELEBRATION    A   GRAND  SUCCESS  :    A    FLOW    OF   ORATORY — THE    SPORTS— 

AT    THE    RIVER— FIREWORKS    AND    BALL PROSPECTS    GOOD    FOR     GOVERNMENT 

IRRIGATION SOME    ADVERTISEMENTS    IN    "BULLETIN,"    1905 CHURCH     SOCIE- 
TIES— SECRET    SOCIETIES — SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES    AND    LODGES    OF    THE    PRESENT 

KIONA   AND  BENTON    CITY KENNEWJCK  :    GEOLOGICAL   CONDITIONS    MAKING 

KENNEWICK     WHAT     IT    IS     TODAY — INDIANS — KENNEWICK     DERIVATION — iN 

1883        TO         1889 SCHOOLS irrigation        and        developments BUSINESS 

HOUSES     OF      KENNEWICK ADVERTISEMENTS      AND      "kENNEWICKLES"      FROM 

THE    "courier" — CITY    GOVERNMENT    IN    KENNEWICK PETITION    FOR    INCOR- 
PORATION— FIRST    ORDINANCES    OF    THE     COUNCIL — MAYORS    AND     CLERKS    TO 

DATE — SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES    AND    SOCIETIES KENNEWICK    COMMERCIAL    CLUB 

MEMBERS,    1906 CELILO   CANAL   CELEBRATION — AT   WALLULA — AT   BIG    EDDY 

THE    SMALLER    RIVER    TOWNS^MAY    START    DAM     BY    CHRISTMAS — ASSOCIATED 

CHARITIES   ASK  SUPPORT — APPLE   HARVEST  ON — BASH   WINS   IN   HARD   FIGHT 

LEMCKE    BRINGS   IN    BIG    TRACTOR 811 


CONTENTS 
CHAPTER   VIII 


THE   CAMP-FIRES   AND   TALK-FESTS   OF   THE   PIONEERS 

ORGANIZING      PIONEER      ASSOCIATION — WOMEN's      CLUBS OFFICERS      OF      KITTITAS 

PIONEERS — RECOLLECTIONS  OF  O.  A.   FECHTER — HEADGATES  OF  CANAL  RAISED — 

FIRST    REAL    ESTATE    BOOM — THE    BUBBLE    BURSTS TOWN    WAS    WIDE    OPEN 

PIONEERS — THE   WOMAN's    CLUB,   YAKIMA MUSICAL   CLUB — TWENTIETH    CEN- 
TURY CLUB PORTIA  CLUB HOME  ECONOMICS   CLUB THE   COTERIE  CLUB ART 

COMMITTEE YAKIMA    VALLEY    DISTRICT    FEDERATION MOTHER'S    CONGRESS 

D.    A.    R. CHAPTER    P.    E.    O. WAR    ORGANIZATIONS — MRS.    H.VRRISON'S    RIXUL- 

LECTIONS   OF  THE   BUILDING   OF   SUNNYSIDE — TOWN    BUILDING OLD   TIMES    IN' 

THE  YAKIMA  VALLEY,  AS   NARRATED  BY  MRS.   WARNECKE RETURN  TO  PENDLE- 
TON  A    FERRY     BOAT THE    FIRST    GIRL's    RECOLLECTIONS    OF     KENNEWICK — 

SAGEBRUSH    EVERYWHERE PREEMPT    A     CLAIM FIRST     BUSINESS    BUILDING 

MEADOW    lark's   SONG   LINGERS TWO    NOTED   CONTEMPORARY    INDIAN    CHIEFS, 

AS  GIVEN    BY  L.   V.    MCWIIORTER 890 


History  of  Yakima  Valley 

PART  I 
PHYSICAL  AXD  ABORIGIXAL  HISTORY. 
CHAPTER    I.  . 

PHYSICAL   AND  GEOLOGICAL   FEATURES — GEOLOGY   OF  THE   YAKI.MA    \ALLLY,    IIY    MISS 

RfTH    JOHNSON — IN    THE    EOCENE    PERIOD GEOLOGY    OF    YAKIMA    VALLEY,    AS 

DESCRIBED  BY  GEORGE  OTIS  SMITH — PRE-TERTIARV  PERIODS — TERTIARY  PERIOD 
— EOCENE  EPOCH PRE-TERTIARY  ROCKS EASTON  SCHIST PESHASTIN  FORMA- 
TION  YAKIMA     BASALT GOLD-OUARTZ  '  VEINS NICKEL     AND     QUICKSILVER 

COAL — BUILDING    STONE — ARTESIAN    WATER KITTITAS    VALLEY. 

PHYSICAL   AND  GEOLOGICAL   FEATURES. 

The  Yakima  \'allcy  is  the  largest  valley  in  the  state  of  Washington,  except 
that  of  the  Columbia  itself,  to  which  it  is  tributary,  and  is  equalled  in  area  only 
by  the  valleys  of  the  Willamette  and  Snake  in  the  entire  Northwest.  For  physical 
interest  and  charm,  as  well  as  for  fertility  of  soil  and  extent  and  variety  of 
resources,  it  has  no  superior  in  all  that  remarkable  region  which  composes  the 
Northwest.  It  is  probable  that  a  larger  percentage  of  this  valley  can  be  made 
productive,  when  brought  under  irrigation,  than  that  of  any  other  part  of  the 
Northwest.  The  amount  of  waste  land  is  relatively  very  small,  except  in  so  far 
as  the  aridity  of  the  climate  under  natural  conditions  compels  recourse  to  artificial 
irrigation. 

In  general  terms,  it  may  be  said  that  the  region  encompassed  by  the  water 
shed  of  the  Yakima  and  its  tributaries,  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  branches  of 
the  Klickitat  and  on  the  north  by  those  of  the  Wenatchee,  embraces  an  area  from 
the  lakes  at  the  head  of  the  river  to  the  Columbia,  of  about  170  miles  in  length 
by  an  average  of  sixty-five  miles  in  breadth.  To  one  flying  in  an  airship  and 
looking  down  upon  this  vast  area,  it  would  present  a  singular  appearance.  It 
has  no  counterpart  in  the  entire  Northwest.  It  has  a  characteristic  topography 
which  differentiates  it  from  any  other  part  of  the  country.  Since  the  history 
and  development  of  this  region  is  the  natural  sequence  of  this  topography,  it  is 
interesting  to  dwell  upon  it  for  a  space.  The  peculiar  characteristic  is  found  in 
the  fact  that  here  is  a  series  of  level  valleys,  separated  by  a  regular  series  of  sharp 
ridges  and  connected  by  gaps  through  which  the  river  and  its  tributaries  have 
forced  their  way.  Level  valleys,  ridges,  and  gaps  compose  the  physical  structure 
of  the  Yakima  \'alley.  From  the  mouth  of  the  river  upward,  the  whole  area 
is  almost  like  an  arm,  with  the  fingers  of  a  hand  extended  into  the  ridges  branch- 
(3) 


34  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

ing  out  from  the  Cascade  Mountains  upon  the  west.  Every  tributary  of  the 
Yakima  of  any  account  arises  in  the  Cascade  Mountains  or  its  spurs.  The  main 
stream  itself  issues  from  the  three  splendid  lakes — Keechelus,  Kaches  and  Cle 
Elum — with  several  smaller  ones  lying  in  the  eastern  flanks  of  the  great  range, 
at  an  elevation  of  something  less  than  2,500  feet.  The  upper  tributaries  are  the 
Teanaway  and  Swauk  on  the  north,  and  the  Manashtash  and  Taneum  on  the 
south.  The  Naches,  the  chief  affluent  of  the  Yakima,  almost  parallels  the  main 
river,  as  it  in  turn  curiously  parallels  the  Columbia  itself.  A  number  of  tribu- 
taries enter  the  Naches,  making  of  it  a  powerful  stream  not  much  inferior  to 
the  main  stream  at  the  point  of  junction.  The  Bumping  River,  issuing  from  the 
lake  of  the  same  name,  at  an  elevation  of  3,395  feet,  conveys  a  strong  volume 
to  the  Naches,  which  is  still  further  augmented  by  the  swift  inrush  of  the  Tieton. 
Both  the  Bumping  and  the  Tieton  draw  their  unfailing  supplies  from  the  towering 
heights  of  the  great  Cascades,  and  by  reason  of  this,  as  well  as  their  relations  to 
the  intervening  ridges  and  plains  below,  they  have  become  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance in  the  irrigation  systems  of  the  valley.  The  Wenas,  above  the  Naches,  and 
the  Cowiche,  the  lowest  tributary  of  the  Naches,  are  small  streams,  not  reaching 
into  the  high  mountains,  but  having  played  a  very  interesting  and  important  part 
in  the  life  of  the  country. 

The  first  stream  entering  the  Yakima  below  the  Naches  is  the  Ahtanum, 
coming  directly  from  the  west,  and  though  not  a  large  stream,  having  been  asso- 
ciated with  every  phase  of  the  life  of  Yakima.  Passing  the  mouth  of  the  Ahtanum 
and  Union  Gap,  we  find  a  group  of  related  creeks,  draining  the  vast  expanses  of 
the  Yakima  Indian  Reservation,  the  Sinicoe,  Toppenish  and  the  Satus,  with 
several  smaller  tributaries. 

With  this  basis  of  .alternating  valleys  and  ridges  the  Yakima  \"alley  is 
discovered  to  consist  of  a  series  of  distinct  sections,  interrelated  and  each  consti- 
tuting an  entity  of  its  own.  Highest  of  all  and  immediately  adjoining  the  lake 
region,  upon  the  flanks  of  the  mountains,  is  the  comparatively  narrow  and  par- 
tially timbered  valley  between  Cle  Elum  and  Thorp,  the  upper  part  of  which  is 
the  natural  outlet  for  the  vast  Roslyn  coal  fields,  and  the  lower  part  of  which 
contains  the  beginnings  of  the  fertile  plains,  which  occur  next  in  order.  The  next 
section  is  the  Kittitas  Valley,  a  circular  valley  of  about  thirty  miles  in  diameter, 
beautiful  and  fertile,  fanned  by  the  cool  breezes  of  the  snowy  peaks,  to  give  a 
materially  lower  temperature  than  that  of  the  lower  valleys.  Below  the  Kittitas 
\'alley  comes  the  long  Yakima  canon  caused  by  the  Manastash  and  Umptanum 
ridges,  a  ragged  mass  of  basaltic  rock,  completely  isolating  the  Kittitas  \'alley 
from  the  lower  prolongations  of  the  valley,  and  composing  the  only  large  section 
mainly  incapable  of  cultivation.  Twenty  miles  of  this  ragged  mountain  section, 
and  the  heights  suddenly  widen  into  the  broad  expanses  of  the  next  section,  that 
of  Selah  and  the  Wenas.  This  section  is  closed  in  turn  by  the  Naches  and 
Yakima  ridges,  and  these  ridges  are  broken  by  the  next  of  those  curious  gaps, 
this  being  at  the  junction  of  the  Naches  and  the  Yakima.  The  intercepting  barrier 
at  this  point  is  very  narrow,  and  the  next  of  the  low,  level,  valley  areas,  that  of 
the  Ahtanum,  on  the  west  and  the  Moxee  on  the  east,  side  of  the  river,  stretches 
for  many  miles,  emphasized  by  the  undulating  slight  elevations  which  compose 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY      .  35 

the  very  hub  of  the  valley  and  include  the  metropolis  of  the  whole,  the  city  of 
Yakima  and  its  environs.  'LoGB^/''^ 

This  central  section  is  closed  in  again  by  the  inevitable  ridges,  those  of  me 
Ahtanum  and  Moxee,  which  in  turn  have  been  carved  open  by  the  impetuous 
river  at  Union  Gap,  properly  known  as  Pahotacute  or  Pahquytekoot.  Below 
this  gap,  just  as  inevitable  as  the  ridge  and  the  river,  comes  the  next  section, 
the  largest  expanse  of  level  land  in  the  entire  state  of  Washington,  the  areas 
of  the  Simcoe,  Toppenish,  Satus,  and  their  tributaries  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  which  here  takes  an  easterly  course,  and  on  the  north  side  of  the  vast 
areas  of  the  Zillah,  Outlook,  Sunnyside,  Grandview  and  Rattlesnake  sections. 
This  immense  stretch  of  level  land  is  curiously  broken  in  the  very  center  by 
the  apparently  wholly  superfluous  ridge  of  Snipes  Mountain,  as  though  there 
was  just  that  much  more  material  than  the  earth  forces  knew  what  to  do  with 
and  so  they  dumped  it  in  parallel  with  the  river.  Even  though  marring  some- 
what the  grand  totality  of  level  surface  in  this  middle  and  lower  Yakima  sec- 
tion. Snipes  Mountain  afifords  a  picturesque  element  of  variety  and  provides 
also  a  "Nob  Hill"  for  Sunnyside  and  fertile  slopes  which  under  irrigation  will 
some  day  be  among  the  most  valuable  lands  of  the  valley.  Below  Kiona  and 
Benton  City  the  great  central  valley  is  partially  closed  in  again  with  a  some- 
what broken  section  of  rocky  land,  though  not  of  great  height.  On  the  south 
steeper  declivities  ascend  to  the  great  plateau  of  tlie  Horse  Heaven  country, 
while  on  the  north  long  slopes  of  gradually  rising  land  swell  upward  to  the 
Rattlesnake  Mountains.  These  two  areas  bounding  the  Valley  on  either  side 
are  wheat  sections,  dry  farming,  but  the  lower  slopes  of  the  Rattlesnake  will 
be  covered  by  the  proposed  "high  line"  canal,  and  the  Horse  Heaven  is  a  nearly 
level  plateau,  which  will  be  irrigable  some  time  by  water  from  the  Klickitat, 
another  system  from  that  of  the  Yakima.  The  last  section  of  all  in  this  diver- 
sified and  richly  resourceful  valley,  and  what  perhaps  may  be  numbered  as  the 
seventh  in  the  series  of  distinctive  features,  is  the  eastern  frontage  including 
the  portion  adjoining  the  Yakima  River  from  the  "Horn"  to  its  mouth,  together 
with  the  long  strip  from  Priest  Rapids  of  the  Columbia  on  the  north  to  the 
Umatilla  Highlands  on  the  south,  a  distance  of  about  seventy  miles  along  the 
Columbia.  This  Yakima-Columbia  section  has  such  distinctive  features  as  to 
make  it  another  world  apart,  and  it  all  comes  within  the  limits  of  Benton  County. 
Having  navigable  water  along  the  entire  eastern  margin,  embracing  the  lofty 
height  of  Rattlesnake  Mountains  and  several  other  treeless  elevations,  having 
thousands  of  acres  which  need  only  water  to  repeat  the  miracles  of  the  older 
parts  of  the  Yakima  country,  and  having  a  climate  of  such  high  average 
warmth  as  to  border  on  the  semi-tropical,  and  in  fact  having  already  nearly 
rivalled  California  in  date  of  entrance  into  the  early  fruit  and  vegetable  mar- 
ket,— this  last  section  may  be  regarded  as  the  great  undeveloped  region,  wait- 
ing for  capital  and  labor  to  create  a  genuine  American  homeland  of  high  order. 
In  the  Rattlesnake  Mountains  is  one  feature,  unique  in  character,  not  yet  sufifi- 
ciently  developed  to  make  safe  prophecy,  but  which  in  the  judgment  of  many 
competent  men  may  become  the  foundation  of  tremendous  industrial  power  in 
the  future.  We  refer  to  the  gas  and  oil  area.  This  region,  known  to  cattle- 
men  for  many  years  before   attracting  attention   to   its    industrial   possibilities. 


36  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

seems  to  denote  a  separate  geological  history  from  that  of  other  parts  of  the 
Yakima  Valley. 

Such  may  be  regarded  as  a  general  view  of  the  topography  of  the  land 
covered  by  this  work.  Occupying  so  considerable  a  section  of  the  water  shed  of 
the  great  Cascade  Range  on  its  eastern  frontage,  it  necessarily  follows  that  the 
springs  which  feed  its  rivers  have  perpetual  sources  of  supply  in  the  snows 
and  glaciers  of  those  lofty  heights.  About  the  headwaters  of  the  Yakima  and 
Naches  and  their  affluents  are  vast  forests,  second  only  to  those  on  the  western 
slopes.  In  those  great  cordons  of  mountains  are  found,  too,  many  indications 
of  mineral  wealth,  though  as  yet  there  has  not  been  large  development,  except 
in  coal. 

One  has  but  to  glance  at  a  map  to  know  at  once  that  the  upper  Yakima 
must  be  a  land  of  scenic  grandeur.  We  are  not  content  to  rely  upon  maps  to 
to  tell  the  story,  but  must  needs  go  and  see.  The  two  highest  mountains  of  the 
state,  Adams  and  Takhoma  (or  Rainier),  are  within  sight  from  many  points 
in  the  Yakima  Valley.  The  former  is  nearer  and  is  located  in  the  southwest 
corner  of  Yakima  County.  It  is  the  dominating  feature  of  the  western  land- 
scape at  every  elevated  point  in  the  valley,  and  can  be  seen  from  every  unob- 
structed window  on  the  west  side  of  all  the  high  buildings  in  the  city  of  Yakima. 
One  of  the  pictures  in  this  volume  presents  one  of  the  finest  views  of  Adams, 
that  from  the  Sunnyside  Canal  with  the  foreground  of  a  typical  irrigated  sec- 
tion. Other  views  in  this  volume,  designed  especially  to  illustrate  the  develop- 
ment of  the  system  of  irrigation,  give  also  a  conception  of  that  sublime  margin 
of  regal  mountains  which  sunder  the  western  and  the  central  parts  of  the  state 
of  Washington.  It  is  needless  to  state  that  the  inhabitants  of  a  region  favored, 
as  those  of  Yakima  are,  with  accessible  scenic  retreats  and  great  play  grounds 
afforded  by  the  Cascade  Mountains,  with  their  lakes  and  streams,  their  game 
and  fish,  must  have  the  camping  out  habit  and  taste  fully  developed.  The 
native  sons  and  daughters  of  Yakima,  and  even  newcomers,  taste  these  wilder- 
ness delights  to  the  full.  There  is  plenty  of  room.  It  is  wild  nature  all  around, 
wholesome  and  life-giving.  The  author  has  made  several  trips  to  Mount 
Adams  and  as  expressing  his  sense  of  these  features  of  nature  which  imixirt 
such  a  zest  to  life  in  this  region  he  is  including  some  observations  here  of  past 
journeys  and  the  characteristic  experiences  which  so  fascinate  any  one  who 
has  ever  been  in  the  mountains  of  central  Washington.  It  is  of  interest  to  note 
that  at  time  of  writing  this  work  a  movement  has  been  initiated  by  the  Yakima 
Commercial  Club  to  induce  the  Federal  Government  to  establish  a  National  park 
around  and  including  Mount  Adams. 

Around  Mount  Adams  is  a  region  of  caves.  As  one  rides  through  the 
open  glades  he  may  often  hear  the  ground  rumble  beneath  his  horse's  hoofs. 
Mouths  of  Avemus  yawn  on  every  side.  Some  caverns  have  sunken  in,  leav- 
ing serpentine  ravines.  One  cave  has  been  traced  three  miles.  Some  of  these 
caves  are  partially  filled  with  ice.  There  is  one  in  particular,  fifteen  miles 
southwest  of  the  mountain,  which  is  known  as  Ice  Cave.  This  is  very  small, 
not  over  four  hundred  feet  long,  but  it  is  a  marvel  of  unique  beauty.  Its  ex- 
ternal appearance  is  that  of  a  huge  well,  at  whose  edge  are  bunches  of  nodding 
flowers,  and   from  whose  dark  depths  issue  sudden  chilly  gusts.     Descending 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY       .  37 

by  means  of  a  knotty  young  tree  which  previous  visitors  have  let  down,  we  find 
ourselves  on  a  floor  of  ice.  The  glare  of  pitchpine  torches  reveals  a  weird  and 
beautiful  scene.  A  perfect  forest  of  icicles  of  both  the  stalactite  and  stalagmite 
forms  fills  the  cave.  They  are  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in  length  and  from  one 
to  three  feet  in  diameter.  From  some  points  of  view  they  look  like  silvered 
organ-pipes. 

These  caves  have  been  formed  in  some  cases  by  chambers  of  steam  or 
bubbles  in  the  yet  pasty  rock  which  hardened  enough  to  maintain  their  form 
upon  the  condensation  of  the  vapor.  Others  were  doubtless  produced  by  a  tongue 
of  lava  as  it  collected  slag  and  hardened  rock  upon  its  moving  edge,  rising  up 
and  curling  over  like  a  breaker  on  the  sand.  Only  the  "cave  of  flint"  instead  of 
turning  into  a  "retreating  cloud"  had  enough  solid  matter  to  sustain  an  arch 
and  so  became  permanent.  Others  were  no  doubt  formed  by  pyroducts.  A 
tongi'.e  of  flowing  lava  hardens  on  the  surface.  The  interior  remains  fluid.  It 
may  continue  running  until  the  tongue  is  all  emptied,  leaving  a  cavern.  Such 
a  cavern,  whose  upper  end  reaches  the  cold  air  of  the  mountains,  might  be  like 
a  chimney,  down  which  freezing  air  would  descend,  turning  into  ice  the  water 
that  trickled  into  the  cave,  even  at  the  lower  end. 

For  sport,  the  region  about  Mount  Adams  is  unsurpassed.  The  elk,  three 
kinds  of  deer,  the  magnificent  mule  deer,  the  black-tail,  and  the  graceful  little 
white-tail,  two  species  of  bear,  the  cinnamon  and  black,  the  daring  and  ubiqui- 
tous mountain  goat,  quail,  grouse,  pheasants,  ducks,  cranes,  are  among  the 
attractions  to  the  hunter.  Of  late  years  great  bands  of  sheep  have  driven  the 
game  somewhat  from  the  south  and  east  sides.  In  the  grassy  glades  that  en- 
circle the  snowy  pile  of  Adams  no  vexatious  undergrowth  impedes  the  gallop 
of  our  fleet  cayuse  pony  or  obscures  our  vision.  On  the  background  of  fragrant 
greenery  the  "dun  deer's  hide"  is  thrown  with  statuesque  distinctness,  and 
among  the  low  trees  the  whirring  grouse  is  easily  discerned.  Nor  is  the  dis- 
ciple of  Nimrod  alone  considered.  After  our  hunt  we  may  move  to  Trout 
Lake,  and  here  the  very  ghost  of  the  lamented  Walton  might  come  as  to  a 
paradise.  Trout  Lake  is  a  shallow  pool  half  a  mile  in  length,  encircled  with 
pleasant  groves  and  grassy  glades,  marred  now,  however,  by  the  encroachment 
of  ranches.  Into  it  there  come  at  intervals  from  the  ice-cold  mountain  inlet 
perfect  shoals  of  the  most  gamey  and  delicious  trout.  On  rafts,  or  the  two  or 
three  rude  skiffs  that  have  been  placed  there,  one  may  find  all  piscatorial  joys 
and  may  abundantly  supply  his  larder  free  of  cost.  A  few  ranches  here  and 
there  furnish  accommodations  for  those  who  are  too  delicate  to  rest  on  the 
bosom  of  Mother  Earth.  But  no  extended  trip  can  be  taken  without  com- 
mitting oneself  to  the  wilderness  delights  of  sleeping  with  star-dials  for  roof 
and  flickering  camp-fire  for  hearth.  And  what  healthy  human  being  would 
exchange  those  for  the  feverish,  pampered  life  of  the  modern  house?  Let  us 
have  the  barbarism,  and  with  it  the  bounding  pulses  and  exuberant  life  of  the 
wilderness. 

But  now,  with  stomachs  and  knapsacks  filled,  and  with  that  pervasive 
sense  of  contentment  which  characterizes  the  successful  hunter  and  angler,  we 
must  drive  up  our  cayuse  ponies  from  their  pastures  on  the  rich  grass  of  the 
open  woods,  saddle  up,  and  then  ofif  for  the  mountain,  whose  giant  form  now 


38  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

overtops  the  very  clouds.  About  two  miles  from  Trout  Lake  the  trail  crosses 
the  White  Salmon,  and  we  find  ourselves  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  For 
eight  miles  we  follow  a  trail  through  open  woods,  park-like,  with  huge  pines 
at  irregular  intervals,  and  vivid  grass  and  flowers  between,  a  fair  scene,  the 
native  home  of  every  kind  of  game. 

As  we  journey  on  delightedly  through  these  glades,  rising,  terrace  after 
terrace,  we  can  read  the  history-  of  the  mountain  in  the  rock  beneath  our  feet 
and  the  expanding  plains  and  hills  below.  All  wilhin  the  ancient  amphitheatre 
is  volcanic.  There  are  four  main  summits,  a  central  dome,  vast,  symmetrical, 
majestic,  pure-white  against  the  blue-black  sky  of  its  unsullied  height.  The 
three  other  peaks  are  broken  crags  of  basalt,  leaning  as  for  support  against  the 
mighty  mass  at  the  center.  Around  the  snow-line  of  the  mountain  many  minor 
cones  have  been  blown  up.  These  have  the  most  gaudy  and  brilliant  coloring, 
mainly  yellow  and  vermilion.  One  on  the  southeast  is  especially  noticeable. 
From  a  deep  canon  it  rises  two  thousand  feet  as  steep  as  broken  scoriae  can  lie. 
The  main  part  is  bright  red,  sunnounted  by  a  circular  cliff  of  black  rock. 
Probably  the  old  funnel  of  the  crater  became  filled  with  black  rock,  which,  cool- 
ing, formed  a  solid  core.  The  older  material  around  it  having  crumbled  away, 
it  remains  a  solid  shaft. 

But  fire  has  not  wrought  all  the  wonders  of  the  mighty  peak.  Ice  has  been 
most  active.  The  mountain  was  once  completely  girdled  with  glaciers.  Rocks 
are  scratched  and  grooved  five  miles  below  the  present  snow-line.  The  ridges 
are  strewn  with  planed  rocks  and  glacial  shavings  and  course  sand.  Some  of 
the  monticules  on  the  flanks  of  the  mountain  have  been  partially  cut  away.  Many 
have  been  entirely  obliterated.  But  the  ice  has  now  greatly  receded.  Instead 
of  a  complete  enswathement  of  ice  there  are  some  six  or  seven  distinct  glaciers, 
separated  by  sharp  ridges,  while  the  region  formerly  the  chief  home  of  the  ice 
is  now  a  series  of  Alpine  meadows.  Like  most  of  the  snow  peaks,  Mount 
Adams  is  rudely  terraced,  and  the  terraces  are  separated  into  compartments 
by  ridges,  forming  scores  and  hundreds  of  glades  and  meads.  In  some  of  these 
are  cirailar  ponds,  from  a  few  square  rods  to  several  acres  in  area.  These 
lakes  are  found  by  the  hundred  around  the  mountain  and  in  the  region  north 
of  it.  They  are  one  of  the  charms  and  wonders  of  the  country.  About  most 
of  them  tall  grass  crowds  to  the  very  edge  of  the  water.  Scattered  trees  diver- 
sify the  scene.  Throughout  these  glades  flow  innmnerable  streams,  descending 
from  level  to  level  in  picturesque  cascades,  and  composed  of  water  so  cold  and 
sparkling  that  the  very  memory  of  it  cools  the  after  thirst.  Sometimes  the 
tough  turf  grows  clear  over,  making  a  verdant  tunnel  through  which  "the 
tinkling  waters  slip."  Here  and  there  streams  spout  full-grown  from  frowning 
precipices. 

But  we  are  not  content  to  stand  below  and  gaze  "upward  to  that  height." 
We  must  needs  ascend.  In  climbing  a  snow  peak  a  great  deal  depends  on  making 
camp  at  a  good  height  and  getting  a  very  early  start.  By  a  little  searching  one 
may  find  good  camping  jjlaces  at  an  elevation  of  seven  thousand  or  even  eight 
thousand  feet  altitude.  This  leaves  only  four  thousand  or  five  thousand  feet 
to  climb  on  the  great  day,  and  by  starting  at  about  four  o'clock  a  party  may 
have  sixteen  hours  of  daylight.     This  is  enough,   if  there  be  no  accidents,   to 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  39 

enable  any  sound  man  of  average  muscle, — or  woman  either,  if  she  be  properly 
dressed  for  it, — to  gain  the  mighty  dome  of  Adams. 

At  the  time  of  our  last  ascent  we  camped  high  on  a  great  ridge  on  the 
south  side  of  the  mountain,  having  for  shelter  a  thick  copse  of  dwarf  firs.  So 
fiercely  had  the  winds  of  centuries  swept  this  exposed  point  that  the  trees  did 
not  stand  erect,  but  lay  horizontal  from  west  to  east. 

With  pulses  bounding  from  the  exhilarating  air,  and  our  whole  systems 
glowing  with  the  exercise  and  the  wild  game  of  the  preceding  week,  we  stretch 
ourselves  out  for  sleep,  while  the  stars  blaze  from  infinite  heights,  and  our 
uneasy  camp-fire  strives  fitfully  with  the  icy  air  which  at  nightfall  always  slides 
down  the  mountain  side. 

Sweet  sleep  till  midnight,  and  then  we  found  ourselves  awake  all  at  once 
with  a  unanimity  which  at  first  we  scarcely  understood,  but  which  a  moment's 
observation  made  clear  enough.  A  regular  mountain  gale  had  suddenly 
broken  upon  us.  It  had  waked  us  up  by  nearly  blowing  us  out  of  bed.  Our 
camp-fire  was  aroused  to  newness  of  life  by  the  gale,  and  the  huge  fire-brands 
flew  down  the  mountain  side,  igniting  pitchy  thickets,  until  a  fitful  glare  illu- 
minated the  lonely  and  savage  grandeur  of  the  scene.  The  whole  sky  seemed 
in  motion.  Then  a  cloud  struck  us.  Night,  glittering  as  she  was  a  moment 
before  with  her  tiaras  of  stars,  was  suddenly  transformed  into  a  dull,  whitish 
blur.  The  vapor  formed  at  once  into  thick  drops  on  the  trees  and  was  precipi- 
tated in  turn  on  us.  Occasional  sleet  and  snowflakes  struck  us  with  almost  the 
sting  of  flying  sand  when  we  ventured  to  peep  out.  Covering  ourselves  up, 
heads  and  all,  we  crowded  against  each  other  and  grimly  went  to  sleep. 

We  woke  again,  chattering  with  cold,  to  find  it  perfectly  calm.  The  morn- 
ing star  was  blazing  over  the  spot  where  day  was  about  to  break.  The  sky 
was  absolutely  clear,  not  a  mote  on  its  whole  concavity.  The  wind  had  swept 
and  burnished  it.  The  mountain  towered  above  us  cold  and  sharp  as  a  crystal. 
There  was  a  still,  solemn  majesty  about  it  in  the  keen  air  and  early  light  which 
struck  us  with  a  thrill  of  fear.  The  light  just  before  daybreak  is  far  more  exact 
than  the  scarlet  splendor  of  morning  or  the  blinding  blaze  of  noon.  The  world 
below  us  was  a  level  set  of  clouds.  We  seemed  to  be  on  an  island  of  snow  and 
rock,  or  on  a  small  planetoid  winging  its  own  way  in  space.  Yet  beyond  the 
puncturing  top  of  a  few  of  the  Simcoe  peaks  a  wavering  line  that  just  touched 
the  glowing  eastern  sky,  told  of  clear  weather  a  hundred  leagues  up  the  basin 
of  the  Columbia.  Out  of  the  ocean  of  cloud,  the  great  peaks  of  Hood  and  St. 
Helens  rose,  cold  and  white,  like  icebergs  on  an  Arctic  sea. 

Cofifee,  ham  and  hardtack  and  then  out  on  the  ice  and  snow,  just  as  the 
first  warm  flush  of  morning  is  gilding  the  mighty  mass  above  us.  The  snow, 
hardened  by  the  freezing  morning,  affords  excellent  footing,  and  in  the  sharp, 
bracing  air  we  feel  capable  of  any  effort.  We  gain  the  summit  of  a  bright  red 
knob,  one  of  the  secondary  volcanoes  that  girdle  the  mountain.  At  its  peak 
are  purple  stones  piled  up  like  an  altar,  as  indeed  it  is,  though  the  incense  from 
it  is  not  of  human  kindling.  The  sun  is  not  fairly  up,  but  from  below  the  hori- 
zon it  splits  the  hemisphere  of  the  sky  into  a  hundred  segments  by  its  auroral 
flashes.  And  now  we  begin  to  climb  a  volcanic  ridge,  rising  like  a  huge  stair- 
way, with  blocks  of  stone  as  large  as  a  piano.     This  is  a  tongue  of  lava,  very 


40  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

recent,  insomuch  that  it  shows  no  glacial  markings,  and  yet  enough  soil  has 
accumulated  upon  it  to  support  vegetation.  It  can  be  seen,  a  dull  red  river, 
three  hundred  yards  wide,  extending  far  down  the  mountain  side.  How  well 
the  old  Greek  poet  described  the  process  that  must  have  taken  place  here: 
"jEtna,  pillar  of  heaven,  nurse  of  snow,  with  fountains  of  fire;  a  river  of  fire, 
bearing  down  rocks  with  a  crashing  sound  to  the  deep  sea." 

The  ridge  becomes  very  steep,  at  an  angle  of  probably  thirty-five  or  forty 
degrees,  and  we  climb  on  all  fours  from  one  rock  to  another.  At  last  we  draw 
ourselves  up  a  huge  wedge  of  phonolite  and  find  ourselves  at  the  summit  of  the 
first  peak.  Six  hundred  yards  beyond,  muffled  in  white  silence,  rises  the  great 
dome.  It  is  probably  five  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  first  peak.  To  reach 
it  we  climb  a  bare,  steep  ridge  of  shaly,  frost-shattered  rock,  in  which  we  sink 
ankle  deep,  a  difficult  and  even  painful  task  with  the  labored  breathing  of  twelve 
thousand   feet  altitude. 

But  patience  conquers,  and  at  about  noon,  seven  hours  and  a  half  from  the 
time  of  starting,  w^e  stand  on  the  very  tip  of  the  mountain.  Ten  minutes  pant- 
ing in  the  cold  wind  and  then  we  are  ready  to  look  around.  Within  the  circle 
of  our  vision  is  an  area  for  an  empire.  Northward  is  a  wilderness  of  moun- 
tains. High  above  all,  Mount  Rainier  lifts  his  white  crown  unbroken  to  the 
only  majesty  above  him,  the  sky.  The  western  horizon,  more  hazy  than  the 
eastern,  is  punctuated  by  the  smooth  dome  and  steely  glitter  of  Mount  St. 
Helen's.  Far  southward,  across  a  wilderness  of  broken  heights,  rises  the 
sharp  pinnacle  of  Mount  Hood,  and  far  beyond  that,  its  younger  brother,  Jeffer- 
son. Still  beyond  are  the  Alpine  peaks  of  the  Three  Sisters,  nearly  two  hun- 
dred miles  distant.  Our  vision  sweeps  a  circle  whose  diameter  is  probably  five 
hundred  miles.  Far  westward  the  white  haze  betokens  the  presence  of  the  sea. 
A  deep  blue  Hne  northwestward,  far  beyond  the  smooth  dome  of  St.  Helens, 
stands  for  Puget  Sound.     Numerous  lakes  gleam  in  woody  solitudes. 

Having  looked  around,  let  us  now  Jook  down.  On  the  eastern  side  the 
mountain  breaks  ofif  in  a  monstrous  chasm  of  probably  four  thousand  feet, 
most  of  it  perpendicular.  This  is  the  face  toward  Yakima.  We  crawl  as  we 
draw  near  it.  Lying  down  in  turn,  secured  by  ropes  held  behind,  fearful  as 
much  of  the  mystic  attraction  of  the  abyss  as  of  the  slippery  snow,  we  peep 
over  the  awful  verge.  Take  your  turn,  gentle  reader,  if  you  would  know  what 
it  seems  to  gaze  down  almost  a  mile  of  nearly  perpendicular  distance.  Points 
of  rock  jut  out  from  the  pile  and  eye  us  darkly.  That  icy  floor  nearly  a  mile 
below  us  is  the  Klickitat  glacier.  From  beneath  it  a  milk-white  stream  issues 
and  crawls  oflf  amid  the  rocky  desolation.  At  the  very  edge  of  the  great  preci- 
pice stands  a  cone  of  ice  a  hundred  feet  high.  Green,  blue,  yellow,  red  and 
golden,  the  colors  play  with  the  circling  sunbeams  on  its  slippery  surface,  until 
one  is  ready  to  believe  that  here  is  where  rainbows  are  made.  We  roll  some 
rocks  from  a  wind-swept  point,  and  then  shudder  to  see  them  go.  They  are  lost 
to  the  eye,  as  is  their  noise  to  the  ear,  long  before  they  cease  to  roll.  Silence 
reigns.  There  is  no  echo.  The  thin  air  makes  the  voice  sound  weak.  Our 
loudest  shouts  are  brief  bubbles  of  noise  in  the  infinite  space.  A  pistol  shot 
is  only  a  pufT  of  powder.  Even  the  rocks  we  set  ofT  are  swallowed  up  and  we 
get  no  response  but  the  first  reluctant  clank  as  they  grind  the  lip  of  the  preci- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        .  41 

pice.  Nor  do  we  care  much  for  boisterous  sounds.  We  are  impelled  rather  to 
silence   and   worship. 

But  now  once  more  to  earth  and  camp!  For  pure  exhilaration,  commend 
me  to  descending  a  snow  peak.  For  a  good  part  of  Mount  Adams  one  may 
descend  in  huge  jumps  through  the  loose  scoriae  and  volcanic  ashes.  Some  of 
the  way  one  may  slide  on  the  crusty  snow,  a  perfect  whiz  of  descent.  How 
the  thin  wind  cuts  past  us,  and  how  our  frames  glow  with  the  dizzy  speed! 
Such  a  manner  of  descent  is  not  altogether  safe.  As  we  are  going  in  one  place 
with  flying  jumps  on  the  softening  snow,  a  chasm  suddenly  appears  before  us. 
It  looks  ten  feet  wide,  and  how  deep,  no  one  could  guess.  To  stop  is  out  of  the 
question.  We  make  a  wild  bound  and  clear  it,  catching  a  momentary  glance 
into  the  bluish-green  crack  as  we  fly  across.  We  make  the  descent  in  an  in- 
credibly short  time,  only  a  little  more  than  an  hour,  whereas  it  took  us  over 
seven  hours  to  ascend.  And  then  the  rest  and  mighty  feasts  of  camp,  and  the 
abundant  and  mountainous  yarns,  and  the  roaring  camp-fire,  whose  shadows 
flicker  on  the  solemn  snow-fields,  until  the  stars  claim  the  heavens,  and,  while 
the  wailing  cry  of  the  cougars  rises  from  a  jungle  far  below  us,  we  sleep  and 
perform  again  in  dreams  the  day's  exploits. 

Of  all  scenes  in  connection  with  Mount  Adams,  the  most  remarkable  in  all 
the  experiences  of  those  who  witnessed  it,  and  one  of  those  rare  combinations 
which  the  sublimest  aspects  of  nature  afford,  was  at  the  time  of  the  outing  of 
the  Mazama  Club  in  1902.  The  party  had  reached  the  summit  in  a  dense  fog, 
cold,  bitter,  forbidding,  and  nothing  whatever  to  be  seen.  All  was  dull,  whit- 
ish blur.  In  the  bitter  chill  the  enthusiasm  of  some  of  the  climbers  evaporated 
and  they  turned  away  down  the  snowy  waste.  Others  remained  in  the  hope  of 
a  vanishing  of  the  cloud-cap.  And  suddenly  their  hopes  were  realized.  A  mar- 
velous transformation  scene  was  unveiled  like  the  lifting  of  a  vast  curtain. 
The  cloud-cap  was  split  asunder.  The  great  red  and  black  pinnacles  of  the 
summit  sprung  forth  from  the  mist  like  the  first  lines  in  a  developing  photo- 
graphic plate.  Then  the  glistening  tiaras  and  thrones  of  ice  and  snow  caught 
the  gleams  of  the  unveiled  sun,  and  lo,  there  we  stood  in  mid-heaven,  seem- 
ingly upon  an  island  in  space,  with  no  earth  about  us,  just  the  sun  and  the  sky 
above  and  a  great  swaying  ocean  of  fog  below.  But  now  suddenly  that  ocean 
of  fog  was  rent  and  split.  The  ardent  sun  burned  and  banished  it  away.  Moun- 
tain peak  after  peak  caught  the  glory.  Range  after  range  seemed  to  rise  and 
stand  in  battle  array.  The  transformation  was  complete.  A  moment  before  we 
were  swathed  in  the  densest  cloud-cap,  blinded  with  the  fog.  Now  we  were 
standing  on  a  mount  of  transfiguration,  with  a  new  world  below  us.  Every 
vestige  of  smoke  or  fog  was  gone.  We  could  see  the  shimmer  of  the  ocean  to 
the  west,  the  glistening  bands  of  Puget  Sound  and  the  Columbia.  Far  east- 
ward the  plains  of  the  Inland  Empire  lay  palpitating  in  the  July  sun.  The 
whole  long  line  of  the  great  snow-peaks  of  the  Cascades  were  there  revealed, 
the  farthest  a  mere  speck,  yet  distinctly  discernible,  two  hundred  miles  distant. 
One  unaccustomed  to  the  mountains  would  not  believe  it  possible  that  such  an 
area  could  be  caught  within  the  vision  from  a  single  point. 

It  may  be  understood  that  the  description  of  one  of  our  great  snowpeaks 
is,  in  general  terms,  a  description  of  all.     With  every  one  there  are  the  same 


42  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

azure  skies,  the  same  snow-caps,  the  same  crevassed  and  glistening  rivers  of 
ice,  the  same  long  ridges  with  their  intervening  grassy  and  flowery  meads, 
purling  streams,  and  reflecting  lakes.  With  the  name  of  each  there  rises  before 
Mazama  or  Mountaineer,  the  remembrance  of  the  camp  of  clouds  or  stars  upon 
the  edge  of  snow-bank,  the  sound  of  the  bugle  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning 
•of  the  great  climb,  the  hastily  swallowed  breakfast  of  coffee  and  ham,  while 
climbers  stand  shivering  around  the  flickering  morning  fire,  the  approaching 
day  with  its  banners  of  crimson  behind  the  heights,  the  daubing  of  faces  with 
grease-paint  and  the  putting  on  of  goggles,  amid  shouts  of  laughter  from  each 
at  the  grotesque  and  picturesque  ugliness  of  all  the  others,  then  the  hastily 
grasped  alpenstocks,  the  forming  in  line,  and  at  about  four  o'clock,  while  the 
first  rays  of  the  sun  are  gilding  the  summit,  the  word  of  command  and  the  be- 
ginning of  the  march. 

Each  great  peak  has  its  zones,  so  significant  that  each  seems  a  world  in 
itself.  There  is  first  the  zone  of  summer  with  its  fir  and  cedar  forests  at  the 
base  of  the  peak,  from  a  thousand  feet  to  twenty-five  hundred  above  sea-level. 
In  the  case  of  most  of  our  great  peaks  this  zone  consists  of  long  gentle  slopes 
and  dense  forests,  with  much  undergrowth,  though  on  the  eastern  sides  there 
are  frequently  wide-open  spaces  of  grassy  prairie.  Then  comes  the  zone  of  pine 
forest  and  summer  stra'wberry,  with  its  fragrant  air  and  long  glades  of  grass 
.and  open  aisles  of  columned  trees,  "God's  first  temples,"  pellucid  streams  bab- 
bling over  pebbles  and  white  sands,  and  occasionally  falling  in  cascades  over 
ledges  of  volcanic  rock.  This  zone  rises  in  terraces  which  attest  the  ancient 
lava  flow,  at  an  increasing  grade  over  the  first,  though  at  most  points  one  might 
still  drive  a  carriage  through  the  open  pine  forests.  Then  comes  the  third 
^one,  a  zone  of  parks.  The  large  pine  trees  now  give  way  to  the  belts  of  sub- 
alpine  fir  and  mountain  pine  and  larch,  exquisite  for  beauty,  enclosing  the 
parks  and  grouped  here  and  there  in  clumps  like  those  in  some  old  baronial 
estate  of  feudal  times.  This  is  the  zone  of  rhododendron,  shushula,  phlox,  and 
painted  brush.  Through  the  open  glades  the  ptarmigan  and  deer  wander, 
formerly  unafraid  of  man,  but  now,  alas,  under  the  ban  of  civilization.  The 
•upward  slope  has  now  increased  to  twenty  or  twenty-five  degrees,  and  to  a 
party  of  climbers  a  frequent  rest  and  the  quaffing  of  the  ice-cold  stream  that 
dashes  through  the  woods  aflford  a  happy  feature  of  the  ascent.  At  the  upper 
edge  of  this  zone,  at  an  elevation  of  probably  seven  thousand  feet,  beside  some 
dashing  stream  or  some  clear  pool,  fed  from  the  snows  above,  is  the  place  for 
the  camp.     Such  a  camp!     Oh,  the  beauty  of  such  an  unspoiled  spot! 

Tt  is  from  such  a  camp  at  the  upper  edge  of  the  paradise  zone  that  a  party 
sets  forth  at  the  four  o'clock  hour  to  attain  the  highest.  So  the  march  on  the 
great  day  of  a  final  climb  carries  us  at  once  into  a  fourth  zone.  This  is  the 
zone  of  avalanche  and  glacier,  the  zone  of  elemental  fury  and  warfare,  a  zone 
■of  ever-steeping  ascent,  thirty  degrees,  a  zone  of  almost  winter  cold  at  night, 
but  with  such  a  dazzling  brightness  and  fervor  in  the  day  as  turns  the  snow- 
banks to  slush  and  sends  the  fountains  tearing  and  cutting  across  the  glaciers 
and  triturating  the  moraines.  Vegetation  has  now  almost  ceased,  though  the 
heather  still  drapes  the  ledges  on  the  eastern  or  southern  exposures,  and  occa- 
.sionally  one  of  the  tenacious  mountain  pines  upholds  the  banner  of  spring  in 


HISTORY  GF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         •  43 

some  sheltered  nook.  This  wind-swept  and  stonn-lashed  zone  is  also  the  zone 
of  the  wild  goats  and  mountain  sheep.  On  the  precipitous  ridges  and  along 
the  narrow  ledges  at  the  margin  of  glaciers  they  can  be  seen  bounding  away  at 
the  approach  of  the  party,  surefooted  and  swift  at  points  where  the  nerve  of  the 
best  human  climber  might  fail.  This  zone  carries  the  climbers  to  ten  or  eleven 
thousand  feet  of  elevation  on  the  highest  peaks.  And  here  is  the  place  for  the 
Mountaineers  and  Mazamas  to  take  the  half-hour  rest  on  our  arduous  march. 
A  sweet  rest  it  is.  We  pick  out  some  sheltered  place  on  the  eastern  slope,  and 
stretch  ourselves  at  full  length  on  the  warm  rocks,  while  the  icy  wind  from 
the  summit  goes  hurtling  above  us.  And  how  good  the  chocolate  and  the 
malted  milk  and  the  prunes  and  raisins  of  the  scanty  lunch  taste,  while  we  rest 
and  feel  the  might  of  elemental  nature  again  fill  our  veins  and  lungs  and  hearts 

But  then  comes  a  fifth  zone,  the  last,  the  zone  of  the  Arctic.  This  is  the 
zone  of  the  snow-cap.  The  glaciers  are  now  below.  All  life  has  ceased.  The 
grade  has  ever  steepened,  till  now  it  is  forty  degrees  or  more.  The  snow  is 
hummocked  and  granulated.  Here  is  where  part  of  the  climbers  begin  to  stop. 
Legs  and  lungs  fail.  Camp  looks  exceedingly  good  down  there  at  the  verge 
of  the  forests.  They  feel  as  though  they  had  lost  nothing  on  the  summit  worth 
going  up  for.  A  nausea,  mountain  sickness,  attacks  some.  Nosebleed  attacks 
others.  Things  look  serious.  Icy  mists  sometimes  begin  to  swirl  around  the 
presumptuous  climbers.  Frost  gathers  on  hair  and  mustache  and  eyebrows. 
The  unaccustomed  or  the  less  ambitious  or  weaker  lose  heart  and  bid  the  rest 
go  on,  for  they  will  turn  toward  a  more  summer-like  clime.  Generally  about 
half  an  ordinary  party  drop  out  at  this  beginning  of  the  Arctic  zone.  But  the 
rest  shout  "Excelsior,"  take  a  firmer  grasp  of  alpenstock,  stamp  feet  more 
vehemently  into  the  snow,  and  with  dogged  perseverance  move  step  by  step  up 
the  final  height.  Inch  by  inch,  usually  in  the  teeth  of  a  biting  gale,  leaning  for- 
ward, and  panting  heavily,  they  force  the  upward  way.  And  victory  at  last! 
There  comes  a  time  when  we  are  on  the  topmost  pinnacle,  and  there  is  nothing 
above  us  but  the  storms  and  sun.  And  then  what  elation!  Nothing  seems 
quite  to  equal  the  pure  delight  of  such  a  triumph  of  lungs  and  legs  and  heart 
and  will. 

But  the  reader  will  not  be  content  with  a  description  of  the  existing  phys- 
ical features  of  this  land.  He  will  wish  to  know  something  of  the  processes  by 
which  all  this  came  to  pass,  something  of  its  geological  history.  Part  of  that 
geological  record  is  obvious  almost  on  the  face  of  it.  We  have  already  spoken 
of  the  curious  alternations  of  level  valleys  and  separating  ridges,  with  the 
gaps  through  which  the  rivers  pass  and  by  which  one  valley  connects  with 
another.  One  can  hardly  view  those  features  of  Yakima  topography  without 
framing  the  conception  that  each  one  of  those  level  valleys  was  once  covered 
by  water  and  that  there  was  a  series  of  great  lakes  where  now  the  orchards  and 
alfalfa  fields  of  the  Yakima  provide  food  for  men  and  beasts.  This  conception 
of  the  era  of  lakes  calls  to  mind  one  of  the  finest  of  the  many  fine  myths  which 
the  Yakima  and  Klickitat  Indians  have  passed  on  to  their  successors.  This  is 
the  story  of  the  great  beaver  of  Lake  Keechelus.  This  story  has  been  told  in 
various  ways.  Dr.  G.  B.  Kuykendall  of  Pomeroy,  formerly  physician  at  Fort 
Simcoe  on  the  Indian  Reservation,  has  narrated  it  in  the  history  of  the  Pacific 


44  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Northwest.  A.  J.  Splawn  gives  it  a  place  in  his  graphic  and  valuable  book  on 
"Kamiakin,  the  Last  Hero  of  the  Yakimas."  The  author  has  heard  it  from 
Frank  Olney  of  Toppenish,  one  of  the  best  authorities  on  all  matters  relating 
to  Indian  life.  Like  most  Indian  myths  this  story  of  the  beaver  varies  some- 
what, but  in  substance  is  to  the  efifect  that  in  the  times  of  the  Wateetash  (ani- 
mal people  before  the  coming  of  men)  there  was  a  monstrous  beaver,  Wish- 
poosh,  in  the  lakes  which  are  now  at  the  head  of  the  Yakima.  At  that  time, 
however,  there  was  no  river  and  the  lakes  were  much  larger  than  now.  Wish- 
poosh  was  so  destructive  that  Speelyi,  the  Coyote  god  of  the  Klickitats  and 
Yakimas,  determined  to  destroy  him  and  attacked  him  with  his  wooden  spear, 
but  only  wounded  him.  In  his  mad  fury  Wishpoosh  tore  up  the  trees  and  living 
creatures  along  the  shore  of  the  lake  and  finally  tore  out  the  bank  of  the  lake 
itself,  letting  the  great  floods  of  water  down  into  what  we  now  call  the  Kittitas 
Valley,  making  of  it  a  great  lake.  Not  content  with  this  the  raging  monster 
tore  a  passage  way  through  the  Umptanum  Gap,  and  the  accumulated  floods 
passed  on  to  fill  the  Selah  and  Wenas,  but  for  a  time  were  restrained  by  the 
ridge  at  what  is  now  Selah  Gap.  That,  however,  soon  gave  way  and  the  larger 
flats  of  the  Ahtanum,  and  Moxee  became  in  turn  the  reservoir  of  a  new  lake. 
Union  Gap  (Pahotacute),  or  rather  the  Ahtanum  ridge  at  that  point,  still  held 
back  the  waters  for  a  time,  but  at  last  gave  way  before  the  furious  onslaughts 
of  Wishpoosh.  Then  there  was  a  big  lake  sure  enough.  For  now  the  water 
covered  the  whole  area  of  the  Simcoe,  Toppenish  and  lower  Yakima,  clear 
across  where  the  Columbia  now  is  and  even  far  on  toward  Walla  Walla.  Some 
versions  of  the  story  carry  the  big  beaver  through  the  Umatilla  highlands  or 
Wallula  Gateway  and  then  through  the  Cascade  Mountain  to  the  ocean.  Ac- 
cording to  Frank  Olney,  who  is  probably  the  best  authority,  Speelyi  finally 
overpowered  Wishpoosh  at  the  point  where  the  Yakima  now  joins  the  Colum- 
bia, and  there  cut  up  the  monster  and  from  his  remains  created  the  various 
Indian  tribes.  The  fragments  of  the  head  were  thrown  up  toward  the  source 
of  the  river,  Speelyi  declaring  that  the  Indians  there  would  become  great  in 
power  and  intelligence  and  ultimately  be  white  and  rule  the  other  tribes.  The 
legs  and  chest  were  thrown  into  the  middle  section  with  the  declaration  that 
they  would  be  great  as  runners  and  fighters  but  would  be  inferior  to  the  upper 
tribes.  The  refuse  was  cast  down  the  river  and  from  them  were  fashioned 
the  lower  and  weaker  tribes.  Meanwhile  the  lakes  had  disappeared,  the  river 
had  come  into  existence,  the  various  gaps  remained  as  shaped  by  Wishpoosh, 
the  vast  level  plains  had  become  visible  above  the  waters, — and  the  Yakima 
Valley,  as  we  know  it,  was  an  established  fact.  Chief  Stwires  (Rev.  George 
Waters),  a  Klickitat  Indian  well  known  to  all  old  timers  in  Yakima,  told  the 
author  an  interesting  collateral  story  of  the  Yakima  floods,  to  this  effect.  About 
a  thousand  years  ago  the  Columbia  River  was  simply  a  small  stream  and  the 
Kittitas  and  Simcoe  valleys  were  covered  with  water.  One  day  a  certain  young 
man  of  the  Klickitat  tribe  got  lost  in  the  mountains  and  finally  made  his  way 
to  the  summit  of  Mount  Adams  (Pahtou).  That  was  a  feat  rarely  performed, 
for  the  natives  have  always  had  superstitions  about  the  snow-peaks.  But  this 
young  brave  reached  the  summit  and  there  he  discovered  a  great  lake  on  top. 
At  that  time  also  an  earthquake  caused  the  "Tomatiowas  Bridge"  of  the  Colum- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  45 

bia  River  to  fall,  the  lake  on  Mount  Adams  broke  loose  and  tore  down  the  whole 
east  side  of  the  mountain,  causing  the  stupendous  precipice  now  seen  there,  and 
the  Kittitas  and  Simcoe  lakes  were  drained.  As  a  result  of  this  the  Yakima 
River  came  into  existence,  and  the  Columbia  become  the  mighty  river  that  it 
now  is. 

Chief  Stwires  had  these  and  similar  stories  from  his  mother.  One  curious 
feature  of  the  Simcoe  Lake  story  as  related  by  Stwires  is  to  the  effect  that  there 
were  whales  in  the  lake.  C.  E.  Rusk  of  Yakima  told  the  author  that  he  imag- 
ined that  the  whale  story  might  have  developed  from  the  fact  that  at  points 
near  Kiona  and  Prosser  in  the  lower  valley  mastodon  bones  have  been  found. 

We  are  not  exactly  in  the  domain  of  science  in  this  part  of  the  chapter, 
but  it  is  worth  remembering  that  the  Indians,  like  all  primitive  people,  lived 
close  to  "nature's  heart,"  were  great  observers,  and  underneath  the  fantastic 
details  of  some  of  their  stories  had  a  general  basis  of  an  accurate  conception 
of  the  physical  changes  of  the  earth.  All  the  indications  point  to  the  action  of 
water  through  alternating  floods  and  lakes  in  the  creation  of  the  peculiar  topog- 
raphy of  the  country. 

The  geological  history  of  the  Yakima  Valley,  like  that  of  other  parts  of  this 
new  land,  must  necessarily  wait  for  fuller  research  to  give  it  anything  like  com- 
pleteness. General  outlines,  however,  have  been  given  it  from  the  investigations 
of  government  and  state  geologists,  from  the  engineers  of  the  Reclamation 
Service,  and  from  the  observations  of  prospectors,  of  whom  there  were  many 
in  the  early  mining  days  when  the  search  for  the  precious  metals  engrossed 
the  energies  of  most  of  the  explorers.  There  have  been  a  few  individual  stu- 
dents of  high  scientific  intelligence  to  whom  we  owe  general  news  of  the  order 
of  evolution  of  this  region. 

The  first  real  student  of  geology  in  the  northwest  was  Prof.  Thomas 
Condon,  for  a  number  of  years  a  Congregational  clergyman  at  The  Dalles, 
and  then  for  many  years  one  of  the  faculty  of  the  Oregon  State  University 
at  Eugene.  Professor  Condon  published  in  1902,  a  fascinating  little  book,  "The 
Two  Islands,"  in  which  he  sets  forth  certain  general  conclusions  of  great  inter- 
est in  the  history  of  the  Northwest.  The  fundamental  proposition  on  which 
this  book  is  based  is  that  there  were  two  islands  as  the  oldest  land  in  all  this 
region,  the  Siskiyou  and  the  Shoshone.  In  the -book  are  given  valuable  details 
about  the  fossil  remains  and  the  rock  formations  upon  which  the  author  bases 
his  conclusions.  Another  of  his  general  expositions  is  that  in  the  subsequent 
gradual  evolution  of  the  continent  there  were  three  vast  seas  imprisoned  by 
the  rising  lands  in  the  regions  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
The  southernmost  of  these  was  ultimately  drained  by  the  Colorado  River.  The 
second  was  the  Utah  Basin,  and  it  found  no  outlet,,  but  gradually  disappeared 
by  evaporation,  leaving  Great  Salt  Lake  of  the  present  as  an  evidence  of  the 
process.  The  third,  much  larger  than  either  of  the  others,  was  enclosed  by 
gradual  successive  elevations  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  to  be  drained  in  time 
by  the  Columbia  River.  Professor  Condon's  conception  of  the  agency  of  the 
Cascade  Mountains  in  the  history  of  the  region  which  includes  the  Yakima 
may  be  found  in  the  following  excerpt  from  the  "Two  Islands:"  "Thus  far 
our  narrative  has  had  to  do  with  occurrences  apparently  local  and  apparently 


46  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

disassociated  from  facts  and  events  that  shaped  the  history  of  the  rest  of  the 
world.  Our  story  now  needs  to  take  on  its  relations  to  this  wider  circle  of 
changes,  the  geographical  progress  of  other  regions.  , 

"The  two  islands  in  mid  ocean  and  the  muddy  or  sandy  deposits  along 
their  respective  shore  lines  were  worked  by  the  same  ocean,  receiving  into  their 
deposits  the  remains  of  the  same  sea  life,  and  were  affected  alike  by  the  heat 
and  pressure  of  their  vast  acaimulations  of  the  wear  and  the  wash  of  older 
things.  Nothing  of  all  this  tended  to  make  these  islands  unlike,  and  so  their 
growth  was  treated  as  the  growth  of  twin  sisters.  The  divergence  in  their 
records  commenced  with  the  growth  of  the  Cascade  barrier  between  them,  and 
of  the  early  history  of  this  and  its  special  bearing  on  the  development  of  the 
Shoshone  Island,  careful  note  has  been  attempted. 

"At  a  later  period  in  its  history,  this  barrier  character  took  another  form. 
From  a  mere  water  barrier  to  a  range  of  hills,  and  still  later  to  a  vast  range  of 
mountains,  increased  elevation  lifted  it  into  an  atmospheric  agency  quite  as  im- 
portant as  its  previous  marine  one,  for  when  it  reached  the  altitude  of  a  moun- 
tain range  it  excluded  the  moist,  warm  current  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  thus 
surrendered  the  interior  to  the  dry,  cold  winds  of  the  continent  eastward. 

"Yet  another  of  these  barrier  functions  remains  to  be  ascribed  to  the  Cas- 
cade Range.  Its  uplift  along  the  coast  of  Alaska  made  it  a  barrier  to  the  flow 
eastward  of  the  Japan  current  of  the  ocean. 

"The  present  extended  plains  from  Alaska  to  Baffin's  Bay  would  warrant 
the  conclusion  that  before  the  elevation  of  the  Cascade  barrier  at  Alaska,  the 
Japan  current  must  have  flowed  over  those  stretches  of  low  country  on  its  way 
northAvard. 

"The  effect  of  this,  as  previously  noted,  would  be  to  sweep  away  all  accumu- 
lations of  snow  and  ice  in  that  region :  in  other  words,  would  prevent  accumu- 
lations of  snow  and  ice  between  our  island  of  Shoshone  and  the  Arctic  Circle. 
a  condition  of  things  which  would  be  very  effective  in  modifying  the  climate  of 
the  region  we  are  describing. 

"Yet  such  an  inflow  of  a  vast  tropical  river  from  the  ocean  itself  must 
have  existed  till  turned  aside  by  the  upfold  of  this  Cascade  barrier  along  the 
coast  of  Alaska. 

"To  say  that  this  great  upfold  of  the  earth  kept  on  increasing  in  height  and 
breadth  through  the  early  and  middle  Tertiary  times,  would  tend  to  obscure 
the  strong  line  of  the  history,  for  it  was  the  force  that  lifted  this  Cascade  dyke 
into  the  Cascade  range  of  hills,  and  these  in  turn  into  the  Cascade  range  of 
mountains.  It  was  the  epochs  of  these  successive  upfolds  that  marked  off  into 
time  periods  the  Eocene  or  early  Tertiary,  the  Miocene  or  middle  Tertiary,  and 
the  Pliocene  or  latest  Tertiar}-. 

But  there  is  still  a  wider  view  of  its  world  relations  than  this  one  of  the 
Pacific  slope;  for  while  this  Cascade  barrier  was  making  a  geographical  sepa- 
ration between  our  two  islands  of  the  Pacific,  there  was  an  extension  of  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  northward  into  what  is  now  British  America,  covering  much 
of  the  region  now  occupied  by  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  same  crumpling 
process  that  elevated  the  Cascade  barrier  by  a  like  process  of  elevation,  closed 
this  American  Mediterranean  to  the  ocean,  and  also  added  to  the  height  and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  ^r 

breadth  of  the  already  begun  upfold  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This  change  was 
closely  followed  by  the  conversion  of  the  inclosed  waters  of  the  region  from  salt^ 
through  brackish,  to  fresh  waters. 

"And  yet  a  still  wider  relationship  may  be  mentioned.  Up  to  the  time  whea 
the  Cascade  barrier  was  separating  our  Pacific  Islands,  western  Europe,  from> 
the  British  Islands  to  the  Black  Sea,  was  covered  by  a  deep  ocean  over  whose 
bed  had  been  slowly  deposited  the  cast-off  calcareous  shells  of  a  Protozoan 
animal,  the  Globigerina.  This  accumulation  of  life-remains,  hundreds  of  feet 
in  thickness  and  extending  over  a  length  of  six  hundred  miles,  was  brought  to 
a  close  by  the  elevation  of  the  sea  bed,  its  calcareous  sediment  to  be  known  in 
after  times  as  the  chalk  beds  of  Europe. 

"Now  this  shrinking  and  the  resulting  crumpling  of  the  surface  seen  in 
this  light,  becomes  a  world  fact;  its  manifestation  in  the  Cascade  barrier,  its 
other  manifestation  along  the  line  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  the  still  further 
one  in  the  elevation  of  the  chalk  beds  of  Europe,  are  but  three  links  in  the  one 
chain  of  force.  It  is  this  European  link  that  gives  its  name  to  the  epoch,  the 
Cretaceous  (meaning  chalk),  and  the  close  of  this  period,  a  time  of  great 
change,  a  revolution  in  the  geological  history,  marks  the  passing  away  of  the 
older  forms  of  life  and  the  introduction  of  the  newer  forms  of  both  plants  and 
animals.  To  accomplish  this  result  the  great  types  of  life  at  this  time  went 
through  rapid  changes. 

"The  dominant  forms  of  vertebrate  life  of  the  Cretaceous  period  of  land 
and  sea,  were  reptilian,  the  dominant  forms  of  the  new  period  were  mammalian. 

"A  like  radical  change  occurred  at  this  time  among  the  plants,  as  the  types 
that  mark  the  forests  of  today  were  not  introduced  till  after  the  close  of  the 
Cretaceous.  In  the  light  of  these  facts  there  is  a  striking  fitness  in  the  name 
geologists  have  given  the  period  that  follows  the  Cretaceous.  They  call  it  the 
Eocene — the  dawn  of  the  recent. 

"When  the  violence  that  accompanied  the  Cretaceous  revolution  passed 
away,  quiet  was  restored  and  life,  land  life,  took  its  new  tendency  on  our  Shos- 
hone Island." 

It  is  interesting  to  note  in  connection  with  Professor  Condon's  "Two 
Islands"  that  Prof.  Henry  Landes  of  the  University  of  Washington,  state  geol- 
ogist, believes  that  there  was  a  third  island  perhaps  antedating  the  Siskiyou  and 
Shoshone  and  composing  probably  the  oldest  land  in  the  Northwest.  This  was 
the  region  of  the  Methow  and  Chelan  and  south\\»ard  from  them.  In  general 
terms  it  may  be  said  that  the  Methow  and  Chelan  regions  are  of  metamorphic 
rock,  granitic,  porphyritic,  and  andesite,  while  south  of  these  to  the  Sierras, 
the  Cascade  Range  and  its  various  spurs  are  mainly  of  various  forms  of  igneous 
rock,  lava,  basalt  and  trachyte.  The  vast  snow  peaks  beginning  with  Baker 
(which  ought  to  be  Kulshan,  Great  White  Watcher)  and  Shuksan  near  the 
Canadian  line,  and  including  Glacier  Peak,  Stuart,  Rainier  (Takhoma),  St. 
Helens  and  Adams,  with  many  lesser  ones  in  the  state  of  Washington,  and  an 
equal  number  of  similar  ones  in  Oregon,  are  entirely  volcanic,  heaved  up 
through  the  original  crust  of  the  earth  by  stupendous  volcanic  and  seismic 
energy. 


48  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

A  general  view  of  the  geology  of  the  Yakima  was  prepared  by  Miss  Ruth 
Johnson  of  the  Yakima  High  School  and  published  in  one  of  the  local  papers. 
As  a  valuable  brief  contribution  to  the  subject  we  are  incorporating  this  into 
our  work  at  this  point.  We  derive  this  from  a  Yakima  paper  with  this  introduc- 
tion: 

GEOLOGY    OF    THE    VAKIM.\    V.\LLEY. 

(The  following  paper  was  prepared  and  read  at  a  recent  meeting  of  the 
Yakima  Association  of  Collegiate  Alumnae,  by  Miss  Ruth  Johnson  of  the  High 
School  faculty,  and  was  so  much  enjoyed  and  the  facts  presented  were  deemed 
so  important  that  it  was  requested  for  publication. — Ed.) 

In  order  to  adequately  explain  the  Geology  of  the  Yakima  Valley,  it  is 
first  necessary  that  a  few  general  statements  in  regard  to  the  geological  history 
of  this  country  should  be  made.  Passing  over  the  ancient  foundation  of 
Archean  rock  and  skirting  of  subsequent  sedimentation  that  was  built  around  it 
as  well  as  intervening  country  that  connects  the  more  closely  worked  out  sec- 
tions to  the  eastward,  we  find  ourselves  interested  in  more  truly  western  struc- 
tures in  British  Columbia  and  Sierra  Navadas.  Showing  records  of  as  early 
a  time  as  the  Paleozoic,  the  second  well  recognized  era  in  the  geologic  scale  of 
time,  there  are  rocks  here  that,  according  to  George  Otis  Smith,  "are  the  oldest 
in  the  Northern  Cascades,"  and  he  also  records  the  fact  that  they  show  signs 
of  volcanic  action. 

In  this  we  might  trace  the  earliest  proofs  of  the  great  stress  of  uplift  that 
was  for  the  next  two  eras  to  keep  the  whole  middle  western  edge  of  the  con- 
tinent oscillating,  now  above  and  now  below  water  level. 

Rocks  of  the  Cretaceous  period  are  quite  definitely  located  and  in  the 
sifting  of  Mr.  Condon's  "Two  Islands"  there  remain  the  undisputed  facts  of 
fossils  of  that  period  as  having  been  located  farther  west  than  any  of  like  age 
up  to  that  time.  It  is  of  interest  that  through  Mr.  Condon's  efforts  the  earliest 
explorations  in  search  of  fossil  material  were  made,  and  such  expeditions  as 
that  of  Yale  under  orders  from  Professor  Marsh  in  1876,  the  resulting  speci- 
mens of  which,  still  comparatively  unknown,  are  preserved  in  the  recesses  of 
Peabody  Museum  at  New  Haven. 

After  the  placing  of  the  sediments  which  we  now  label  as  Cretaceous  and 
parallel  in  age  with  the  great  chalk  foundations  of  other  continents,  there  seems 
to  have  come  a  great  movement  of  lifting  and  folding  which  continued,  studded 
with  granite  intrusions  and  other  signs  of  igneous  activity  until  what  may  be 
called  the  parent  Cascade  Mountains  were  lifted  above  the  waters  and  erosion, 
with  all  its  wearing  powers,  began. 

With  the  opening  of  the  Tertiary  period  then  we  have  a  range  of  moun- 
tains, not  necessarily  high,  but  rugged,  in  about  ihe  same  position  as  the  Cas- 
cades of  to-day,  with  a  long  trough-like  estuary  reaching  in  from  the  north 
over  what  is  now  the  Puget  Sound  country.  This  water  lapped  up  much 
farther  than  the  present  waters  do,  and  it  is  a  question  whether  or  not  the  most 
far  reaching  of  these  tongues  of  water  reached  the  large  bodies  of  water  that 
were  to  the  east  of  the  new  raised  ridge  of  mountains. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  49 

These  early  Tertiary,  or  more  properly  speaking  Eocene,  waters  are  re- 
sponsible for  all  the  coal  in  our  state  and  with  the  realization  that  coal  bed  foun- 
dation demands  long  periods  of  shallow  water  growth  coupled  with  rapid  sedi- 
mentation to  seal  away  the  treasures  of  the  forests  for  our  use  we  can  readily 
understand  what  must  have  been  the  story  of  that  period. 

Following  this  the  Neocene  basalt  flows  occurred,  with  such  a  wide  spread- 
ing field  of  action  that  some  buttes  north  and  east  of  Walla  Walla  were  almost 
covered  and  the  Snake  River  that  we  know  was  forced  to  cut  its  way  out  and 
through  ten  separate  flows,  the  same  flows  of  lava  that  may  be  readily  seen 
between  Ellensburg  and  Yakima  in  the  canon. 

With  the  close  of  the  lava  flow  came  a  deformation  or  slight  tilting  and 
with  it  of  course,  erosion  until  a  level  plain  was  formed  upon  the  face  of  which 
rivers  turned  and  twisted  in  an  effort  to  empty  their  rapidly  ponding  waters  into 
the  sea.  This  properly  is  said  to  conclude  the  Miocene  period  as  well  as  the 
career  of  the  mountains  already  designated  as  the  early  Cascades. 

The  main  division  of  Tertiary  time,  however,  does  not  end  until  another 
uplift  furnishes  the  force  to  lift  this  level  plain  and  with  a  combination  of 
mountain  building  forces  make  possible  our  present  Cascade  Range. 

The  erosion  of  this  peneplain  or  level  and  elevated  highland  is  even  now 
continuing  and  it  is  the  broken  stretches  of  its  flat  top  that  we  can  trace  against 
the  blue  sky  line  to  the  west. 

Turning  to  a  closer  study  of  the  Yakima  Valley.  The  earliest  rocks  in  this 
section  are  to  be  found,  according  to  Professor  Saunders,  in  the  Easton 
schists  and  other  strata  as  the  Peshastin  and  Hawkins  formations.  These  are 
found  in  the  mountainous  western  portion  of  the  Yakima  Basin,  and  are  instru- 
mental in  causing  a  very  nigged  topography. 

IN    THE    EOCENE    PERIOD. 

The  mountains  to  the  west  were  eroded  rapidly  and  the  resulting  material 
deposited  as  the  Swauk  formation  between  Ellensburg  and  Thorp  and  the 
Naches  formation  showing  a  white  streak  in  the  hills  north  of  Naches  City. 
Says  W.  von  Winkel  in  Water  Supply,  Paper  No.  339,  U.  S.  G.  S.  "Upper 
Yakima  River  Valley  heads,  now  at  2458  feet,  expose  Pre-Eocene  schists,  slates, 
serpentines,  and  volcanic  rocks.  Eocene  sandstones,  conglomerate,  shales,  and 
basalts,  and  in  places  Neocene  and  later  basalts. 

Above  Ellensburg  the  river  crosses  an  exposure  of  Neocene  basalt  and 
enters  the  later  Tertiary  sedimentary  deposits  known  as  Ellensburg  formation 
and  in  its  lower  course  flows  across  basalt  and  sandstone. 

Ill  the  course  of  this  period  these  layers  of  sediment  were  uplifted  and 
eroded  before  the  first  of  the  long  series  of  lava  flows  made  its  appearance. 
This  was  a  basic  lava,  called  Teanaway  basalt  which  in  places  attained  a  thick- 
ness of  more  than  5,000  feet.  There  were  fissures  in  the  sandstone,  and  ande- 
site  and  rhyolite  were  also  a  part  of  this  flow. 

Following  this  another  period  of  weathering  and  erosion  comes  with  its 
destructive  work,  and  well  it  is  that  geology  takes  small  count  of  time  as  it  is 
actually  measured  in  years  else  we  could  not  so  glibly  follow  these  centuries  of 

(4) 


50  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

erosion  and  the  activity  of  leveling  forces  with  the  idea  of  sinking  and  subse- 
quent sedimentation.  This  time  about  3,000  to  3,500  feet  of  sandstone  and 
schists  were  deposited  in  the  fresh  water  ponded  here  and  the  Roslyn  coal  is  the 
proof  of  a  most  abundant  vegetation. 

Just  south  of  Yakima  River  are  the  Manastash  beds,  similar  to  Swauk 
though  probably  younger  than  the  coal  beds.  The  era  of  the  Eocene  then  closed 
as  far  as  the  Yakima  Valley  was  concerned  with  a  break  in  the  geologic  record 
due  to  uplift  and  erosion,  and  that  break  we  call  an  unconformity.  Following 
this  we  have  the  Yakima  basalt  ranging  in  thickness  from  200  to  2,500  feet 
and  we  know  that  the  sheet  type  of  field  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  the  great 
floods  were  forced  up  through  conduits  in  a  manner  best  comparable  to  the 
oozing  of  juice  when  a  rhubarb  pie  is  in  process  of  baking,  not  to  say  running 
over.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  basalt  came  to  surface  through  great 
fissures  of  considerable  linear  extent  rather  than  volcanic  vents,  for  with 
basalt's  low  melting  point  it  would  flow  long  distances  before  cooling.  There 
are  no  indications  of  true  volcanoes  on  the  Ellensburg  quadrangle. 

G.  O.  Smith  speaks  of  ten  separate  flows ;  and  when  one  considers  that  be- 
tween each  flow  enough  time  elapsed  so  that  the  lava  cooled,  rock  weathered  and 
eroded  enough  to  form  a  footing  for  the  great  trees  the  remains  of  which  we 
now  find,  we  gain  a  little  broader  idea  of  geologic  time.  Russell  in  his  analysis 
of  the  lava  gives  the  real  reason  for  the  soil's  agricultural  richness  when  he 
says  it  is  made  up  of  46  to  47  per  cent  Si  and  11-22  per  cent.  Al  with  lime, 
magnesia,  potash  and  phosphoric  acid. 

About  the  middle  of  the  Neocene  period  the  basaltic  flows  ceased  and  the 
area  having  sunk,  doubtless  because  of  the  weight  of  the  lava — a  basin  was 
formed.  Before  we  go  further,  however,  it  is  besi  to  stop  to  realize  that  the 
Columbia  lava  flows  cover  all  of  southern  Idaho,  eastern  Oregon  and  extend 
into  California,  covering  nearly  250,000  square  miles,  in  places  4,000  feet  thick 
and  making  the  largest  lava  flow  in  the  world. 

In  the  northwestern  part  of  the  basin  sedimentation  was  contemporary 
with  the  lava  flows  and  after  this  building  of  future  soils  had  been  carried  on 
to  what  we  call  the  Ellensburg  formation  that  reaches  a  total  height  of 
1,569.5  feet  north  of  Naches  City.  This  series  of  layers  shows  such  a  mixture 
of  acidic,  volcanic  ash  and  sediment  that  a  new  volcanic  activity  to  the  west- 
ward is  definitely  proved  and  that  too  of  a  more  acidic  type.  This  layer  is  the 
one  which  Dall  and  Weaver  correlate  with  the  Massall  beds  of  John  Day  in 
Oregon  and  it  is  to  them  that  we  may  look  for  proofs  of  the  life  that  existed 
at  that  time. 

Early  in  the  Pliocene  times  there  was  a  gentle  flexing  and  foUling  in  a  gen- 
eral N.  W.  and  S.  E.  direction  and  these  arches  naturally  aff'ected  the  drainage 
that  was  later  to  work  out  the  Columbia  River  basin  drainage. 

This  material  was  again  worked  down  to  a  peneplain  with  the  rivers 
showing  every  sign  of  age.  These  ridges  were  again  uplifted  this  time  with  the 
whole  area  raised  and  naturally  the  rivers  were  intrenched  and  had  to  cut  their 
way  through  as  at  Union  and  Selah  gaps  and  the  whole  Yakima  Canon. 

Picture  then  the  enormous  amount  of  work  which  those  streams  had  to  do 
before  they  could  pursue  their  untrammeled  wav  to  the  sea,  and  also  remember 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  51 

that  the  Columbia  itself  was  having  to  do  the  same  work  of  cutting  where  the 
Cascades  were  being  humped  up  beneath  its  course  to  the  ocean. 

The  most  important  event  of  the  latter  history  of  the  valley,  according  to 
Bull  (U.  S.  G.  S.  No.  86)  is  the  andesite  eruption  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Tieton 
Basin  and  the  resulting  lava  flow  down  the  Tieton  and  Naches.  Tieton  River 
with  a  canyon  of  1,000  to  3,000  feet  of  basalt  was  filled,  and  ponding  was  forced 
in  the  Tieton  Basin.  Later  streams  of  volcanic  mud  and  lava  encroached  on 
the  broad  bottom  land  of  Cowiche  and  Naches  and  this  largest  stream  of  molten 
material  cooling  as  it  traveled  shows  the  change  of  viscosity  in  the  slope  of 
si.xty  feet  to  the  mile  that  is  still  to  be  seen  on  the  edge  of  Naches  Heights. 
The  lava  stream  stopped  at  Painted  Rocks  two  miles  below  where  it  came  out 
of  the  canyon  and  was  about  300  feet  high  at  the  clilf  which  shows  its  end. 
The  Tieton  and  Cowiche  were  changed,  similarly  farther  north.  Local  Cowiche 
water  was  ponded  1,700  feet  in  depth.  No  rock  of  glacial  origin  shows  on  quad- 
rangle but  granite  boulders  deposited  by  ice  in  ponds.  So  we  conclude  the  story 
of  our  section,  one  that  we  may  read  as  we  run,  and  seeing  what  great  changes 
have  come  about  in  practically  unmeasured  periods  of  time,  we  may  well  look 
with  mingled  feelings  of  awe  and  pride  at  the  hills  that  most  of  us  know  and 
love. 

The  article  by  Miss  Johnson  gives  a  very  accurate  general  view  in  brief,  but 
some  of  our  readers  will  doubtless  desire  more  detailed  and  technical  informa- 
tion, and  to  satisfy  that  desire  we  are  here  incorporating  extracts  from  the 
thorough  and  voluminous  report  by  George  Otis  Smith  as  given  in  the  Mount 
Stuart  folio  of  the  Geological  Atlas  of  1904.  The  first  extract  gives  a  general 
description  of  the  ;\Iount  Stuart  quadrangle. 

GEOLOGY   OF   YAKIMA  VALLEY,    AS   DESCRIBED   BY    GEORGE    OTIS    SMITH. 

"Situation  and  extent. — The  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle  is  bounded  by  the 
meridians  120°  30'  and  121°  west  longitude  and  the  parallels  47°  and 
47°  30'  north  latitude.  The  area  thus  included  is  812.4  square  miles.  The 
quadrangle  is  situated  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  state  of  Washington  and 
includes  portions  of   Kittitas  and  Chelan  counties. 

"Relief.^The  quadrangle  lies  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Cascade  Moun- 
tains, and  the  northern  half  of  the  area  includes  the  Mount  Stuart  massif  and 
its  foothills.  Mount  Stuart,  the  most  prominent  topographic  feature  of  the 
quadrangle,  is  the  culminating  peak  of  an  important  spur  of  the  main  Cascade 
Range,  the  crest  of  the  main  range  lying  fifteen  miles  to  the  west.  This  sec- 
ondary range  Prof.  I.  C.  Russell  has  termed  the  Wenatchee  Mountains.  Mount 
Stuart  rises  to  an  elevation  of  9,470  feet  above  sea  level,  and,  with  its  deeply 
carved  spires  and  crags,  more  or  less  covered  with  snow  throughout  the  sum- 
mer, is  the  most  striking  feature  in  the  varied  scenery  of  the  region.  Its  wild- 
est and  grandest  scenery,  however,  lies  hidden  within  its  fastnesses. 

"The  southern  face  of  Mount  Stuart  is  a  precipitous  slope  rising  5,000  feet 
or  more  above  Ingalls  Creek.  This  wall  can  be  scaled  at  several  points,  but  by 
only  one  route  has  the  highest  peak  been  successfully  attacked  by  the  mountain 
climber.     This  route  is  along  the  right-hand  side  of  a  well-defined  gulch  which 


52  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

debouches  in  a  large  alluvial  cone  opposite  the  mouth  of  Turnpike  Creek.  At 
the  head  of  this  gulch  begins  the  true  climb  westward  along  the  arete  with  its 
huge  blocks  of  rock.  The  summit  is  about  a  thousand  feet  above,  and,  when 
reached,  the  peak  is  found  to  be  so  acute  that  the  greater  part  of  the  available 
space  is  taken  by  the  triangulation  monument.  Beiow,  the  northern  and  west- 
em  faces  are  so  much  more  precipitous  as  readily  to  convince  the  observer  that 
there  is  only  one  approach  to  the  summit. 

"On  the  north  side  of  Mount  Stuart  are  broad  and  deep  amphitheaters,  in 
which  lie  small  glaciers  and  glacial  lakes,  draining  northward  into  Icicle  Creek. 
The  glaciers  immediately  below  the  main  peak  are  mere  remnants,  often  only 
a  few  hundred  yards  in  extent,  yet  as  seen  from  the  summit  these  exhibit  the 
characteristics  possessed  by  larger  ice  streams;  crevasses  cross  the  surface  and 
indicate  clearly  the  lines  of  flow  in  the  lower  portions  of  the  glacier,  while  one 
terminal  moraine  was  observed.  Neve  fields  connect  these  tiny  glaciers,  so 
that  they  form  a  chain  at  the  base  of  the  cliff  that  so  effectually  protects  them. 
In  the  Twin  Lakes  amphitheater  there  is  a  much  larger  glacier,  about  two  miles 
in  length.  A  Nunatak  rising  through  this  sheet  of  ice  is  a  conspicuous  fea- 
ture, and  the  typically  rounded  surfaces  of  this  glacial  basin  present  strong 
contrasts  with  the  extremely  rugged  outlines  of  the  higher  parts  of  the  range. 

"Southward  from  Mount  Stuart  extend  the  lower  peaks  and  ridges,  many 
of  which  are  hardly  less  rugged  than  Mount  Stnart  itself.  The  valleys  are 
canyon-like  in  character,  and  dissection  of  the  land  surface  has  reached  an 
extreme  degree  of  maturity.  There  is,  however,  some  variety  in  the  extent 
to  which  erosion  has  been  carried.  Rocks  of  varying  structure  and  hardness 
have  caused  the  details  to  differ  somewhat,  but  ever}'where  within  this  zone 
the  topography  is  bold.  The  divides  are  generally  narrow,  the  crests  of  the 
ridges  being  often  so  sharp  as  to  be  almost  impassable.  Below,  the  slopes  are 
steep,  and  high  cliffs  border  many  of  the  valleys.  The  larger  streams  in  this 
part  of  the  quadrangle  have  rather  broad  valleys,  although  a  striking  feature  is 
the  number  of  types  that  may  be  observed  in  a  single  valley.  Within  a  few 
miles  a  stream  will  pass  from  a  broad  basin  down  over  a  series  of  cascades, 
then  wind  through  beautiful  intermontane  meadows,  only  to  again  dash  down 
into  a  deep  canyon.  Such  a  succession  is  found  in  the  valley  of  Negro  Creek, 
and  similar  alternations  of  level  stretches  and  precipitous  cascades  characterize 
almost  every  other  stream.  In  general  the  gradient  as  well  as  the  width  of  each 
valley  is  largely  determined  by  the  character  of  the  rock  in  which  it  has  been  cut. 
The  valley  of  Negro  Creek  furnishes  a  good  example  of  this.  The  upper  basin 
and  the  lower  broad  and  level  portions  of  the  valley  are  in  serpentine  and  soft 
sandstone  and  are  separated  by  belts  of  hard,  igneous  rock  over  which  the 
stream  cascades.  The  lower  half  of  the  valley  is  a  narrow  canyon  cut  in 
igneous  rock  and  hard  slate. 

"The  southern  half  of  the  quadrangle  includes  a  portion  of  the  sloping 
plateau  which  extends  from  the  higher  parts  of  the  Cascades  on  the  west  to 
the  plain  of  the  Columbia  on  the  east.  The  gentle  eastward  slope  of  this  plateau 
can  be  seen  in  the  sky  line  as  one  looks  southward  from  the  peaks  near  Mount 
Stuart.  The  flat-topped  ridge  south  of  Yakima  Valley,  and  Lookout  and 
Table  mountains  just  to  the  east,  are  instantly  recognized  as  topographic  fea- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  5J 

tures  quite  different  in  character  from  those  already  described.  This  southern 
region  is,  hke  the  northern,  deeply  trenched  with  canyons,  but  the  streams  are 
much  farther  apart,  so  that  the  divides  between  the  drainage  lines  are  broad  and 
level  and  the  plateau  character  of  the  region  is  very  apparent.  Table  Mountain 
and  the  Manastash  area  afford  the  best  examples  of  the  plateau  topography.  The 
nearly  level  plateau  is  so  wanting  in  noticeable  features  as  often  to  render  it 
difficult  to  recognize  particular  localities.  The  level  character  of  the  surface 
generally  continues  to  the  very  brink  of  the  canyons,  where  the  stream  is  sev- 
eral hundred  or  even  a  thousand  feet  below. 

"The  valley  of  the  upper  Yakima  forms  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
western  portion  of  this  plateau,  but  within  this  quadrangle  the  Yakima  cuts 
across  the  escarpment  which  marks  the  edge  of  the  plateau.  Thus,  in  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  quadrangle,  Kittitas  Valley,  as  this  portion  of  the  valley 
is  called,  fornis  an  extensive  depression  in  the  plateau  country.  In  Kittitas 
Valley,  as  well  as  in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Yakima,  extensive  terraces  border 
the  river,  a  feature  also  prominent  in  the  lower  portion  of  Teanaway  Valley. 
Narrow  terraces  occur  along  the  smaller  streams  which  are  tributary  to  the 
Yakima,  such  as  Swauk  Creek  and  the  three  forks  of  the  Teanaway. 

"A  somewhat  uncommon  topographic  form  which  is  very  noticeable  withiin 
the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle  is  the  landslide.  While  occurring  in  almost  alH 
parts  of  the  quadrangle  and  seeming  to  be  in  a  way  independent  of  geologic 
structure,  the  landslides  are  most  abundant  along  the  northern  escarpment  of 
the  plateau  country,  especially  on  Table  and  Lookout  mountains.  Here  the 
masses  of  rock  which  have  separated  from  the  mountain  side  are  so  extensive 
as  to  render  the  resultant  topography  at  the  base  of  the  cliffs  very  conspicuous. 
The  best  example  of  this  is  at  the  western  base  of  Lookout  Mountain,  where  the 
belt  of  landslide  topography  is  a  mile  and  a  half  wide.  Three  small  lakes  occur 
here  in  the  basins  formed  behind  the  immense  blocks  of  rock  that  have  slidl 
down  toward  the  valley.  Such  undrained  basins  are  characteristic  of  topog- 
raphy that  has  originated  in  this  way,  and  may  be  found  in  many  localities 
within  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle.  The  landslide  areas  will  probably  aggre- 
gate a  score  of  square  miles  within  this  quadrangle,  but  it  has  not  seemed  best 
to  delineate  such  areas  on  the  geologic  map,  since  in  spite  of  their  presence  it  is 
possible  to  map  the  correct  distribution  of  the  various  underlying  formations. 

"Drainage. — The  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle  includes  parts  of  two  drainage 
basins.  The  larger  part  of  the  quadrangle  is  tributary  to  Yakima  River,  while 
nearly  one-fourth  is  drained  by  streams  flowing  into  Wenatchee  River,  a  few 
miles  north  of  the  northern  edge  of  the  quadrangle.  Both  of  these  rivers  are 
important  tributaries  of  the  Columbia. 

"The  Yakima  here  is  a  stream  of  considerable  size,  as  it  receives  just  west 
of  the  western  edge  of  the  quadrangle  the  waters  of  Cle  Elum  River,  the  last 
and  largest  of  its  three  important  headwater  tributaries.  The  flow  of  the 
Yakima  at  Ellensburg  may  be  estimated  from  measurements  taken  during  the 
year  1898  at  gauging  stations  in  the  vicinity  of  North  Yakima.  Using  this 
basis,  the  mean  annual  discharge  is  2,500  second-feet;  the  maximum  discharge 
is  about  15,000  second-feet,  in  February,  and  the  minimum  is  less  than  250- 
second-feet,  in  October.     The  unusually  high  water  of  1899  would  give  very 


54  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

different  results,  but  the  discharge  of  1898  is  believed  to  be  more  nearly  normal. 

"Yakima  River  has  considerable  grade — about  fifteen  feet  to  the  mile — 
while  the  Teanaway  has  a  grade  of  thirty  to'forfy  feet.  Both  rivers  at  flood  cut 
into  their  gravel  banks  at  many  points,  and  minor  changes  in  their  channels 
thus  ensue.  Next  to  the  area  drained  by  the  Teanaway,  the  basin  of  Swauk 
Creek  is  the  most  important  area,  while  Reeser,  Taneum,  Wilson,  Naneum, 
and  Manastash  creeks  are  streams  draining  the  plateau  region  in  the  southern 
half  of  the  quadrangle.  Naneum  and  Manastash  creeks  enter  the  Yakima  south 
of  the  limits  of  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle." 

The  limits  of  this  chapter  forbid  extensive  quotations  from  the  general 
geologic  history,  but  it  will  be  interesting  to  see  the  introduction  given  by  Mr. 
Smith  dealing  with  the  general  features  and  with  the  initial  process. 

"General  Features. — It  is  believed  that  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle  is 
exceptional  for  this  province  in  the  completeness  with  which  the  geologic  record 
is  exhibited.  It  is  thus  a  representative  area  for  the  geologic  province  of  which 
it  is  a  part,  and  contains  both  tlie  oldest  and  the  youngest  rocks  thus  far  dis- 
covered in  the  northern  Cascades.  The  Mount  Stuart  massif  and  the  lower 
but  rugged  peaks  encircling  it  constitute  an  area  of  the  older  or  pre-Tertiary 
rocks,  while  to  the  south  and  east  are  strata  of  Tertiary  age,  under  which  the 
older  formations  are  buried. 

"This  separation  of  the  rocks  of  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle  into  the 
older,  or  pre-Tertiary,  and  the  younger,  or  Tertiary,  is  at  once  natural  and  most 
obvious.  The  difference  between  these  two  groups  is  apparent  to  any  close 
observer.  The  older  rocks  are  varied  in  composition  and  kind,  but  all  are  more 
or  less  altered,  and  the  age  of  no  formation  among  them  is  definitely  deter- 
mined. Above,  fossil  plants  afford  a  basis  for  the  exact  age  determination  of 
several  formations.  Among  the  formations  of  the  pre-Tertiary  age,  intrusive 
igneous  rocks  predominate — that  is,  the  rocks  are  such  as  were  formed  at  a 
considerable  depth  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  consolidating  from  bodies 
of  molten  rock  material  which  was  forced  up  from  below.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  Tertiary  rocks  are  chiefly  of  the  kind  formed  at  the  surface,  sediments  and 
volcanic  deposits.  These  are  sandstones,  for  the  most  part,  and  shales,  deposited 
as  sands  and  muds  in  large  inland  lakes,  or  lavas  and  beds  of  tuff  erupted  from 
openings  in  the  earth's  crust. 

"The  difference  in  age  between  these  two  groups  of  rocks  is  considerable. 
The  older  rocks  had  been  long  exposed  to  the  influence  of  the  atmosphere,  and 
been  carved  by  streams  into  hills  and  valleys  when  the  first  deposits  in  the 
Eocene  waters  were  laid  down,  over  an  uneven  surface  composed  of  rocks 
widely  differing  in  character.  This  is  what  is  meant  when  it  is  said  that  there 
is  at  the  base  of  the  Eocene  sandstone  a  marked  unconformity,  representing  an 
erosion  interval.  In  the  following  portion  of  this  descriptive  text  the  geologic 
history  of  the  region  will  lie  outlined  and  all  of  these  formations,  both  pre- 
Tertiary  and  Tertiary,  will  be  described  in  detail. 

PRE-TERTI.\RV    PERIODS. 

"Formation  of  the  Oldest  Rocks. — The  oldest  rocks  in  the  quadrangle 
are  probably  of  Paleozoic  Age.     As  will  be  shown  more  fully  later,  these  rocks 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  55 

are  in  large  measure  metamorphic — that  is,  they  have  been  altered  from  their 
original  condition.  Yet,  sufficient  remains  of  the  original  characters  to  show 
that  the  schists,  slates,  and  greenstones  of  the  Easton,  Peshastin  and  Hawkins 
formations  represent  both  sediments  and  products  of  volcanic  activity.  The 
record  furnished  by  these  older  rocks  indicates  that  the  conditions  of  sedimenta- 
tion and  of  volcanism  were  remarkably  similar  to  those  prevailing  at  approxi- 
mately the  same  time  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  area  and  in  British  Columbia.  Rocks 
strikingly  similar  to  those  of  the  Mount  Stuart  area  are  also  found  in  the  Blue 
Mountains  of  Oregon  and  in  the  Okanogan  Valley,  south  of  the  international 
boundary.  The  inference  from  these  relations  is  that  during  a  portion  of 
Paleozoic  time  the  Pacific  coast  region  from  British  Columbia  to  California  con- 
stituted a  single  geologic  province.  The  absence  of  Mesozoic  sediments  in  this 
central  Washington  region  suggests  that  it  became  a  land  area  during  Mesozoic 
time.  The  existing  of  a  thick  mass  of  Cretaceous  rocks  in  the  northern  Cas- 
cades immediately  south  of  the  international  boundary  shows  the  extension 
of  the  Cretaceous  sea  southward  from  British  Columbia,  while  rocks  of  similar 
age  in  the  John  Day  Basin  and  Blue  Mountains  of  Oregon  mark  the  southern 
limit  of  this  central  land  area.  Later  formations  conceal  these  older  rocks  over 
large  areas,  but  future  geologic  study  may  furnish  data  for  a  description  of  the 
Paleozoic  and  Mesozoic  geography,  which  can  only  be  touched  upon  now. 

"Igrneous  Intrusions. — The  next  recognized  chapter  in  the  geologic  history 
is  that  of  the  injection  of  large  masses  of  molten  rock  in  these  older  rocks.  The 
schists,  slates,  and  greenstones  had  been  folded  and  uplifted  from  their  orig- 
inal positions  when  the  intrusions  of  igneous  rock  began.  The  earlier  of  these 
was  that  of  the  extremely  basic  magma  which  crystalized  to  form  the  peridotite, 
now  largely  altered  to  serpentine.  The  masses  of  older  rock  were  separated  by 
large  bodies  of  this  intrusive  rock,  often  nearly  a  mile  across.  Smaller  bodies 
of  the  Peshastin  formation  were  broken  off  and  completely  engulfed  in  the 
molten  magma,  so  that  now  many  blocks  of  this  foreign  material  are  found 
included  in  the  serpentine. 

"Striking  as  was  this  display  of  the  power  of  earth  forces,  the  next  exhibi- 
tion of  igneous  intrusion  was  on  a  larger  scale.  The  ]\Iount  Stuart  batholith  is 
a  mass  of  intrusive  granitic  rock  measuring  many  square  miles  in  area ;  in  fact, 
the  limits  of  its  extent  northward  beyond  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle  have 
not  yet  been  determined.  The  petrographtc  characters  of  the  rock,  as  well  as 
the  metamorphic  action  the  cooling  mass  exerted  upon  the  adjacent  rocks,  favor 
the  view  that  this  intrusion  was  essentially  deep  seated,  although  its  exact 
depth  below  the  surface  cannot  be  stated.  The  Mount  Stuart  granodiorite  now 
forms  the  core  of  the  Wenatchee  Mountains,  and  its  intrusion  may  have  initiated 
the  uplift  of  this  minor  range.  Prior  to  this,  however,  as  noted  above,  the 
older  rocks  had  been  subjected  to  mountain-building  forces,  and.  as  will  be  shown 
later,  the  Wenatchee  Mountains  owe  their  present  elevation  to  movements 
during  Tertiary  time. 

"Erosion. — Nothing  definite  can  be  stated  regarding  the  age  of  these  ig- 
neous intrusions.  The  nearest  date  that  can  be  fixed  is  the  beginning  of  the 
Eocene,  but  at  that  time  the  granodiorite,  serpentine  and  older  rocks  had  suf- 
fered a  considerable  amount  of  erosion.  The  cover  under  which  the  granitic 
mass  had  consolidated  had  been  removed  and  the  rocks,  of  varying  hardness, 


56  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

had  been  carved  so  as  to  form  a  region  of  bold  relief.  This  interval  of  time 
during  which  atmospheric  agencies  accomplished  so  much  is  measured  by  the 
great  unconformity  between  the  older  rocks  and  the  earliest  of  the  Tertiary 
sediments. 

TERTIARY    PERIOD — EOCENE    EPOCH. 

"Early  Sedimentation. — Conditions  favoring  the  deposition  of  the  waste 
from  the  eroded  rock  masses  began  early  in  the  Eocene  Epoch.  The  coarse 
bowlders  of  granodiorite,  serpentine  and  other  rocks  accumulated  near  their 
present  ledges  and  were  successively  covered  with  finer  sediments  deposited  in 
the  rising  waters  of  the  Eocene  lake.  The  rugged  topography  caused  the  coast 
line  to  be  extremely  irregular,  so  that  inclosed  lagoons  and  narrow  inlets 
doubtless  occurred  in  close  proximity  to  bold  headlands.  Variety  in  the  sedi- 
ments resulted,  and  fine  muds  and  coarse  granite  sands  may  have  been  laid 
down  contemporaneously  in  adjoining  areas.  The  higher  portions  of  the  mass 
of  granitic  rock  appear  to  have  been  exposed  to  active  weathering  agencies, 
since  the  larger  part  of  the  Swauk  formation  is  composed  of  fresh  arkose, 
plainly  derived  from  the  Mount  Stuart  granodiorite. 

"Basaltic  Eruptions. — Elevation  accompanied  by  a  moderate  amount  of 
flexing  probably  terminated  the  epoch  of  sedimentation.  Erosion  immediately 
began  its  work  and  had  truncated  certain  of  the  folds  before  the  eruption  of 
large  masses  of  basaltic  lava  and  tuflf  took  place.  The  source  of  this  volcanic 
material  was  deep  seated,  the  molten  rock  reaching  the  surface  through  hun- 
dreds of  vents.  Cracks  in  the  sandstone,  serpentine,  slate,  and  even  the  gran- 
odiorite appear  to  have  been  taken  advantage  of  by  the  extremely  fluid  magma, 
which  thus  secured  a  passage  upward  to  the  surface.  For  the  most  part  the  lava 
spread  out  in  great  sheets,  while  in  certain  localities  the  presence  of  steam  in 
the  molten  rock  appears  to  have  caused  explosive  eruptions,  thick  beds  of  basal- 
tic tufif  being  intercalated  with  the  lava  sheets. 

"Later  Sedimentation. — The  violent  volcanism  was  succeeded  by  quiet 
sedimentation  in  the  waters  which  soon  covered  the  basaltic  rocks.  The  sands 
and  muds  deposited  in  this  later  Eocene  Epoch  appear  to  have  been  better  sorted 
than  the  materials  composing  the  earlier  Eocene  sediments.  Vegetable  matter,, 
which  was  present  in  the  earlier  formation  now  became  prominent,  and  during 
the  later  part  of  the  epoch,  represented  by  the  Roslyn  formation,  the  conditions 
of  sedimentation  were  such  as  to  allow  the  deposit  of  several  beds  of  carbona- 
ceous material,  which  now  furnish  workable  seams  of  coal. 

"Sedimentation  during  Eocene  time  appears  to  have  taken  place  in  basins 
which  were  neither  extensive  nor  permanent.  The  Swauk  water  body  was 
doubtless  larger  than  the  Roslyn,  while  the  latter  basin  appears  to  have  had  a 
position  well  toward  the  southern  edge  of  the  Swauk  Basin.  The  Roslyn 
waters,  however,  did  not  extend  far  to  the  south,  since  the  Manastash  forma- 
tion, which  is  of  late  Eocene  Age,  is  found  to  have  its  basal  sediments  resting 
directly  upon  the  pre-Tertiary  schists.  The  Manastash  Basin  was  thus  south 
of  the  Roslyn  Basin,  which  was  south  of  the  basin  in  which  the  Swauk  sedi- 
ments were  deposited.     This  southward  migration  of  the  lake  basins  in  Eocene 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  57 

time  very  probably  had  its  origin  in  resistance  offered  by  the  Mount  Stuart 
massif  to  the  mountain  building  movements  which  continued  throughout  the 
Tertiary  period.  The  deposition  of  the  sands  and  muds,  now  indurated  and 
forming  the  rocks  of  the  Manastash  formation,  closed  the  Eocene  sedimentation, 
as  far  as  the  record  is  known." 

From  the  extensive  section  of  Mr.  Smith's  report  dealing  with  such  forma- 
tions we  select  the  following  as  illustrating  the  general  method  of  treatment  and 
as  of  special  interest. 

PRE-TERTIARY    ROCKS. 

"Succession. — While  the  absolute  age  has  not  been  determined  for  any  of 
the  pre-Tertiary  formations,  their  relative  age  is  determined  by  their  geologic 
relations,  and  they  will  be  described  in  that  order.  The  oldest  formations  in 
this  region  are  the  Easton  schist,  the  Peshastin  slate,  and  the  Hawkins  volcanic 
rocks.  Of  these,  the  first  is  a  metamorphic  rock,  probably  of  sedimentary 
origin;  the  others,  while  somewhat  altered,  are  plainly  sedimentary  and  vol- 
canic respectively.  The  intrusive  igneous  rocks  are  the  peridotite,  now  largely 
altered  to  serpentine,  and  the  Mount  Stuart  granodiorite. 

EASTON    SCHIST 

"Areal  Extent. — This  formation  occupies  two  small  areas  in  the  south- 
western part  of  the  quadrangle.  The  larger  of  the  two  includes  a  portion  of  the 
ridge  between  Yakima  River  and  Taneum  Creek.  Here  the  formation  is  a 
quartz- mica-schist,  a  typical  metamorphic  rock.  Though  occupying  only  a  few 
square  miles  in  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle,  this  schist  extends  westward 
into  the  Snoqualmie  quadrangle,  forming  the  southern  wall  of  Yakima  Valley 
as  far  as  Easton,  from  which  town  the  formation  takes  its  name.  Southwest 
of  Cle  Elum  the  Easton  Schist  extends  southward  from  the  edge  of  the  valley 
across  the  ridge,  which  rises  2,500  feet  at  this  point  above  the  valley,  and  down 
across  the  forks  of  Taneum  Creek.  South  of  this  point  the  schist  is  hidden 
beneath  later  formations,  but  reappears  several  miles  farther  south  on  South 
Fork  of  Manastash  Creek. 

"Description. — Where  best  exposed  the  Easton  Schist  is  a  silvery-gray 
or  green  rock,  with  thin  layers  of  quartzose  material  separated  by  micaceous 
minerals — sericite  and  chlorite.  The  rock  is  extremely  crumpled,  and  gashed 
and  seamed  with  quartz  veins  and  stringers.  Associated  with  this  quartz-mica-  , 
schist  are  other  schists,  more  limited  in  their  occurrence.  These  are  amphi- 
bolites — schists  composed  largely  of  green  hornblende,  which  probably  have  been 
derived  from  a  dioritic  or  more  basic  igneous  rock,  dikes  of  which  cut  the  rock 
now  metamorphosed  into  the  quartz-mica-schist.  Other  associated  schists  have 
epidote  as  a  prominent  constituent. 

"Immediately  west  of  the  base  of  Cle  Elum  Point  the  schist  shows  an 
apparent  stratification  and  includes  green  and  blue  amphibole  (glaucophane) 
schists  and  a  jaspery  quartzite,  both  the  glaucophane-schist  and  the  quartzite 
containing  considerable  magnetite.  These  rocks  appear  to  be  metamorphosed 
sediments.  Their  occurrence  close  to  the  intrusive  rock  of  Cle  Elum  Point  sug- 
gests a  possible  cause  of  the  metamorphism. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


PESHASTIN    FORMATION. 


"Type  Occurrence. — The  typical  exposure  of  this  formation  is  along  the 
canyon  of  Peshastin  Creek  near  the  mouth  of  Negro  Creek.  The  rock  is  gen- 
erally a  black  slate,  and  a  great  thickness  is  exposed  here.  Cherty  bands  and 
fine  grit  or  conglomerate  also  occur,  but  only  in  relatively  small  amount. 

"In  the  northwestern  part  of  the  quadrangle,  between  the  headwaters  of 
North  and  Middle  forks  of  Teanaway  River,  there  is  another  area  of  the 
Peshastin  formation.  There  black  chert  is  again  found  interbedded  with  the 
slate,  and  lenses  of  light-gray  limestone  also  occur.  The  thin  bands  of  chert 
are  rather  persistent,  but  the  lenses  of  limestone  rarely  measure  more  than  a 
few  yards  in  length.  Argillaceous  rocks  other  than  the  black  slate  occur  in  this 
area.  These  are  a  red  ferruginous  slate  and  a  yellowish  sericitic  rock,  some- 
what   schistose. 

"In  the  region  between  these  two  larger  areas  of  the  Peshastin  formation 
there  are  several  smaller  exposures  of  the  slate  and  associated  rocks.  In  some 
cases  these  areas  are  too  small  to  be  represented. 

"  'Nickel  Ledge.' — One  exceptional  phase  of  the  Peshastin  formation  and 
its  mode  of  occurrence  should  be  mentioned.  At  a  number  of  localities  on  the 
headwaters  of  North  Fork  of  the  Teanaway,  and  on  the  tributaries  of  Peshas- 
tin Creek,  may  be  seen  narrow  belts,  or  even  ledges  only  a  few  feet  across,  of 
a  bright-yellow  or  light-red  rock.  Such  occurrences  are  locally  known  as  the 
'nickel  ledge'  or  'porphyry  dike.'  The  universal  characteristic  of  the  rock  is  its 
bright  color,  by  which  it  can  be  recognized  at  considerable  distance.  The  rock 
is  usually  very  hard,  and  its  weathered  surface  is  extremely  rough  or  ragged. 
These  yellow  or  red  'ledges'  occur  within  the  peridotite  or  serpentine  areas  or 
in  the  areas  of  Peshastin  rocks  near  the  contact  with  the  serpentine.  In  the 
latter  case  the  'ledge'  is  much  less  homogeneous  and  includes  thin  beds  of  slate 
and  conglomerate.  In  another  locality  where  the  'ledge'  occurs  within  the  ser- 
pentine area  it  is  associated  with  a  bed  of  chert.  Examined  microscopically 
the  rock  exhibits  no  structures  that  afford  any  clue  to  its  origin,  and  the  only 
constituents  seen  are  carbonates  and  iron  oxide.  Chemically  it  is  a  siliceous 
dolomitic  rock. 

"Two  explanations  of  the  origin  of  this  'nickel  ledge'  might  be  given.  The 
bands  or  ledges,  which  have  a  general  east-west  trend,  may  represent  mineral- 
ized zones  in  both  the  serpentine  and  the  slate,  or  they  may  have  been  originally 
calcareous  beds  or  lenses  belonging  to  the  Peshastin  fonnation,  in  part  included 
within  the  intrusive  peridotite,  in  part  situated  along  its  contact,  and  thus  sub- 
ject to  alteration  by  this  magnesia-rich  igneous  rock.  The  latter  hypothesis  is 
the  one  which  is  better  supported  by  the  relations  observed.  Limestone  lenses 
such  as  are  called  for  by  this  hypothesis  occur  within  the  Peshastin  areas, 
though  they  are  not  known  at  the  serpentine  contact,  where,  however,  the  pecu- 
liar magnesian  rock  does  occur.  At  the  western  edge  of  the  quadrangle,  on  the 
ridge  next  south  of  Hawkins  Mountain,  a  ledge  of  magnesian  rock,  is,  however, 
parallel  with  a  bed  of  limestone  within  the  slate  series.  In  this  area  at  least, 
the  relationships  plainly  point  to  the  altered  condition  of  the  former  rock  being 
directly  dependent  on  the  nearness  to  the  serpentine,  with  which  it  is  partly  in 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  59 

contact.  The  enrichment  of  the  calcareous  rock  with  magnesia  may  have  oc- 
curred at  the  time  of  the  intrusion  of  the  peridotite  or  later. 

"The  association  of  chert  and  slate  with  the  Magnesian  rock  is  believed  to 
justify  the  mapping  of  the  latter  as  also  belonging  to  the  Peshastin  formation. 
The  principal  occurrences  of  this  rock  are  on  the  northern  edge  of  the  western 
area  of  the  Peshastin  formation  and  within  the  serpentine  area  in  the  upper 
basins  of  Beverly,  Fourth,  Stafford,  Cascade,  Fall  and  Negro  creeks.  Other 
outcrops,  too  small  to  be  represented  on  the  map,  may  be  seen  near  Blewett  and 
near  the  junction  of  Ingalls  and  Peshastin  creeks." 

Inasmuch  as  a  large  part  of  the  Yakima  Valley  is  basaltic  the  part  of  Mr. 
Smith's  report  dealing  with  the  Yakima  basalt  will  be  of  value  and  we  give 
here  a  portion  of  that  part  of  the  report. 

YAKIMA    BASALT. 

"Areal  Importance. — The  Miocene  basalt  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  for- 
mations of  the  quadrangle,  and  also  perhaps  the  most  conspicuous.  Approxi- 
mately one-fourth  of  the  area  is  covered  by  the  Yakima  basalt,  but  this  repre- 
sents only  the  margin  of  the  vast  region  characterized  by  this  basalt  and  ex- 
tending to  the  east  and  southeast  even  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  state.  This 
series  of  basalt  lava  flows  of  Miocene  Age  constitutes  what  is  undoubtedly  the 
largest  volcanic  formation  in  America. 

"The  Yakima  basalt  is  well  exposed  in  an  escarpment  which  extends  from 
near  Cle  Elum  Point  northward  to  the  northern  end  of  Table  Mountain. 
Through  this  black  wall  of  rock  Yakima  River  and  Swauk  Creek  have  cut  their 
gaps,  so  that  opportunity  is  afforded  for  study  of  the  series  of  lava  flows.  Sev- 
eral sheets  of  basaltic  lava  can  be  distinguished,  as  they  form  benches  on  the 
canyon  sides.  On  the  plateau-like  areas  covered  by  the  basalt  its  presence  is 
commonly  shown  by  the  prevelance  of  angular  fragments  of  the  black,  dense 
rock. 

"The  lowermost  sheet  of  basalt  occurs  at  different  elevations  along  the 
escarpment  and  at  other  places  where  the  lower  contact  of  the  Yakima  basalt 
can  be  seen.  In  many  localities  the  relations  along  this  contact  are  obscured 
by  the  presence  of  landslides.  Yet,  whether  the  Yakima  basalt  rests  on  the 
Swauk  sandstone,  the  Teanaway  basalt,  the  Roslyn  formation,  the  INIanastash 
sandstone,  or  the  Easton  schist,  the  contact  is  more  or  less  irregular,  and  north 
of  Taneum  Creek  the  contact  of  horizontal  sheets  of  lava  with  the  underlying 
schist  has  a  vertical  range  of  1,500  feet.  These  relations  indicate  the  amount 
of  relief  of  the  land  surface  on  which  the  earlier  flows  of  basalt  came  to  rest. 
The  total  thickness  of  the  Yakima  basalt  within  this  area  probably  nowhere 
much  exceeds  2,000  feet,  although  it  is  known  to  be  much  thicker  farther  south. 
In  several  localities  along  the  northern  escarpment  1,000  feet  is  an  approximate 
measure  of  the  thickness  of  basalt. 

"On  the  north  side  of  Taneum  Creek  there  are  two  small  areas  of  basalt 
which  represent  remnants  of  a  thin  local  flow  that  was  erupted  after  the  begin- 
ning of  deposition  of  the  Ellen.sburg  sediments.  In  the  area  south  of  this  quad- 
rangle similar  later  flows  interbedded  with  the  upper  Miocene  sediments  were 


60  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

important  enough  to  be  separated  from  the  main  series  and  given  the  name 
of  Wenas  basalt.  Within  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle,  hov/ever,  this  flow  was 
detected  nowhere  else. 

"The  structure  of  the  Yakima  basalt  is  very  simple  and  is  similar  to  that 
of  the  Ellensburg  formation,  as  described  in  a  later  paragraph.  The  occur- 
rence of  the  small  outcrop  of  basalt  on  Dry  Creek  is  the  result  of  a  slight  change 
in  the  gentle  dip  of  the  flexed  basalt  and  sandstone,  which  has  enabled  the 
stream  to  cut  through  the  sandstone. 

"The  most  noticeable  feature  of  the  basalt  is  its  columnar  structure,  by 
which  the  sheets  of  black  rock  are  converted  into  regular  colonnades.  Huge 
prisms,  several  feet  in  diameter  and  scores  of  feet  in  length,  stand  out  from  the 
canyon  walls  in  a  manner  so  characteristic  of  this  rock  that  the  term  'basaltic 
structure'  is  often  applied  to  it.  These  prismatic  columns  owe  their  origin  to 
the  contraction  of  the  cooling  lava.  The  joint  planes  due  to  this  shrinkage  of 
the  rock  were  normal  to  the  cooling  surface,  so  that  now  the  columnar  parting 
of  the  rock  is  vertical  wherever  the  sheets  remain  in  their  original  horizontal 
position.  Horizontal  cracks  divide  the  columns  into  shorter  blocks,  which 
usually,  however,  fit  so  closely  together  as  not  to  detract  from  the  general  effect 
of  these  rows  of  columns. 

"Petrographic  Characters. — The  Yakima  basalt  is  a  black  rock,  compact 
and  heavy.  The  weathered  surface  is  often  brownish  in  color  and  sometimes 
gray,  but  universally  the  basalt  as  exposed  along  the  ridges  or  in  the  river 
canyons  is  dull  and  somber.  Petrographically  the  Yakima  basalt  is  a  normal 
feldspar-basalt  containing  basic  plagioclase,  augite,  and  olivine,  in  crystals  or 
rounded  grains,  with  varying  amounts  of  glassy  base.  Examined  microscopi- 
cally, the  Yakima  basalt  is  found  to  vary  somewhat  in  the  quantitative  miner- 
alogic  composition  as  well  as  in  texture.  None  of  the  minerals  occur  as  mega- 
scopic phenocrysts,  but  the  labradorite  crystals  are  more  regularly  developed 
than  either  the  augite  or  the  olivine.  The  olivine  is  less  abundant  than  the 
light-brown  augite,  and  also  varies  more  in  the  amount  present  in  different 
specimens.  Apatite  and  magnetite  are  accessory  constituents,  the  latter  often 
occurring  in  delicate  skeleton  crystals.  Some  phases  of  the  lava,  especially  in 
the  basal  or  surface  portions  of  a  flow,  are  very  glassy  and  masses  of  pure 
basalt  glass  can  be  found.  The  glass  fragments  seen  on  Table  Mountain  have  a 
rounded  form  and  undoubtedly  represent  bombs  ejected  from  a  volcanic  center. 
As  a  whole  the  tuff  beds  and  the  scoriaceous  lavas  are  less  common  than  the 
compact  basalt. 

"A  specimen  of  this  basalt  from  Cle  Elum  Ridge,  about  four  miles  south- 
west of  Cle  Elum,  was  selected  as  representative  of  the  different  flows  of  the 
Yakima  basalt  and  it  was  analyzed  by  George  Sleiger.  This  basalt  is  dark  iron 
gray  in  color,  aphanitic,  and  has  a  rough  fracture.  The  thin  section  shows  its 
texture  to  be  fine  grained,  hypocrystalline,  with  intersertal  glassy  base.  The  most 
abundant  constituent  is  labradorite,  slightly  zonal.  Next  in  importance  is  the 
pale-brown  augite,  in  roughly  prismatic  crystals,  while  the  olivine  occurs  in 
grains.  The  base  is  a  brown  glass  containing  magnetite  in  fine  dust  and  skele- 
ton crystals,  as  well  as  slender  microlites  of  feldspar  and  augite.  Slender 
needles  of  apatite  occur  included  in   the   feldspar.    The  analysis  which  follows 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  61 

shows  the  Yakima  basalt  to  be  closely  related  chemically  to  the  Teanaway 
basalt.  It  is  much  less  basic  than  typical  basalt,  and  would  be  termed  a  vaalose 
in  the  more  exact  quantitative  classification." 

From  the  standpoint  of  business  interest  the  most  valuable  part  of  this  re- 
port is  that  dealing  with  the  metals,  with  coal,  and  with  building  stone.  We  are 
therefore  making  copious  extracts  here  of  this  important  part  of  the  subject. 

"The  three  principal  gold-mining  districts  of  central  Washington  are  in- 
cluded in  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle.  The  Peshastin  placers  were  discov- 
ered in  1860  and  have  been  worked  intermittently  ever  since.  The  Swauk  placers 
have  been  worked  rather  more  steadily  since  their  discovery  in  1868.  Gold- 
bearing  veins  were  first  located  in  the  Peshastin  district  in  1873,  and  in  the 
Swauk  in  1881.  The  mineral  veins  of  the  Negro  Creek  district  constitute  a 
■continuation  of  those  in  the  Peshastin  district. 

"Mining  in  these  districts  has  been  conducted  by  small  owners,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  secure  any  definite  data  regarding  production.  The  output  of 
gold  of  Kittitas  County  for  the  years  1884  to  1895,  as  reported  by  the  director 
of  the  mint,  aggregates  $764,163.  About  $5,000  of  silver  was  reported  from 
that  county  for  the  same  period.  The  Peshastin  district  is  now  included  in 
Chelan  County,  but  during  this  period  it  was  a  part  of  Kittitas  County.  The 
jears  1892  and  1895  were  seasons  of  maximum  production,  and  the  area  prob- 
ably would  have  steadily  increased  its  output  had  it  not  been  for  the  exodus  of 
miners  to  Alaska.  In  view  of  the  activity  in  these  districts  in  the  years  preced- 
ing 1884,  as  well  as  the  production  of  the  last  seven  years,  it  seems  that 
$2,000,000  would  be  a  conservative  estimate  of  the  total  gold  production.  In 
the  last  five  years  companies  with  larger  capital  have  purchased  the  claims  of 
the  small  operators,  and  mining  operations  will  now  be  conducted  more  eco- 
nomically and  probably  with  an  increase  in  the  gold  production. 

"Swauk  District. — The  Pleistocene  gravels  along  Swauk  Creek  and  many 
of  its  tributaries  are  gold  bearing.  These  alluvial  gravels  form  the  terraces, 
which  are  especially  prominent  and  extensive  at  the  junctions  of  Swauk  and 
Williams  creeks  and  of  Boulder  and  Williams  creeks.  The  gravel  deposits  are 
from  a  few  feet  to  seventy  and  eighty  feet  in  thickness,  and  while  red  or  yellow 
at  the  surface,  the  gravel  is  blue  below.  The  upper  portions  of  the  gravel  also 
are  less  easily  worked,  since  induration  of  the  gravel  has  followed  the  oxida- 
tion of  the  cementing  material. 

"While  fine  gold  is  found  throughout  the  gravel  deposits  at  some  locali- 
ties, most  of  the  gold  occurs  close  to  bed  rock  and  in  channels  other  than  those 
occupied  by  the  present  streams.  The  marked  characteristic  is  coarseness. 
Pieces  several  ounces  in  weight  are  common,  while  a  number  of  nuggets  weigh- 
ing twenty  ounces  or  more  have  been  found,  and  one  or  more  nuggets  of  about 
fifty  ounces  have  been  reported,  the  largest  nugget  of  the  district  having  a 
value  of  $1,100.  These  larger  nuggets  are  usually  well  rounded,  but  on  the 
tributary  streams  wire  and  leaf  gold  is  found.  The  gold  is  not  pure,  containing 
considerable  silver,  which  materially  decreases  its  value. 

"The  bed  rock,  which  belongs  to  the  Swauk  formation,  is  usually  of  a 
nature  to  favor  the  collection  of  the  gold.  The  inclined  beds  of  hard  shale  form 
natural  'riffles,'  and  from  the  narrow  crevices  in  the  shale  the  best  nuggets  are 


62  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

often  taken.  The  sandstone  beds  wear  smooth,  in  which  case  the  bed  rock  is 
apt  to  be  barren.  The  old  channels,  both  of  Swauk  Creek  and  of  its  tributaries, 
vary  somewhat  in  position  from  the  present  course  of  the  stream,  but  only 
within  definite  limits.  The  old  valleys  and  the  present  valleys  are  coincident, 
but,  within  the  wide-terraced  valleys  of  the  present,  older  channels  may  be 
found,  now  on  one  side  and  now  on  the  other.  Thus,  on  Williams  Creek  and 
the  lower  portion  of  Boulder  Creek  the  old  water-course  has  been  found  to 
the  south  of  the  present  channel  of  the  stream,  and  is  in  other  cases  below  the 
bed  of  the  creek.  On  Swauk  Creek  the  deposits  worked  are  above  the  level 
of  the  stream,  being  essentially  bench  workings.  Here  hydraulic  plants  have 
been  employed,  but  elsewhere  the  practice  has  been  to  drift  on  bed  rock.  While 
the  endeavor  is  to  follow  the  old  channels,  it  is  found  that  the  'pay  streak'  can 
not  be  traced  continuously.  Ground  that  will  yield  forty  dollars  to  the  cubic 
yard  of  gravel  handled  may  lie  next  to  ground  that  does  not  contain  more  than 
fifty  cents  to  the  cubic  yard.  In  the  last  few  years  the  operations  in  the  Swauk 
Basin  have  been  on  a  larger  scale.  Williams  Creek  has  been  dammed  and 
methods  have  been  devised  to  handle  the  tailings  and  bowlders  on  the  lower 
courses  of  Swauk  Creek,  where  the  gradient  of  the  valley  is  low. 

"The  source  of  the  alluvial  gold  is  readily  seen  to  be  the  quartz  veins  known 
to  occur  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  These  will  be  discussed  in  a  following  para- 
graph. The  noticeable  lack  of  rounding  of  much  of  the  gold  shows  that  it  has 
not  been  transported  far,  and  indeed  the  limited  area  of  the  Swauk  drainage 
basin  precludes  any  very  distant  source  for  the  gold.  It  is  only  along  the 
Swauk  within  a  few  miles  of  Liberty  and  on  Williams  Creek  and  its  tributaries 
that  gold  has  been  found  in  paying  quantities,  and,  as  will  be  noted  later,  this 
is  appro.ximately  the  area  in  which  the  gold-quartz  veins  have  been  discovered. 
From  the  outcrops  of  these  ledges  the  gold  and  quartz  have  been  detached  and 
washed  down  into  the  beds  of  the  streams,  where  the  heavier  metal  was  soon 
covered  by  the  rounded  bowlders  and  pebbles  with  which  the  channel  became 
filled.  The  conditions  under  which  the  gold  was  washed  into  the  streams 
probably  differed  little  from  those  of  to-day,  except  that  the  streams  were  then 
filling  up  their  valleys. 

"Peshastin  District. — The  gravel  deposits  in  the  valley  of  the  Peshastin 
are  less  extensive  than  in  the  Swauk  district.  The  alluvial  filling  of  the  canyon- 
like valley  of  the  upper  half  of  Peshastin  Creek  is  not  so  deep  and  does  not  show 
the  well-marked  terraces  so  prominent  in  the  Swauk  Valley.  The  gravel  ap- 
pears to  be  gold  bearing  throughout,  and  the  gold  is  rather  uniform  in  distribu- 
tion. The  large.'^t  nuggets  are  found  on  the  irregular  surface  of  the  pre-Ter- 
tiary  slate  which  forms  the  bed  rock.  While  the  largest  nuggets  found  in  the 
Peshastin  placers  are  less  than  an  ounce  in  weight,  and  therefore  not  comparable 
with  some  of  the  Swauk  gold,  the  Peshastin  gold  is  fairly  coarse  and  easily 
saved.    The  gold  is  high  grade  and  is  worth  about  eighteen  dollars  an  ounce. 

The  principal  claims  on  the  creek,  below  Blewett,  are  owned  by  the 
Mohawk  Mining  Company,  which  is  hydrauliking  the  gravels  with  water  from 
the  upper  Peshastin  and  from  Negro  Creek.  Work  which  has  been  done  on 
Shaser  Creek  shows  the  gravels  to  be  gold  bearing,  and  here  also  the  gold  is 
high  grade.     This   fact  is   interesting,   since,   while   the   Shaser   Creek   drainage 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  63 

basin  is  almost  wholly  in  the  same  formation  as  that  of  the  Swauk  Basin,  the 
gold  found  in  the  two  creeks  is  quite  different,  the  Swauk  gold  containing  a 
considerable  amount  of  silver. 

"Stream  gravels  in  other  parts  of  the  quadrangle,  notably  on  North  Fork 
of  Teanaway  and  on  Stafford  Creek,  have  been  prospected,  but  no  gold  has 
been  found  to  warrant  further  work. 

GOLD-QU.\RTZ    VEINS. 

"Peshastin  District. — A  few  mines  in  the  vicinity  of  Blewett  have  been 
producers  for  about  twenty-five  years.  The  many  changes  of  management  and 
methods  of  operating  these  properties,  however,  make  it  impossible  at  the  pres- 
ent time  to  determine  accurately  the  character  of  the  ore  that  has  been  mined 
or  to  estimate  even  approximately  the  product  during  this  period.  Much  of 
the  ore  has  been  low  grade,  and  the  gold  has  been  extracted  by  means  of 
arrastras,  stamp  mills,  and  a  small  cyanide  plant,  but  not  always  with  very  suc- 
cessful results.  The  small  stamp  mill  first  built  in  this  district  was  the  first 
erected  in  the  state  of  Washington.  Another  mill,  with  twenty  stamps,  has 
lately  been  rebuilt  under  the  Warrior  General  management. 

"The  best-known  property  in  the  district  is  the  Culver  group,  comprising 
the  Culver,  Bobtail  and  Humming  Bird  claims,  and  now  known  as  the  War- 
rior General  mine.  This  mine  in  its  geologic  relations  and  vein  conditions  is 
typical  of  the  mines  of  the  district.  The  country  rock  is  the  altered  peridotite 
or  serpentine,  which  exhibits  the  usual  variations  in  color  and  structure.  The 
Warrior  General  and  the  other  mines  are  located  in  a  zone  of  sheared  serpen- 
tine, where  the  mineral-bearing  solutions  have  found  favorable  conditions  for 
ore  deposition.  This  mineral  zone  has  a  general  eastward  course,  and  extends 
from  east  of  Blewett  across  the  Peshastin,  up  Culver  Gulch,  and  across  to  the 
valley  of  Negro  Creek. 

"The  Warrior  General  vein  has  a  trend  of  N.  /CK  to  80°  E.  and  is  very 
irregular  in  width.  In  the  walls  the  serpentine  is  often  talc-like  in  appearance, 
while  the  compact  white  quartz  of  the  vein  is  sometimes  banded  with  green 
talcose  material.  Sulphides  are  present  in  the  ore,  but  are  not  at  all  prom- 
inent. The  values  are  mostly  in  free  gold,  which  is  fine,  although  in  some  of 
the  richer  quartz  the  flakes  may  be  detected  with  the  unaided  eye. 

"The  workings  in  this  mine  consist  of  a  number  of  tunnels  driven  at  differ- 
ent levels  in  the  north  wall  of  Culver  Gulch.  These  follow  the  vein  for  different 
distances,  the  vertical  distance  between  the  lowest  tunnel  (No.  9)  and  the 
highest  opening  of  importance  (No.  5)  being  about  650  feet,  and  connections 
have  been  made  between  most  of  the  levels.  The  vein  is  approximately  vertical, 
although  it  has  minor  irregularities.  The  quartz  is  seven  to  eight  feet  in  width 
in  some  places,  but  pinches  in  others.  In  the  upper  tunnel.  No.  5,  the  ore  ap- 
pears to  be  broken  quartz  of  the  same  character  as  that  in  the  lower  tunnels, 
occurring  here  much  more  irregularly,  although  the  richest  ore  has  been  taken 
from  the  upper  workings.  Some  very  rich  ore  bodies  have  been  mined,  but 
they  are  small  and  their  connections  have  not  been  traced.  The  most  exten- 
sive work  has  been  done  from  the  lowest  tunnel,    and  the    latest    work  here 


64  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

shows  that  the  serpentine,  which  is  so  much  broken  in  many  parts  of  this  min- 
eralized belt,  is  here  more  solid,  a  remarkably  well-defined  and  regular  wall 
having  been  followed  for  over  300  feet. 

"Other  properties  in  the  same  zone  as  the  Warrior  General  are  the  Pole- 
pick,  Peshastin,  Fraction,  Tiptop,  Olden  and  Lucky  Queen.  Trese  have  all 
produced  ore  which  has  been  worked  in  the  Blewett  mill. 

"An  interesting  feature  in  the  geology  of  Culver  Gulch  is  the  probable 
existence  of  a  fault.  On  the  north  side  of  the  gulch,  at  an  elevation  of  about 
3,750  feet,  and  near  tunnel  No.  5,  a  large  basalt  dike,  twenty-five  feet  wide,  is 
very  prominent.  This  dike  has  a  trend  of  N.  26°  E.,  but  its  continuation  is  not 
seen  on  the  south  side  of  the  gulch.  Fifty  feet  lower  on  the  south  side  of  the 
gulch,  however,  a  similar  dike  occurs  with  a  trend  of  N.  50^  E.,  but  this  in  turn 
can  not  be  detected  at  the  point  where  it  ought  to  outcrop  on  the  north  side.  If 
these  are  parts  of  the  same  dike,  as  seems  probable,  there  has  been  faulting. 
Such  a  fault  would  cross  the  Culver  vein  at  a  low  angle  and  probably  between 
tunnels  5  and  6.  The  broken  character  of  the  ore  in  the  upper  tunnel  indicates 
that  movement  has  modified  the  vein  at  this  point,  and  such  movement  may  be 
connected  with  this  supposed  fault.  At  the  time  of  the  examination  of  this 
mine,  connection  had  not  been  made  between  tunnels  5  and  6,  and  the  relations 
of  the  dike  to  the  ore  body  could  not  be  determined.  If  the  dike  interrupts  the 
vein,  the  mineralization  is  pre-Eocene  in  age ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the 
vein  continues  through  the  twenty-five  feet  of  basalt,  even  although  it  may 
vary  in  character  with  the  change  of  the  wall'rock,  or  if  the  fissure  in  which  the 
quartz  has  been  deposited  follows  the  plane  of  the  fault  which  it  is  believed  has 
displaced  the  basalt  dike,  then  the  period  of  mineralization  is  not  earlier  than 
late  Eocene,  and  the  Peshastin  gold-quartz  may  be  of  the  same  age  as  the  veins 
of  the  Swauk  district,  a  description  of  which  is  given  below. 

"Negro  Creek  District. — Although  this  region  is  a  continuation  of  the 
Peshastin  mineralized  zone,  no  claims  in  this  district  have  become  producing 
mines.  The  region  has  been  prospected  for  many  years  and  a  number  of  small 
veins  have  been  located,  and  some  ore  worked  in  a  small  mill  and  in  arrastras. 
The  ore  is  mostly  quartz  with  some  calcite  and  sulphurets.  The  veins  are  irreg- 
ular and  the  wall  rock  is  generally  serpentine,  much  of  which  is  sheared  and 
jointed.  Many  of  the  locations  have  been  on  the  red  or  yellow  'nickel  ledges' 
to  which  reference  has  been  made;  on  a  preceding  page  is  an  analysis  of  this 
rock,  which  has  been  considered  by  many  prospectors  to  be  itself  an  indication  of 
ore. 

"Swauk  District. — The  gold-quartz  veins  of  the  Swauk  are  very  different 
from  those  in  the  vicinity  of  Blewett.  They  are  in  part  narrow  fissure  veins  of 
quartz  with  some  calcite  and  talcose  material,  the  wall  rock  being  the  sandstone 
or  shale  of  the  Swauk  formation,  of  Eocene  Age,  or  in  some  cases  a  diabase 
or  basalt  dike  may  fonn  one  wall.  Quartz  stringers  running  oflf  from  the  vein 
are  common,  and  at  one  locality  thin  bands  of  quartz  follow  the  bedding  planes 
of  the  sandstone.  A  peculiar  type  of  vein  material  is  locally  termed  'bird's-eye' 
quartz.  This  occurs  in  several  mines,  and  may  be  described  as  a  friction  breccia 
in  which  the  angular  fragments  of  black  shale  are  inclosed  in  a  matrix  of  quartz 
and  calcite.    The  quartz  shows  radial  crv'stallization  outward  from  the  separated 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  65 

fragments,  and  often  open  spaces  remain  into  which  the  small  crystals  of  quartz 
jproject.  The  walls  of  such  veins  are  sometimes  sharply  defined,  but  in  other 
cases  many  small  veins  of  quartz  traverse  the  shattered  wall  rock  in  every  direc- 
tion, so  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  draw  the  limits  of  the  vein  itself.  This  tran- 
iiition  from  the  peculiar  type  of  vein  into  the  shattered  rock  shows  the  'bird's- 
eye'  quartz  to  be  due  to  brecciation  along  more  or  less  well-defined  zones,  fol- 
lowed by  mineralization. 

"The  'bird's-eye'  quartz  has  its  gold  content  very  irregularly  distributed. 
The  values  are  mostly  in  free  gold,  with  a  small  amount  of  sulphurets  present. 
The  gold  occcurs  in  fine  grains  within  the  quartz  or  next  to  the  included  shale 
fragments,  and  the  approximate  value  of  the  ore  may  be  readily  found  by 
panning,  while  in  many  cases  the  gold  may  be  seen  on  the  surface  of  the  quartz, 
in  the  form  of  incrustations  of  leaf  or  wire  gold;  and  in  a  specimen  from  the 
Gold  Leaf  mine  perfect  octahedral  crystals  of  gold  lie  upon  the  ends  of  the 
-quartz  crystals.  The  silicification  sometimes  extends  into  the  country  rock,  and 
some  values  are  found  there.  The  gold  of  the  quartz  veins,  like  that  of  the 
gravels,  is  light  colored  and  contains  a  considerable  percentage  of  silver.  In  the 
Little  York  this  silver  is  reported  as  amounting  to  about  20  per  cent. 

"The  quartz  veins  that  have  been  opened  in  the  upper  basin  of  Williams 
■Creek  have  a  general  northeast  trend,  being  thus  roughly  parallel  with  the 
basalt  dikes.  In  the  Cougar  the  hanging  wall  of  the  vein  appears  to  be  a 
badly  decomposed  basalt  dike,  while  the  Gold  Leaf  has  one  vein  wholly  in  sand- 
stone and  shale  and  another  in  a  large  diabase  dike.  The  relation  of  the  veins 
to  the  dikes  is  therefore  not  constant,  but  it  may  be  noted  that  the  fractures 
which  have  been  filled  by  the  vein  material  are  usually  approximately  parallel 
to  the  fractures  in  the  vicinity  which  have  been  filled  by  the  intrusion  of  basalt. 
That  there  has  been  more  than  one  period  of  fracturing,  and  that  the  period 
of  mineralization  was  not  exactly  contemporaneous  with  the  time  of  igneous 
intrusion,  is  shown  by  the  occurrence  of  veins  cutting  the  dikes  themselves. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  two  processes  occurred  within  the  same  geo- 
logic period  and  that  the  ore-bearing  solutions  derived  their  heat  and  possibly 
their  mineral  content  from  the  intrusive  and  eruptive  basalt  of  the  area. 

"A  number  of  quartz  veins  on  Swauk,  Williams,  Boulder,  and  Baker 
creeks  are  being  prospected  at  the  present  time,  and  in  view  of  the  richness  of 
the  alluvial  gold  which  has  been  derived  from  the  veins  in  this  vicinity  it  would 
seem  that  the  prospecting  is  well  warranted. 

COPPER   AND   SILVER 

"In  the  Negro  Creek  district  both  copper  and  silver  occur  with  gold  in  the 
veins  already  described.  Many  of  the  ores  are  essentially  copper  ores,  but 
whether  the  bodies  are  extensive  enough  to  warrant  their  development  has  not 
yet  been  determined.  This  copper  belt  extends  westward  along  the  headwaters 
of  North  Fork  of  Teanaway  River  and  of  Ingalls  Creek,  but  at  only  one  local- 
ity has  any  amount  of  ore  been  mined.  The  Grand  View  mine,  situated  on  the 
east  side  of  Fourth  Creek  about  three  miles  southeast  of  Mount  Stuart,  has 
produced  some  native  copper.     The  vein  is  in  a  zone  of  sheared  serpentine, 

(5) 


66  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

and,  as  far  as  could  be  determined  from  an  examination  of  the  deserted  work- 
ings, the  ore  body  is  very  irregular.  With  the  native  copper  is  the  red  oxide, 
or  cuprite,  and  the  ore  is  reported  to  carry  varying  amounts  of  gold. 

"There  have  been  some  prospectors  at  work  recently  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
forks  of  Taneum  Creek,  about  five  miles  south  of  Cle  Elum,  and  copper  sul- 
phides are  reported  to  have  been  found.  The  country  rock  here  is  the  Easton 
schist  and  is  everywhere  more  or  less  seamed  with  quartz. 

"As  has  been  noted  above,  the  gold  of  the  Swauk  district  is  argentiferous, 
the  percentage  of  silver  varying  with  the  locality.  No  other  silver  ores  are 
known  to  occur  in  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle. 

NICKEL  AND  QUICKSILVER 

"Nickel  is  a  metal  frequently  reported  in  the  assays  from  the  Negro  Creek 
district.  Its  presence  in  small  amounts  in  the  serpentine  which  is  of  such  im- 
portance in  this  area  is  shown  by  the  analysis  given,  and  this  ren- 
ders it  probable  that  some  nickel  ores  may  be  found.  The  peridotite  and  ser- 
pentine resemble  closely  the  peridotite  at  Riddles,  Oregon,  where  deposits  of 
nickel  ore  occur.  The  green  silicate  of  nickel,  genthite,  which  is  the  ore  at 
Riddles,  was  not  detected,  however,  at  any  place  within  the  area  of  serpentine 
in  this  quadrangle.  The  analysis  of  the  'nickel  ledge'  given  on  a  preceding 
page,  shows  a  smaller  percentage  of  nickel  even  than  that  contained  in  the  ser- 
pentine itself. 

"Cinnabar  has  been  found  at  a  few  points  at  the  head  of  Middle  Fork 
of  Teanaway  River.  In  a  prospect  on  the  western  edge  of  the  quadrangle  the 
cinnabar  occurs  along  a  joint  place  in  the  altered  rock  of  the  Peshastin  forma- 
tion. The  richness  of  the  ore  is  evident,  but  the  fact  that  such  bands  of  cinna- 
bar are  very  thin  may  prevent  the  deposit  from  being  of  economic  importance. 


"Roslyn  Basin. — The  most  important  mineral  resource  of  Kittitas  County 
is  coal.  The  Roslyn  Basin  is  one  of  the  most  productive  coal  basins  on  the 
Pacific  Coast  and  it  is  included  mostly  within  this  quadrangle.  The  coal  occurs 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  Roslyn  formation,  and  the  extent  of  this  productive  por- 
tion, together  with  the  location  of  mines,  is  shown  on  the  economic  geology 
map.  The  upper  beds  of  the  Roslyn  formation  have  been  eroded  except  in  the 
center  of  the  basin,  so  that  the  coal  field  is  limited  to  the  immediate  valley  of 
the  Yakima  between  Ronald  and  Teanaway.  The  outcrop  of  the  Roslyn  coal 
has  been  traced  along  the  northern  side  of  the  basin,  so  that  the  outline  here  is 
accurately  determined.  On  the  southern  side,  however,  the  deep  grave!  filling  of 
Yakima  Valley  conceals  the  rocks  beneath,  and  this  boundary  of  the  basin  as 
mapped  is  based  wholly  upon  data  derived  from  observation  of  the  structure 
made  elsewhere.  As  shown  on  the  map,  there  are  between  ten  and  twelve  square 
miles  of  coal  lands  in  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle. 

"The  structure  of  the  Roslyn  Basin  is  simple.  The  dip  of  the  coal  beds 
is  low,  ten  degrees  to  twenty  degrees,  and  no  faults  have  been  discovered  in  the 
basin.     Its  axis  pitches  to  the  southeast,  and  since  the  fold  is  unsymmetrical. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        ■  67 

with  low  dips  on  its  northern  side,  the  axis  of  the  basin  is  nearer  the  southern 
edge.  Thus  the  deepest  portion  of  the  shallow  basin  is  probably  near  the  line 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  at  Cle  Elum. 

"The  Roslyn  seam  as  worked  at  Roslyn  contains  four  feet  six  inches  of 
clean  coal,  while  the  seam  worked  at  Cle  Elum  has  a  thickness  of  four  feet  two 
inches.  The  correlation  of  the  Cle  Elum  coal  with  the  Roslyn  seam  has  been 
somewhat  in  question.  The  Cle  Elum  coal  differs  in  character  slightly  from 
that  mined  at  Roslyn,  and  on  this  account  chiefly  it  was  thought  that  they  are 
separate  seams  and  that  the  Cle  Elum  overlies  all  of  the  five  coal  beds  cut  by 
the  Roslyn  shaft.  There  is  evidence  now,  however,  that  the  two  coals  belong 
to  the  same  seam.  In  the  distance  between  the  two  mines  the  coal  might  be 
expected  to  exhibit  differences  in  character,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
east  of  the  Cle  Elum  shaft  the  coal  changes  rapidly.  Recently  the  outcrop  of 
the  coal  has  been  traced  from  the  one  mine  to  the  other,  thus  definitely  fixing 
the  correctness  of  the  correlation.  The  coal  is  640  feet  beneath  the  surface  at 
the  Roslyn  shaft  and  250  feet  at  the  Cle  Elum  shaft,  but  there  is  so  nearly  the 
same  difference  in  elevation  of  the  two  shafts  that  the  workings  of  the  two 
mines  will  ultimately  connect  at  that  level.  At  present  the  developments  are 
not  sufficient  to  enable  the  exact  form  of  the  basin  to  be  determined,  but  on  the 
map  its  area  is  approximately  outlined.  The  'Big  Dirty'  seam,  nineteen  feet  in 
thickness,  occurs  200  feet  above  the  Roslyn  coal,  and  represents  reserve  supply, 
although  the  quality  of  this  coal  is  such  as  to  render  it  practically  valueless 
under  present  conditions. 

"The  Roslyn  coal  is  a  coking  bituminous  coal,  well  adapted  for  steam  rais- 
ing and  gas  making.  It  is  an  excellent  fuel  for  locomotives,  and  over  one-half 
of  the  product  of  this  field  is  sold  for  railroad  consumption.  The  cleanness  of 
this  coal  and  its  high  percentage  of  lump  make  it  well  fitted  for  shipment. 
Naval  tests  have  shown  that  the  Roslyn  coal  ignites  quickly,  combustion  being 
rapid  and  thorough,  the  coal  swelling  slightly  on  the  surface  of  the  fire.  The 
percentage  of  ash  is  moderate,  and  the  clinkers  formed  do  not  cling  to  the  grate 
bars,  except  with  forced  draft.  The  amount  of  soot  formed  and  the  high  tem- 
perature in  the  uptake  are  the  only  objectionable  features  of  this  coal. 

"Analyses  of  samples  of  coal  collected  in  the  Roslyn  mine  have  been  made 
in  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  laboratory  by  Mr.  George  Steiger. 

"These  analyses  indicate  a  remarkable  uniformity  throughout  the  large 
mine,  and  a  noteworthy  and  valuable  character  of  the  coal  is  its  low  content  of 
sulphur.  Comparative  boiler  tests  of  Roslyn  coal  and  of  a  high-grade  Pennsyl- 
vania bituminous  coal  have  been  made  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Com- 
pany, and  these  show  the  former  coal  to  have  90  per  cent,  of  the  efficiency  of  the 
eastern  coal  under  a  stationary  boiler,  and  78  to  80  per  cent,  in  locomotives  of 
the  mogul  and  consolidation  types,  respectively.  These  figures  indicate  the  value 
of  the  coal  for  steam-raising  purposes.  It  is  extensively  used  for  gas  making 
in  Washington  cities,  yielding  4J  cubic  feet  of  18-candlepower  gas  per  pound  of 
coal.  The  bright,  clean  character  of  this  coal  and  the  small  proportion  of  fine 
coal  make  it  well  adapted  for  domestic  use.  The  product  of  this  field  is  largely 
used  by  the  northern  transcontinental  railroads,  and  its  market  includes,  in 
addition  to  the  large  cities  of  the  state,  San  Francisco  and  Honolulu. 


68  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"The  mines  of  the   Northwestern   Improvement  Company  at  Roslyn  and 

,  Cle  Elum  constitute  the  largest  colliery  in  the  state.  The  shaft  at  Cle  Elum 
has  not  been  connected  with  the  Roslyn  shaft,  four  miles  distant,  and  the  inter- 
vening ground  represents  the  resen-e  coal  supply  of  these  mines.     The  seam  as 

.  worked  measures  over  four  feet  in  thickness,  and  the  coal  is  shipped  just  as  it 
leaves  the  breasts.     The  daily  capacity  of  this  colliery  with  present  equipment 

.  is  estimated  at  5,000  tons,  and  the  management  is  now  working  with  the  pur- 

^  pose  of  enlarging  the  plant  to  obtain  a  greater  output.    The  output  of  the  Mount 

.  Stuart  quadrangle  in  1902  was  1,240,935  tons. 

"Coal  has  also  been  mined  about  two  miles  north  of  Cle  Elum  by  the  Ellens- 

,  burg  Coal  Company  at  a  point  near  the  outcrop.     Here  the  coal  was  four  feet 

.  thick  and  dips  south,  10°  east  at  an  angle  of  16°. 

"L.  S.  Storrs,  geologist  for  the  Northwestern  Improvement  Company,  has 

..made  analyses  of  the  samples  of  the  Roslyn  coal  from  a  series  of  openings  ex- 
tending from  the  Cle  Elum  mine  through  the  Roslyn  mine  to  the  northwest- 

.  ern  extremity  of  the  basin.  These  analyses  show  the  change  in  this  seam  from 
a  lignitic,  non-coking  coal  to  a  fairly  good  coking  coal.  The  order  of  the  samples 
js  from  the  open  part  of  the  fold  toward  its  more  steeply  inclined  portion,  be- 
yond the  edge  of  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle,  and  the  change  in  the  coal  may 
be  considered  as  an  expression  of  the  influence  of  the  increasing  dynamic  action 
as  the  Cascade  Range  is  approached. 

"Work  has  also  been  done  on  a  coal  prospect  on  the  w-est  escarpment  of 
Table  Mountain  where  the  Roslyn  formation  is  represented  by  about  forty  feet 
of  clay  with  a  seam  of  coal  and  bone.  This  bed  dips  32°  to  the  east.  Similar 
coal  prospects  are  seen  in  the  Roslyn  formation  at  the  head  of  First  Creek. 
Here  massive  sandstone  occurs  with  the  shale,  but  the  coal  seams  are  very 
impure,  and  the  surface  displacements  prevent  any  determination  of  their  ex- 
tent. 

"The  black  shales  in  the  Swauk  formation  have  been  prospected  somewhat 
for  coal  on  Camas  Creek,  but  witliout  success.  More  extensive  exploration 
has  been  made  in  the  Manastash  formation,  which  contains  some  carbonaceous 
beds.     On  Taneum  Creek  coal  seams  occur,  but  the    work    done   here   has    not 

,  shown  them  to  be  of  sufficient  value  to  warrant  further  development.  The 
conditions  are  similar  on  Manastash  Creek,  where  prospect  tunnels  have  been 
opened  on  the  coal  at  several  localities.  The  quality  of  the  coal  is  very  poor 
and  quite  unlike  that  of  the  Roslyn  coal.  One  of  the  larger  seams  thus  pros- 
pected is  in  close  proximity  to  a  large  basaltic  dike,  which  would  cut  oilf  the 
extension  of  the  bed. 

BUILDING   STONE 

"Building  Stone. — The  sandstone  of  the  Swauk  and  Roslyn  formations  is 
fairly  well  adapted  for  construction  work.  The  Swauk  sandstone  is  more 
thoroughly  indurated  than  the  Roslyn  sandstone,  but  the  more  massive  beds 
occur  in  localities  which  are  not  accessible.  Sandstone  from  the  productive 
portion  of  the  Roslyn  formation  has  been  used  somewhat  in  building,  but  no 
quarries  have  been  opened.  The  tuffaceous  sandstone  of  the  Ellensburg  forma- 
tion has  been  used  in  buildings  in  Ellensburg,  being  obtained  from  a  quarry  a 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  69 

few  miles  beyond  the  southeast  corner  of  the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle.     Usu- 
ally this  stone  is  too  soft  and  friable  for  use  as  a  building  stone. 

"Road  Metal. — The  alluvial  gravels  of  the  valleys  have  in  many  cases 
favored  the  construction  of  good  roads  in  this  region.  In  some  localities,  "On 
the  other  hand,  the  clay  beds  in  the  valley  deposits  have  rendered  the  roads' 
almost  impassable  through  part  of  the  year.  Except  in  rare  cases  no  attention- 
has  been  given  to  the  use  of  better  material  for  road  construction.  The  best- 
of  road  metal,  however,  is  close  at  hand  in  much  of  the  area.  The  Yakima 
basalt  which  forms  the  escarpment  of  the  upper  Yakima  Valley  and  bounds 
the  western  edge  of  Kittitas  Valley  is  a  rock  which,  owing  to  its  hardness  atnd 
close  texture,  makes  excellent  material  for  this  purpose.  This  basalt  is  too 
high  above  the  floor  of  the  upper  valley  to  be  easily  obtained,  but  the  small  areas 
of  Teanaway  basalt  which  project  through  the  alluvial  gravels  would  furnish 
similar  material.  The  exposure  of  this  rock  at  'Deadmans  Curve'  on  the  railtoad 
three  miles  south  of  Roslyn,  is  well  situated  for  a  supply  of  road  metal  for  the' 
country  road  between  Cle  Elum  and  Roslyn,  a  road  which  is  more  traveled  than" 
any  other  in  the  county.  A  place  where  this  basalt  may  be  obtained  already  pre- 
pared for  use  is  near  the  upper  road  on  the  south  side  of  the  valley  about  two" 
and  one-half  miles  southeast  of  Cle  Elum.  A  pit  has  been  opened  in  this  crushe^d 
basalt  near  the  schoolhouse,  and  some  of  the  rock  seems  to  have  been  use'd  on" 
the  road  in  the  vicinity.  This  exceptional  deposit  of  road  material  can  be  very 
easily  worked,  and  at  comparatively  small  expense  the  roads  of  this  vicinity 
could  be  greatly  improved. 

"In  Swauk  Valley  two  sources  of  material  are  available  for  fitting  the' 
roads  for  heavy  teaming.  The  basalt  through  which  the  road  is  cut  beI6\Ar 
Liberty  is  well  adapted  for  road  construction,  when  broken  into  small  frag- 
ments, while  above  Liberty  dikes  of  similar  basalt  outcrop  at  several  points' 
by  the  roadside.  ' 

"The  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company  has  operated  a  rock  crusher  in 
the  canyon  under  Lookout  Mountain.  The  cliffs  above  furnished  a  supply  of 
broken  basalt  which  was  converted  into  a  high  grade  of  ballast  for  the  railroad." 

While  the  foregoing  extracts  are  from  the  Geologic  Atlas  of  1904,  and 
hence  old,  the  general  views  given  are  of  permanent  accuracy  and  value. 
Changes  have  occurred  in  details. 

It  may  be  added  that  the  other  folios  dealing  with  the  quadrangles  adjoin- 
ing the  Mount  Stuart  quadrangle  on  the  south  give  similar  details  with  the 
same  minute  and  technical  accuracy,  the  general  history  being  similar.  The 
author  is  incorporating  the  part  dealing  with  the  upper  Yakima  as  being  a  valu- 
able illustration  of  the  general  nature  of  these  reports.  As  it  is  manifestly  im- 
possible to  go  into  further  detail,  the  reader  is  referred  to  these  Geologic  Atlases 
of  the  United  States  Government  as  the  only  complete  body  of  references  upon 
this  very  interesting  and  important  subject. 

ARTESI.\N    WATER 

To  the  above  data  we  desire  to  add  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  State 
Geological  Report  for  1902,  pertaining  to  the  artesian  supply  of  the  Yakima 
Valley,  by  C.  A.  Ruddy: 


70  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

In  this  state  the  greatest  progress  in  developing  the  artesian  water  supply 
has  been  made  in  the  Yakima  Valley. 

"The  oldest  rock  which  outcrops  in  this  valley  is  the  Columbia  lava,  of 
Miocene  Age.  It  forms  part  of  the  great  lava  field  which  covers  south- 
eastern Washington  and  Oregon  and  extends  southward  and  eastward  into 
Idaho,  Nevada  and  California.  In  Yakima  County  it  is  made  up  of  a  succes- 
sion of  flows  varying  in  thickness  from  a  few  feet  to  a  hundred  or  more,  the 
line  of  contact  between  the  layers  being  usually  very  well  marked.  Some  layers 
show  a  marked  difference  in  jointing  from  those  above  and  below.  The  rock 
is  a  very  dark  basalt,  usually  quite  compact,  but  often  more  or  less  vesicular. 
In  many  places  beds  of  volcanic  tuff  are  found  between  the  basalt  flows.  Basalt, 
in  its  molten  state,  is  one  of  the  least  viscous  of  lavas.  When  in  its  liquid  state 
it  is  poured  forth  from  a  vent,  and  instead  of  building  up  a  cone  it  spreads 
far  out  as  a  nearly  horizontal  sheet.  For  this  reason  we  find  no  volcanic  cones 
in  the  Columbia  lava  field.  Each  flow  found  its  way  to  the  surface  through 
a  fissure  which  was  afterwards  covered  up  by  succeeding  flows.  The  interval 
of  time  between  successive  flows  in  this  region  must  have  been  in  some  cases 
many  years,  and  even  centuries.  Sufficient  time  elapsed  for  soil  to  form  and 
forests  to  grow  thereon,  before  being  overwhelmed  by  the  next  overflow.  This 
is  shown  by  the  presence  of  charred  wood  between  the  flows  of  lava. 

"During  the  long  ages  in  which  the  older  rocks  were  becoming  more 
and  more  deeply  submerged  by  the  molten  flood,  there  was  little  folding  or  tilting 
of  the  rocks  in  this  region.  The  Cascade  Mountains  were  very  much  lower  than 
at  present,  especially  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  When  the  outflows 
of  basaltic  lava  had  almost  ceased,  there  came  a  change,  so  that  the  region  now 
forming  the  valley  of  the  Yakima  formed  part  of  the  bed  of  a  great  fresh-water 
lake.  This  lake  existed  so  long  that  sediments  more  than  a  thousand  feet  in 
thickness  were  deposited  on  its  bed.  It  was  a  time  of  great  volcanic  activity. 
as  shown  by  the  character  of  the  sediments.  These  are  largely  volcanic  ash 
and  broken  fragments  of  pumice.  The  eruptions  which  furnished  this  material 
were  largely  of  the  explosive  type,  rather  than  the  quiet  outflows  which  char- 
acterized the  formation  of  the  Columbia  lava  plain.  Along  the  ancient  shore 
line  conglomerate  beds  occur,  made  up  of  boulders  of  light-colored  andesite 
and  other  volcanic  rocks.  The  great  variations  of  the  beds  show  that  the 
oscillations  of  the  land  were  comparatively  rapid  and  irregular.  Sometimes 
the  water  of  the  lake  would  recede  and  the  streams  would  cut  rapidly  into  their 
soft  sediments;  then  the  waters  would  encroach  again  and  new  sediments 
would  be  spread  out,  leveling  oft"  the  old  irregularities. 

"At  intervals  throughout  the  period  in  which  the  lake  sediments  were 
accumulating,  there  came  belated  outbreaks  of  basaltic  lava  which  spread  out 
over  the  soft  sediments.  These  were  the  last  convulsive  signs  of  life  of  those 
great  volcanic  forces  which  were  active  throughout  a  great  part  of  the  Miocene 
period,  and  which  caused  the  formation  of  the  Columbia  lava  fields,  the  greatest 
l>ody  of  lava  in  the  known  world. 

"After  the  lake  was  finally  drained  the  greater  part  of  the  sediments  were 
carried  away  by  erosion,  but  remnants  still  remain.  They  form  the  light- 
colored    sedimentary   beds   outcropping   in   places   in   the   Yakima    Valley   and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  71 

about  its  borders.  These  are  the  rocks  in  which  artesian  water  has  been 
found.  They  form  what  is  known  as  the  EUensburg  formation,  and  are  of 
Miocene  age,  as  shown  by  the  fossil  leaves  preserved  in  them.  The  most 
extensive  outcrops  are  seen  along  the  Natches  River  and  at  White  Bluflfs  on 
the  Columbia. 

"At  the  close  of  the  period  just  described,  the  region  to  the  westward 
was  gradually  uplifted  so  as  to  form  the  Cascade  Mountains.  At  the  same 
time  or  later,  a  series  of  low  east  and  west  folds  were  formed  between  the 
Columbia  River  and  the  Cascades,  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  axis  of  the 
mountain  range.  The  ridges  are  not  due  to  faults,  as  formerly  supposed; 
they  are  all  anticlines,  while  the  valleys  between  them  are  synclines,  and  the 
Naches  River  another.  The  crests  of  the  ridges  have  been  almost  entirely 
denuded  of  the  EUensburg  beds,  so  that  only  the  basalt  is  left.  One  of  these, 
known  as  the  Selah  Ridge,  borders  the  Yakima  Valley  on  the  north,  and 
another,  the  Yakima  Ridge,  borders  it  on  the  south.  The  Yakima  River  has 
cut  gaps  through  the  ridges  and  crosses  them  at  right  angles.  It  evidently 
had  its  course  established  before  the  folding  began;  then  as  the  folds  arose 
slowly  the  river  kept  pace  with  them,  cutting  down  its  channel. 

"At  some  period  later  than  the  Miocene,  a  great  stream  of  lava  came 
flowing  down  from  somewhere  between  the  headwaters  of  the  Naches  and 
Tieton  rivers,  covering  the  hills  and  obliterating  the  valleys.  It  reached  as  far 
east  as  the  mouth  of  the  Cowiche  Creek  and  then  stopped.  The  rock  is  a  very 
dark  andesite.  It  forms  a  conspicuous  landmark,  standing  as  bold  cliffs  on 
the  lower  Tieton  and  at  the  junction  of  Cowiche  Creek  with  the  Naches  River. 
It  is  safe  to  say  that  nowhere  on  the  surface  of  this  lava  can  artesian  water 
be  found.  It  stands  at  too  high  an  elevation,  and  any  water  contained  in  the 
beds  below  would  find  a  readier  outlet  by  means  of  springs  along  the  base  of 
the  cliffs  where  the  andesite  meets  the  underlying  rocks. 

"As  shown  by  the  geological  map,  the  EUensburg  beds  extend  westward 
a  mile  or  two  beyond  Tampico  Postoffice  and  occupy  practically  all  of  the  valley 
below  that  point.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  stands  at  an  elevation  of  about 
1,067  feet  above  sea  level.  EUensburg  beds  have  been  traced  twenty  miles 
west  of  that  point  to  an  elevation  of  2,350  feet.  On  the  hills  north  of  Tampico 
Postoffice  they  outcrop  as  beds  of  conglomerate,  sandstone  and  volcanic  ash, 
dipping  slightly  to  the  eastward. 

"North  Yakima  had  a  total  precipitation  in  1900  of  7.22  inches.  To  the 
westward  as  the  mountains  are  approached  the  precipitation  increases.  It 
seems  probable  that  most  of  the  water  which  finds  its  way  into  the  strata  falls 
upon  the  western  border  of  the  EUensburg  beds,  and  gradually  finds  its  way 
down  into  the  lower  part  of  the  valley. 

"The  two  synclines  occupied  respectively  by  the  Naches  River  and  Ahtanum 
Creek  in  their  upper  valleys  gradually  merge  into  one  as  they  approach  the 
Yakima  River.  Where  the  Yakima  has  cut  its  way  across  the  valley  there  is 
only  one  syncline.  On  both  the  north  and  south  sides,  parallel  to  the  longer 
sides  of  the  valley,  the  beds  dip  towards  the  valley  at  a  steep  angle.  On  the 
eastern  and  western  sides  they  dip  more  gradually.    The  valley  is  underlaid  by 


72  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Ellensburg  beds  to  a  depth  of  over  a  thousand  feet,  while  along  the  elevated 
edges  it  has  all  been  eroded  away,  leaving  the  bare  basalt  ridges. 

"A  large  part  of  the  rain  which  falls  on  the  ridges  is  absorbed  by  the 
rocks  as  soon  as  it  reaches  the  porous  beds  at  the  base  of  the  hills.  Along  the 
western  border  of  the  basin  the  tops  of  the  hills  are  at  such  an  elevation  as 
materially  to  increase  the  rainfall.  Ahtanum  Creek  flows  over  the  Ellensburg 
beds  for  a  number  of  miles,  and  from  measurements  made  of  its  volume  at 
different  places  along  its  course,  it  is  evident  that  a  considerable  part  of  it  is 
absorbed  by  the  rocks. 

"The  part  of  the  valley  east  of  the  Yakima  River  is  known  as  the  Moxee 
Valley.  It  is  here  that  nearly  all  of  the  artesian  wells  are  located.  There  are 
now  more  than  thirty  wells  within  an  area  of  six  square  miles.  The  following 
table,  taken  from  the  report  of  Air.  George  Otis  Smith,  on  the  Geology  and 
Water  Resources  of  a  Portion  of  Yakima  County,  Water  Supply  and  Irriga- 
tion Papers  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  No.  55,  gives  most  of  the 
important  information  concerning  these  wells: 

"It  is  estimated  that  the  total  area  irrigated  by  these  w^ells  amounts  to 
about  1,650  acres.  Some  of  them  are  said  to  be  decreasing  in  volume,  and 
in  some  instances  even  to  have  ceased  flowing  altogether.  This  may  be  due 
to  caving  of  the  wells  due  to  improper  construction.  It  is  quite  possible, 
of  course,  that  the  basin  may  now  be  developed  to  its  full  capacity,  so  that 
the  drilling  of  more  wells  would  not  increase  the  total  flow.  If  such  were  the 
case,  the  water  which  would  flow  from  new  wells  would  simply  decrease  by  that 
much  the  amount  which  flowed  from  the  other  wells.  Heretofore  the  wells 
have  been  allowed  to  flow  freely  throughout  the  year,  but  at  the  last  session 
of  the  State  Legislature  a  law  was  passed  compelling  owners  of  wells  to  keep 
them  closed  from  the  first  day  of  October  in  any  year  until  the  first  day  of 
the  following  April.  This  does  not  prevent  the  use  of  water  for  stock  or  for 
domestic  purposes.  The  effect  of  this  law  will  be  salutary  in  preventing  the 
waste  of  water  during  the  season  when  it  is  not  necessary  for  irrigation,  and 
will  greatly  increase  the  capacity  of  the  basin.  The  amount  of  land  in  this 
part  of  the  valley  which  can  be  brought  under  cultivation  is  limited  only  by 
the  supply  of  water. 

"On  the  western  side  of  the  Yakima  River  the  demand  for  artesian  water 
is  not  so  urgent.  A  number  of  canals  bring  water  from  the  Naches  River,  and 
supply  all  the  lower  part  of  the  valley.  Other  canals  utilize  the  waters  of 
Ahtanum  Creek.  Up  to  the  present  time  only  one  artesian  well  has  been  drilled 
west  of  the  Yakima.  This  is  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  George  Wilson,  in  Wide 
Hollow,  and  irrigates  about  fifty  acres.  It  is  important  as  showing  the  pres- 
ence of  artesian  water  in  this  part  of  the  valley,  so  that  the  problem  is  simplified 
for  anyone  who  in  the  future  wishes  to  sink  a  well  in  the  same  locality. 

KITTITAS   VALLEY 

"In  the  Kittitas  Valley,  in  which  the  city  of  Ellensburg  is  situated,  the 
same  geological  formations  occur  as  in  the  Yakima  Valley  farther  south.  Its 
basin-like  structure,  however,  is  not  so  clearly  marked.     The  valley  is  underlaid 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        ,  75 

by  the  Ellensburg  formation  to  an  unknown  depth.  On  every  side  of  the  valley 
the  enclosing  hills  are  of  basalt.  The  Yakima  River  flows  through  the  valley 
from  northwest  to  southeast  and  escapes  through  a  deep  notch  cut  in  the 
enclosing  ridge.  A  well  was  sunk  in  the  valley  a  number  of  years  ago,  and  is 
said  to  have  reached  basalt  at  700  feet.  Water  came  up  within  forty  feet  of 
the  surface.  Mr.  Smith,  in  the  report  previously  referred  to,  is  of  the  opinion' 
that  the  chances  of  obtaining  artesian  water  are  sufficiently  favorable  to  justify 
the  drilling  of  another  well."  (Mr.  Ruddy's  report,  while  also  outdated,  pos- 
sesses permanent  value  and  hence  we  preserve  it.) 

For  the  sake  of  accuracy,  it  should  be  added  that,  since  Mr.  Ruddy's  report 
was  made,  artesian  water  has  been  discovered  in  Walla  Walla  of  such  copious 
supply  as  to  make  it  far  exceed  any  other  region  in  the  Northwest  for  artesian' 
water. 

In  connection  with  the  artesian  development  special  note  should  be  made 
of  the  fact  that  there  is  in  the  city  of  Yakima  a  flowing  well  which  supplies  a 
natatorium  operated  by  the  Artesian  Mineral  Springs  Company.  This  well  is- 
2,100  feet  deep,  flows  800,000  gallons  per  day,  the  water  having  a  temperature: 
of  78°.     There  are  four  flows,  but  all  except  one  are  shut  off. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  NATIVE  RACES  OF  CENTRAL  WASHINGTON 


THE    NATIVE    RACES    OF    CENTRAL    WASHINGTON — LITERATURE    OF    INDIAN     LIFE 

AN     INDIAN     DEMOSTHENES — CLAIMANTS     SATISFIED;     SCALP     SAVED — INDIAN 

MYTHOLOGY INDIAN        NAMES INDIAN         MYTHS STUDENTS        OF        INDIAN 

MYTHS — ARCHAEOLOGY    OF    THE     YAKIMA    VALLEY. 

Any  history  of  any  part  of  America  would  be  incomplete  without  some 
view  of  the  aborigines.  Such  a  view  is  necessary  to  insure  accuracy  of  state- 
ment and  to  gain  philosophical  perspectives  of  history.  Such  a  view  is  required 
also  by  justice  to  the  natives  themselves.  The  ever  westward  movement  of 
American  settlement  has  been  marked  by  trails  of  blood  and  fire.  Warfare  has 
set  its  red  stains  upon  nearly  every  region  wrested  from  barbarism  to  civili- 
zation. This  has  been  in  many  cases  due  to  flagrant  wrong,  greed,  and  lust 
by  the  civilized  man.  It  has  been  due  also  to  savage  cruelty  by  the  barbarian. 
Perhaps  more  than  to  wrong  by  either  party,  it  has  been  due  to  that  great, 
unexplained  and  unexplainable  tragedy  of  human  history,  the  inability  of 
either  party  to  comprehend  the  viewpoint  of  the  other.  And  yet,  most  of  all, 
it  has  been  due  to  that  inevitable  and  remorseless  evolution  of  all  life  by  which 
one  race  of  plants,  animals,  and  human  beings  progresses  by  the  extermina- 
tion of  others.  Perhaps  the  philosophical  mind,  while  viewing  with  pity  the 
sufferings  and  with  reprobation  the  crimes  and  irrational  treatment  forced  upon 
the  natives  by  the  civilized  race,  and  while  viewing  with  equal  horror  the 
atrocities  by  which  the  losers  in  the  inevitable  struggle  sought  to  maintain 
themselves — if  to  such  a  philosophical  mind  comes  the  question  who  was  to 
blame  for  all  this  seemingly  needless  woe — must  answer  that  the  universe  is 
mainly  to  blame,  and  we  have  not  yet  reached  the  point  to  explain  the  universe. 

We  have  found  in  the  preceding  chapter,  and  shall  find  in  succeeding 
chapters,  frequent  occasion  to  refer  to  events  in  connection  with  Indians.  Our 
aim  in  this  chapter  is  rather  to  give  an  outline  of  locations  of  different  tribes, 
to  sketch  briefly  some  of  their  traits  as  illustrated  in  their  myths  and  customs, 
and  to  state  the  chief  published  sources  of  our  knowledge  in  regard  to  those 
myths  and  customs.  The  history  of  Indian  wars,  which  also  includes  other 
incidental  matter  about  them,  will  be  found  in  a  later  chapter. 

LITERATURE    OF    INDIAN    LIFE 

The    literature    of    Indian    life    is    voluminous.      Practically    all    the    early 
explorers  from  Lewis  and  Clark  down  devoted  large  space  to  the  natives.     The 
pioneer  settlers  knew  them  individually,  and  some  of  them  derived  much  matter 
74 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  75 

of  general  value  which  has  been  preserved  in  brief  newspaper  articles  or  handed 
down  in  story  and  tradition.  Out  of  this  vast  mass  a  few  writers  have  formed 
groups  of  topics  which  serve  well  for  those  generalizations  with  a  birdseye 
view  like  this  must  be  content  to  take.  Foremost  among  the  writers  dealing 
with  the  subject  in  a  large  way  is  Hubert  Howe  Bancroft.  Although  his  great 
work  on  the  history  of  the  Pacific  Coast  has  been  severely  and  sometimes  justly 
censured,  yet  it  must  be  granted  that,  as  a  vast  compendium  of  matter  dealing 
with  the  subject,  it  is  monumental  and  can  be  turned  to  with  confidence  in 
the  authenticity  of  its  sources  and  in  the  general  accuracy  of  its  statements  of 
fact,  even  if  not  always  in  the  breadth  of  its  opinions  or  the  reliability  of  its 
judgments. 

In  Volume  One,  Chapter  III,  of  Bancroft's  "Native  Races,"  there  is  a 
generalized  grouping  of  the  Columbia  native  tribes  which  may  well  be  accepted 
as  a  study  of  ethnology,  derived  from  many  observations  and  records  by  those 
early  explorers  most  worthy  of  credence.  These  general  outlines  by  the  author 
are  supported  by  numerous  citations  from  those  authorities.  The  Columbians 
occupied,  according  to  Bancroft,  all  the  vast  region  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
lying  between  the  Hyperboreans  on  the  north  and  the  Californians  on  the 
south.  They  are  divided  into  certain  families,  and  these  families  into  nations, 
and  the  nations  into  tribes.  There  is  naturally  much  inter-tribal  mingling,  and 
yet  the  national  and  even  tribal  peculiarities  are  preserved  with  remarkable 
distinctness.  Beginning  on  the  northern  coast  region  around  Queen  Charlotte 
Island  are  the  Haidahs.  South  of  them  on  the  coast  comes  the  family  of  the 
Nootkas,  centered  on  Vancouver  Island.  Then  comes  the  family  of  the  Sound 
Indians,  and  still  further  south,  that  of  the  Chinooks.  Turning  to  the  east 
side  of  the  Cascades,  which  more  especially  interests  us,  we  find  on  the  north 
the  Shushwap  family,  embracing  all  the  inland  tribes  of  British  Columbia  south 
of  latitude  52°  30'.  This  group  includes  the  Okanogans,  Kootenais,  and  others 
of  the  border  between  British  Columbia  and  northeastern  Washington  and 
northern  Idaho  and  northwestern  Montana.  Then  comes  the  Salish  family,  in 
which  we  find  the  Spokanes,  Flatheads,  Pend  Oreilles,  and  Calispels,  as  far 
south  as  the  Palouse  region.  There  we  begin  with  the  family  of  Sahaptins, 
the  one  which  particularly  concerns  us  in  the  Yakima  country.  Numerous 
citations  in  Bancroft's  volume  indicate  that  the  early  explorers  and  ethnologists 
did  not  altogether  agree  on  the  subdivisions  of  this  family.  It  would  seem  that 
the  groups  have  been  somewhat  arbitrarily  made,  yet  there  was  evidently  con- 
siderable effort  to  employ  scientific  methods  by  study  of  affiliations  in  language, 
customs,  treaty  relations,  range,  and  other  peculiarities.  In  general  terms  it 
may  be  said  that  the  different  writers  pretty  nearly  agree  in  finding  some  six 
or  eight  nations,  each  divided  into  several  tribes.  These  are  the  Nez  Perces 
or  Chopunnish,  the  Yakimas,  the  Palouses,  the  Walla  Wallas,  the  Cayuses, 
the  Umatillas,  the  \\'ascos,  and  the  Klikitats.  The  tribes  are  variously  grouped. 
The  modern  spelling  appears  in  the  above  list,  but  there  is  a  bewildering  variety 
in  the  early  books.  This  is  especially  true  of  Palouse  and  Walla  Walla.  The 
former  appears  under  the  following  forms :  Palouse,  Paloose,  Palus,  Peloose, 
I'elouse,  Pavilion,  Pavion  and  Peluse.  The  word  means  "gooseberry,"  accord- 
ing to  Thomas  Beall,  of  Lewiston.     Walla  Walla,  which  means,  according  to 


76  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"Old  Bones,"  the  Cayiise  chief,  the  place  where  the  four  creeks  meet,  has  the 
following  variants:  Oualla  Oulla  (French),  Walla  Wallapum,  Wollow 
Wollah,  Wallaolla,  Wolla  Walla,  Wallawaltz,  Walla  Walle,  Wallahwallah, 
Wala-Wala,  Wollahwollah.  For  Umatilla  we  find  Umatallow,  Utalla,  Utilla, 
Emmatilly,  and  Youmalallum.  Cayuse  has  as  variants,  Cailloux,  Kayuse, 
Skyuse,  Cajouse,  Caagua,  Kyoose,  and  Kyoots.  Dr.  Whitman's  station,  now 
known  as  Waiilatpu,  place  of  rye-grass,  appears  in  sundry  forms,  as  Weyeilat, 
Willetpu,  and  Wieletpoo. 

Yakima  also  has  several  variants,  as  Yakama,  Yockooman,  Yackiman, 
Yakeema,  Eyakemah,  Yokimaw,  Eyakama,  Eyakema,  and  Ekama.  Dr.  Tolmie 
records  that  the  Sound  Indians  had  the  name  Strobshaddat  for  the  Yakima 
River.  Lewis  and  Clark  got  the  name  Tapteal.  This  name  also  has  many 
forms :  Taptaal,  Tapteet,  Taptete,  Tapetett,  Tapatett,  Taptul.  According  to 
A.  J.  Splawn,  this  was  the  name  of  the  original  location  of  Prosser.  Klickitat 
has  several  spellings.  The  most  varied  spelling  is  for  Naches.  It  is  found 
as  Nachehese,  Natchess,  Nachese,  Nahchees,  Natchese,  Natches,  Natchez, 
Nachtehis,  and  finally  the  present  most  reasonable  and  phonetic  form,  Naches, 
In  Coues'  edition  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  journals,  page  973,  we  find  the  name 
of  a  tributary  of  the  Yakima  given  as  Nocktock,  which  must  be  the  Naches. 
Mocksee,  Moxee,  Moksee,  etc.,  are  various  forms  of  that  pioneer  location. 
Selah  has  various  forms  also.  In  the  same  edition  of  Lewis  and  Clark  just 
given  we  find  Selartar,  which  must  be  the  Selah.  The  Wenatchee  also  has  sundry 
spellings,  as  Wenatsha,  Wenatshapam,  and  others.  Ahtanum  is  also  Atinam, 
Atahnum,   Atanum,   Athanam,   etc. 

The  Sahaptin  family  seem  to  have  been  in  general  of  the  best  grade  of 
Indians.  Lewis  and  Qark  found  the  Xez  Perces  a  noble,  dignified  and  honest 
race,  though  they  say  that  they  were  close  and  reserved  in  bargaining.  Gen- 
erally speaking,  the  inland  Indians  were  far  superior  in  physique  and  in  mental 
capacity  to  those  of  the  Sound  or  the  lower  Columbia.  Townsend,  in  his 
"Narrative,"  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  the  Nez  Perces  and  Cayuses  were  almost 
universally  fine-looking,  robust  men.  He  compares  one  of  the  latter  with  the 
Apollo  Belvedere.  Gairdner  says  that  the  Walla  Wallas  were  generally  power- 
ful men,  at  least  six  feet  high,  and  the  Cayuses  were  still  stouter  and  more 
athletic.  Others  remarked  that  very  handsome  young  girls  were  often  seen 
among  the  Walla  Wallas.  The  Yakimas  were  generally  tall,  straight,  fine- 
looking  people.  The  girls  were,  as  often  now,  very  handsome.  With  them 
doubtless,  as  with  other  Indians,  the  drudgery  of  their  lives  and  their  early 
child-bearing  made  them  prematurely  old,  and  they  soon  lost  their  beauty. 

There  seems  to  have  been  much  variation  among  these  natives  as  to  per- 
sonal habits  and  morality.  The  Nez  Perces  and  Cayuses  are  almost  always 
described  as  clean,  both  of  body  and  character.  Palmer,  in  his  Journal,  says 
that  the  Nez  Perces  were  better  clad  than  any  others,  the  Cayuses  well  clothed, 
Walla  Wallas  naked  and  half-starved.  The  last  statement  seetns  not  to  corre- 
spond with  the  observations  of  Lewis  and  Clark.  Wilkes  says  that  "at  The 
Dalles  women  go  nearly  naked,  for  they  wear  little  else  than  what  may  be 
termed  a  breech-cloth,  of  buckskin,  which  is  black  and  filthy  with  dirt."  About 
the  same  seems  to  have  been  true  of  the  Sokulks.     But  among  the  Tushepaws 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  77 

and  Nez  Perces  and  Cayuses  the  men  and  women  often  wore  long  robes  of 
buffalo  or  elk  skin,  decorated  with  beads  and  sea-shells.  Farnham  speaks  of 
the  Cayuses  as  the  "Imperial  tribe  of  Oregon,  claiming  jurisdiction  over  the 
whole  Columbia  region." 

The  chief  wealth  of  these  tribes  was  in  horses.  Dr.  Tolmie  expressed 
the  supposition  that  horses  had  come  from  the  southward  at  no  very  long  time 
prior  to  White  discovery.  It  is  well  known  that  a  prehistoric  horse,  the  hip- 
parion,  not  larger  than  a  deer,  existed  in  Oregon.  Remains  of  that  creature 
have  been  found  in  the  John  Day  Basin.  But  there  is  no  evidence  that  there 
was  a  native  horse  among  the  Indians  of  Oregon.  Their  "Cayuse  horses,"  to 
all  indications,  came  from  the  horses  of  California,  and  they  in  turn  were  the 
offspring  of  the  horses  brought  to  Mexico  and  southern  California  by  the 
Spanish  conquerors.  A.  J.  Splawn  in  "Kamiakin,"  gives  a  valuable  discussion 
of  the  origin  of  horses.  At  the  time  of  the  advent  of  the  Whites,  horses 
existed  in  immense  numbers  all  through  the  Columbia  Valley.  It  was  not 
uncommon  for  a  Yakima,  Klickitat,  Cayuse,  or  Nez  Perce  chief  to  have  bands 
of  hundreds,  even  thousands.  Canoes  were  a  highly  esteemed  possession  of 
the  Indians  on  the  navigable  rivers,  and  they  had  acquired  marvellous  skill  in 
handling  them.  The  lower  Columbia  Indians  spend  so  much  time  curled  up 
in  canoes  that  they  were  distorted  and  inferior  in  physique  to  the  "bunch-grass 
Indians." 

Like  all  barbarian  people  the  Indians  of  the  Columbia  Valley  were  next 
door  to  starvation  a  good  part  of  the  time.  They  gorged  themselves  when  food 
was  plentiful,  and  thus  were  in  distress  when  the  bounty  of  Nature  failed,  for 
there  was  no  accumulated  store,  as  under  civilized  conditions.  Their  food 
consisted  of  deer,  elk,  and  other  game,  in  which  the  whole  Cascade  Mountain 
country  with  the  adjoining  plains  abounded,  and  of  salmon  and  sturgeon, 
which  they  obtained  in  the  Columbia,  Snake  and  Yakima  rivers  by  spearing 
and  by  ingenious  bone  hooks.  They  also  obtained  an  abundance  of  vegetable 
food  from  the  camas  and  couse,  which  were  common,  and  in  fact  still  are,  in 
this  region.  Rather  curiously,  considering  the  fertility  of  central  Washington, 
there  are  very  few  wild  berries,  nuts  or  fruits.  The  huckleberry  is  practically 
the  only  berry  in  large  quantities,  and  wild  cherries  the  only  kind  of  wild  fruit. 
A  wild  currant  grows  vigorously  on  the  lower  Yakima  and  along  the  Columbia. 

Such  were  the  physical  conditions,  hastily  sketched,  of  the  natives  of 
central  Washington.  Their  mental  and  moral  characteristics  may  be  derived 
in  a  degree  from  the  events  narrated  in  the  pages  which  follow.  In  their  best 
estate  they  were  faithful,  patient,  hospitable,  and  generous.  In  their  worst 
estate,  in  which  the  Whites  more  usually  found  them,  they  were  vindictive, 
suspicious,  cruel,  and  remorseless.  Too  many  cases  of  the  former  type  occurred 
to  justify  any  sweeping  condemnation. 

AN    INDIAN    DEMOSTHENES 

One  of  the  finest  examples  of  Indian  character  in  its  better  light  is  shown 
by  an  event  in  this  region  narrated  by  Ross  Cox  in  his  "Adventures  on  the 
Columbia  River."    The  party  of  trappers  of  the  North  Western  Fur  Company, 


78  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

of  which  Cox  was  one,  was  on  its  way  from  Astoria  to  "Ockinegan,"  as  he 
calls  it — a  company  of  sixty-four  in  eight  canoes.  When  at  a  point  in  the 
Columbia  about  equi-distant  between  the  mouth  of  the  "Wallah  Wallah"  and 
that  of  the  Lewis  (Snake)  a  number  of  canoes  filled  with  natives  bore  down 
upon  their  squadron,  apparently  without  hostile  design.  But  within  a  few 
minutes  the  Indians  evinced  the  purpose  of  seizing  the  canoes  of  the  Whites 
and  plundering  them  by  violence.  It  was  soon  give-and-take,  and  arrows 
began  to  fly.  Pretty  soon  one  of  the  company,  McDonald,  seeing  an  Indian 
just  at  the  point  of  letting  fly  an  arrow  at  him,  fired  and  killed  the  Indian. 
A  struggle  ensued,  but  the  Whites  broke  loose  and  defended  themselves  suffi- 
ciently to  reach  an  island,  which  must  have  been  the  one  nearly  opposite  the 
present  Two  Rivers,  a  few  miles  below  the  junction  of  the  Snake  and  Columbia. 
It  was  a  gloomy  prospect.  Cox  says  that  they  had  pretty  nearly  given  up 
hope  of  escaping  and  had  written  farewell  notes,  which  they  hoped  might  reach 
their  friends.  It  was  a  dark,  gloomy  night  in  November,  with  a  drizzling  rain. 
During  the  night  the  party  saw  signal  fires  on  the  shore  to  the  northwest, 
followed  by  others  to  east  and  west.  Soon  after  a  large  band  of  ravens  passed 
over,  the  fluttering  of  whose  wings  they  could  hear.  This  had  a  most  depress- 
ing efifect  on  the  superstitious  Canadians,  and  one  of  them  declared  that  the 
appearance  of  ravens  at  night  was  an  infallible  sign  of  approaching  death. 
Mr.  Keith,  one  of  the  Scotchmen,  seeing  the  gloomy  state  of  their  minds  and 
wishing  to  forestall  the  efifect,  instantly  joined  the  conversation,  declaring  that 
while  there  was  such  a  general  fear  of  a  night  flight  of  ravens,  yet  it  never 
worked  disaster  unless  the  flight  was  accompanied  by  croaking,  but  that  when 
ravens  passed  over  without  croaking,  they  were  a  harbinger  of  good  news. 
Much  relieved,  the  Canadians  regained  their  nerve  and  shouted  out,  "you 
are  right,  you  are  right!  Courage!  There  is  no  danger!"  The  beleaguered 
band  on  their  dismal  retreat  waited  for  the  dawn,  making  all  preparations 
for  resistance  to  the  death.  Early  in  the  morning  the  party  crossed  to  the 
north  bank  of  the  river,  and  there  waited  developments.  A  large  force  of 
Indians  soon  appeared,  well  anned,  and  yet  ready  for  a  parley.  The  Whites 
sent  forward  their  interpreter,  Michel,  to  indicate  their  willingness  to  parley. 
A  group  of  thirty  or  forty  of  the  relatives  of  the  dead  Indians  advanced,  chant- 
ing a  death  song,  which,  as  they  afterwards  learned,  was  about  as  follows: 
"Rest,  brothers,  rest!  You  will  be  avenged.  The  tears  of  your  widows  shall 
cease  to  flow,  when  they  behold  the  blood  of  your  murderers;  and  your  young 
children  shall  leap  and  sing  with  joy,  on  seeing  their  scalps.  Rest,  brothers, 
in  peace ;  we  shall  have  blood." 

The  event  which  followed  this  lugubrious  song  cannot  be  better  told  than 
by  following  the  vivid  narrative  of  Cox: 

"They  took  up  their  position  in  the  center,  and  the  whole  party  then  formed 
themselves  into  an  extended  crescent.  Among  them  were  natives  of  the  Chim- 
napum,  Yackaman,  Sokulk,  and  Wallah  Wallah  tribes.  Their  language  is 
nearly  the  same ;  but  they  are  under  separate  chiefs,  and  in  time  of  war  always 
unite  against  the  Shoshone  or  Snake  Indians,  a  powerful  nation,  who  inhabit 
the  plains  to  the  southward. 

"From  Chili  to  Athabasca,  and  from  Nootka  to  Labrador,  there  is  an  inde- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  79 

scribable  coldness  about  an  American  savage  that  checks  familiarity.  He  is  a 
stranger  to  our  hopes,  our  fears,  our  joys,  or  our  sorrows;  his  eyes  are  seldom 
moistened  by  a  tear,  or  his  features  relaxed  by  a  smile;  and  whether  he  basks 
beneath  a  vertical  sun  on  the  burning  plains  of  the  Amazonia,  or  freezes  in 
eternal  winter  on  the  ice-bound  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  the  same  piercing 
black  eyes,  and  stern  immobility  of  countenance,  equally  set  at  naught  the  skill 
of  the  physiognomist. 

"On  the  present  occasion,  their  painted  skin,  cut  hair,  and  naked  bodies, 
imparted  to  their  appearance  a  degree  of  ferocity  from  which  we  boded  no 
good  result.  They  remained  stationary  for  some  time,  and  preserved  a  pro- 
found silence. 

"Messrs.  Keith,  Stewart,  LaRocque,  and  the  interpreter,  at  length  advanced 
about  midway  between  the  two  parties  unarmed,  and  demanded  to  speak  with 
them ;  upon  which  two  chiefs,  accompanied  by  six  of  the  mourners,  proceeded 
to  join  them.  Mr.  Keith  offered  them  the  calumet  of  peace,  which  they  refused 
to  accept,  in  a  manner  at  once  cold  and  repulsive. 

"Michel  was  thereupon  ordered  to  tell  them  that,  as  we  had  always  been 
on  good  terms  with  them,  we  regretted  much  that  the  late  unfortunate  circum- 
stance had  occurred  to  disturb  our  friendly  intercourse ;  but  that  as  we  were 
anxious  to  restore  harmony,  and  to  forget  what  had  passed,  we  were  now 
willing  to  compensate  the  relations  of  the  deceased  for  the  loss  they  had  sus- 
tained. 

"They  inquired  what  kind  of  compensation  was  intended;  and  on  being 
informed  that  it  consisted  of  two  suits  of  chief's  clothes,  with  blankets,  tobacco 
and  ornaments  for  the  women,  etc.,  it  was  indignantly  refused;  and  their  spokes- 
man stated  that  no  discussion  could  be  entered  into  until  two  white  men  (one 
of  whom  should  be  the  big  red-headed  chief)  were  delivered  to  them  to  be 
sacrificed,  according  to  their  law,  to  the  spirits  of  the  departed  warriors. 

"Every  eye  turned  on  McDonald,  who,  on  hearing  the  demand,  grinned 
horribly  a  ghastly  smile ;  and  who,  but  for  our  interposition,  would  on  the  spot 
have  chastised  the  insolence  of  the  speaker.  The  men  were  horrified,  and  fear 
and  trembling  became  visible  in  their  countenance,  until  Mr.  Keith,  who  had 
observed  those  symptoms  of  terror,  promptly  restored  their  confidence,  by  tell- 
ing them  that  such  an  ignominious  demand  should  never  be  complied  with. 

"He  then  addressed  the  Indians  in  a  calm,  firm  voice,  and  told  them  that 
no  consideration  whatever  should  induce  him  to  deliver  a  white  man  to  their 
vengeance ;  that  they  had  been  the  original  aggressors,  and  in  their  unjustifiable 
attempt  to  seize  by  force  our  property,  the  deceased  had  lost  their  lives ;  that 
he  was  willing  to  believe  the  attack  was  unpremeditated,  and  under  that  im- 
pression he  had  made  the  offer  of  compensation.  He  assured  them  that  he 
preferred  their  friendship  to  their  enmity;  but  that,  if  unfortunately  they  were 
not  actuated  by  the  same  feelings,  that  white  men  would  not,  however  deeply 
they  might  lament  it,  shrink  from  the  contest.  At  the  same  time  he  reminded 
them  of  our  superiority  in  arms  and  ammunition;  and  that  for  every  man  be- 
longing to  our  party  who  might  fall,  ten  of  their  friends  at  least  would  suffer,^ 
and  concluded  by  requesting  them  calmly  to  weigh  and  consider  all  these  mat- 
ters, and  to  bear  in  recollection  that  upon  the  result  of  their  deliberation  would 


so  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

in  a  great  measure  depend  whether  white  men  would  remain  in  their  country 
or  quit  it  forever. 

"The  interpreter  having  repeated  the  above,  a  violent  debate  took  place 
among  the  principal  natives.  One  party  advised  the  demand  for  the  two  white 
jnen  to  be  withdrawn,  and  to  ask  in  their  place  a  greater  quantity  of  goods  and 
ammunition ;  while  the  other,  which  was  by  far  the  mo,st  numerous,  and  to 
-which  all  the  relatives  of  the  deceased  belonged,  opposed  all  compromise,  unac- 
companied by  the  delivery  of  the  victims. 

"The  arguments  and  threats  of  the  latter  gradually  thinned  the  ranks  of 
the  more  moderate ;  and  Michel  told  Mr.  Keith  that  he  was  afraid  an  accom- 
modation was  impossible.  Orders  were  thereupon  issued  to  prepare  for  action, 
and  the  men  were  told,  when  they  received  from  Mr.  Keith  the  signal,  to  be 
■certain  that  each  shot  should  tell. 

"In  the  meantime  a  number  of  the  natives  had  withdrawn  some  distance 
from  the  scene  of  deliberation,  and  from  their  fierce  and  threatening  looks, 
joined  to  occasional  whispers,  we  momentarily  expected  they  would  commence 
an  attack. 

"A  few  of  their  speakers  still  lingered,  anxious  for  peace ;  but  their 
feeble  efiforts  were  unavailing  when  opposed  to  the  more  powerful  influence  of 
the  hostile  party,  who  repeatedly  called  on  them  to  retire,  and  allow  the  white 
man  to  proceed  on  their  journey  as  well  as  they  could.  All  but  two  chiefs  and 
an  elderly  man,  who  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  debate,  obeyed  the  call, 
and  they  remained  for  some  time  apparently  undecided  what  course  to  adopt. 

"From  this  group  our  eyes  glanced  to  an  extended  line  of  the  enemy  who 
-were  forming  behind  them ;  and  from  their  motions  it  became  evident  that  their 
intention  was  to  outflank  us.  We  therefore  changed  our  position,  and  formed 
our  men  into  single  files,  each  man  about  three  feet  from  his  comrade.  The 
friendly  natives  began  to  fall  back  slowly  towards  their  companions,  most  of 
whom  had  already  concealed  themselves  behind  large  stones,  tufts  of  wormwood 
and  furze  bushes,  from  which  they  could  have  taken  a  more  deadly  aim;  and 
Messrs.  Keith  and  Stewart,  who  had  now  abandoned  all  hopes  of  an  amicable 
termination,  called  for  their  arms. 

"An  awful  pause  ensued,  when  our  attention  was  arrested  by  the  loud 
tramping  of  horses,  and  immediately  after  twelve  mounted  warriors  dashed  into 
the  space  between  the  two  parties,  where  they  halted  and  dismounted.  They 
were  headed  by  a  young  chief,  of  fine  figure,  who  instantly  ran  up  to  Mr.  Keith, 
to  whom  he  presented  his  hand  in  the  most  friendly  manner,  which  example 
-was  followed  by  his  companions.  He  then  commanded  our  enemies  to  quit 
their  places  of  concealment,  and  to  appear  before  him.  His  orders  were 
promptly  obeyed;  and  having  made  himself  acquainted  with  the  circumstances 
that  led  to  the  deaths  of  the  two  Indians,  and  our  efforts  towards  affecting  a 
reconciliation,  he  addressed  them  in  a  speech  of  considerable  length,  of  which 
the  following  is  a  brief  sketch : 

"'Friends  and  relations!  Three  snows  only  have  passed  over  our  heads 
since  we  were  a  poor  miserable  people.  Our  enemies,  the  Shoshones,  during 
the  summer  stole  our  horses,  by  which  we  were  prevented  from  hunting,  and 
drove  us  from  the  banks  of  the  river,  so  that  we  could  not  get  fish.     In  winter 


HUMISHUMA,   OR    MORNING  DOV 
Her  deerskin   rol.c.  .liToratcl   with  heads,  elk   teeth 
one   thousand    dolla 


A   WOMAN   OF  THE   OKANOGAN   TRIBE 
1  grizzly-bear  claws,  is  worth  ovi 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  81 

they  burned  our  lodges  by  night;  they  killed  our  relations;  they  treated  our 
wives  and  daughters  like  dogs,  and  left  us  either  to  die  from  cold  or  starvation, 
or  become  their  slaves. 

"  'They  were  numerous  and  powerful ;  we  were  few,  and  weak.  Our 
hearts  were  as  the  hearts  of  little  children;  we  could  not  fight  like  warriors, 
and  were  driven  like  deer  about  the  plains.  When  the  thunders  rolled  and  the 
rains  poured,  we  had  no  spot  in  which  we  could  seek  shelter;  no  place,  save 
rocks,  whereon  we  could  lay  our  heads.  Is  such  the  case  today?  No,  my 
relations!  It  is  not.  We  have  driven  the  Shoshones  from  our  hunting- 
grounds,  on  which  they  dare  not  now  appear,  and  have  regained  possession  of 
the  lands  of  our  fathers,  in  which  they  and  their  fathers'  fathers  lie  buried.  We 
have  horses  and  provisions  in  abundance,  and  can  sleep  unmolested  with  our 
wives  and  our  children,  without  dreading  the  midnight  attacks  of  our  enemies. 
Our  hearts  are  great  within  us,  and  we  are  nozv  a  nation! 

"  'Who,  then,  my  friends,  have  produced  this  change  ?  The  white  men. 
In  exchange  for  our  horses  and  for  our  furs,  they  gave  us  guns  and  ammuni- 
tion; then  we  became  strong;  we  killed  many  of  our  enemies,  and  forced  them 
to  fly  from  our  lands.  And  are  we  to  treat  those  who  have  been  the  cause  of 
this  happy  change  with  ingratitude?  Never!  Never!  The  white  people  have 
never  robbed  us;  and,  why  should  we  attempt  to  rob  them?  It  was  bad,  very 
bad! — and  they  were  right  in  killing  the  robbers!'  Here  symptoms  of  im- 
patience and  dissatisfaction  became  manifest  among  a  group  consisting  chiefly 
of  the  relations  of  the  deceased ;  on  observing  which,  he  continued  in  a  loud 
tone:  'Yes!  I  say  they  acted  right  in  killing  the  robbers;  and  who  among  you 
will  dare  to  contradict  mef 

"  'You  all  know  well  my  father  was  killed  by  the  enemy,  when  you  all  de- 
serted him  like  cowards ;  and,  while  the  Great  Master  of  Life  spares  me,  no 
hostile  foot  shall  again  be  set  on  our  lands.  I  know  you  all ;  and  I  know  that 
those  who  are  afraid  of  their  bodies  in  battle  are  thieves  when  they  are  out 
of  it;  but  the  warrior  of  the  strong  arm  and  the  great  heart  will  never  rob  a 
friend.'  After  a  short  pause,  he  resumed :  'My  friends,  the  white  men  are 
brave  and  belong  to  a  great  nation.  They  are  many  moons  crossing  the  great 
lake  in  coming  from  their  own  country  to  serve  us.  If  you  were  foolish  enough 
to  attack  them,  they  would  kill  a  great  many  of  you ;  but  suppose  you  should 
succeed  in  destroying  all  that  are  now  present,  what  would  be  the  consequence? 
A  greater  number  would  come  next  year  to  revenge  the  death  of  their  relations, 
and  they  would  annihilate  our  tribe ;  or  should  not  that  happen,  their  friends  at 
home,  on  hearing  of  their  deaths,  would  say  we  were  a  bad  and  wicked  people, 
and  men  would  never  more  come  among  us.  We  should  then  be  reduced  to 
our  former  state  of  misery  and  persecution;  our  ammunition  would  be  quickly 
expended ;  our  guns  would  become  useless,  and  we  should  again  be  driven  from 
our  lands,  and  the  lands  of  our  fathers,  to  wander  like  deer  and  wolves  in  the 
midst  of  our  woods  and  plains.  I  therefore  say  the  white  men  must  not  be 
injured!  They  have  oiYered  you  compensation  for  the  loss  of  your  friends; 
take  it;, but,  if  you  should  refuse,  I  tell  you  to  your  faces  that  I  will  join  them 
with  my  own  band  of  warriors;  and  should  one  white  man  fall  by  the  arrow 
of  an  Indian,  that  Indian,  if  he  were  mv  brother,  with  all  his  family,  shall  be- 

(6) 


82  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

come  victims  to  my  vengeance.'  Then  raising  his  voice,  he  called  out,  'Let  the 
Wallah  Wallahs,  and  all  who  love  me,  and  are  fond  of  the  white  men,  come 
forth  and  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace !'  Upwards  of  one  hundred  of  our  late  adver- 
saries obeyed  the  call,  and  separated  themselves  from  their  allies.  The 
harangue  of  the  youthful  chieftain  silenced  all  opposition.  The  above  is  but  a 
faint  outline  of  the  arguments  he  made  use  of,  for  he  spoke  upwards  of  two 
hours;  and  Michel  confessed  himself  unable  to  translate  a  great  portion  of 
his  language,  particularly  when  he  soared  into  the  wild  flights  of  metaphor,  so 
common  among  Indians.  His  delivery  was  generally  bold,  graceful  and  ener- 
getic. Our  admiration  at  the  time  knew  no  bounds ;  and  the  orators  of  Greece 
or  Rome  when  compared  with  him,  dwindled  in  our  estimation  into  insignifi- 
cance. 

CLAIMANTS    SATISFIED:    SCALP    SAVED 

"Through  this  chief's  mediation,  the  various  claimants  were  in  a  short  time 
fully  satisfied,  without  the  flaming  scalp  of  our  Highland  hero ;  after  which  a 
circle  was  formed  by  our  people  and  the  Indians  indiscrimately :  the  white  and 
red  chiefs  occupied  the  center,  and  our  return  to  friendship  was  ratified  by  each 
individual  in  rotation  taking  an  amicable  whiff  from  the  peace-cementing  calu- 
met. 

"The  chieftain  whose  timely  arrival  had  saved  us  from  impending  destruc- 
tion was  called  'Morning  Star.'  His  age  did  not  exceed  twenty-five  years.  His 
father  had  been  a  chief  of  great  bravery  and  influence,  and  had  been  killed  in 
battle  by  the  Shoshones  a  few  years  before.  He  was  succeeded  by  Morning 
Star,  who,  notwithstanding  his  youth,  had  performed  prodigies  of  valor.  Nine- 
teen scalps  decorated  the  neck  of  his  war  horse,  the  owners  of  which  had  been 
all  killed  in  battle  by  himself  to  appease  the  spirit  of  his  deceased  father.  He 
wished  to  increase  the  number  of  his  victims  to  twenty;  but  the  terror  inspired 
by  his  name,  joined  to  the  superiority  which  his  tribe  derived  by  the  use  of  fire- 
arms, prevented  him  from  making  up  the  desired  complement  by  banishing  the 
enemy  from  the  banks  of  the  Columbia. 

"His  handsome  features,  eagle  glance,  noble  bearing,  and  majestic  person, 
stamped  him  one  of  nature's  own  aristocracy ;  while  his  bravery  in  the  field, 
joined  to  his  wisdom  in  their  councils,  commanded  alike  the  involuntarj-  homage 
of  the  young,  and  the  respect  of  the  old. 

"We  gave  the  man  who  had  been  wounded  in  the  shoulder  a  chief's  coat ; 
and  to  the  relations  of  the  men  who  were  killed  we  gave  two  coats,  two  blan- 
kets, two  fathoms  of  cloth,  two  spears,  forty  bullets  and  powder,  with  a  quan- 
tity of  trinkets,  and  two  small  kettles  for  their  widows.  We  also  distributed 
nearly  half  a  bale  of  tobacco  among  all  present,  and  our  youthful  deliverer  was 
presented  by  Mr.  Keith  with  a  handsome  fowling  piece,  and  some  other  valuable 
articles. 

"Four  men  were  then  ordered  to  each  canoe,  and  they  proceeded  on  with 
the  poles;  while  the  remainder,  with  the  passengers,  followed  by  land.  We 
were  mixed  pell-mell  with  the  natives  for  several  miles ;  the  ground  was  covered 
with  large  stones,  small  willows,  and  prickly-pears;  and  had  they  been  inclined 
to  break  the  solemn  compact  into  which  they  had  entered,  they  could  have 
destroyed  us  with  the  utmost  facility. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  83 

"At  dusk  we  bade  farewell  to  the  friendly  chieftain  and  his  companions, 
and  crossed  to  the  south  side,  where  we  encamped,  a  few  miles  above  Lewis 
River,  and  spent  the  night  in  tranquillity. 

"It  may  be  imagined  by  some  that  the  part  we  acted  in  the  foregoing 
transaction  betrayed  too  great  an  anxiety  for  self-preservation ;  but  when  it  is 
recollected  that  we  were  several  hundred  miles  from  any  assistance,  with  a  deep 
and  rapid  river  to  ascend  by  the  tedious  and  laborious  process  of  poling,  and 
that  the  desultory  Cossack  mode  of  fighting  in  use  among  the  Indians,  par- 
ticularly the  horsemen,  would  have  cut  us  ofif  piecemeal  ere  we  had  advanced 
three  days,  it  will  be  seen  that,  under  the  circumstances,  we  could  not  have 
acted  otherwise." 

And  now  we  must  turn  to  another  phase  of  Indian  life  and  character  which 
is  most  worthy  of  record,  and  one  in  which  more  than  anywhere  else  they  show 
some  of  those  "touches  of  nature  which  make  the  whole  world  kin."  This  is 
that  phase  exhibited  in  myths  and  superstitions.  Here  we  shall  find,  as  almost 
nowhere  else,  that  Indians  are,  after  all,  very  much  like  other  people.  In  this 
portion  of  this  chapter  the  author  is  incorporating  portions  of  articles  written 
by  himself  for  the  "American  Antiquarian." 

INDIAN    MYTHOLOGY 

Like  all  primitive  men,  the  Oregon  Indians  have  an  extensive  mythology. 
With  childlike  interest  in  the  stars  and  moon  and  sun  and  fire  and  water  and 
forests,  as  well  as  plants  and  animal  life  and  their  own  natures,  they  have 
sought  out  and  passed  on  a  wealth  of  legend  and  fancy  which  in  its  best  features 
is  worthy  of  a  place  with  the  exquisite  creations  of  Norse  and  Hellenic  fancy, 
even  with  much  of  the  crude  and  grotesque.  Yet  it  is  not  easy  to  secure  these 
legends  just  as  the  Indians  tell  them.  In  the  first  place  few  of  the  early  ex- 
plorers knew  how  or  cared  to  draw  out  the  ideas  of  the  first  uncontaminated 
Indians.  The  early  settlers  generally  had  a  stupid  tolerance  in  dealing  with 
Indians  that  made  them  withhold  all  expression  of  their  own  ideas.  Later  the 
missionaries  generally  inclined  to  give  them  the  impression  that  their  "heathen" 
legends  and  ideas  were  obstacles  to  their  "salvation,"  and  .should  be  extirpated 
from  their  minds.  Still  further  the  few  that  did  really  get  upon  a  sympathetic 
footing  with  them  and  draw  out  some  of  their  myths,  were  likely  to  get  them  in 
fragments  and  piece  them  out  with  Bible  stories  or  other  civilized  conceptions, 
and  thus  the  native  stories  have  become  adulterated.  It  is  difficult  to  get  the 
Indians  to  talk  freely,  even  with  those  whom  they  like  and  trust.  Educated 
Indians  seem  to  be  ashamed  of  their  native  lore,  and  will  generally  avoid  talk- 
ing about  it  with  whites  at  all,  unless  under  exceptional  conditions.  Christian- 
ized Indians  seem  to  consider  the  repetition  of  their  old  myths  a  relapse  into 
heathenism,  and  hence  will  parry  efforts  to  draw  them  out.  In  general,  even 
when  civilized,  Indians  are  proud,  reserved,  suspicious,  and  on  their  guard. 
And  with  the  primal  Indians  few  can  make  much  headway.  The  investigator 
must  start  in  indirectly,  not  manifesting  any  eagerness,  and  simply  suggest  as  if 
by  accident  some  peculiar  appearance  or  incident  in  sky  or  trees  or  water,  and 
let  the  Indian  move  on  in  his  own  way  to  empty  his  own  mind,  never  suspecting 


84  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

any  effort  by  his  listener  to  gather  up  and  tell  again  his  story.  And  even  under 
the  most  favoring  conditions,  one  may  think  he  is  getting  along  famously,  when 
suddenly  the  Indian  will  pause,  glance  furtively  at  the  listener,  give  a  moody 
chuckle,  relapse  into  stony  and  apathetic  silence — that  is  the  end  of  the  tale. 

Our  stories  have  been  derived  mainly  from  the  reports  of  those  who  have 
lived  much  among  the  Indians,  and  who  have  been  able  to  embrace  the  rare 
occasions  when,  without  self-consciousness  or  even  much  thought  of  outsiders, 
the  natives  could  speak  out  freely.  There  is  usually  no  very  close  way  of  judg- 
ing of  the  accuracy  of  observation  or  correctness  of  report  of  these  investiga- 
tors, except  as  their  statements  are  corroborated  by  others.  These  stories 
sometimes  conflict,  different  tribes  having  quite  different  versions  of  certain 
stories.  Then  again  the  Indians  have  a  peculiar  habit  of  "continued  stories," 
by  which  at  the  teepee  fire  one  will  take  up  some  well  known  tale  and  add  to  it 
and  so  make  a  new  story  of  it,  or  at  least  a  new  conclusion.  As  with  the  min- 
strels and  minnesingers  of  feudal  Europe  at  the  tournaments,  the  best  fellow 
is  the  one  who  tells  the  most  thrilling  tale. 

INDIAN     NAMES 

One  confusing  condition  that  often  springs  up  with  Indian  names  and  stor- 
ies is  that  some  Indians  use  a  word  generically  and  others  use  the  same  word 
specifically.  For  instance,  the  native  name  for  Mount  Adams,  commonly  given 
as  "Pahtou,"  and  Mount  Rainier  or  Tacoma,  better  spelled  "Takhoma,"  as 
sounded  by  the  Indians,  really  means  any  high  mountain.  A  Wasco  Indian  once 
told  the  author  that  his  tribe  called  Mount  Hood,  "Pahtou,"  meaning  the  big 
mountain,  but  that  the  Indians  on  the  other  side  of  the  Columbia  River  applied 
the  same  name  to  Adams.  A  very  intelligent  Puyallup  Indian  says  that  the 
name  of  the  "Great  White  Mountain"  was  "Takhoma,"  with  accent  and  pro- 
longed sound  on  the  second  syllable,  but  that  any  snow  peak  was  the  same,  w^ith 
the  second  syllable  not  so  prolonged,  according  to  height  or  distance  of  the  peak. 
Mount  St.  Helens  was  also  "Takhoma,"  but  with  the  "ho"  not  so  prolonged. 
But  among -some  other  Indians  we  find  Mount  St.  Helens  known  as  "Lawaila- 
clough,"  and  with  some  Mount  Hood  is  known  as  "Yetsl."  Still  other  names  are 
"Loowit"  for  St.  Helens  and  "Wiyeast"  for  Hood.  Adams  seems  to  be  known 
to  some  as  "Klickitat."  "Koolshan"  for  Baker,  meaning  the  "Great  White 
Watcher,"  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  Indian  names  and  should  be  pre- 
served. There  is  "Shuksan"  or  "The  place  of  the  Storm  Wind,"  the  only  one 
of  the  Northwestern  peaks  which  has  preserved  its  Indian  name.  In  reference 
to  "Takhoma,"  a  Puyallup  woman  told  the  writer  that  among  her  people  the 
name  meant  the  "Breast  that  Feeds,"  or  "the  Breast  of  the  Milk  White  Waters," 
referring  to  the  glaciers  or  the  white  streams  that  issue  from  them.  On  the 
other  hand,  Winthrop  in  "Canoe  and  Saddle,"  states  that  the  Indians  applied 
the  name  "Takhoma"  to  any  high  snow  peak.  Mr.  Edwin  Eells  of  Tacoma  has 
written  that  he  derived  from  Rev.  Father  Hylebos  of  the  same  city  the  state- 
ment that  the  name  "Takhoma"  was  compounded  of  "Tah"  and  "Koma,"  and 
that  among  certain  Indians  the  word  "Koma"  meant  and  snow  peak,  while 
"Tah"  is  a  superlative.     Hence,  "Tahkoma"  means  simply  "the  great  peak." 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  85 

We  find  something  of  the  same  inconsistencies  in  regard  to  the  Indian 
names  of  rivers.  Our  maps  abound  with  supposed  Indian  names  of  rivers  and 
yet  an  educated  Nez  Perce  Indian  named  Luke,  living  at  Kamiah,  Idaho,  told 
the  author  that  the  Indians,  at  least  of  that  region,  had  no  names  of  rivers,  but 
only  of  localities.  He  said  that  "Kooskooskie,"  which  Lewis  and  Clark  under- 
stood to  be  the  name  of  what  we  now  call  the  Clearwater,  was  in  reality  a  repe- 
tition of  "Koos,"  their  word  for  water,  and  they  meant  merely  to  say  that  it  waa 
a  strong  water.  On  the  other  hand  we  find  many  students  of  Indian  languages 
who  have  understood  that  there  were  names  for  the  large  rivers,  even  for  the 
Columbia.  In  the  beautiful  little  book  by  B.  H.  Barrows,  published  and  distrib- 
uted by  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  we  find  the  name  "Shocatilicum," 
or  "Friendly  Water,"  given  as  the  Chinook  name  for  the  Columbia.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  notice  that  this  same  word  for  "friendly  water"  appears  in  Vol.  II, 
of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Journal,  but  with  different  spelling,  in  one  place  being 
"Shocatilcum,"  and  in  another  place  "Chockalilum."  Rev.  Father  Blanchet  is 
authority  for  the  statement  in  "Historical  Magazine,"  11,  335,  that  the  Chinook 
Indians  used  the  name  "Yakaitl  Wimakl"  for  the  Lower  Columbia.  A  Yakima 
Indian  called  William  Charley  gives  "Chewanna"  as  still  another  Indian  name 
for  the  Columbia. 

To  Yakima  readers  the  native  local  names  have  a  special  interest.  Most 
prominent  of  all  is  Yakima.  As  in  many  other  cases  this  sonorous  word  is 
variously  defined.  It  is  said  by  some  to  mean  "Great  succotash  garden,"  by 
others  to  mean  "robbers,"  though  that  last  meaning  is  by  still  others  applied  to 
Klickitat.  Chief  Stwires  tells  us  that  no  one  of  the  words  Yakima,  Klickitat, 
and  Kittitas  has  any  special  meaning,  but  simply  are  names  of  the  tribes.  Frank 
Olney,  of  Toppenish,  says  that  Yakima  (which  he  gives  as  Yakeema)  is  a 
Spokane  word,  comparatively  recent  and  that  Tapteal  or  Tapteet  is  the  real 
native  name.  The  entire  word  from  the  Spokanes  is  Neeneeyakeema,  and  its 
meaning  is  in  substance,  "we  meet  and  part,"  or  "neutrality."  The  phrase  came 
into  existence  as  a  result  of  a  meeting  between  Spokanes  and  Yakimas  at  L^nion 
Gap.  The  Indians  were  using  the  phrase  when  the  whites  came  and  the  latter 
finding  it  inconveniently  long  abbreviated  it.  Klickitat  is  defined  by  some  as 
meaning  "a  cove  of  salmon,"  others  say  "runners,"  others  say  that  it  is  an  imi- 
tation of  a  horse  galloping,  while  still  others  have  it  meaning  "robbers."  Tc 
quote  Frank  Olney  again,  the  word  is  a  Cascade  word,  more  nearly  sounded  as 
Tsuckitat.  Kittitas  is  said  by  Mr.  Olney  to  signify  a  "bench  of  land,"  but  its- 
true  sound  is  Klikitass,  with  a  guttural  difficult  for  white  lips.  The  Klick 
means  ground  and  tass  is  simply  euphonic.  In  the  "History  of  Central  Wash- 
ington," page  323,  Charles  Splawn  is  quoted  as  saying  that  Kittitas  comes  from 
Kittit,  "white  chalk,"  and  "tash,"  place  of  existence.  He  says  that  there  is  at 
the  Manastash  ford  below  Ellensburg  a  deposit  of  white  chalk  where  the 
Indians  painted  themselves. 

We  derive  from  Frank  Olney  and  from  his  brother  William,  who  lives  near 
White  Swan,  meanings  of  several  additional  names.  Simcoe,  better  sounded  as 
"Tsimquee,"  signifies  "Alountain  of  the  pass,"  from  "tsim,"  stationary,  and 
quee,  hollow.     Toppenish  means  a   road  or  a   stream   coming  down    from    the 


86  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

mountain.  The  high-sounding  word  Pahotecute  (which  Yakima  people  ought 
to  preserve  instead  of  Union  Gap)  signifies  "putting  two  heads  together,"  as 
the  two  mountains  meeting  and  forming  the  Gap.  Good  authorities  tell  us  that 
Pahquytikoot  would  be  more  correct.  Naches,  which  is  better  spelled,  Mr. 
Olney  says,  Nachtchis,  equals  "one  water."  Cowiche,  more  nearly  expressed 
by  Tquizmtass  (beyond  a  white  man's  mouth)  means  a  "foot-log  crossing." 
Wenas  is  the  equivalent  of  a  "coming  in"  or  tributary,  or,  some  say,  a  place 
for  traveling.  Mr.  David  Longmire  tells  the  writer  that  the  Indians  say  that 
Selah  means  "a  still  place."  This  might  refer  to  the  beautiful  strip  of  placid 
water  just  below  Selah  Gap.  It  seems  to  be  a  mooted  question  as  to  the  origin 
of  the  word  Naches.  Some  old  timers  believe  that  the  word  comes  from  the  city 
on  the  Mississippi,  and  some  have  believed  that  this  indicates  that  there  was  a 
movement  to  and  fro  across  the  continent  by  Indians  prior  to  white  discovery. 
It  is,  in  fact,  well  known  from  Le  Page's  "Histoire  de  Louisiane"  that  a  Yazoo 
Indian,  Montcachabe  or  Moncacht  Ape,  crossed  the  continent  early  in  the 
Eighteenth  Century,  making  a  three-year  journey  from  tribe  to  tribe,  reaching 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  fine  story  of  the  journeys  of  this  Yazoo  Columbus  is 
found  in  all  the  standard  histories.  It  would  be  indeed  an  interesting  fact,  if  it 
could  be  substantiated,  that  the  life-giving  stream  from  which  Yakima  draws 
so  much  of  its  water  supply  derived  its  name  through  some  Indian  adventurer 
from  the  Mississippi,  "Father  of  Waters."  But  in  view  of  the  foregoing  state- 
ments of  Mr.  Olney  it  seems  to  the  author  certain  that  the  word  came  from  the 
native  local  tongue,  and  has  been  twisted  into  a  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
Mississippi  town. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  as  to  the  origin  of  the  names  of  the  two 
fine  young  cities  on  the  Columbia,  Kennewick  and  Pasco.  Kennewick  has  been 
said  to  be  of  Indian  origin,  meaning,  some  say,  a  "winter  paradise."  In  a  valu- 
able paper  by  Mrs.  W.  T.  Mann,  of  which  a  part  appears  in  this  volume,  the 
reader  will  find  the  statement  that  the  name  was  first  used  by  Mr.  Houser,  an 
engineer,  in  1883,  and  that  it  meant  a  "grassy  place."  But  in  the  fine  contribu- 
tion to  our  chapter  of  Reminiscences  by  Mrs.  Daisy  Beach  Emigh,  the  name  is 
said  to  have  been  intended  to  be  CKenoweth,  from  an  early  fur-trader,  but  the 
Indians  could  not  get  the  proper  sound,  and  "Kennewick"  resulted.  Rather 
curiously  there  is  a  "Konnewock"  just  below  L'nion  Gap.  We  will  all  agree 
that  it  is  a  "pretty  word,"  whatever  the  origin.  Frank  Olney  says  that  a  word 
very  similar  in  sound  was  used  by  the  lower  Yakima  Indians  to  apply  to  "dried 
acorns."  When  they  would  make  summer  hunting  trips  up  the  river  to  the 
mountains  they  were  fond  of  getting  acorns  from  the  belt  of  oaks  that  run 
through  Simcoe  and  Tampico,  and  would  take  them  home  dried  for  winter  use. 
Pasco  has  had  many  supposed  origins.  It  has  been  stated  that  the  first 
N.  P.  R.  R.  engineers  gave  the  name  from  a  town  in  South  America  meaning 
sandy.  Some  assert  that  the  name  of  Senator  Pascoe  of  Florida  was  the  true 
source.  There  is  a  creek  in  the  Satus  region  known  as  Pasco  or  Pisco.  There 
is  the  name  Paska  or  Pashki,  or  Paskau ;  used  by  the  Indians  to  apply  to  the 
Mill  Creek  flats  just  above  Walla  Walla  city,  signifying  "Sunflower."     Frank 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  87 

Olney  says  that  the  Yakima  Indians  have  the  word  "Pashaka,"  meaning  "dry 
fodder." 

INDIAN    MYTHS 

We  have  many  supposed  Indian  names  for  God,  as  "Nekahni,"  or 
"SahaUe,"  but  Miss  Kate  McBeth,  long  a  missionary  among  the  Nez  Perces, 
records  in  her  book  about  them  that  those  Indians  had  no  native  name  for  the 
deity.  Indian  myths  often  deal  with  the  chief  God  as  "Nekahni,"  "Sahalie," 
"Dokidatl,"  "Snoqualm,"  or  "Skomalt,"  while  others  have  to  do  with  the  lesser 
grade  of  the  supernatural  beings,  as  the  Coyote  god,  variously  named  "Talla- 
pus,"  "Speelyi,"  or  "Sinchaleep."  Others  may  treat  of  "Skallalatoots"  (Fair- 
ies), "Toomuck"  (Devils),  or  the  various  forms  of  "Tomanowas"  (magic).  A 
large  number  of  these  myths  describe  the  supposed  origin  of  strange  features 
of  the  natural  world,  rocks,  lakes,  whirlpools,  winds  and  waterfalls.  Some  de- 
scribe the  "animal  people,"  "Watetash,"  as  the  Klickitats  call  them.  Some  of 
the  best  are  fire-myths.  These  myths  seem  to  have  been  common  among  all 
Indians  of  the  Columbia  Valley. 

Among  the  native  myths  of  the  Yakimas  and  their  neighbors  we  find  two 
stories  of  a  very  different  nature  which  we  derive  from  a  thorough  investi- 
gator. Dr.  G.  B.  Kuykendall,  of  Pomeroy,  Washington,  for  several  years  physi- 
cian at  Fort  Simcoe.  This  is  one :  There  is  a  legend  among  the  Yakima  Indians 
which  seems  to  have  the  same  root  in  human  nature  as  the  beautiful  Greek  myth 
of  Orpheus  and  Eurjdice,  showing  the  instinctive  desire  of  people  on  earth 
to  bring  back  the  spirits  of  the  dead  and  the  impossibility  of  doing  so.  This 
myth  sets  forth  how  Speelyi  and  Whyama  the  eagle  became  at  one  time  so 
grieved  at  the  loss  of  their  loved  ones  that  they  determined  to  go  to  the  land  of 
the  spirits  and  bring  them  back.  The  two  adventurers  journeyed  for  a  long 
distance  over  an  unbroken  plain,  and  came  at  last  to  a  great  lake,  on  the  farther 
side  of  which  they  saw  many  houses.  They  called  long  and  vainly  for  some 
one  to  come  with  a  boat  and  ferry  them  over.  But  there  was  no  sign  of  life 
and  at  last  Whyama  said  that  there  could  be  no  one  there.  Speelyi  insisted, 
however,  that  the  people  were  simply  sleeping  the  sleep  of  the  day  and  would 
come  forth  at  night.  Accordingly,  when  the  sun  went  down  and  darkness  began 
to  come  on,  Speelyi  started  to  sing.  In  a  few  minutes  they  saw  four  spirit 
men  come  to  the  bank,  enter  a  boat  and  cross  the  lake  to  meet  them.  It  seemed 
not  necessary  for  them  to  row  the  boat,  for  apparently  it  skimmed  over  the 
water  of  its  own  accord.  The  spirit  men  having  landed  took  Whyama  and 
Speelyi  with  them  in  the  boat  and  began  their  return  to  the  island  of  the  dead. 
The  island  seemed  to  be  a  very  sacred  place.  There  was  a  house  of  mats  upon 
the  shore,  where  music  and  dancing  were  in  progress.  Speelyi  and  Whyama 
begged  leave  to  enter,  and  feeling  hungry,  they  asked  for  food.  The  spirit  land 
was  so  much  less  gross  than  the  earth  that  they  were  satisfied  by  what  was 
dipped  with  a  feather  out  of  a  bottle.  The  spirit  people  now  came  to  meet  them 
dressed  in  most  beautiful  costumes,  and  so  filled  with  joy  that  Whyama  felt  a 
great  desire  to  share  their  happiness.  By  the  time  of  the  morning  light,  how- 
ever, the  festivities  ceased  and  all  the  spirit  people  became  wrapped  in  slumber 
for  the  day.     Speelyi,  observing  that  the  moon  was  hung  up  inside  the  great 


88  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

banquet  hall  and  seemed  to  be  essential  to  the  ongoings  of  the  evening,  sta- 
tioned himself  in  such  a  place  that  he  could  seize  it  during  the  next  night's- 
meeting.  As  soon  as  night  came  on  the  spirits  gathered  again  for  the  music 
and  dance.  While  festivities  were  in  progress  as  usual,  Speelyi  suddenly  sw^al- 
lowed  the  moon,  leaving  the  entire  place  in  darkness.  Then  he  and  Whyama 
brought  in  a  box,  which  they  had  previously  provided,  and  Whyama,  flying 
swiftly  about  the  room,  caught  a  number  of  the  spirits  and  enclosed  them  in  the 
box.  Then  the  two  proceeded  to  start  for  the  earth,  Speelyi  carrying  the  box 
upon  his  back. 

As  the  two  adventurers  went  upon  their  journey  toward  the  earth  with 
the  precious  box,  the  spirits,  which  at  first  were  entirely  imponderable,  begaa 
to  be  transformed  into  men  and  to  have  weight.  Soon  they  began  to  cry  out 
on  account  of  their  crowded  and  uncomfortable  position.  Then  they  became 
so  heavy  that  Speeyli  could  no  longer  carry  them.  In  spite  of  the  remonstrance 
of  Whyama,  he  opened  the  box.  They  were  astonished  and  overwhelmed  with, 
grief  to  see  the  partially  transformed  spirits  flit  away  like  autumn  leaves  and 
disappear  in  the  direction  from  which  they  had  come.  Whyama  thought  that 
perhaps  even  as  the  buds  grew  in  the  spring,  so  the  dead  would  come  back  with. 
the  blooming  of  the  next  flowers.  But  Speelyi  deemed  it  best  after  this  that  the 
dead  should  remain  in  the  land  of  the  dead.  Had  it  not  been  for  this,  as  the 
Indians  think,  the  dead  would  indeed  return  every  spring  with  the  opening  of 
the  leaves. 

The  Ivlickitat  Indians,  living  along  The  Dalles  of  the  Columbia  have  an- 
other legend  of  the  land  of  spirits.  There  was  a  young  chief  and  a  girl  who- 
were  devoted  to  each  other  and  seemed  to  be  the  happiest  people  in  the  tribe,, 
but  suddenly  he  sickened  and  died.  The  girl  mourned  for  him  almost  to  the 
point  of  death,  and  he,  having  reached  the  land  of  spirits,  could  find  no  happi- 
ness there  on  account  of  thinking  of  her. 

And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  a  vision  began  to  appear  to  the  girl  by  night,, 
telling  her  that  she  must  herself  go  into  the  land  of  the  spirits  in  order  to  con- 
sole her  lover.  Now  there  is  near  that  place  one  of  the  most  weird  and 
funereal  of  all  the  various  "memaloose"  islands,  or  death  islands,  of  the  Colum- 
bia. The  writer  himself  has  been  upon  this  island  and  its  spectral  volcanic  deso- 
lation makes  it  a  fitting  location  for  ghostly  tales.  It  lies  just  below  the  Grand! 
Dalles  or  "great  chute,"  and  even  yet  has  many  skeletons  upon  it.  In  accord- 
ance with  the  direction  of  the  vision,  the  girl's  father  made  ready  a  canoe,  placed 
her  in  it,  and  rowed  out  into  the  great  river  by  night  to  the  memaloose  island. 
As  the  father  and  his  child  rowed  across  the  dark  and  forbidding  waters,  they 
began  to  hear  the  sound  of  singing  and  dancing  and  great  joy.  Upon  the 
shore  of  the  island  they  were  met  by  four  spirit  people,  who  took  the  girl  but 
bade  the  father  return,  as  it  was  not  for  him  to  see  into  the  spirit  country.  Ac- 
cordingly the  girl  was  conducted  to  the  great  dance  house  of  the  spirits,  and 
there  she  met  her  lover,  far  stronger  and  more  beautiful  than  when  upon  earth. 
That  night  they  spent  in  unspeakable  bliss,  but  when  the  light  began  to  break  in- 
the  east  and  the  song  of  the  robins  began  to  be  heard  from  the  willows  of  the 
shore,  the  singers  and  dancers  began  to  fall  asleep. 

The  girl,  too,  had  gone  to  sleep,  but  not  soundly  like  the  spirits.     Whert 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  89 

the  sun  had  reached  the  meridian,  she  woke,  and  now,  to  her  horror,  she  saw 
that  instead  of  being  in  the  midst  of  beautiful  spirits,  she  was  surrounded  by 
hideous  skeletons  and  loathsome,  decaying  bodies.  Around  her  waist  were  the 
bony  arms  and  skeleton  fingers  of  her  lover,  and  his  grinning  teeth  and  gaping 
eye-sockets  seemed  to  be  turned  in  mockery  upon  her.  Screaming  with  horor 
she  leaped  up  and  ran  to  the  edge  of  the  island,  where,  after  hunting  a  long 
time,  she  found  a  boat,  in  which  she  crossed  to  the  Indian  village.  Having  pre- 
sented herself  to  her  astonished  parents,  they  became  fearful  that  some  great 
calamity  would  visit  the  tribe  on  account  of  her  return,  and  accordingly  her 
father  took  her  the  next  night  back  to  the  memaloose  island  as  before.  There 
she  met  again  the  happy  spirits  of  the  blessed  and  there  again  her  lover  and  she 
spent  another  night  in  ecstatic  bliss. 

In  the  course  of  time  a  child  was  born  to  the  girl,  beautiful  beyond  descrip- 
tion, being  half  spirit  and  half  human.  The  spirit  bridegroom,  being  anxious 
that  his  mother  should  see  the  child,  sent  a  spirit  messenger  to  the  village,  de- 
siring his  mother  to  come  by  night  to  the  memaloose  island  to  visit  them.  She 
was  told,  however,  that  she  must  not  look  at  the  child  until  ten  days  had  passed. 
But  after  the  old  woman  had  reached  the  island  her  desire  to  see  the  beautiful 
child  was  so  intense  that  she  took  advantage  of  a  moment's  inattention  on  the 
part  of  the  guard,  and,  lifting  the  cloth  from  the  baby  board,  she  stole  a  look 
at  the  sleeping  infant.  And  then,  dreadful  to  relate,  the  baby  died  in  conse- 
quence of  this  premature  human  look.  Grieved  and  displeased  by  this  foolish 
act,  the  spirit  people  decreed  that  the  dead  should  never  again  return  nor  hold 
any  communication  with  the  living. 

As  showing  still  another  phase  of  Indian  imagination,  the  stories  of  the 
"Tomanowas  Bridge"  of  the  Cascades  may  well  find  a  place  here. 

This  myth  not  only  treats  of  fire,  but  it  also  endeavors  to  account  for  the 
peculiar  formation  of  the  river  and  for  the  great  snow  peaks  in  the  near 
vicinity.  This  myth  has  various  forms,  and  in  order  that  it  may  be  the  better 
understood,  we  shall  say  a  word  with  respect  to  the  peculiar  physical  features 
in  that  part  of  the  Columbia.  This  mighty  river,  after  having  traversed  over  a 
thousand  miles  from  its  source,  in  the  heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  of  Canada, 
has  cleft  the  Cascade  Range  asunder  with  a  canyon  three  thousand  feet  in  depth. 
While  generally  swift,  that  portion  of  the  river  between  The  Dalles  and  the 
Cascades,  of  about  fifty  miles,  is  very  deep  and  sluggish.  There  are  moreover 
sunken  forests  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  visible  at  low  water,  which  seem  plainly 
to  indicate  that  at  that  point  the  river  was  dammed  up  by  some  great  rock  slide 
or  volcanic  convulsion.  Some  of  the  Indians  affirm  that  their  grandfathers 
have  told  them  that  there  was  a  time  when  the  river  at  that  point  passed  under 
an  immense  natural  bridge  and  that  there  were  no  obstructions  to  the  passage 
of  boats  under  the  bridge.  At  the  present  time  there  is  a  cascade  of  thirty  feet 
at  that  point.  This  is  now  overcome  by  government  locks.  Among  other 
evidences  of  some  such  actual  occurrence  as  the  Indians  relate  is  the  fact  that 
the  banks  of  the  river  at  that  point  are  gradually  sliding  into  the  river.  The 
prodigious  volume  of  the  Columbia,  which  here  rises  fifty  to  seventy-five  feet  dur- 
ing the  summer  flood,  and  which,  as  shown  by  government  engineers,  carries 
nearly  as  much  water  as  the  Mississippi  at  New  Orleans,  is  here  continually  eating 


90  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

into  the  banks.  The  railroad  has  shd  several  inches  a  year  at  this  point  toward 
the  river  and  requires  frequent  readjustment.  It  is  obvious  at  a  slight  inspec- 
tion that  this  weird  and  sublime  point  in  the  course  of  this  majestic  river  has 
been  the  scene  of  terrific  volcanic  and  probably  seismic  action.  One  Indian 
legend,  probably  the  best  known  of  all  their  stories,  is  to  the  effect  that  the 
downfall  of  the  great  bridge  and  consequent  damming  of  the  river  was  due 
to  a  great  battle  between  Mount  Hood  and  Mount  Adams,  in  which  Mount 
Hood  hurled  a  great  rock  at  his  antagonist,  but  falling  short  of  the  mark,  the 
rock  demolished  the  bridge  instead.  This  event  has  been  made  use  of  by 
Frederick  Balch  in  his  beautiful  story,  "The  Bridge  of  the  Gods,"  the  finest 
5tory  yet  produced  in  Oregon. 

But  the  finer,  though  less  known  legend,  which  unites  both  the  physical  con- 
formation of  the  Cascades  and  the  three  great  snow  mountains  of  Hood,  Adams, 
and  St.  Helens,  with  the  origin  of  fire,  is  to  this  eifect.  This  story  was  secured 
by  Mr.  Fred  Saylor  of  Portland. 

According  to  the  Klickitats,  there  was  once  a  father  and  two  sons  who 
came  from  the  East  down  the  Columbia  to  the  vicinity  of  where  Dalles  City 
is  now  located,  and  there  the  two  sons  quarreled  as  to  who  should  possess  the 
land.  The  father,  to  settle  the  dispute,  shot  two  arrows,  one  to  the  north  and 
one  to  the  west.  He  told  one  son  to  find  the  arrow  to  the  north  and 
the  other  the  one  at  the  west,  and  there  to  settle  and  bring  up  their  families. 
The  first  son,  going  northward,  over  what  was  then  a  beautiful  plain,  became 
the  progenitor  of  the  Klickitat  tribe,  while  the  other  son  was  the  founder  of  the 
great  Multnomah  nation  of  the  Willamette  Valley.  To  separate  the  two  tribes 
more  efifectively  Sahale  reared  the  chain  of  the  Cascades,  though  without  any 
great  peaks,  and  for  a  long  time  all  things  went  in  harmony.  But,  for  conven- 
ience sake,  Sahale  had  created  the  great  Tomanowas  Bridge,  under  which  the 
waters  of  the  Columbia  flowed,  and  on  this  bridge  he  had  stationed  a  witch 
woman  called  Loowit.  who  was  to  take  charge  of  the  fire.  This  was  the  only 
fire  in  the  world.  As  time  passed  on  Loowit  observed  the  deplorable  condition 
of  the  Indians,  and  besought  Sahale  that  she  might  bestow  the  fire  on  them. 
Sahale,  having  been  greatly  pleased  by  the  faithfulness  and  benevolence  of 
Loowit,  finally  granted  her  request.  The  lot  of  the  Indians  was  wonderfully 
improved  by  the  acquisition  of  fire.  They  now  began  to  make  better  lodges 
and  clothes,  and  had  a  variety  of  food  and  implements,  and,  in  short,  were  marvel- 
ously  benefited  by  the  bounteous  gift. 

But  Sahale,  in  order  to  show  his  appreciation  of  the  care  with  which  Loowit 
had  guarded  the  sacred  fire,  now  determined  to  offer  her  any  gift  she  might 
desire  as  a  reward.  Accordingly,  in  response  to  his  offer,  Loowit  asked  that  she 
be  transformed  into  a  young  and  beautiful  girl.  This  was  accordingly  effected 
and  now,  as  might  have  been  expected,  all  the  Indian  chiefs  fell  deeply  in  love 
with  the  beautiful  guardian  of  the  Tomanowas  Bridge.  Loowit  paid  little  heed 
to  any  of  them,  until  finally  there  came  two  magnificent  chiefs,  one  from  the 
north  called  Klickitat,  and  one  from  the  south  called  Wiyeast.  Loowit  was 
uncertain  which  of  these  two  she  most  desired,  and  as  a  result  a  bitter  strife 
arose  between  the  two,  and  this  waxed  hotter  and  hotter,  until  finally,  with 
their  respective  warriors,  they  entered  upon  a  desperate  war.     The  land  was 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  91 

ravaged,  all  the  beautiful  things  which  they  had  made  were  marred,  and  misery 
and  wretchedness  ensued.  Sahale  repented  that  he  had  allowed  Loowit  to  bestow 
fire  upon  the  Indians,  and  determined  to  undo  all  his  work  in  so  far  as  he  could. 
Accordingly,  he  broke  down  the  Tomanowas  Bridge,  which  dammed  up  the 
river  with  an  impassable  reef  and  put  to  death  Loowit,  Klickitat  and  Wiyeast. 
But,  he  said,  inasmuch  as  they  had  been  so  grand  and  beautiful  in  life,  he  would 
give  them  a  fitting  commemoration  after  death.  Therefore,  he  reared  over  them 
as  monuments  the  great  snow  peaks ;  over  Loowit  what  we  now  call  Mount  St. 
Helens,  over  Wiyeast  the  modern  Mount  Hood,  and  above  Klickitat  the  stupen- 
dous dome  of  what  we  now  call  Mount  Adams. 

STUDENTS    OF    INDIAN    MYTHS 

And  now  it  is  a  matter  of  much  interest  to  learn  something  of  the  chief 
original  sources  and  the  most  reliable  investigation  of  these  myths.  This  survey 
is  necessarily  incomplete.  The  endeavor  is  to  name  the  students  and  writers  of 
myths  as  far  as  possible.  This  search  goes  beyond  the  Yakima  and  covers  Old 
Oregon. 

First  in  the  natural  order  of  the  investigators  and  records  of  Indian  myths 
come  the  early  explorers  and  writers  of  Old  Oregon.  Most  of  these  give  us 
little  on  the  special  subject  of  myths,  though  they  give  much  on  the  habits, 
customs,  occupations,  and  implements  of  the  natives.  The  earliest  explorer 
in  Oregon,  so  far  as  known  to  the  author,  to  give  any  native  legend,  is  Gabriel 
Franchere,  who  came  to  Astoria  with  the  Astor  Fur  Company,  in  1811.  In  his 
narrative,  upon  which  Irving's  "Astoria"  is  largely  based,  we  find  a  fine  story  of 
the  creation  of  men  by  Etalapass,  and  their  subsequent  improvement  by  Ecan- 
num.  Franchere  says  that  this  legend  was  related  to  him  by  Ellewa,  one  of  the 
sons  of  Concomly,  the  one-eyed  Chinook  chief,  who  figures  conspicuously  in 
Franchere's  narrative.  Of  valuable  books  of  the  same  period  of  Franchere, 
are  Ross  Cox's  "Adventures  on  the  Columbia  River,"  and  Alexander  Ross' 
"Adventures  on  the  Columbia  River"  and  "The  Fur  Traders  of  the  Far 
West,"  all  of  which  contain  valuable  references  to  the  customs  and  supersti- 
tious ideas  of  the  natives,  though  not  much  in  the  way  of  myths.  Ross  gives 
an  interesting  myth  of  the  Oakinackens  (Okanogans  as  we  now  say)  about  the 
origin  of  the  Indians  or  Skyloo  on  the  white  man's  island,  Samahtamawhoolah. 
The  Indians  were  then  very  white  and  ruled  by  a  female  spirit,  or  Great  Mother, 
named  Skomalt,  but  their  island  got  loose  and  drifted  on  the  ocean  for  many 
suns,  and  as  a  result  they  became  darkened  to  their  present  hue.  Ross  gives 
also  an  account  of  the  belief  of  the  Oakinackens  in  a  good  spirit,  one  of  whose 
names  is  Skyappa,  and  a  bad  spirit,  one  of  whose  names  was  Oiacha.  The 
chief  deity  of  those  Indians  seems  to  have  been  the  great  mother  of  life,  Skomalt, 
whose  name  also  has  the  addition  of  "Squisses."  Ross  says  that  those  Indians 
change  their  names  constantly,  and  doubtless  their  deities  did  the  same. 

Captain  Charles  Wilkes,  the  American  explorer  of  the  early  forties,  gives 
a  very  interesting  account  of  a  Palouse  myth  of  a  beaver  which  was  cut  up 
to  make  the  tribes.  This  is  evidently  another  version  of  the  Klickitat  story  of 
the  great  beaver,  Wishpoosh,  of  Lake  Cle  Elum.     One  of  the  most  important 


92  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

of  the  early  histories  of  Oregon  is  Dunn's,  the  materials  for  which  were  gath- 
ered in  the  decade  of  the  forties.  With  other  valuable  matter  it  contains  ac- 
counts of  the  religious  conceptions  of  the  Indians,  and  here  we  find  the  legend 
of  the  Thunder  Bird  of  the  Tinneh,  a  northern  tribe.  In  this  same  general 
period,  though  a  little  later,  we  find  the  most  brilliant  of  all  writers  dealing 
with  early  Oregon;  that  is,  the  gifted  scholar,  poet,  and  soldier,  Theodore 
Winthrop.  His  book,  "Canoe  and  Saddle,"  has  no  rival  for  literary  excellence 
and  graphic  power  among  all  the  books  which  have  dealt  with  the  Northwest. 
The  book  was  first  published  in  1862,  and  republished  fifty  years  later  in 
beautiful  form  by  John  H.  Williams,  of  Tacoma.  "Canoe  and  Saddle"  com- 
memorates a  journey  from  Puget  Sound  across  the  mountains  and  through  the 
Yakima  and  Klickitat  countries  in  1853.  It  contains  several  fine  Indian  stories, 
notably  that  of  the  Miser  of  Mount  Tacoma,  and  that  of  the  Devil  of  The 
Dalles.  Winthrop  does  not  state  from  whom  directly  he  secured  the  second 
of  these  myths,  but  no  doubt  from  the  Indians  themselves,  though  the  peculiar 
rich  imagination  and  picturesque  language  of  Winthrop  are  in  evidence  through- 
out the  narration.  The  tale  of  the  IMiser  of  Mount  Tacoma  is  attributed  by 
Winthrop  to  Hamitchou,  an  Indian  of  the  Squallygamish  tribe. 

At  about  the  same  time  as  Winthrop,  occurred  the  visit  and  investigations 
of  James  G.  Swan,  whose  book,  "The  Northwest  Coast,"  was  published  in  1857. 
In  this  is  found  the  creation  myth  of  the  Ogress  of  Saddle  Mountain,  relating 
the  issuing  forth  of  Indians  from  eggs  cast  down  the  mountain  side  by  the 
Ogress.  Many  years  ago  Rev.  Myron  Eells  told  the  writer  a  variation  of  that 
story,  which  has  appeared  in  sundry  forms  and  publications,  being  the  story  of 
Toulux,  the  South  Wind,  Quootshoi  the  Witch,  and  Skamson  the  Thunder  Bird. 
In  addition  to  the  legend  of  the  Thunder  Bird,  Swan  gives  many  items  of 
peculiar  interest.  Among  these  we  find  his  idea  that  certain  customs  of  the 
Indians  ally  them  with  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  of  Israel.  His  final  impression  seems 
to  be,  however,  that  they  are  autocthonous  in  America.  He  refers  to  the  observa- 
tion of  General  George  Gibbs  of  the  similarity  of  Klickitat  myths  to  those  in 
Longfellow's  Hiawatha.  He  also  refers  to  the  beeswax  ship  of  the  Nehalem. 
In  connection  with  the  thought  of  Indian  resemblance  to  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes, 
it  is  worth  noticing  that  this  has  come  from  various  directions.  Miss  Kate 
AIcBeth  has  expressed  the  same  in  connection  with  the  Nez  Perces.  It  was 
also  a  favorite  idea  with  B.  B.  Bishop,  one  of  the  earliest  builders  of  steamboats 
on  the  Columbia,  who  lived  many  years  at  Pendleton,  Oregon.  He  told  the 
writer  that  the  Indians  at  the  Cascades  had  a  spring  festival  with  the  first  run 
of  salmon.  They  would  boil  the  first  large  salmon  caught,  and'  have  a  ceremony 
in  which  the  whole  tribe  would  pass  in  procession  around  the  fish,  each  taking 
a  bit.  They  exercised  the  utmost  care  to  leave  the  skeleton  intact,  so  that  in 
the  end  it  had  been  picked  clean  but  with  not  a  bone  broken.  Mr.  Bishop  thought 
that  this  was  a  survival  of  the  Jewish  idea  of  the  Paschal  Lamb. 

Among  the  great  collectors  of  all  kinds  of  historical  data  in  what  might 
be  called  the  middle  period  of  Northeast  history  and  not  exactly  belonging  to 
any  one  of  the  specific  groups,  is  H.  H.  Bancroft,  already  referred  to  in  the 
first  part  of  this  chapter.  In  his  "Native  Races,"  are  found  many  myths,  with 
reference  given,  but  these  mainly  deal  with  Mexican,  Central  American,  and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  93 

Califomian  Indians.  He  refers  to  Holmburg's  ethnological  studies  in  German 
as  containing  valuable  matter  in  regard  to  our  Northwestern  Indians.  Harmon's 
Journal,  with  its  reference  to  the  Tacullies  of  British  Columbia  and  their  legend 
of  the  Musk  Rat,  is  also  named.  In  the  same  connection  we  find  reference  to 
Yehl  the  Raven,  an  especial  favorite  of  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia  and  the 
upper  part  of  Puget  Sound. 

From  what  may  be  termed  the  first  group  of  narrators  of  native  tribes, 
we  may  turn  to  those  that  may  be  called  the  scientific  ethnologists.  We  are 
indebted  to  Dr.  Franz  Boas,  himself  the  foremost  of  the  group,  for  the  list  of 
these  professional  students  of  the  subject.  These  men  took  up  the  matter  in  a 
more  scientific  and  methodical  way  than  the  travelers  and  pioneers  and  have 
presented  the  results  of  their  work  in  form  that  appeals  to  the  scholar,  the  work 
of  trained  investigators,  seeking  the  facts  and  giving  them  as  exactly  as  possible, 
not  affected  by  the  distortions  and  exaggerations  common  to  unscientific  ob- 
servers. They  were  all  connected  with  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  and  their 
work  was  mainly  under  the  Government. 

The  Bibliography  as  given  by  Dr.  Boas  is  as  follows: 

Edward  Sapir,  Wishram  Txts   (publications  of  the  American  Ethnological 

Society,  Vol.  II). 
Leo  J.   Frachtenberg,  Coos   Texts    (Columbia  University  contributions   to 

Anthropology,  Vol.  I.) 
Leo  J.  Frachtenberg,  Lower  Umpqua  Texts  (ibid.     Vol.  IV). 
James  Teit,  Traditions  of  the  Thompson  Indians  (Memoirs  of  the  American 
Folk  Lore  Society,  Vol.  VI).     (This  is  not  Washington,  but  practically 
identical  with  material  from  the  interior  of  Washington.) 
James  Teit,  Mythology  of  the  Thompson  Indians  (Jesup  North  Pacific  Ex- 
pedition Publications,  Vol.  VIII). 
James  Teit,  the  Shushwap  (ibid.  Vol.  II). 

Franz  Boas,  Indianische  Sagen  von  der  Nord  Pacifischen  Kuste  Amerikas. 
Franz    Boas,    Mythology    of    the    Indians    of    Washington    and    Oregon. 

(Globus,  Vol.  LXIII,  pp.  154-157,  172-175,  190-19.^.) 
H.  J.  Spinden,  Myths  of  the  Nez  Perce  (Journal  of  American  Folk  Lore, 

Vol.  XXI). 
Louisa  McDermott,  Myths  of  the  Flathead  Indians  (ibid.  Vol.  XIV.) 
Franz  Boas,  Sagen  der  Kootenay  (Berlin  Society  for  Anthropology,  Ethnol- 
ogy, etc.,  Vol.  XXIII,  pp.  161-172). 
Livingston  Farrand,  Traditions  of  the  Quinault  Indians    (Publications  of 
the  Jesup  North  Pacific  Expedition,  Vol.  II). 
^  Franz  Boas,  Chinook  Texts   (Bureau  of  Ethnology,  Government  Printing 
Office,  1894). 
Franz  Boas,  Cathlamet  Texts  (ibid.). 
James  Teit,  Traditions  of  the  Lilloost  Indians  (Journal  of  American  Folk 

Lore,  Vol.  XXV). 
Jeremiah  Curtin,  Myths  of  the  Modocs   (Little,  Brown  &  Co.). 
To  these  may  be  added,  as  of  special  value,  the  studies  of  Prof.  Albert  S. 
Gatchett  among  the  Modocs,  found  under  the  title,  "Oregonian  Folk  Lore,"  in 
the  Journal  of  American  Folk  Lore,  Vol.  IV,  1891,  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co. 


94  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  other  vohimes  of  the  Journal  of  American  Folk  Lore  from  1888  to  1913 
contain  valuable  matter.  In  Professor  Gatchett's  book  are  found  some  of  the 
finest  fire  myths  and  fish  myths  of  the  Northwest. 

Doctor  Boas  found  a  treasury  of  information  in  an  old  Indian  named  Charlie 
Cultee  at  Bay  Center  in  Willapa  Harbor,  Washington,  and  from  that  source 
derived  the  material  for  the  most  scientific  and  uncolored  study  of  Indian  lore 
yet  given  to  the  public.  Some  of  this  appears  in  the  Chinook  Texts  of  Doctor 
Boas.  In  this  is  the  storj',  by  Charlie  Cultee,  of  the  wreck  on  Clatsop  beach. 
This  is  found  also  in  H.  S.  Lyman's  History  of  Oregon. 

Following  the  groups  of  the  explorers  and  the  professional  ethnologists  may 
come  the  larger  body  of  miscellaneous  collectors  and  writers,  who,  through  local 
papers  and  magazines  and  published  books,  as  well  as  personal  narration,  have 
rescued  many  quaint  and  curious  gems  of  Indian  mythology  from  oblivion  and 
through  various  channels  have  imparted  them  to  the  slowly  accumulating  stock. 

Those  no  longer  living  may  properly  appear  first.  Of  comparatively  recent 
students  no  longer  living,  Silas  Smith  of  Astoria  was  one  of  the  best.  His  father 
was  Solomon  Smith  of  the  Wyeth  Expedition,  while  his  mother  was  Celiast, 
daughter  of  the  Clatsop  Chief,  Cobaiway.  Through  his  Indian  mother,  Mr. 
Smith  obtained  interesting  matter,  much  of  which  was  preserved  by  H.  S.  Lyman 
in  his  history  of  Oregon,  and  in  articles  in  the  Oregonian,  Historical  Quarterly, 
and  other  publications.  H.  S.  Lyman  was  also  an  original  investigator,  deriving 
his  data  mainly  from  Silas  Smith  and  from  a  group  of  Indians  who  formerly 
lived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Nekanicum.  These  stories  appear  in  his  history  of 
Oregon,  and  in  a  group  contained  in  the  "Tallapus  Stories,"  published  in  the 
Oregonian.  Another  intelligent  and  patient  investigator  was  Rev.  Myron  Eells, 
who  lived  for  many  years  on  Hood's  Canal.  Years  ago  the  author  heard  from 
him  legends  of  the  Indians  which  he  derived  directly  from  the  natives,  such  as  the 
Thunder  Bird,  the  Flood  around  Mount  Tacoma  (which  he  thought  colored  by 
the  story  of  Noah  in  the  Bible),  and  others.  In  the  book  by  Mr.  Eells  entitled 
"Ten  'l^'ears'  ^Missionary  Work  in  Skokomish,"  he  gives  a  valuable  description 
of  the  "Tomanowas."  In  various  numbers  of  the  American  Antiquarian,  Mr. 
Eells  has  valuable  articles  as  follows:  "The  Religion  of  the  Twana  Indians," 
July,  1879;  "Dokidatl,  or  the  God  of  the  Puget  Sound  Indians,"  November, 
1884;  "The  Indians  of  Puget  Sound,"  May,  1888,  and  March,  1890. 

Prominent  among  the  scholars  and  lecturers  of  Oregon  is  the  great  name  of 
Thomas  Condon,  for  a  long  time  in  the  State  University,  and  the  earliest  student 
in  a  large  way  of  the  geology  of  the  Northwest.  He  was  interested  in  Indian 
myths  as  in  almost  everything  that  had  to  do  with  men  and  nature.  The  legend 
of  the  "Bridge  of  the  Gods,"  already  given  in  this  chapter,  particularly  appealed 
to  him.  One  of  the  notable  students  of  both  the  geology  and  anthropology  of 
the  Northwest  was  George  Gibbs,  who  came  to  Oregon  as  a  Government  geolo- 
gist in  1853.  In  his  report  on  the  Pacific  Railroad  in  House  of  Representatives 
Documents  of  1853-54,  he  gives  the  first  published  version,  so  far  as  we  can  dis- 
cover, of  the  "Bridge  of  the  Gods."  He  tells  the  story  thus :  "The  Indians  tell  a 
characteristic  tale  of  Mount  Hood  and  Mount  St.  Helens  to  the  effect  that  they 
were  man  and  wife;  that  they  finally  quarreled  and  threw  fire  at  one  another, 
and  that  Mount  St.  Helens  was  victor;  since  when  Mount  Hood  has  been  afraid. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  95 

while  St.  Helens,  having  a  stout  heart,  still  burned.  In  some  versions  this  story- 
is  connected  with  the  slide  which  formed  the  Cascades  of  the  Columbia."  Mr. 
Gibbs  also  gives  some  Yakima  legends. 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  of  all  the  literary  pioneers  of  Old  Oregon  was 
Samuel  A.  Clark.  In  his  "Pioneer  Days  in.  Oregon"  are  several  interesting 
legends  well  told.  In  this  we  find  the  legend  of  the  Nehalem,  with  Ona  and 
Sandy  and  all  their  tribulations.  We  find  here  told  also  the  story  of  the  Bridge 
of  the  Gods,  in  which  Hood  and  Adams  are  represented  as  the  contending  forces, 
having  been  originally  the  abutments  of  the  Bridge  of  the  Gods.  But  the  most 
noted  contribution  of  Mr.  Clark  to  this  legend  was  his  poem  called,  "The  Legend 
of  the  Mountains,"  referring  to  the  fabled  bridge,  which  appeared  in  Harper's 
Magazine  of  February,  1874.  This  represents  Mount  St.  Helens  as  a  goddess 
for  whom  Hood  and  Adams  contended,  hurling  huge  stones  at  each  other  and 
finally  breaking  down  the  bridge.  The  story  of  the  bridge  became  the  most  noted 
of  all  native  myths,  being  related  to  practically  every  traveler  that  made  the 
steamboat  trip  down  the  Columbia. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  those  discoverers  and  writers  of  Indian  myths  who  are 
still  living.  The  majority  of  these  are  from  the  nature  of  the  case  adapters  and 
transcribers,  rather  than  original  students,  but  some  among  them  are  entitled  to 
the  place  of  genuine  investigators.  Among  these  a  foremost  place  must  be  ac- 
corded to  Fred  A.  Savior  of  Portland.  He  was  for  several  years  editor  of  the 
"Oregon  Native  Son,"  and  for  it  he  wrote  a  number  of  stories  which  he  derived 
directly  from  the  Indians.  A  student  of  these  stories  from  boyhood,  he  has  ac- 
cumulated the  largest  collection  of  matter  both  published  and  unpublished  of 
any  one  in  the  Northwest.  This  collection  is  preserved  by  him  in  fourteen  large 
scrap  books,  and  constitutes  a  treasury  of  valuable  data  which  it  is  to  be  hoped 
mav  soon  appear  in  a  published  form  for  the  delight  and  profit  of  many  readers. 
Among  the  legends  of  which  Mr.  Savior  is  entitled  to  be  regarded  as  the  dis- 
coverer are  these :  "The  Legend  of  Tahoma,"  "Why  the  Indian  Fears  Golden 
Hair,"  or  "The  Origin  of  Castle  Rock" ;  "Speelyi,  or  the  Origin  of  Latourelle 
Falls  and  the  Pillars  of  Hercules";  "Thorns  on  Rosebushes";  "The  Noah  of 
the  Indians";  "The  Legend  of  Snake  River  Valley";  "A  Wappato  Account  of 
the  Flood";  "The  Last  Signal  Fire  of  the  Multnomah";  "The  Legend  of  the 
Willamette" ;  "The  Love  of  an  Indian  Maid" ;  "Enumpthla" ;  "Coyote's  Tomb" ; 
"Multnomah."  The  last  named  has  been  presented  by  students  on  the  campus 
of  the  State  University  and  also  at  the  Agricultural  College  of  Oregon. 

Of  investigators  known  to  the  author,  none  seems  more  worthy  of  extended 
and  favorable  mention  than  Dr.  G.  B.  Kuykendall  of  Pomeroy,  Washington. 
As  already  stated,  he  was  for  a  number  of  years  the  physician  for  the  Yakima 
Reservation  at  Fort  Simcoe  and  has  many  friends  throughout  the  Yakima  coun- 
try. He  began  his  work  of  collecting  in  1875,  deriving  his  knowledge  directly 
from  the  Indians.  His  authorities  were  almost  entirely  old  Indians,  for  from 
such  only  could  he  secure  narrations  of  unadulterated  character.  His  first  pub- 
lished writings  were  in  the  "West  Shore",  of  Portland,  in  1887.  His  most  mature 
contribution,  which  may  indeed  be  considered  the  best  yet  given  to  the  public,  is 
found  in  Vol.  II,  of  the  "History  of  the  Pacific  Northwest,"  published  by  the 
North  Pacific  History  Company,  of  Portland,  in  1889.     This  is  an  admirable 


96  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

piece  of  work,  and  students  of  the  subject  will  find  here  a  treasure  of  native 
lore.  The  following  is  the  list  of  stories  given  by  Doctor  Kuykendall  in  that 
work:  "Wishpoosh,  the  Beaver  God,  and  the  Origin  of  the  Tribes";  "Speelyi 
Fights  Enumtla";  "Spellyi  Outwits  the  Beaver  Women";  "Rock  Myths"; 
"Legend  of  the  Tick" ;  "Mountain  Lake  Myths" ;  "The  Origin  of  Fire" ;  "Water 
Nymphs";  "Wawa,  the  Mosquito  God";  "Origin  of  the  Loon";  "Castiltah,  the 
Crayfish" ;  "Wakapoosh,  the  Rattle  Snake" ;  "The  Tumwater  Luminous  Stone 
God" ;  "The  Wooden  Firemen  of  the  Cascades" ;  "Contest  Between  the  Chinooks 
and  Cold  Wind  Brothers" ;  "Speelyi's  Ascent  to  Heaven" ;  "Coyote  and  Eagle 
Attempt  to  Bring  the  Dead  Back  from  Spirit  Land";  "The  Isle  of  the  Dead". 

Another  original  investigator  and  author  of  a  unique  and  picturesque  book 
devoted  exclusively  to  Indian  myths,  is  W.  W.  Phillips  of  Seattle,  well  known  by 
his  non-de-plume  of  "El  Comancho."  The  book  by  Mr.  Phillips  is  "Totem 
Tales".  Mr.  Phillips  says  that  he  gathered  the  matter  for  "Totem  Tales"  from 
the  Puget  Sound  Indians  and  from  Haida  Indians  who  had  come  south.  This 
work  was  mainly  done  about  twenty-five  years  ago.  He  verified  such  of  his 
matter  by  comparing  with  Judge  Swan,  and  by  the  stories  acquired  by  Dr.  Shaw, 
who  was  at  one  time  Indian  agent  at  Port  Madison,  and  whose  wife  was  one  of 
the  daughters  of  old  Chief  Sealth  (Seattle).  He  derived  matter  for  comparison 
also  from  Rev.  Myron  Eells.  The  chief  Indian  authority  of  Mr.  Phillips  was 
old  Chisiahka  (Indian  John  to  the  Whites),  and  it  was  a  big  tree  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Union  that  suggested  the  idea  of  the  "Talking  Pine"  which  the  author 
wove  so  picturesquely  into  the  narrative.  Mr.  Phillips  has  also  published  the 
"Chinook  Book" ;  the  most  extensive  study  of  the  "Jargon  language"  yet  made. 
To  the  others  he  has  added  a  most  attractive  book  entitled  "Indian  Tales  for 
Little  Folks." 

Another  present-day  investigator,  whose  work  is  especially  worthy  of  men- 
tion is  Rev.  J.  Neilson  Barry,  an  enthusiastic  and  intelligent  student  of  every 
phase  of  the  history  of  the  Northwest,  formerly  of  Baker,  Oregon,  now  of 
Spokane.  In  Chapter  III,  of  Volume  I,  of  Gaston's  "Centennial  History  of 
Oregon,"  Mr.  Barry  gives  a  valuable  contribution  to  Indian  legends. 

Yet  another  original  student  was  Miss  Kate  McBeth,  of  Lapwai,  Idaho, 
recently  deceased  ,who,  with  her  sister,  lived  for  years  among  the  Nez  Perces, 
performing  a  most  beneficent  missionary  work  for  them.  In  her  book,  "The 
Nez  Perces  Since  Lewis  and  Clark,"  may  be  found  the  Kamiah  myth,  and  a  few 
others  derived  directly  from  those  Indians.  Mention  may  well  be  made  here  also 
of  a  Nez  Perce  Indian  named  Luke,  previously  referred  to,  living  at  Kamiah, 
who  has  a  very  intelligent  knowledge  of  all  kinds  of  Indian  matters.  Miss 
McBeth  says  that  the  Nez  Perces  do  not  like  to  discuss  generally  their  "heathen" 
stories  and  customs.  In  connection  with  the  Nez  Perces  it  may  be  stated  that 
Yellov;  Wolf  of  Nespilem  is  an  authority  on  the  myth  of  the  Kamiah  monster. 

Still  another  enthusiastic  student  of  Indian  legends  is  Lucullus  V. 
McWhorter  of  Yakima,  who  is  one  of  the  advisory  board  for  this  history.  He 
is  an  adopted  member  of  the  Yakima  tribe,  and  has  been  of  incalculable  benefit 
to  the  Indians  in  instructing  them  as  to  their  rights,  in  presenting  their  cause 
to  the  Government,  and  in  making  known  their  needs  as  well  as  some  of  their 
wrongs  to  the  general  public  through  voice  and  pen.     As  an  educational  factor 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  97 

for  both  races,  he  has  made  a  specialty  in  recent  years  of  organizing  bands  of 
tribesmen  and  taking  them  to  historic  pageants,  celebrations  and  "Frontier 
Days."  At  the  "Astoria  Centennial"  (Oregon),  August  and  September,  1911, 
his  Nez  Perces  and  Yakimas  took  a  prominent  part  in  that  wonderfully  striking 
play,  "The  Bridge  of  the  Gods,"  as  dramatized  from  Balch  by  Mabel  Ferris 
and  there  staged  for  the  first  time.  A  recent  pamphlet  by  him  on  the  treatment 
of  the  Yakimas  in  connection  with  their  water  rights  is  an  "eye-opener,"  on  some 
phases  of  Indian  service  and  Indian  problems.  Mr.  McWhorter  has  gathered 
a  large  amount  of  matter  from  the  Indians,  in  which  is  material  for  three  books : 
"Traditions  of  the  Yakimas" ;  "Camp  Stories  of  the  Yakimas,"  and  "Nez  Perce 
Warriors  in  the  War  of  1877".  Among  the  proteges  of  Mr.  McWhorter  from 
whom  he  tells  the  author  that  much  of  interest  could  be  derived,  are  Chief  Yel- 
low Wolf  of  the  Joseph  band  of  Nez  Perces,  and  Mrs.  Crystal  McLeod,  known 
to  her  people  as  Humishuma,  or  Alorning  Dove,  an  Okanogan  woman  of  un- 
usual beauty  and  intelligence  and  well  instructed  in  the  English  language.  Her 
picture  appears  in  this  work  from  photographs  taken  by  Mr.  John  Langdon  of 
Walla  Walla.  She  is  herself  an  author  and  has  ready  for  the  press  a  book  which 
promises  to  be  one  of  rare  value  and  interest. 

One  of  the  most  notable  contributions  to  recent  Northwest  history  is  by 
another  of  the  most  prominent  pioneers  of  Yakima,  A.  J.  Splawn,  recently  de- 
ceased. His  volume,  "Kamiakin,  the  Last  Hero  of  the  Yakimas,"  has  attracted 
the  interest  of  all  readers  of  history  in  this  section. 

Any  reference  to  any  phase  of  Oregon  would  be  incomplete  without  men- 
tion of  John  Minto,  one  of  the  most  honored  of  pioneers,  one  of  the  noblest  of 
men,  and  one  of  the  best  examples  of  those  ambitious,  industrious,  and  high 
minded  State  builders  who  gave  the  Northwest  its  loftiest  ideals.  Mr.  Minto  was 
a  student  of  the  Indians  and  discovered  and  gave  to  the  world  various  Clatsop  and 
Nehalem  legends.  Yet  another  investigator  is  Hon.  E.  L.  Smith  of  Hood  River, 
Oregon,  well  known  as  an  official  and  legislator  of  both  Oregon  and  Washington, 
and  a  man  of  such  character  that  all  who  ever  knew  him  have  the  highest  honor 
for  him  in  every  relation  of  life.  He  has  made  a  life-long  study  of  the  natives 
and  has  a  great  collection  of  myths  both  in  mind  and  on  paper.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  sympathetic,  tolerant  and  appreciative  of  investigators,  one  whom  the  In- 
dians of  the  Mid-Columbia  trust  implicitly.  He  has  written  little  for  publication 
in  comparison  with  what  he  knows,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  his  stores  of  ma- 
terial may  yet  be  brought  to  the  public.  Worthy  of  mention  as  a  general  student 
of  the  geography  and  language  of  the  Indians,  is  Mr.  John  Gill  of  Portland. 
While  he  has  not  made  a  specialty  of  myths,  he  has  studied  the  habits  and  lan- 
guage with  special  attention,  and  his  dictionary  of  the  Chinook  jargon  is  one  of 
the  most  valuable  collections  of  the  kind. 

It  is  proper  to  mention  here  several  who  are  well  versed  in  native  lore,  yet 
who  have  not  given  their  knowledge  of  legends  or  myths  to  the  public  in  book 
or  magazine  form.  The  most  conspicuous,  indeed,  of  this  group,  is  no  longer 
living.  This  was  Dr.  William  C.  McKay,  a  grandson  of  the  McKay  of  the  Astor 
Fur  Company,  who  lost  his  life  on  the  Tonquin.  The  mother  of  Doctor  McKay 
was  a  Chinook  "princess."  He  was  a  man  of  great  ability  and  acquired  a  fine 
education.  He  lived  for  years  in  Pendleton,  Oregon,  where  he  died  some  time 
(7) 


98  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

ago.  In  the  possession  of  his  children  and  grandchildren  there  is  undoubtedly- 
valuable  material  and  if  it  could  be  reduced  to  written  form  it  would  furnish 
matter  of  great  interest.  Certain  others  of  Indian  blood  may  be  properly  added 
here  who  could  give  material  for  interesting  narrations.  Among  these  are  Henry 
Sicade  and  William  Wilton,  living  on  the  Puyallup  Reservation  near  Tacoma; 
Samuel  McCaw  of  Wapato  and  Charlie  Pitt,  of  the  Warm  Springs  Agency  in 
Oregon.  Frank  Olney,  of  Toppenish,  and  William  Olney,  of  White;  Swan,  sons 
of  Nathan  Olney  and  an  Indian  mother,  are  excellent  authorities. 

Mr.  Jay  Lynch  of  Yakima,  for  many  years  agent  at  Fort  Simcoe,  is  very- 
good  authority  on  Indiana  customs.  He  had  one  of  the  finest  collections  of  Indian 
baskets  and  curios  in  the  Yakima  country,  which  was  acquired  by  the  Tififanys 
of  New  York.  Mr.  Cobum,  of  White  Swan,  for  many  years  a  trader  on  the 
Yakima  Reservation,  has  what  is  probably  the  best  collection  of  Indian  curios  in 
the  Northwest,  and  he  is  perhaps  more  familiar  with  Indians  and  their  history 
than  any  other  white  man  in  the  Yakima  country. 

This  summary  of  Indian  stories  and  their  investigators  is  necessarily  incom- 
plete. One  of  the  hopes  in  including  it  in  this  work  is  that  it  may  lead  to  added 
contributions.  As  we  contemplate  the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  Old  Oregon,  which 
includes  Washington  and  Idaho  and  a  part  of  Montana,  and  the  pathos,  heroism 
and  nobility  of  its  history,  and  as  we  see  the  pitiful  remnant  of  the  Indians,  we 
cannot  fail  to  be  touched  with  the  quaint  and  pathetic  and  suggestive  myths 
and  legends  that  are  passing  with  them  into  the  twilight.  In  our  proud  days  of 
possession  and  of  progress  we  do  well  to  pause  and  drop  the  tear  of  sympathy 
and  place  the  chaplet  of  commemoration  upon  the  resting  place  of  the  former 
lords  of  the  land,  and  to  recognize  their  contributions  to  the  common  stock  of 
human  thought. 

In  concluding  this  chapter  we  insert  a  valuable  article  from  the  Washing- 
ton Magazine  of  June,  1906,  by  Harlan  I.  Smith,  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History  of  New  York. 

ARCHEOLOGY   OF   THE   YAKIMA   VALLEY 

By   Harlan  I.    Smith, 
Of  the  American   Museum  of  Natural  History,   New  York 

Archaeological  explorations  were  made  by  the  writer  in  the  Yakima  Valley, 
Washington,  for  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  in  the  first  part  of 
the  field  season  of  1903.  These  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  a  number  of  speci- 
mens and  human  skeletons,  as  well  as  the  securing  of  several  dozen  photographs 
and  a  mass  of  field  notes.  Other  data  have  been  securred,  both  before  the  ex- 
pedition and  since,  from  collections  and  museums.  The  following  preliminary 
account  is  made  up  from  these  results,  which  may  not  be  published  in  full  for 
some  time  to  come. 

Central  Washington  is  arid.  In  most  respects  the  climate  resembles  that  of 
the  southern  interior  of  British  Columbia  to  the  north.  The  Summers  are  per- 
haps warmer  and  the  Winters  colder.  There  is  less  vegetation,  and  no  trees 
are  seen  except  in  river  bottoms  or  where    irrigation    has    been    successfully 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  99 

prosecuted.  The  prehistoric  people  had  no  great  staples,  and  had  to  rely  upon 
perhaps  even  a  greater  variety  of  natural  products  than  did  the  people  farther 
north. 

A  glance  at  the  linguistic  map  of  Washington  shows  the  great  number  of 
tribes  inhabiting  the  general  region.  This  suggests  the  possibility  of  the  exist- 
ence of  more  than  one  culture  area  within  the  same  territory,  although,  of 
course,  we  may  find  several  tribes,  especially  if  they  be  subjected  to  the  same 
environment,  all  within  one  culture  area. 

Definite  age  can  not  be  assigned  to  the  archaeological  finds,  since  here,  as 
to  the  north,  the  remains  are  found  at  no  great  depth  or  in  soil  the  surface  of 
which  is  frequently  shifted.  Some  of  the  graves  are  known  to  be  of  modem 
Indians  but  many  of  them  antedate  the  advent  of  the  white  race  in  this  region, 
or  at  least  contain  no  objects  of  European  manufacture,  such  as  glass  beads  or 
iron  knives.  On  the  other  hand,  there  was  found  no  positive  evidence  of  the 
great  antiquity  of  any  of  the  skeletons,  artifacts  or  structures  found  in  the  area. 

The  implements  used  in  securing  food  include  many  chipped  projectile 
points  of  bright-colored  agates,  chalcedonies  and  similar  stone.  Several  small 
quarries  of  this  material,  with  adjacent  workshops,  were  found.  While  the 
bulk  of  the  stone  used  was  quite  different  from  the  black  basalt  employed  to 
the  north,  yet  a  few  points  chipped  from  that  material  were  also  found.  Points 
rubbed  out  of  stone  or  bone  were  rare.  Digging  stick  handles  were  seen,  but 
no  sap  scrapers  were  found. 

Some  small  heaps  of  fresh  water  clam  shells  were  examined  but  these 
being  only  about  five  feet  in  diameter  and  as  many  inches  in  depth,  are  hardly 
to  be  compared  to  the  immense  shell  heaps  of  the  coast.  Net  sinkers  were  made 
by  notching  and  also  by  grooving  pebbles.  Such  sinkers  were  very  rare  to  the 
north,  and  much  more  numerous  here  than  on  the  coast,  except  near  the  mouth i 
of  the  Columbia  River,  where  grooved  sinkers,  usually  slightly  different  fromi 
these,  are  found. 

For  preparing  food,  pestles  were  used.  These  differ  from  those  found 
either  to  the  north  or  on  the  coast,  many  of  them  being  much  longer.  Some 
had  tops  in  the  form  of  animal  heads.  Fish  knives  made  of  slate  were  not 
found,  and,  it  is  believed,  pottery  was  not  made  in  the  region. 

Sites  of  ancient  semi-underground  houses,  like  those  found  in  the  Thomp- 
son River  region,  were  photographed.  Here,  however,  stones  were  seen  on  top 
of  the  embankment.  No  saucer-shaped  depressions  were  seen,  but  circles  of 
stones  were  found,  which  similarly  may  mark  lodge  sites,  since  the  moderni 
Indian  has  a  lodge  identical  in  shape  with  that  found  to  the  north,  where  saucer- 
shaped  depressions  occur.     Pairs  of  arrow-shaft  smoothers  were  seen. 

An  idea  of  the  ancient  form  of  dress  was  obtained  from  a  costumed  human- 
figure  carved  in  antlers,  which  was  found  in  the  grave  of  a  little  child.  It  had  a 
feather  head-dress  like  that  of  the  present  Indians  of  the  region  from  here  to 
as  far  east  as  the  Dakotas.  The  hair  was  dressed  and  ornamented  with  detalium 
shells.  The  body  is  represented  as  painted,  and  with  a  fringed  apron  around  the 
loins.  The  costume  indicated  is  unlike  that  of  the  coast,  but  resembles  those  of- 
the  plateaus  to  the  south  and  the  plains  to  the  east. 


100  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Besides  a  tubular  form  of  pipe,  one  type  consisting  simply  of  a  bowl  was 
found.  This  is  not  seen  among  archaeological  remains  from  other  parts  of  the 
Northwest,  although  pipes  used  by  the  Thompson  River  Indians  seem  to  re- 
semble it.  The  fact  suggests  that  the  culture  of  this  region  is  somewhat  more 
closely  related  to  that  farther  east  than  are  the  cultures  of  the  areas  to  the 
north  and  west. 

Art  work  was  found  here  as  in  the  other  areas.  The  costumed  human  figure, 
made  of  antlers,  engraved  on  one  surface,  is  of  good  technique  and  artistic 
execution.  The  circle  and  dot  design  was  common.  Paintings  made  with  red 
and  white  on  basaltic  cliffs,  many  of  which  represent  human  heads  with  head- 
dresses, and  some  the  whole  figure,  were  also  seen.  These  were  made  up  of 
lines,  and  were  pictographic  in  character.  Sometimes  such  pictures  were  made 
by  pecking  into  the  surface  of  the  columns  instead  of  by  painting.  A  design 
similar  to  the  part  of  these  pictures  interpreted  as  representing  the  headdress 
was  also  found  pecked  into  the  surface  of  a  grooved  net  sinker.  Some  of  the 
pestles  had  knobs  in  the  form  of  animal  heads,  but  in  general  the  art  of  the 
region  tended  to  line  work  of  geometric  and  pictographic  patterns.  The  general 
style  of  art  shows  little  resemblance  to  that  of  the  coast,  but  a  strong  relation- 
ship to  that  of  the  plains. 

There  were  three  methods  of  disposing  of  the  dead.  In  this  arid  region  are 
stretches  of  country  locally  known  as  "scab-land,"  on  which  are  occasionally 
groups  of  low  dome-shaped  knolls  from  about  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  in  diam- 
eter by  three  to  six  feet  in  height.  These  knolls  consist  of  fine  volcanic  ash,  and 
apparently  have  been  left  by  the  wind.  This  ashy  material  has  been  swept  from 
the  intervening  surface,  leaving  the  "scab-land"  paved  with  fragments  of  basalt 
imbedded  in  a  hard  soil.  The  prehistoric  Indians  of  this  region  have  used  many 
of  these  knolls,  each  as  a  site  for  a  single  grave.  These  graves,  which  are 
located  in  the  tops  of  the  knolls,  are  usually  marked  by  large  river  pebbles,  or 
in  some  cases  by  fragments  of  basalt  that  appear  as  a  circular  pavement  pro- 
jecting slightly  above  the  surface  of  the  soil.  In  one  only  did  we  find  a  box  or 
cyst.  This  box  was  formed  of  thin  slabs  of  basaltic  rock,  some  placed  on  edge, 
and  two  large  flat  slabs  covering  the  cyst  so  formed.  Above  this,  as  was  usually 
the  case  above  the  skeletons  in  this  sort  of  grave,  the  space  was  filled  with 
irregular  rocks  or  pebbles.  The  skeletons  were  found  flexed,  on  the  side.  In 
the  graves  artifacts,  such  as  dentalium  shells,  were  deposited  at  the  time  of 
burial.  Simple  graves  in  the  level  ground  were  not  found.  The  rock  slides, 
as  in  the  region  to  the  north,  had  frequently  been  used  as  burial  places.  In 
these  skeletons  were  always  in  a  flexed  position.  Objects  were  found  to  have 
been  placed  in  some  of  these  graves.  Rings  of  stones  were  also  seen,  and  on 
excavation  within  them  cremated  human  remains  were  found,  usually  several 
in  each  circle.  In  such  places  dentalium  shells,  flat  shell  beads  and  shell  orna- 
ments were  usually  seen. 

The  prehistoric  culture  of  the  region  was  apparently  similar  to  that  of  the 
present  natives. 

Numerous  evidences  were  found  of  the  close  communication  of  the  people 
of  this  culture  with  tribes  of  the  southern  interior  of  British  Columbia.  The 
preponderance  of  chipped  over  ground  points,  digging  stick  handles,   sites  of 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  lOl 

semi-underground  houses,  pestles  with  tops  in  the  form  of  animal  heads,  pairs 
of  arrow  shaft  smoothers,  as  well  as  tubular  pipes,  an  incised  decoration  con- 
sisting of  a  circle  with  a  dot  in  it,  and  engraved  dentalium  shells,  each  of  a 
particular  kind,  besides  rock-slide-sepulchers,  and  the  custom  of  burying  arti- 
facts with  the  dead,  were  found  to  be  common  to  both  regions.  Certain  pestles 
and  clubs  made  of  stone  differed  from  those  found  in  British  Columbia,  while 
the  chipped  implements  were  made  of  a  greater  variety  of  stone,  and  more  of 
beautifully  colored  material  were  found.  Notched  and  grooved  sinkers  were 
much  more  common,  and  sap-scrapers  were  not  found. 

Considerable  material  of  the  same  art  as  that  found  in  The  Dalles  region 
was  seen.  It  is  clear  that  the  people  living  in  the  Yakima  Valley  had  exten- 
sive communication,  not  only  with  the  region  northward  as  far  as  the  Thomp- 
son Valley  but  also  southward  as  far  as  The  Dalles  of  the  Columbia.  In  this 
connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  present  Indians  of  the  region  travel 
even  more  extensively  than  would  be  necessary  to  distribute  their  artifacts  this 
far. 

Much  less  evidence  of  contact  between  the  prehistoric  people  of  the  coast 
and  that  of  the  Yakima  Valley  was  discovered.  Many  of  the  pestles  and  clubs 
made  of  stone  were  different  from  those  found  on  the  coast,  where,  it  will  also 
be  remembered,  artifacts  were  not  found  with  the  dead.  A  pipe,  however,  and 
sea  shells  of  several  species,  were  seen.  The  pipe  is  clearly  of  the  art  of  the 
Northwest  coast.  It  was  found  far  up  the  Toppenish  River,  one  of  the  western 
tributaries  of  the  Yakima. 

In  general  the  culture  of  the  prehistoric  people  resembled  that  of  the  pres- 
ent natives,  and  was  affiliated  with  the  cultures  farther  east,  but  differed  from 
both  the  prehistoric  and  present  culture  of  the  coast  to  the  west,  and  even  of  the 
southern  interior  of  British  Columbia  to  the  north  and  The  Dalles  to  the  south. 

From  the  whole  series  of  archreological  explorations,  in  British  Columbia 
and  Washington,  begun  in  1897  for  the  Jesup  North  Pacific  Expedition,  and 
continued  in  1903  for  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  we  have 
learned  that  the  material  culture  of  the  prehistoric  people  and  the  present  natives 
was  similar  in  each  area  examined ;  that  the  culture  of  the  coast  is  of  one  sort, 
that  of  the  interior  of  southern  British  Columbia  of  another;  from  which  that 
of  central  Washington  differs  somewhat;  and  that  there  are  several  small  cul- 
ture areas  lying  adjacent  to  these.  We  find  that  each  culture  apparently  de- 
veloped independently  or  at  least  more  in  accord  with  its  own  environment  and 
local  tradition  rather  than  with  any  outside  influence,  but  that  at  various  times, 
especially  in  the  past,  each  has  been  influenced  by  one  or  more  of  tf^e  others. 

In  general  the  culture  of  the  North  Pacific  coast  does  not  extend  far  in- 
land.    Northward  its  limits  are  unknown,  but  southward  it  coalesces  with  that 
from  the  Columbia  River  in  the  region  between   Seattle  and   Shoalwater  Bay. 
In  the  interior  we  have  a  plateau  culture  of  which,  likewise,  that  part  to  the 
north,  differs  somewhat   from  that  to  the  south. 

Experience  in  this  work  emphasizes  the  advisability  of  conducting  archae- 
ological investigations  in  cooperation  with  students  of  living  tribes.  A  study  of 
the  modern  Indians  living  in  a  country  under  investigaton  usually  throws  light 
on  archaeological  finds  made  there,  while  an  understanding  of  the  antiquities  of 


102  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

a  region  often  helps  in  the  study  of  the  present  natives.  Besides,  in  this  way 
the  continuity  of  the  historical  problems  is  met  by  a  continuity  of  method. 

In  selecting  successive  fields  of  operation  it  seems  best  always  to  continue 
explorations  in  an  area  so  far  distant  from  one  already  examined  that  new  con- 
ditions will  be  encountered.  This  will  make  it  probable  that  new  facts  will  be 
discovered ;  possibly  a  new  culture  area.  At  the  same  time  the  new  field  of 
operations  should  be  near  enough  that  no  culture  may  intervene.  Thus  the 
boundaries  of  culture  areas  may  be  determined  and  new  areas  discovered.  This 
method  of  continuation  from  past  fields  of  exploration  allows  any  experience 
there  gained  to  be  of  service  in  each  new  and  adjacent  field,  while  the  discover- 
ies in  each  new  region  may  always  lead  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  areas 
•explored  and  that  perhaps  in  time  for  incorporation  in  the  results  to  be  pub- 
lished. 

It  remains  to  determine  the  northern,  eastern  and  southern  limits  of  the 
general  plateau  culture^  how  far  it  may  be  subdivided  into  local  culture  areas, 
the  interrelation  of  each  of  these,  and  of  each  to  outside  cultures. 

But  few  specimens  have  been  found  in  the  whole  area  extending  from  the 
■central  Arctic  region  to  the  Columbia  River,  and  from  there  southward  along 
the  coast  to  the  Santa  Barbara  Islands,  thence  to  the  Pueblo  region  and  east- 
ward as  far  as  the  mounds  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Literature  on  the  archae- 
ology of  the  area  is  scanty.  That  whole  region,  north  to  the  Arctic,  across  all 
the  plains  towards  the  east,  and  the  plateaus  south  throughout  Nevada,  remains 
to  be  explored. 


CHAPTER  III 


ERA  OF  DISCOVERY 

DAYS    OF    FIRST    DISCOVERY — THE    "eRA    OF    LIARs" RUSSIA     WAKES     UP — SPAIN'S 

OPPORTUNITY — HECETA's    ACCOUNT — ACTUAL    DISCOVERY    OF    THE    COLUMBIA 

RIVER FUR     TRADE     BEGINS — THE     COLUMBIA     REDIVIVA — THE     GEOGRAPHICAL 

SPHINX THE  SIZE  OF  THE   COLUMBIA  RIVER. 

One  of  the  grandest  and  most  significant  of  all  the  dramas  of  human  progress 
is  the  discovery  of  the  Pacific  Coast  of  North  America,  its  subsequent  acquisi- 
tion by  the  people  of  the  United  States,  and  its  progressive  evolution  under  that 
people  to  its  present  stage  of  world  importance,  with  the  vision  of  yet  larger 
development  in  the  unfoldings  of  the  Twentieth  Century. 

We  shall  better  comprehend  and  estimate  the  acts  and  scenes  of  this  great 
drama  if  we  rapidly  unroll  before  our  minds  the  opening  act,  that  of  first  dis- 
covery. 

The  earliest  discoverers,  beginning  with  Columbus,  had  become  so  accus- 
tomed to  weighing  all  things  in  the  scales  of  the  Old  World  and  especially  of 
finding  new  routes  to  the  supposed  treasures  of  the  Orient,  India  and  Golconda, 
that  they  vailed  their  eyes  for  a  time — a  long  time,  it  seems  to  us — and  with 
seeming  obstinacy,  to  the  truth  that  they  had  made  a  far  vaster  discovery  than 
that  of  a  new  route  to  the  lethargic  and  somnolent  lands  of  the  most  ancient 
world.  Only  gradually  did  it  dawn  upon  the  minds  of  these  heroes  of  the  sea, 
those  new  Jasons  seeking  for  vaster  and  more  precious  fleeces,  that  they  had 
steered  their  prows  to  a  new  continent,  where  development  should  within  five 
centuries  hold  up  to  mankind  the  banners  of  new  hopes,  new  aims,  new 
achievements,  by  which  there  should  no  longer  be  an  Orient,  or  an  Occident, 
but  a  world,  no  longer  petty  dynastic  struggles  and  the  dictation  of  warring 
groups  of  pirate  kings  and  robber  barons,  but  the  beginning  of  life  for  a  united 
world  and  a  national  humanity.  As  the  most  significant  feature  between  the 
close  of  the  Fifteenth  Century  and  the  middle  of  the  Twentieth,  it  may  be  seen 
by  future  historians  that  the  discovery  of  a  new  continent  of  man's  intellectual 
and  moral  life  was  the  logical  outcome  of  the  discovery  of  the  physical  con- 
tinent of  America  by  Columbus  and  his  followers. 

Inasmuch  as  the  new  lands  seemed  to  those  first  navigators  of  American 
waters  obstacles  in  the  way  of  fulfilling  the  supposedly  vital  establishment  of  a 
water  route  to  India,  the  greatest  aim  of  those  navigators  was  to  find  open 
channels  through  what  they  persistently  believed  to  be  a  fringe  of  islands 
screening  the  domains  of  the  "Great  Cham"  or  some  other  imagined  potentate 
of  "Ormus  or  of  Ind."  Out  of  that  stage  of  discovery  and  geographical  con- 
ception grew  that  myth  of  "the  Straits  of  Anian,"  whose  ghost  still  walked  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific  until  the  voyages  of  the  closing  decade  of  the  Eighteenth 
103 


104  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Century  at  last  laid  that  persistent  ghost  to  rest.  Not  till  Roald  Amundsen, 
the  Scandinavian  navigator  of  our  own  day,  did  any  keel  of  human  construction 
actually  solve  the  problem  of  the  "Northw^est  passage."  The  myth  of  Anian  came 
into  existence  only  eight  years  after  the  landing  of  Columbus  on  San  Salvador. 
For  in  1500  Caspar  Cortereal,  a  Portuguese  in  the  service  of  Spain,  entered  a 
great  inland  water,  presumably  that  later  known  as  Hudson's  Bay,  and  upon 
his  return  proclaimed  that  he  had  penetrated  the  screen  of  islands  and  had 
actually  reached  the  Asiatic  shores. 

THE    "era    of    liars" 

More  than  a  hundred  years  later,  during  the  "era  of  liars,"  two  veritable 
Munchausens,  who  rejoiced  in  the  names  of  Maldonado  and  Bartolome  de 
Fonte,  told  most  seemingly  veracious  tales  of  their  actually  passing  through 
inlets  of  the  sea  and  thus  completely  solving  the  mystery  of  the  Northwest 
Passage.  Fonte  asserted  that  he  sailed  in  1640  by  way  of  the  Californias  up  the 
Western  Coast  to  latitude  53°  and  there  found  a  great  river  which  he  called 
Rio  de  los  Reyes.  Up  this  river  he  made  his  way  to  a  great  lake  of  such  beauty 
that  he  named  it  Lake  Belle.  On  the  south  side  of  that  lake,  he  asserted,  was  a 
large  native  city  called  Conasset.  Pursuing  his  course  eastward  from  that  lake 
he  reached  still  another  to  which  he  applied  his  own  name.  Still  further  this 
lake  debouched  into  a  strait  to  which,  in  honor  of  one  of  his  captains,  he  gave 
the  name  of  Ronquillo.  From  this  strait  the  explorers  made  their  way,  accord- 
ing to  their  narrative,  to  the  Atlantic  or  to  an  arm  of  that  ocean.  To  add  to 
the  verisimilitude  and  we  might  add  in  the  language  of  1918,  to  the  camouflage 
of  it — Fonte  still  further  relates  that  upon  his  entrance  to  the  ocean  he  dis- 
covered a  "Great  ship,  where  there  had  never  been  one  before,  and  upon  board- 
ing it,  found  there  only  an  old  man  and  a  youth  who  told  him  that  they  came 
from  the  town  called  Boston  in  New  England.  On  the  following  day  came  the 
captain  and  the  owner,  the  latter  of  whom  was  a  'fine  gentleman  and  major- 
general  of  the  largest  colony  in  New  England,'  called  Maltechusetts."  Fonte 
had  an  exchange  of  courtesies  with  these  New  Englanders,  after  which  he 
returned  by  the  Rio  de  los  Reyes  to  the  Pacific.  Meanwhile  his  lieutenant, 
Bernardo,  had  followed  another  river  to  a  lake  in  latitude  61°  which  he  called 
Valasco,  and  rom  it  he,  with  his  party,  went  in  canoes  as  far  as  latitude  78° 
where  the  land  still  trended  north  and  ice  rested  upon  it. 

The  story  of  Maldonado  was  given  with  the  same  appearance  of  candor  and 
accuracy  as  that  of  Fonte.  Maldonado  presented  to  the  Council  of  the  Indies 
in  1609,  a  narrative  of  a  voyage  which  he  claimed  to  have  made  in  1588  from 
Lisbon  through  the  islands  north  of  America  to  the  Pacific.  The  voyage  is  all 
blocked  out  and  described  with  much  particularity.  The  navigator  outlines  a 
course  lying  mainly  along  the  parallel  of  60°  North  latitude,  a  total  distance 
of  1,810  leagues,  at  the  west  end  of  which  course  he  discovers  a  strait  which 
he  calls  the  strait  of  Anian.  That  strait,  according  to  Maldonado,  "appears, 
according  to  ancient  tradition,  to  be  that  named  by  geographers,  in  their  maps, 
the  Strait  of  Anian ;  and  if  so,  it  must  be  a  strait  having  Anian  on  one  side  and 
America  on  the  other." 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  105 

Having  emerged  from  the  strait  they  sailed  down  the  coast  of  America 
to  latitude  55°,  but  were  at  such  a  distance  from  the  shore  as  to  be  unable  to- 
mark  any  particular  point.  Yet  they  were  sure  that  the  land  was  inhabited 
by  reason  of  the  "smoke  rising  up  in  many  places."  Maldonado  decided  that 
the  country  must  belong  to  Tartary  or  Cathaia,  and  "that  at  the  distance  of  a 
few  leagues  from  the  coast  must  be  the  famed  city  of  CamboUi,  the  metropolis- 
of  Tartary."  He  declares  that  they  knew  the  water  to  be  the  South  Sea,  where 
are  situated  Japan,  China,  the  Mollucas,  India,  New  Guinea,  and  the  land  dis- 
covered by  Captain  Quiras,  with  all  the  coast  of  New  Spain  and  Peru.  The 
strait  of  Anian  was,  according  to  the  description,  fifteen  leagues  in  length,  and 
could  easily  be  passed  with  a  tide  lasting  six  hours;  "for  those  tides  are  very 
rapid."  The  entrance  on  the  north  side,  which  this  party  claimed  to  have  passed 
through,  was  less  than  half  a  quarter  of  a  league  in  width  and  on  each  side 
were  ridges  of  steep  rock,  that  on  the  Asiatic  side  being  so  steep,  even  over- 
hanging, that  nothing  falling  from  the  summit  could  reach  the  base.  Maldonado- 
found  the  entrance  so  narrow  that  it  could  be  easily  defended  by  proper  bas- 
tions. And  that,  it  may  be  said  in  passing,  was  a  great  point  with  the  Span- 
iards. For  they  determined  by  all  means  in  their  power  to  keep  out  other  Euro- 
peans from  the  South  Sea.  Even  as  early  as  the  time  of  Philip  II  about  1570,. 
it  was  proposed,  according  to  Alcedo,  to  cut  a  canal  through  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  but  when  the  project  was  brought  before  the  Council  of  the  Indies, 
it  was  represented  to  the  King  that  such  an  undertaking  would  be  of  great 
danger  to  the  monarchy.  The  monarch  therefore  forbade  any  one,  on  pain  of 
death,  from  ever  even  proposing  such  a  project.  But,  of  course,  when  the 
Dutch  mariners,  Lemaire  and  Van  Shouten,  in  1616,  doubled  Cape  Horn  and 
disclosed  the  vast  expanses  from  the  southern  point  of  America  into  the  Ant- 
arctic seas  it  became  obvious  that  there  was  no  use  of  fortifying  either  Panama 
or  Strait  of  Anian. 

Maldonado  further  declares  that  while  his  squadron  lay  at  anchor  in  the 
southern  end  of  that  strait  from  the  beginning  of  April  to  the  middle  of  June, 
a  large  vessel  entered  from  the  South  Sea  for  the  purpose  of  passing  the  strait. 
First  putting  his  own  forces  in  a  position  of  defence  he  found  that  the  new- 
comers were  friendly  and  willing  to  trade.  The  greater  part  of  their  merchan- 
dise was  discovered  to  consist  of  articles  similar  to  those  manufactured  in 
China,  such  as  brocades,  silks,  porcelains,  feathers,  precious  stones,  pearls  and 
gold.  Maldonado  believed  the  crew  of  the  new  vessel  to  be  Hanseatics.  All' 
that  we  can  say  with  certainty  is  that  we  have  the  narrative,  but  of  whether  to- 
give  credence  to  all  or  to  nothing,  deponent  sayeth  not. 

By  far  the  most  interesting  as  well  as  inherently  most  probable  of  the 
romantic  voyages  of  that  period  is  that  of  Juan  de  Fuca.  This  voyage  is  sup- 
posed to  have  occurrred  in  1592,  just  one  hundred  years  after  Columbus.  The 
manner  of  its  incorporation  into  the  jetsam  and  flotsom  of  ocean  literature  was- 
in  this  wise.  In  the  historical  and  geographical  work  by  Samuel  Purchas 
published  in  1625  and  entitled  "The  Pilgrims,"  a  collection  of  ocean  discoveries, 
is  included  a  contribution  headed  "A  Note  Made  by  Michael  Lock  the  Elder, 
touching  the  Strait  of  Sea,  commonly  called  Fretum  Anian,  in  the  South  Sea, 
through  the   Northwest   Passage  of   Meta  Incognita."     In   this   Michael   Lock 


106  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

^describes  his  meeting  at  Venice  in  1596,  an  old  man  known  as  Juan  de  Fuca,  but 
properly  named  Apostolos  Valerianos,  a  Greek  by  nation  and  "an  ancient  pilot 
<of  ships."  This  old  man  declared  that  he  had  been  in  the  service  of  Spain  forty 
years  in  the  West  Indies  and  that  he  was  one  of  the  victims  of  the  capture  in 
1587  of  the  galleon  Santa  Anna  by  the  English  Cavendish,  losing  sixty  thousand 
ducats  of  his  own  goods.  Subsequently,  according  to  his  story,  he  was  sent  to 
cexplore  the  western  coast  of  America  with  instructions  to  discover  and  fortify 
the  Strait  of  Anian,  that  the  English  might  not  pass  through  it  into  the  South 
•Sea. 

His  first  quest  proving  unsuccessful,  he  went  again  in  1792,  in  a  small 
caravel.  On  that  voyage  he  followed  a  course  west  and  northwest  along  the 
.coast  of  Mexico  and  California  to  latitude  47°.  There  the  story  continues: — 
"finding  that  the  land  trended  north  and  northeast,  with  a  broad  inlet  of  sea, 
•between  47°  and  48°  of  latitude,  he  entered  thereinto,  sailing  therein  more  than 
twenty  days,  and  found  that  land  trending  still  sometime  northwest  and  north- 
-east  and  north  and  also  east  and  southeastward,  and  very  much  broader  sea 
■than  was  at  the  said  entrance,  and  he  passed  by  divers  islands  in  that  sailing ; 
and,  at  the  entrance  of  this  said  strait,  there  is,  on  the  northwest  coast  thereof, 
a  great  headland  or  island,  with  an  exceedingly  high  pinnacle  or  spired  rock, 
like  a  pillar,  thereupon."  Further  on  in  the  narration  it  is  stated  that  "being 
■entered  thus  far  into  the  North  Sea  already,  and, finding. the  sea  wide  enough 
everywhere,  and  to  be  about  thirty  or  forty  leagues  wide  in  the  mouth  of  the 
straits,  where  he  entered,  he  thought  he  had  now  well  discharged  his  ofiice ; 
and  that,  not  being  armed  to  resist  the  force  of  the  savage  people  that  might 
^happen,  he  therefore  set  sail,  and  returned  to  Acapulco." 

Although  the  location  of  the  strait  described  by  the  old  Greek  pilot  is  given 
■as  between  47°  and  48°,  one  degree  too  far  south,  and  although  it  is  not  pos- 
sible to  follow  precisely  the  various  turns  in  the  course  or  to  identify  exactly 
the  "high  pinnacle  or  spired  rock,  like  a  pillar  thereupon,"  nevertheless  there 
is  so  much  of  a  general  resemblance  to  the  location  which  Meares.  the  English 
navigator  two  hundred  years  later  distinguished  by  the  fine-sounding  appellation 
of  the  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca  upon,  the  northwest  corner  of  our  good  state 
of  Washington,  that  we  can  only  note  the  strangeness  of  the  coincidence,  if 
that  is  all  that  it  is,  and  to  cherish  the  hope  that  in  reality  more  than  three  cen- 
turies ago  Juan  de  Fuca  himself  did  actually  view  that  wondrous  archipelago 
and  thread  the  "Inland  Passage"  clear  to  the  northern  tip  of  what  we  know  as 
Vancouver  Island,  where  being  in  the  illimitable  expanses  of  the  Pacific  he 
really  believed  that  he  had  entered  the  Atlantic  and  had  found  the  long-sought 
"Strait  of  Anian."  At  any  rate  the  story  is  such  a  fine  one  that,  if  not  true,  it 
XDught  to  be. 

Fascinating  as  is  the  story  of  the  gradual  movement  of  discovery  from 
Mexico  and  Tehuantepec  northward  along  the  coast  of  the  Califomias,  the 
scope  of  this  volume  does  not  permit  us  to  moor  our  bark  upon  the  shore  of 
Montalvos's  "Island  of  California  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Indies  very  near  the 
'terrestrial  Paradise."  The  inhabitants  of  our  favored  sister  state  to  the  south, 
rising  out  of  the  purple  mists  of  historic  romance  and  of  the  purple  seas  and 
•enchanted  airs  of  that  belt  of  the  Pacific,  are  already  sufficiently  assured  that 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         ,  107 

the  Golden  State  is  not  only  near  the  "terrestrial  Paradise"  but  is  the  very 
sum  and  substance  of  all  Paradises  joined,  to  need  none  of  our  humble  assistance 
in  exalting  their  home  land.  We  can  pause  in  passing  only  to  say  that  following 
the  gorgeous  age  of  Cortez  and  Balboa  and  Ulloa  and  Alarcon  came  that 
curious  and  even  pathetic  era  which  has  done  so  much  to  provide  material  for 
the  present  age  of  a  distinctive  era  of  California  literature,  the  Age  of  the 
Padres. 

There  were,  in  fact,  two  eras  of  missions — one  that  of  Salvatierra  and  his 
associates,  at  Lareto,  in  Lower  California,  at  the  close  of  the  Seventeenth 
Century,  and  the  other  that  of  seventy  years  later,  in  which  Father  Juni- 
pero  Serra  was  the  central  figure  and  as  a  result  of  which  missions  and 
presidios  and  actual  settlements  took  possession  of  those  fair  valleys  where 
the  glorious  cities  of  American  California,  San  Diego,  Los  Angeles,  San  Jose, 
Monterey  and  San  Francisco  link  the  lines  of  Padres  with  those  of  modern 
nation-makers.  But  while  that  unique  era  of  Spanish  California  was  in  process 
of  growth,  explorers  of  the  Spanish  Main  were  turning  their  prows  northward 
to  solve  the  still  baffling  mystery  of  the  Northwest  Passage.  Aside  from  those 
whom  we  have  denominated  as  belonging  to  the  "Age  of  Liars,"  there  were 
many  whose  voyages  hold  an  honored  place  in  authentic  annals.  In  fact,  long 
before  any  Padre  set  forth  with  crucifix  and  rosary  to  save  the  souls  of  the 
native  Calif ornian's,  Cabrillo  and  Ferrelo  had  glided  through  the  northern  fogs 
to  a  point  which  they  reported  as  latitude  44°,  though  the  judgment  of  his- 
torians is  that  it  was  probably  not  north  of  Cape  Mendocino.  In  1602  and  1603 
another  pair  of  the  great  mariners  made  their  way  up  the  California  coast. 
These  were  Vizcaino  and  Aguilar.  The  latter,  separated  by  storm  from  his 
principal,  reached,  as  he  claimed,  latitude  43°,  and  there  he  discovered  a  great 
river,  January  19,  1603.  Much  discussion  has  arisen  as  to  whether  this  could 
have  been  the  Columbia.  It  is  the  only  really  great  river  on  the  coast  of 
Oregon,  but  it  is  over  three  degrees  too  far  north  for  the  Rio  de  Aguilar,  as 
that  supposed  river  became  named  on  Spanish  maps.  But  observations  were 
not  very  accurately  made  in  those  times,  nor  very  correctly  reported.  So  it  is 
quite  within  the  bounds  of  possibility  that  the  great  "River  of  the  West"  might 
be  justly  known  as  Aguilar. 

RUSSIA    WAKES   UP 

After  the  time  of  Aguilar  a  great  lull  in  Spanish,  English  and  French 
explorations  ensued  for  a  century  and  a  half.  This  lull  was  due  to  the  stupend- 
ous wars  of  the  Seventeenth  Century,  involving  all  western  Europe.  But  while 
western  Europe  was  thus  negligent  of  the  Pacific  shore  of  America,  a  new 
claimant  entered  the  field  from  the  north.  The  "Colossus  of  the  North," 
Russia,  under  the  bold  genius  of  Peter  the  Great,  had  started  on  her  great 
march  to  warm  water  and  open  ports.  Part  of  the  stupendous  conception  of 
that  creator  of  modem  Russia  was  to  acquire  North  America  by  moving  east- 
ward and  southward.  Siberia  was  the  first  fruit  of  the  eastward  expansion. 
This,  too,  like  the  acquirement  of  California  by  Spain,  is  another  story  and 
cannot  be  related  here.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  with  the  entrance  of  this  new 
champion  into  the  lists.  North  America,  and  particularly  Oregon,  became  the 


108  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

prize  of  contest  between  four  great  European  powers,  Spain,  England,  Russia 
and  France,  the  last,  however,  not  playing  the  same  role  as  the  others. 

The  name  Oregon,  like  that  of  California  and  Idaho — all  sonorous  and 
appropriate  names — has  hidden  and  mysterious  sources.  First  appearing  in  the 
work  of  Jonathan  Carver  soon  after  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  a  few  years 
later  made  familiar  to  the  reading  public  in  the  sounding  lines  of  Bryant's 
"Thanatopsis" — "or  lose  thyself  in  the  continuous  woods  where  there  rolls  the 
Oregon  and  hears  no  sound  save  his  own  dashings" — it  had  come  to  be  a  lure 
to  the  navigators  of  the  four  great  nations  named  above.  An  impression  of 
some  great  "River  of  the  West"  or  "Rio  de  los  Reyes,"  or  "Rio  de  Aguilar" 
had  become  planted  in  the  minds  of  the  explorers  of  the  Eighteenth  Century. 
It  is  evident  that  there  were  many  unrecorded  voyages  along  our  western 
coast.  We  have  the  romantic  tale  of  the  "beeswax  ship"  on  the  Oregon  coast, 
near  Tillamook,  as  one  example.  The  wax  is  actually  there,  and  large  amounts 
have  been  taken  from  it.  Some  believed  for  a  time  that  it  was  sort  of  a 
natural  wa.x  or  paraffine,  but  the  discovery  of  a  bee  in  a  cake  of  it,  and  also 
the  existence  in  some  cakes  of  the  sacred  letters  I.  H.  S.  make  clear  that  it 
is  real  wa.x.  It  is  probable  that  the  wax  was  the  cargo  of  some  wrecked  ship 
sent  by  the  Padres  of  California  to  found  a  mission  in  the  North,  and  that 
the  wax  was  intended  for  candles.  As  another  example  of  these  unrecorded 
voyages  we  have  the  "treasure  ship"  at  the  foot  of  Nekahni  Mountain,  a 
regular  Parnassus  of  Indian  mythology.  According  to  this  story,  a  group  of 
Indians,  gathered  on  the  grassy  slopes  of  the  sacred  mountain,  looking  toward 
the  ocean,  saw  approaching  what  at  first  they  supposed  to  be  an  immense  bird. 
While  they  watched  in  secret  they  saw  that  the  bird  was  a  big  boat,  and  that 
it  came  to  a  halt  in  the  ocean  some  distance  from  the  land,  and  that  from  it 
was  proceeding  a  small  boat.  In  this  were  several  men  and  with  them  a  black, 
whom  they  supposed  to  be  some  sort  of  a  goblin  or  spook.  The  men  in  the 
boat  landed,  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  there 
they  killed  the  black  man  and  threw  him  into  the  hole.  Then  they  carried 
from  their  boat  a  big  chest  which  they  put  in  the  same  hole.  Covering  it  all 
carefully  they  left  the  deposit  and  rowed  away  in  their  boat  to  the  ship.  Soon 
the  sails  were  shaken  out  and  the  vessel  soon  disappeared  from  view.  It  is 
a  fact  that  at  the  point  which  Indian  tradition  assigns  for  the  location  of  the 
chest  and  the  "spook,"  there  are  certain  arrows  and  pointers  graven  in  the 
rock.  In  recent  years  the  whole  place  has  been  dug  over  by  treasure  hunters, 
some  even  invoking  mediumistic  guidance  to  the  location,  but  no  iron-bound 
and  rusted  chest,  with  its  diamond  necklaces  and  golden  crucifixes  and  tar- 
nished Spanish  doubloons,  has  yet  rewarded  the  search.  Still  another  story 
comes  to  us  from  a  little  farther  north,  the  most  complete  in  its  original 
sources  of  any.  This  was  derived  by  Prof.  Franz  Boas  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institution  from  Charlie  Cultee,  an  old  Indian  of  Bay  Center,  in  Willapa 
Harbor.  The  substance  of  it  comes  also  from  other  sources.  According  to 
this  tale,  one  afternoon  in  strawberry  time  a  group  of  Indians  at  a  point 
about  two  miles  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River  saw,  far  out  in  the 
ocean,  a  great  object  slowly  drawing  near  the  shore.  In  the  morning  an  old 
woman  went  down  toward  the  beach  and  saw  this  same  big  object  in  the  surf 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  109 

at  the  edge  of  the  shore.  Now  this  old  woman  had  been  greatly  bereaved  some 
years  before  by  the  death  of  her  son.  According  to  Charlie  Cultee,  "she  wailed 
a  whole  year  and  then  she  stopped."  She  hastened  to  the  shore  with  the 
idea  that  she  might  hear  something  of  her  son.  While  she  was  gazing  with 
awe  and  fear  two  creatures  resembling  bears  but  standing  up,  came  out  on  the 
'"thing."  They  looked  like  men  except  that  they  were  covered  with  hair  of  a 
light  color.  They  stretched  out  their  hands  to  the  woman  and  signified  that 
they  wished  something  to  drink.  The  old  woman,  seeing  that  they  indeed  looked 
and  moved  like  men,  but  thinking  that  they  must  be  of  those  told  of  in  the 
■'Ecannum  Tales,"  fled  in  great  fear  to  the  village.  When  her  tale  was  told 
the  inhabitants  hastened  to  the  shore  and  discovered  that  the  "thing"  was 
indeed  a  huge  canoe  with  trees  driven  into  it.  Also,  they  found  that  the  two 
creatures  like  bears  had  gone  ashore,  made  a  fire  and  were  holding  grains 
of  corn  (or  they  afterwards  found  them  to  be)  in  a  kettle  over  the  fire.  The 
grains  were  popping  around  very  rapidly.  The  Indians  seem  to  have  been 
greatly  impressed  with  this  popcorn,  and,  according  to  Professor  Boas,  that 
feature  of  the  story  is  found  in  all  the  various  versions.  The  Indians  brought 
water  for  the  two  strangers,  and  by  examining  their  hands  and  taking  off  their 
clothes  and  seeing  their  white  skins,  discovered  that  they  were  indeed  men. 
But  while  the  mystery  was  thus  being  solved  the  ship  caught  fire  in  some 
way,  and  after  burning  fiercely  for  a  time  was  entirely  consumed.  Or,  as 
Charlie  Cultee  expressed  it,  "it  burned  up  just  like  fat."  Mr.  Silas  Smith, 
who  lived  a  long  time  at  Astoria  and  whose  mother  was  an  Indian  woman, 
stated  in  his  narrative  that  the  Indians  used  for  these  men  a  word,  "Tlohonipts," 
meaning  "Those  who  drift  ashore,"  and  that  that  name  afterwards  became 
applied  to  all  Whites  indiscriminately. 

By  the  burning  of  the  ship  the  Indians  got  a  huge  quantity  of  iron  and 
copper.  This  was  of  the  utmost  value  for  knives  and  chisles  and  axes.  Best 
of  all,  one  of  the  men  knew  how  to  make  those  implements.  He  was  in  great 
demand,  and  strife  arose  between  the  Clatsops  and  Chinooks  and  Wahkiakums, 
and  even  the  far-off  Chehalees,  as  to  which  should  have  him.  He  finally  was 
allowed  to  make  a  house  of  his  own  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  Some  have 
undertaken  to  identify  his  location  with  Lake  Culleby,  on  the  edge  of  the  high 
timber  land,  near  the  present  Gearhart  Park.  This  iron-worker's  name  was 
Konapee.  According  to  the  story,  he  and  his  companion,  after  living  a  long 
time  there  and  having  Indian  women,  tried  to  get  away  southward  and  were 
never  heard  of  afterwards.  A  narration  fitting  curiously  into  this  story  is 
found  in  Franchere's  narrative  (by  Gabriel  Franchere,  one  of  the  Astor  party 
of  1810),  to  the  effect  that  Franchere  saw  in  1814,  at  the  Cascades,  an  old  man 
called  Soto,  who  stated  that  his  father  was  a  white  man,  a  Spaniard,  who 
was  wrecked  on  the  Oregon  coast  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  Silas  Smith 
stated  that  his  mother  knew,  in  1830,  an  old  woman  who  was  a  daughter  of 
Konapee  or  Soto,  whom  Mr.  Smith  believed  to  be  the  same  person.  From 
this  data  it  was  conjectured  by  H.  S.  Lyman,  in  his  history  of  Oregon,  page 
172,  Volume  I,  that  the  date  when  Konapee  was  cast  upon  the  shore  was  about 
1725.  One  interesting  collateral  fact  with  the  iron  work  of  Konapee  is  that 
when   authentic   discoveries   were   made   along   the   Oregon   coast   the   Indians 


110  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

seemed  to  be  entirely  familiar  with  iron  implements,  though  not  having  many^ 
and  hence  very  eager  to  get  them.  In  the  account  of  Cook's  voyages  it  is 
stated  that  not  even  cannon  seemed  to  surprise  the  Indians  on  the  coast  of 
Nootka. 

Such  may  be  looked  on  as  the  general  view  of  the  prehistoric  or  legendary 
age  of  Northwestern  history.  That  age  blends  in  a  more  or  less  vague  manner 
with  the  early  narratives  like  those  of  Aguilar  and  Vizcaino  and  the  later 
authentic  age  of  Heceta,  Cook,  Gray,  and  Vancouver,  in  the  later  Eighteenth 
Century.  The  author  of  this  volume  has  written  for  an  earlier  work  ("The 
Columbia  River")  a  narrative  of  that  stage  of  history  from  which  he  derives 
the  remainder  of  this  chapter. 

"This  new  movement  of  Pacific  exploration,  destined  to  continue  with 
no  cessation  to  our  own  day,  was  ushered  in  by  Spain.  There  was  even  yet 
much  vitality  in  the  fallen  mistress  of  the  world.  Impelled  by  both  religious 
zeal  and  hope  of  material  gain,  the  immigration  of  1769  went  forth  from 
La  Paz  to  San  Diego  and  Monterey.  That  inaugurated  the  singular  and 
poetic,  in  some  aspects  even  beautiful,  history  of  Spanish  California,  an  era 
which  has  provided  so  much  of  romance  and  poetry  for  literature  in  the 
California  of  our  own  times.  Tlie  march  of  events  had  made  it  plain  to  the 
Spanish  government  that,  if  it  was  to  retain  a  hold  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  it 
must  bestir  itself.  Russia,  England,  and  France,  released  in  a  measure  from 
the  pressure  of  European  struggles,  were  fitting  out  expeditions  to  resume 
the  arrested  efforts  of  the  Sixteenth  Century.  It  seemed  plain  also  that  colonial 
America  was  going  to  be  an  active  rival  on  the  seas.  And  well  may  it  have  so 
seemed,  for,  in  the  sign  of  the  Yankee  sailor,  the  conquest  was  to  be  made. 

Spain's  opportunity 

But  just  at  that  important  juncture  a  most  favoring  condition  arose  for 
Spain.  The  government  of  England  precipitated  the  struggle  of  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution.  France  soon  joined  to  strike  her  island  rival  a  deadly  blow  by 
assisting  in  the  liberation  of  the  colonies.  For  the  time,  Spain  had  nearly  a 
clear  field  for  Pacific  discovery,  so  far  as  England  and  France  were  concerned. 
As  for  Russia,  the  danger  was  more  imminent.  Russia  had,  indeed,  begun  to 
look  in  the  direction  of  Pacific  expansion  a  long  time  prior  to  the  Spanish 
immigration  to  California.  That  vast  monarchy,  transformed  by  the  genius 
of  Peter  the  Great,  had  stretched  its  arms  from  the  Baltic  to  the  Aleutian 
archipelago,  and  had  looked  from  the  frozen  seas  of  Siberia  to  the  open  Pacific 
as  a  fairer  field  for  expansion.  ^Many  years  elapsed,  however,  before  Peter's 
great  designs  could  be  fulfilled.  Not  till  1741  did  Vitus  Behring  thread  the 
thousand  islands  of  Sitka  and  gaze  upon  the  glaciated  crest  of  Mount  St. 
Elias.  And  it  was  not  till  thirty  years  later  that  it  became  understood  that 
the  Bay  of  Avatcha  was  connected  by  the  open  sea  with  China.  In  1771  the 
first  cargo  of  furs  was  shipped  directly  from  Avatcha  to  Canton.  Then  the 
vastness  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  was  first  comprehended.  Then  it  was  first  under- 
stood that  the  same  waters  which  lashed  the  frozen  ramparts  of  Kamchatka 
encircled  the  coral  islands  of  the  South  Sea  and  roared  against  the  stormy 
barriers  of  Cape  Horn. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  111 

The  Russians  had  not  found  the  Great  River,  though  it  appears  that 
Behring,  in  1771,  had  gone  as  far  south  as  latitude  46°,  just  the  parallel  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  But  he  was  so  far  off  the  coast  as  not  to  see  it- 
Three  Spanish  voyages  followed  in  rapid  succession;  that  of  Perez  in  1774, 
of  Heceta  in  1775,  and  of  Bodega  in  1779.  The  only  notable  things  in  connec- 
tion with  the  voyage  of  Perez  were  his  discovery  of  Queen  Charlotte's  Island, 
with  the  sea-otter  furs  traded  by  the  natives,  the  first  sight  of  that  superb  groupi 
of  mountains  which  we  now  call  the  Olympic,  but  which  the  Spaniards  named 
ihe  Sierra  de  Santa  Rosalia,  and  finally  the  fine  harbor  of  Nootka  on  Vancouver 
Island,  named  by  Perez  Port  San  Lorenzo,  for  years  the  center  of  the  fur 
trade  and  the  general  rendezvous  of  ships  of  all  nations.  But  no  river  was 
found. 

With  another  year  a  still  completer  expedition  was  fitted  out,  Bruno- 
Heceta  being  commander  and  Francisco  de  la  Bodega  y  Quadra,  second  in, 
command.  This  voyage  was  the  most  important  and  interesting  thus  far  m 
the  history  of  the  Columbia  River  exploration.  For  Heceta  actually  found  the 
Great  River,  so  long  sought  and  so  constantly  eluding  discovery.  On  June 
10,  1775,  Heceta  passed  Cape  Mendocino  and  entered  a  small  bay  just  north- 
ward. There  he  entered  into  friendly  relations  with  the  natives  and  took 
solemn  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  his  Catholic  Majesty  of 
Spain.  Sailing  thence  northward,  he  again  touched  land  just  south  of  the- 
Straits  of  Fuca,  but  there  he  met  disaster  at  the  ill-omened  point  subsequently 
named  Destruction  Island.  For  there  his  boat,  landing  for  exploration,  was 
set  upon  by  the  savage  inhabitants,  and  the  entire  boat-load  murdered.  Moving 
southward  again,  on  August  15,  in  latitude  46°  ICK,  Heceta  found  himself 
abreast  of  some  great  river.  Deciding  that  this  must  be  indeed  the  mysterious; 
Strait  of  Fuca,  or  the  long  concealed  river  of  the  other  ancient  navigators,, 
he  made  two  efforts  to  enter,  but  the  powerful  current  and  uncertain  depths- 
deterred  him,  and  he  at  last  gave  up  the  effort  and  bore  away  for  Monterey. 
Three  additional  names  were  bestowed  uppn  the  river  at  this  time.  Thinking 
the  entrance  a  bay,  Heceta  named  it,  in  honor  of  the  day,  Ensenada  de  Asun- 
cion. Later  it  was  more  commonly  known  as  Ensenada  de  Heceta,  while  the 
Spanish  charts  designated  the  river  as  Rio  de  San  Roque.  The  name  of  Cabo- 
de  Frondoso  (Leafy  Cape)  was  bestowed  upon  the  low  promontory  on  the 
south,  now  known  as  Point  Adams,  while  upon  the  picturesque  headland  on- 
the  north,  which  we  now  designate  as  Cape  Hancock,  the  devout  Spaniards 
conferred  the  name  of  Cabo  de  San  Roque,  August  16,  being  the  day  sacred 
to  that  saint. 

heceta's  account 

The  original  account  given  by  Heceta  is  so  interesting  that  we  insert 
it  here : 

"On  the  17th  day  of  August  I  sailed  along  the  coast  to  the  forty-sixth 
degree,  and  observed  that  from  the  lat.  47°  4'  to  that  of  46°  10',  it  runs  ire 
the  angle  of  18°  of  the  second  quadrant,  and  from  that  latitude  to  46°  4',  in 
the  angle  of  12  degrees  of  the  same  quadrant;  the  soundings,  the  shore,  the 
wooded  character  of  the  country,  and  the  little  islands,  being  the  same  as  oru 
the  preceding  days. 


112  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  .VALLEY 

"On  the  evening  of  this  day  I  discovered  a  large  bay,  to  which  I  gave  the 
name  Assumption  Bay  and  a  plan  of  which  will  be  found  in  this  parallel.  Its 
latitude  and  longitude  are  determined  according  to  the  most  exact  means 
afforded  by  theory  and  practice.  The  latitudes  of  the  two  most  prominent 
capes  of  this  bay  are  calculated  from  the  observations  of  this  day. 

"Having  arrived  opposite  this  bay  at  six  in  the  evening,  and  placed  the 
ship  nearly  midway  beween  the  two  capes,  I  sounded  and  found  bottom  in  four 
brazas  (nearly  four  fathoms).  The  currents  and  eddies  were  so  strong  that, 
notwithstanding  a  press  of  sail,  it  was  difficult  to  get  clear  of  the  northern  cape, 
towards  which  the  current  ran,  though  its  direction  was  eastward  in  conse- 
quence, of  the  tide  being  at  flood.  These  currents  and  eddies  caused  me  to  be- 
lieve that  the  place  is  the  mouth  of  some  great  river,  or  of  some  passage  to  an- 
other sea.  Had  I  not  been  certain  of  the  latitude  of  this  bay,  from  my  observa- 
tions of  the  same  day,  I  might  easily  have  believed  it  to  be  the  passage  discov- 
ered by  Juan  de  Fuca,  in  1592,  which  is  placed  on  the  charts  between  the  47th 
and  the  48th  degrees ;  where  I  am  certain  no  such  strait  exists ;  because  I  an- 
chored on  the  14th  day  of  July  midway  between  these  latitudes,  and  carefully 
examined  everything  around.  Notwithstanding  the  great  difference  between 
this  bay  and  the  passage  mentioned  by  De  Fuca,  I  have  little  difficulty  in  con- 
ceiving they  may  be  the  same,  having  observed  equal  or  greater  differences  in 
the  latitudes  of  other  capes  and  ports  on  this  coast,  as  I  will  show  at  the  proper 
time;  and  in  all  cases  latitudes  thus  assigned  are  higher  than  the  real  ones. 

"I  did  not  enter  and  anchor  in  this  port,  which  in  my  plan  I  suppose  to  be 
formed  by  an  island,  notwithstanding  my  strong  desire  to  do  so;  because,  hav- 
ing consulted  with  the  second  captain,  Don  Juan  Perez,  and  the  pilot,  Don 
Cristoval  Re  villa,  they  insisted  I  ought  not  to  attempt  it,  as,  if  we  let  go  the 
anchor,  we  should  not  have  men  enough  to  get  it  up,  and  to  attend  to  the  other 
operations  which  would  be  thereby  necessary.  Considering  this,  and  also,  that 
in  order  to  reach  the  anchorage  I  should  be  obliged  to  lower  my  long  boat  (the 
only  boat  I  had)  and  to  man  it  with  at  least  fourteen  of  the  crew,  as  I  could 
not  manage  with  fewer,  and  also  as  it  was  then  late  in  the  day,  I  resolved  to 
put  out;  and  at  the  distance  of  three  leagues  I  lay  to.  In  the  course  of  that 
night  I  experienced  heavy  currents  to  the  southwest,  which  made  it  impossible 
to  enter  the  bay  on  the  following  morning,  as  I  was  far  to  leeward.  These  cur- 
rents, however,  convinced  me  that  a  great  quantity  of  water  rushed  from  this 
bay  on  the  ebb  of  the  tide. 

"The  two  capes  which  I  name  in  my  plan.  Cape  San  Roque  and  Cape 
Frondoso,  lie  in  the  angle  of  10°  of  the  third  quadrant.  They  are  both  faced 
with  red  earth  and  are  of  little  elevation. 

"On  the  18th  I  observed  Cape  Frondoso,  with  another  cape,  to  which  I 
gave  the  name  of  Cape  Falcon,  situated  in  the  latitude  of  45°  43',  and  they  lay 
at  an  angle  of  22°  of  the  third  quadrant,  and  from  the  last  mentioned  cape  I 
traced  the  coast  running  in  the  angle  of  5°  of  the  second  quadrant.  This  land 
is  mountainous,  but  not  very  high  nor  so  well  wooded  as  that  lying  between  the 
latitudes  of  48°  30'  and  46°.  On  sounding  I  found  great  difference:  at  a  dis- 
tance of  seven  leagues  I  got  bottom  at  84  brazas ;  and  nearer  the  coast  I  some- 
times found  no  bottom;  from  which  I  am  inclined  to  believe  there  are  reefs  or 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  113 

shoals  on  these  coasts,  which  is  also  shown  by  the  color  of  the  water.  In  some 
places  the  coast  presents  a  beach,  in  others,  it  is  rocky. 

"A  flat-topped  mountain,  which  I  named  the  Table,  will  enable  any  navi- 
gator to  know  the  position  of  Cape  Falcon  without  observing  it;  as  it  is  in  the 
latitude  of  45°  28',  and  may  be  seen  at  a  great  distance,  being  somewhat  ele- 
vated." 

It  may  be  added  that  the  Cape  Falcon  of  Heceta  was  the  bold  elevation 
fronting  the  sea,  known  now  as  Tillamook  Head,  while  the  Table  Mountain  was 
doubtless  what  we  now  call  Nekahni  Mountain,  both  points  especially  the 
scenes  of  Indian  myth. 

ACTUAL   DISCOVERY   OF   THE    COLUMBIA 

Such  was  the  actual  discovery  of  the  Columbia  River,  and  as  such  the 
Spaniards  justly  laid  claim  to  Oregon.  Their  treaty  with  the  United  States  in 
1819  was  the  formal  conveyance  of  their  claims  to  us.  Nevertheless  Heceta 
only  half  discovered  the  river.  It  seems  very  strange  that  with  the  all-important 
object  of  two  centuries'  search  before  him,  he  should  so  readily  have  succumbed 
to  the  fear  of  the  powerful  outstanding  current.  But  the  Spaniards  were  not 
in  general  the  patient  and  persistent  students  of  the  shores  that  the  English 
and  Americans  were.  Their  charts  were  in  general  worthless.  Nevertheless 
Spain  came  nearest  "making  good"  of  any  of  the  European  powers.  In  1779 
Bodega  and  Arteaga  sailed  far  north  and  sighted  a  vast  snow  peak  "higher 
than  Orizaba,"  which  was  doubtless  St.  Elias.  In  the  same  year  Martinez  and 
DeHaro  established  themselves  at  Nootka.  Subsequent  voyages  of  Bodega, 
Valdez,  and  Galiano,  and  their  first  circumnavigation  of  Vancouver  Island 
(named  by  them  Quadra's  Island,  but  by  mutual  courtesy  and  good-will  of  the 
British  and  Spanish  rivals,  designated  Vancouver's  and  Quadra's  Island),  gave 
them  a  clear  title  to  the  Pacific  Coast  of  North  America  from  latitude  60°  to 
Mexico. 

But  that  is  another  story.  What  of  the  Great  River?  In  the  very  year  of 
the  declaration  of  American  independence,  the  most  elaborate  expedition  yet 
fitted  out  for  western  discovery,  set  forth  from  England  in  command  of  that 
Columbus  of  the  Eighteenth  Century,  Captain  James  Cook.  After  nearly  two 
years  of  important  movements  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere  and  among  the 
Pacific  Islands,  Cook  turned  to  that  goal  of  all  nations,  the  coast  of  Oregon. 
But  the  same  singular  fatality  which  had  baffled  many  of  the  explorers  thus 
far,  attended  this  most  skillful  navigator  and  best  equipped  squadron  thus  far 
seen  on  Pacific  waters.  For  Cook  passed  and  repassed  the  near  vicinity  of  both 
the  Straits  of  Fuca  and  the  Columbia  River,  but  without  finding  either.  Killed 
by  the  treacherous  natives  of  Hawaii  in  1778,  Cook  left  a  great  name,  a  more 
intelligent  conception  of  world  geography  than  was  known  before,  and  greatly 
strengthened  claims  by  Great  Britain  to  the  ownership  of  pivotal  points  of  the 
Pacific.  Of  all  the  great  English  navigators.  Cook  is  perhaps  best  entitled  to 
join  the  grand  chorus  that  sings  the  Songs  of  Seven  Seas.  But  he  did  not  see 
the  Great  River  of  the  West.  What  had  become  of  it?  After  the  fleeting 
vision  which  it  accorded  to  Heceta,  it  seemed  to  have  gone  into  hiding. 

(8) 


114  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

But  a  new  set  of  motives  came  into  play  immediately  after  Cook's  voyage. 
The  two  ships,  the  "Resolution"  and  "Discovery,"  took  with  them  to  China 
a  quantity  of  furs  from  Nootka.  A  few  years  earlier,  as  previously  stated,  the 
Russian  fur-trade  from  Avatcha  to  China  sprang  up  at  once.  A  new  regime 
dawned  in  Chinese  and  East  India  trade.  Gold,  silver  and  jewels  had  not  thus 
far  rewarded  the  search  of  explorers.  They  were  reserved  for  our  later  days 
of  need.  But  the  fur  trade  was  as  good  as  gold.  The  North  Pacific  Coast, 
already  interesting,  assumed  a  new  importance  in  the  eyes  of  Europeans.  The 
"struggle  for  possession"  was  on.  The  ships  of  all  nations  converged  upon 
the  fabled  Strait  of  Anian  and  River  of  Oregon.  English,  Dutch,  French,  Por- 
tuguese, Spanish,  Americans,  began  in  the  decade  of  the  eighties  to  crowd  to  the 
land  where  the  sea-otter,  beaver,  seal  and  many  other  of  the  most  profitable  furs 
could  be  obtained  for  a  trifle.  The  dangers  of  trading  and  the  chances  of  dis- 
ease were  great,  but  the  profits  of  success  were  yet  greater. 

FUR   TRADE   BEGINS 

The  fur  trade  began  to  take  the  place  of  the  gold  hunt  as  a  matter  of  inter- 
national strife.  The  manner  in  which  our  own  country,  weak  and  discordant 
as  its  diiiferent  members  were  when  just  emerging  from  the  Revolutionary 
War,  entered  the  lists,  and  by  the  marvelous  allotment  of  Fortune  or  the  de- 
sign of  Providence,  slipped  in  between  the  greater  nations  and  secured  the 
prize  of  Oregon,  is  one  of  the  epics  of  history,  one  which  ought  to  have  some 
native  Tasso  or  Calderon  to  celebrate  its  triumph. 

Following  quickly  upon  the  conclusion  of  the  American  War,  came  a  series 
of  British,  French  and  Russian  voyages,  which  gradually  centered  more  partic- 
larly  about  Vancouver  Island  and  Nootka  Sound.  The  British  exceeded  the 
others  in  numbers  and  enterprise.  Among  them  we  find  names  now  preserved 
at  many  conspicuous  points  on  the  northern  coast;  as  Portlock,  Hanna,  Dixon, 
Duncan,  and  Barclay.  The  most  notable  of  the  French  was  La  Perouse,  who 
was  best  equipped  for  scientific  research  of  any  one.  A  number  of  Russian 
names  appear  at  that  period,  most  of  which  may  yet  be  found  upon  the  maps 
of  Alaska,  as  SchelikoiT,  IsmylofiP,  Betschareiif,  Resanofif,  Krusenstern,  and 
Baranofif. 

But  none  of  them  set  eyes  on  the  river,  and  it  seemed  more  mythical  than 
ever.  As  a  result,  however,  of  their  various  expeditions,  incomplete  though 
they  were,  each  nation  followed  the  usual  practice  of  claiming  everj'thing  in 
sight,  either  in  sight  of  the  eye  or  the  imagination,  and  demanded  the  whole 
coast  by  priority  of  discovery. 

Never  did  a  geographical  entity  seem  so  to  play  the  ignis  fatitiis  with  the 
world  as  did  the  river.  Thirteen  years  elapsed  from  the  discovery  of  the  Rio 
San  Roque  by  Heceta  before  any  one  of  the  dozens  who  had  meanwhile  passed 
up  and  down  the  coast,  looked  in  again  between  the  Cabo  de  Frondoso  and  the 
Cabo  de  San  Roque.  Then  there  came  on  one  negative  and  two  positive  discov- 
eries, and  the  elusive  stream  was  really  found  never  to  be  lost  again. 

The  negative  discovery  was  that  of  Captain  John  Meares  in  1788.  Since 
England  afterwards  endeavored  to  make  the  voyages  of  Meares  an  important 
link  in  her  chain  of  proof  to  the  ownership  of  Oregon,  it  is  worthy  of  some 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         ,  US 

special  attention.  It  happened  in  this  wise.  Meares  came  first  to  the  coast  of 
Oregon  in  1786,  in  command  of  the  Nootka  to  trade  for  furs  for  the  East  India 
Company.  With  the  Nootka,  was  the  Sea-Otter,  in  command  of  Captain  Walter 
Tipping.  Both  seem  to  have  been  brave  and  capable  seamen.  But  disaster  fol- 
lowed on  their  track.  For  having  sailed  far  up  the  coast,  they  followed  the 
Aleutian  Archipelago  eastward  to  Prince  William's  Sound.  Separated  on  the 
journey,  the  Nootka  reached  a  safe  haven,  but  her  consort  never  arrived,  nor 
was  she  ever  heard  of  more.  The  Nootka,  after  an  Arctic  winter  of  distress 
and  after  losing  a  large  part  of  the  crew  through  the  ravages  of  scurvy,  aban- 
doned the  trade  and  returned  to  China.  Discouraged  by  the  outcome,  the  East 
India  Company  abandoned  the  American  trade  and  confined  themselves  hence- 
forth to  India. 

But  Meares,  finding  that  the  Portuguese  had  special  privileges  in  the  fur 
trade  and  in  the  harbor  of  Nootka,  entered  into  an  arrangement  with  some 
Portuguese  traders  whereby  he  went  nominally  as  supercargo,  but  really  as. 
captain  of  the  Felice,  under  the  Portuguese  flag.  With  her,  sailed  the  "Iphi- 
genia"  with  William  Douglas  occupying  a  place  similar  to  that  of  Meares.  In 
estimating  the  subsequent  pretensions  of  Great  Britain,  the  student  of  history 
may  well  remember  that  these  two  mariners,  though  Englishmen,  were  sail- 
ing under  the  flag  of  Portugal. 

Reaching  again  the  coast  of  Oregon,  Meares  looked  in,  June  29,  1788,  at 
the  broad  entrance  of  an  extensive  strait  which  he  believed  to  be  the  mythical 
Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca  of  two  centuries  earlier,  but  which  he  did  not  pause 
to  explore.  He  went  on  to  Nootka,  and  then  again  turned  his  prow  southward. 
On  July  5th,  in  lat.  46°  10',  he  perceived  a  deep  bay  which  he  considered  at  once  to 
be  the  object  of  his  search.  Essaying  to  enter,  he  found  the  water  shoaling  with 
dangerous  rapidity  and  a  prodigious  easterly  swell  breaking  on  the  shore. 
From  the  masthead  it  seemed  that  the  breakers  extended  clear  across  the  en-. 
trance.  With  rather  curious  timidity  for  a  bold  Briton  right  on  the  eve  of  a 
discovery  for  which  all  nations  had  been  looking,  Meares  lost  courage  and 
hauled  out,  attaching  the  name  Deception  Bay  to  the  inlet  and  Cape  Disap- 
pointment to  the  northern  promontory,  the  last  a  name  still  officially  used. 

Meares  left  as  his  final  conclusion  in  the  matter  the  following  memoran- 
dum: "We  can  now  assert  that  no  such  river  as  that  of  St.  Roque  exists,  as 
laid  down  in  the  Spanish  charts."  In  view  of  this  statement  of  the  case  it 
would  certainly  seem  that  he  could  not  be  accepted  as  a  witness  for  English 
discovery,  even  if  the  Portuguese  flag  had  not  been  flying  at  his  masthead. 

After  bestowing  the  name  of  Lookout  upon  the  great  headland  christened 
Cape  Falcon  by  Heceta  and  known  to  us  as  Tillamook  Head,  Meares  squared 
away  for  Nootka,  and  there  he  spent  a  very  profitable  season  in  the  fur  trade. 

THE    COLUMBIA    REDIVIVA 

But  into  the  harbor  of  Nootka  that  same  year  of  1788,  there  sailed  the 
ship  of  destiny,  the  Columbia  Rediviva,  in  command  of  John  Kendrick.  With 
the  Columbia  came  the  "Lady  Washington,"  commanded  by  Robert  Gray. 
These  were  the  advance  guard  of  Yankee  ships  which  the  energies  of  our  lib- 


116  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

erated  forefathers  were  sending  forth  as  an  earnest  of  the  coming  conquest  of 
Oregon  by  the  universal  Yankee  nation. 

Gray  and  Kendrick  were  engaged  in  the  fur  trade,  and  their  energy  and 
intelligence  made  it  speedily  profitable.  It  took  a  long  time  and  a  long  arm, 
sure  enough,  in  that  day,  to  complete  the  great  circuit  of  the  outfitting,  the 
bartering,  the  transferring,  the  return  trip  and  the  final  sale ; — three  years  in  all. 
The  ship  would  be  fitted  out  in  Boston  or  New  York  with  trinkets,  axes, 
hatchets,  and  tobacco,  and  proceed  by  the  Horn  to  the  coast  of  Oregon, — six 
months  or  sometimes  eight.  Then  up  and  down  the  coast,  as  far  as  known, 
they  would  trade  with  natives  for  the  precious  furs,  making  a  profit  of  a 
thousand  per  cent,  on  the  investment.  Gray,  on  one  occasion,  got  for  an  axe 
a  quantity  of  furs  worth  $8,000.  The  fur  barter  would  take  another  six  or 
eight  months.  Then  with  hold  packed  with  bales  of  furs,  the  ship  would  turn  her 
prow  for  Macao  or  Canton,  six  or  eight  months  more.  In  China,  the  cargo 
of  furs  would  go  out  and  a  cargo  of  nankeens,  teas,  and  silks  go  in,  with  a  great 
margin  of  profit  at  both  ends.  Then  away  again  to  Boston,  there  to  sell  the 
proceeds  of  that  three  years'  "round-up"  of  the  seas  for  probably  ten  times  the 
entire  cost  of  outfitting  and  subsistence.  The  glory,  fascination,  and  gain  of 
the  ocean  were  in  it,  and  also  its  dangers.  Of  this  sufficient  witness  is  found 
in  vanished  ships,  murdered  crews,  storm,  scurvy,  famine,  and  war.  But  it  was 
a  great  age.  Gray  and  Kendrick  were  as  good  specimens  of  their  keen,  facile, 
far-sighted  countrymen,  as  Meares  and  Vancouver  were  of  the  self-opinionated, 
determined,  yet  withal  manly  and  thorough  Britons. 

Among  other  pressing  matters,  such  as  looking  out  for  good  fur  trade  in 
order  to  recoup  the  Boston  merchants  who  had  put  their  good  money  into  the 
venture,  and  looking  out  for  the  health  of  their  crew,  steering  clear  of  the  un- 
charted reefs  and  avoiding  the  treacherous  natives,  Gray  and  Kendrick  remem- 
bered that  they  were  also  good  Americans.  They  must  see  that  the  new  Stars 
and  Stripes  had  their  due  upon  the  new  coast. 

The  first  voyage  of  the  two  Yankee  skippers  was  ended  and  they  set  forth 
for  another  round  in  1791,  but  with  ships  exchanged.  Gray  commanding  the 
Columbia  on  this  second  voyage.  The  year  1792  was  now  come,  and  it  was  a 
great  year  in  the  annals  of  Oregon,  three  hundred  years  from  Columbus,  two 
hundred  from  Juan  de  Fuca.  The  struggle  between  England  and  Spain  over 
conflicting  rights  at  Nootka,  which  at  one  time  threatened  war,  had  been  set- 
tled with  a  measure  of  amicability.  As  a  commissioner  to  represent  Great 
Britain,  Capt.  George  Vancouver  was  sent  out,  while  Bodega  y  Quadra  was 
empowered  to  act  in  like  capacity  for  Spain.  Spaniards  and  Britons  alike  real- 
ised that,  whatever  the  Nootka  treaty  may  have  been,  possession  was  nine  points 
of  the  law,  and  both  redoubled  their  efforts  to  push  discovery,  and  especially 
to  make  the  first  complete  exploration  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca  and  the  supposed 
Great  River.  There  were  great  names  among  the  Spaniards  in  that  year,  some 
of  which  still  commemorate  some  of  the  most  interesting  geographical  points, 
as  Ouimper,  Maiaspina,  Fidalgo,  Camano,  Elisa,  Bustamente,  Valdez  and 
Galiano.  A  list  of  British  names  now  applied  to  many  points,  as  Vancouver, 
Puget,  Georgia,  Baker,  Hood,  Rainier,  St.  Helens,  Whidby,  Vashon,  Town- 
send,  and  others,  attests  the  name-bestowing  care  of  the  British  commander. 

In  going  to  Nootka  as  British  commissioner,  Vancouver  was  under  instruc- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  117 

tions  to  make  the  most  careful  examination  of  the  coast,  especially  of  the  rivers 
or  any  interoceanic  channels,  and  thereby  clear  up  the  many  conundrums  oi 
the  ocean  on  that  shore.  With  the  best  ship,  the  war  sloop  "Discovery,"  accom- 
panied by  the  armed  tender  "Chatham,"  in  command  of  Lieutenant  W.  R. 
Broughton,  and  with  the  best  crew  and  best  general  equipment  yet  seen  on  the 
coast,  it  would  have  been  expected  that  the  doughty  Briton  would  have  found 
all  the  important  places  yet  unfound.  That  the  Americans  beat  him  in  finding 
the  river  and  that  the  Spaniards  beat  him  in  the  race  through  the  Straits  and 
around  Vancouver  Island,  may  be  regarded  as  due  partly  to  a  little  British 
obstinacy  at  a  critical  time,  but  mainly  due  to  the  appointment  of  the  Fates. 

On  April  27th,  Vancouver  passed  a  "conspicuous  point  of  land  composed 
of  a  cluster  of  hummocks,  moderately  high  and  projecting  into  the  sea."  This 
cape  was  in  latitude  46°  19',  and  Vancouver  decided  that  here  were  doubtless 
the  Cape  Disappointment  and  Deception  Bay  of  Meares.  In  spite  of  the  sig- 
nificant fact  that  the  sea  here  changed  its  color,  the  British  commander  was  so 
prepossessed  with  the  idea  that  Meares  must  have  decided  correctly  the  nature 
of  the  entrance  (for  how  was  it  possible  for  an  English  sailor  to  be  wrong  and 
a  Spaniard  right?)  that  he  decided  that  the  opening  was  not  worthy  of  more 
attention  and  passed  on  up  the  coast.  So  the  English  lost  their  second  great 
chance  of  being  first  to  enter  the  river. 

Two  days  later  the  lookout  reported  a  sail,  and  as  the  ships  drew  together, 
the  newcomer  was  seen  to  be  flying  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  It  was  the  "Colum- 
bia Rediviva,"  Capt.  Robert  Gray,  of  Boston.  In  response  to  Vancouver's 
rather  patronizing  queries,  the  Yankee  skipper  gave  a  summary  of  his  log  for 
some  months  past.  Among  other  things  he  stated  that  he  had  passed  what 
seemed  to  be  a  powerful  river  in  latitude  46°  10',  which  for  nine  days  he  had 
tried  in  vain  to  enter,  being  repelled  by  the  strength  of  the  current.  He  now 
proposed  returning  to  that  point  and  renewing  his  efifort.  Vancouver  declined 
to  reconsider  his  previous  decision  that  there  could  be  no  large  river,  and  passed 
on  to  make  his  very  elaborate  exploration  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca  and  their  con- 
nected waters,  and  to  discover  to  his  great  chagrin,  that  the  Spaniards  had  fore- 
stalled him  in  point  of  time. 

The  vessels  parted.  Gray  sailed  south  and  on  May  10,  1792,  paused  abreast 
of  the  same  reflex  of  water  where  before  for  nine  days  he  had  tried  vainly  to 
enter.  The  morning  of  the  11th  dawned  clear  and  favorable,  light  wind,  gentle 
sea,  a  broad,  clear  channel,  plainly  of  sufficient  depth.  The  time  was  now  come. 
The  man  and  the  occasion  met.  Gray  seems  from  the  first  to  have  been  ready 
to  take  some  chances  for  the  sake  of  some  great  success.  He  always  hugged 
the  shore  closely  enough  to  be  on  intimate  terms  with  it.  And  he  was  ready 
boldly  to  seize  and  use  favoring  circumstances.  So,  as  laconically  stated  in  his 
log-book,  he  ran  in  with  all  sail  set,  and  at  two  o'clock  found  himself  in  a 
large  river  of  fresh  water,  at  a  point  about  twenty  miles  from  the  ocean. 

THE    GEOGRAPHICAL    SPHINX 

The  geographical  Sphinx  was  answered.  Gray  was  its  cedipus,  though 
unlike  the  ancient  Tlieban  myth,  there  was  no  need  that  either  the  Sphinx  of 
the  Oregon  coast  or  its  discoverer  perish.  The  river  recognized  and  welcomed 
its  master. 


118  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  next  day  the  "Columbia"  moved  fifteen  miles  up  the  stream.  Finding 
that  he  was  out  of  the  channel,  Gray  stopped  further  progress  and  turned  again 
seaward.  Natives,  apparently  friendly  disposed,  thronged  in  canoes  round  the 
ship,  and  a  large  quantity-  of  furs  was  secured. 

The  river  already  bore  many  names,  but  Gray  added  another,  and  it  was 
the  one  that  has  remained,  the  name  of  his  good  ship  "Columbia."  Upon  the 
southern  cape  he  bestowed  the  name  of  Adams,  and  upon  the  northern,  the 
name  of  Hancock.     These  also  remain. 

The  great  exploit  was  completed.  The  long-sought  River  of  the  West 
was  found,  and  by  an  American.  The  path  of  destiny  for  the  new  Republic  of 
the  West  was  made  secure.  Without  Oregon  we  probably  would  not  have  ac- 
quired California,  and  without  a  Pacific  Coast,  the  United  States  would  inevit- 
ably have  been  but  a  second-class  power,  the  prey  of  European  intrigue.  The 
vast  importance  of  the  issue  then  becomes  clear.  Gray's  happy  voyage,  that 
Yankee  foresight  and  confidence  in  his  seamanship  and  intuitive  suiting  of 
times  and  conditions  to  results  which  marks  the  vital  turning  points  of  history 
differentiate  Gray's  discovery  from  all  others  upon  our  Northwest  coast. 

As  we  view  the  matter  now  a  century  and  more  later,  we  can  see  that  our 
national  destiny,  and  especially  the  vast  part  that  we  now  seem  at  the  point  of 
taking  in  world  interests  through  the  commerce  of  the  Pacific,  hung  in  the  bal- 
ance to  a  certain  extent  upon  the  stubborn  adherence  by  Vancouver,  the  Briton, 
to  the  preconceived  opinion  that  there  was  no  important  river  at  the  point 
designated  by  his  Spanish  predecessor,  and  the  contrasted  readiness  of  the 
American  Gray  to  embrace  boldly  the  chances  of  some  great  discovery.  It  is 
true  that  the  "Oregon  Question"  was  not  to  be  settled  for  several  decades. 
Much  diplomacy  and  contention  almost  to  the  verge  of  war,  were  yet  to  come, 
but  Gray's  fortunate  dash,  "with  all  sail  set,  in  between  the  breakers  to  a  large 
river  of  fresh  water,"  gave  our  nation  a  lead  in  the  ultimate  adjustment  of  the 
case,  which  we  never  lost. 

We  have  said  that  there  was  one  negative  discovery — that  of  Meares — 
and  two  positive  ones.  Gray's  was  one  of  the  two  latter,  and  that  of  Broughton, 
in  command  of  the  "Chatham"  accompanying  Vancouver,  was  the  other. 

On  May  20th,  the  "Columbia  Rediviva" — a  most  auspicious  name— bade 
adieu  to  the  scene  of  her  glory,  and  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes  floating  in 
triumph  at  her  mizzen  mast,  turned  northward.  Again  the  American  captain 
encountered  Vancouver  and  narrated  to  him  his  discovery  of  the  river.  With 
deep  chagrin  at  his  own  failure  in  the  two  most  important  objects  of  discovery 
in  his  voyage,  the  British  commander  directed  Broughton  to  return  to  lat. 
46°  10',  enter  the  river,  and  proceed  as  far  up  as  time  allowed. 

Accordingly,  on  October  21st,  the  companion  ships  parted  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  the  "Discovery"  proceeding  to  Monterey,  while  the  "Chatham" 
crossed  the  bar,  described  by  Broughton  as  very  bad,  and  endeavored  to  ascend 
the  bay  that  strethced  out  beautiful  and  broad  before  them.  But  finding  the 
channel  intricate  and  soundings  variable,  the  lieutenant  deemed  it  advisable  to 
leave  the  ship  at  a  point  which  must  have  been  about  twenty  miles  from  the 
ocean,  and  to  proceed  thence  in  the  cutter. 

There  is  one  thing  observable  in  Vancouver's  accounnt  of  this  expedition 
of  Broughton,  and  that  is  first,  his  assumption  that  the  lower  part  of  the  Colum- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  119 

bia  is  a  bay  and  that  its  true  mouth  is  at  a  point  above  that  reached  by  Gray; 
and  second,  that  the  river  is  much  smaller  than  it  really  is.  It  is  hard  to  recon- 
cile the  language  used  in  Broughton's  report  as  given  by  Vancouver  with  the 
supposition  of  candor  and  honesty.  For  while  it  is  true  that  the  lower  part  of 
the  river  is  of  bay-like  expanse  from  four  to  nine  miles  in  width,  yet  it  is  en- 
tirely fresh  and  has  all  river  characteristics.  One  of  the  points  especially  made 
by  Gray  was  that  he  filled  his  casks  with  fresh  water.  Moreover,  the  bar  is 
entirely  at  the  ocean  limit.  So  completely  does  the  river  debouch  into  the 
ocean,  in  fact,  that  in  the  great  flood  of  1894  the  clams  were  killed  on  the  ocean 
beaches  for  a  distance  of  several  miles  on  either  side  of  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

THE   SIZE  OF  THE  COLUMBIA   RIVER 

As  to  the  size  of  the  river,  Broughton  gives  its  width  repeatedly  as  half 
a  mile  or  a  jquarter  of  a  mile,  whereas  it  is  at  almost  no  point  below  the  Cas- 
cades less  than  a  mile  in  width,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  is  more  usual.  Broughton 
expresses  the  conviction  that  it  can  never  be  used  for  navigation  by  vessels  of 
any  size.  In  view  of  the  vast  commerce  now  constantly  passing  in  and  out, 
the  absurdity  of  that  idea  is  and  has  been  for  years  sufficiently  exhibited.  The 
animus  of  the  British  explorers  is  obvious.  By  showing  that  the  mouth  of  the 
river  was  really  an  inlet  of  the  sea,  they  hoped  to  lay  a  claim  to  British  occu- 
pancy as  against  Gray's  discovery,  and  by  belittling  the  size  of  the  river  they 
hoped  to  save  their  own  credit  with  the  British  Admiralty  for  having  lost  so 
great  a  chance  for  first  occupation. 

Broughton  ascended  the  river  to  a  point  near  the  modern  town  of  Wash- 
ougal.  He  bestowed  British  names  after  the  general  fashion,  as  Mount  Hood, 
Cape  George,  Vancouver  Point,  Puget's  Island,  Young's  Bay,  Menzies'  Island 
and  Whidby's  River.  With  true  British  assurance,  he  felt  that  he  had  "every 
reason  to  believe  that  the  subjects  of  no  other  civilized  nation  or  state  had 
ever  entered  this  river  before;  in  this  opinion  he  was  confirmed  by  Mr.  Gray's 
sketch,  in  which  it  does  not  appear  that  Mr.  Gray  either  saw  or  was  ever  within 
five  leagues  of  its  entrance."  Therefore  he  "took  possession  of  the  river,  and 
the  country  in  its  vicinity,  in  his  Britannic  Majesty's  name." 

In  view  of  all  the  circumstances  of  Gray's  discovery,  and  his  impartation 
of  it  to  the  British,  this  language  of  Vancouver  has  a  coolness,  as  John  Fiske 
remarks,  which  would  be  very  refreshing  on  a  hot  day. 

On  November  10th,  the  "Chatham"  crossed  the  bar  outward  bound  for 
Monterey  to  join  the  "Discovery." 

Such,  in  rapid  view,  were  the  essential  facts  in  the  long  and  curiously  com- 
plicated finding  of  our  River.  We  see  the  foundation  of  the  subsequent  con- 
tention between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States. 

The  important  explorations  of  Puget  Sound,  the  Gulf  of  Georgia,  and  the 
related  waters  upon  the  northwestern  comer  of  the  state  of  Washington  were 
conducted  by  British,  Americans  and  Spaniards.  But  though  many  navigators 
of  those  nations  participated  in  that  great  task,  the  British  may  justly  claim 
the  greater  credit  for  extensive  and  continuous  discovery.  By  the  close  of  the 
century  it  may  be  stated  that  the  coast  of  Oregon  was  fully  known,  and  the 
ifirst  era  of  discovery  was  ended. 


CHAPTER  IV 


EXPLORATIONS  BY  LAND 

explorations  by  land — louisiana  purchase lewis  and  clark  expedition 

indians'  vapor  baths measuring  the  rivers — start  on  return  journey 

— Jefferson's  tribute  to  captain  lewis 

The  successive  acquisitions  of  territory  by  which  the  United  States  came 
to  embrace  the  whole  breadth  of  the  continent  may  almost  be  said  to  constitute 
our  national  history.  Practically  every  great  issue  of  American  politics, — 
constitutional  interpretation,  slavery,  tariff,  money,  interstate  commerce,  rail- 
road legislation.  Civil  War, — has  been  in  some  way  connected  with  the  poli- 
cies pertaining  to  the  acquisition  and  subsequent  government  of  new  territory. 

John  Fiske  has  pointed  out  three  great  methods  in  history  of  controlling 
and  governing  territory : — first,  conquest  without  incorporation,  Oriental ;  sec- 
ond, conquest  with  incorporation  and  assimilation,  Roman ;  third,  acquisition 
with  incorporation,  assimilation,  and  representation,  Teutonic.  The  last  word 
is  not  a  good  one.  If  Fiske  had  written  that  now  he  would  probably  have  writ- 
ten Anglo-Saxon.  But  we  may  venture  to  add  a  fourth  to  this  list,  i.  e.,  acquisi- 
tion by  discovery  or  honest  purchase,  with  participation  in  government  of  new 
parts  on  equal  terms  with  old,  American.  We  have  not  absolutely  adhered  to 
that  great  principle  at  all  times,  but  the  exceptions,  as  in  case  of  Hawaii,  Porto 
Rico,  Panama  and  the  Philippine  Islands,  have  been  short-lived  or  will  be,  and 
the  whole  tendency  and  overwhelming  policy  and  intention  of  the  American 
people  is  to  recognize  and  maintain  peaceful  additions  of  territory  whose  inhab- 
itants may,  as  soon  as  possible,  become  equal  participants  in  the  making  and 
executing  of  laws  and  in  acquiring  their  part  of  the  national  domain  and  in  the 
other  benefits  and  opportunities  which  may  accrue  from  the  democratic  federal 
system  of  the  Union. 

In  many  respects  the  action  of  Maryland  in  1777  upon  the  submission  to  the 
Thirteen  States  by  the  Continental  Congress  of  the  proposed  Articles  of  Con- 
federation was  the  most  important  event  of  that  stage  of  history,  next  to  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  Marj'land  refused  to  ratify  those  articles  unless 
the  states  holding  western  lands  would  cede  them  to  the  Federal  union.  In 
spite  of  bitter  feeling  in  Virginia,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Massachusetts  and 
Connecticut,  which  held  conflicting  claims  in  the  Ohio  and  Great  Lakes  regions, 
little  Maryland  gallantly  stuck  to  her  ultimatum  with  the  result  that  those  land- 
claiming  states  gradually  accepted  the  situation,  and  the  United  States  of 
America  became  the  land  owner  of  the  continent.  That  event  created  the 
National  Government.  That  became  the  strong  bond  of  union.  By  reason  of 
the  nationalization  of  the  land  svstem,  the  immigrants  to  the  new  lands  west  of 
120 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  12E 

the  Alleghenies,  the  state  makers  of  the  first  era  after  Independence,  became 
Americans,  not  Virginians,  New  Yorkers,  New  Englanders,  or  Carohnians,. 
By  reason  of  that  sentiment,  planted  deep  in  the  minds  of  the  builders  of  the 
Lake  states,  of  the  Ohio,  and  the  upper  Mississippi,  the  Union  withstood  the 
shock  of  civil  war  and  still  stands  square  to  the  world,  battling  now  for  the 
principle  of  self-government  for  the  world,  and  having  demonstrated  that  a 
"nation  conceived  in  liberty  and  dedicated  to  the  proposition  that  all  men  are- 
created  equal"  can  "long  endure." 

THE    LOUISIANA    PURCHASE 

Next  to  that  first  acquisition  of  territory  by  the  newly  created  Union,  came 
both  in  time  and  importance  the  Louisiana  Purchase.  The  subsequent  acquisi- 
tion of  Texas,  Oregon  and  California  was  the  logical  consummation  of  the 
earlier.  With  these  vast  regions  extending  to  the  Western  Ocean  the  Ameri- 
cans outgrew  their  earlier  habit  of  thinking  in  terms  of  European  politics  and 
began  to  think  in  terms  of  the  American  continent.  We  then  became  a  real 
people.  It  became  evident  by  the  Louisiana  Purchase  that  the  same  type  of 
people  were  to  march  to  the  Pacific  and  build  states  along  their  road  who  had 
already  demonstrated  the  proposition,  that  "governments  derive  their  just 
powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed."  The  author  of  those  words  had 
seen  more  clearly  perhaps  than  any  other  statesman  of  that  era  the  world' 
vision  of  a  great  American  democracy,  independent  of  Europe  and  yet  by 
reason  of  geographical  position  as  well  as  political  ideals  and  social  aspirations 
the  natural  mediator  among  peoples  and  the  ultimate  teacher  and  enlightener 
of  mankind.  When,  therefore,  as  a  result  of  the  political  revolution  of  1800 
and  the  permanent  establishment  of  the  democratic  conception  in  the  leader- 
ship of  American  politics,  Thomas  Jefferson  found  himself  invested  with  the 
enormous  responsibility  of  framing  policies  and  measures  for  the  new  era, 
one  of  his  foremost  aims  was  to  turn  the  face  of  the  nation  westward.  Having 
long  entertained  the  idea  that  the  true  policy  was  to  secure  such  posts  of  van- 
tage beyond  the  Alleghenies  as  would  lead  by  natural  stages  to  the  acquisition 
of  the  countr>'  beyond  the  Mississippi  even  to  the  Pacific,  he  was  alert  to  seize- 
any  opening  for  pursuing  that  truly  American  policy.  He  did  not  have  long  to 
wait.  At  the  time  of  his  inauguration  the  stupendous  energy  of  the  French 
Revolution  had  become  concentrated  in  that  overpowering  personality.  Napo- 
leon Bonaparte.  Holding  then  the  position  of  First  Consul,  but  as  truly  the  im- 
perial master  as  when  he  placed  the  Iron  Crown  of  the  Lombards  upon  his  own 
head,  "the  man  on  horseback"  perceived  that  a  renewal  of  the  great  war  was 
inevitable  and  that  Austria  on  land  and  England  at  sea  were  going  to  put  metes 
to  his  Empire  if  human  power  could  do  it.  Nothing  was  more  hateful  ta 
Napoleon  than  to  let  French  America,  or  Louisiana,  slip  from  his  grasp.  But 
he  had  not  the  maritime  equipment  to  defend  it.  England  was  sure  to  take  it 
and  that  soon.  Monroe,  the  American  envoy,  was  in  Paris  fully  instructed  by 
President  Jefferson  what  to  do.  All  things  were  ready.  The  men  and  the 
occasion  met.  The  Louisiana  Purchase  was  consummated.  For  less  tham 
three  cents  an  acre  a  region  now  comprising  thirteen  states  or  parts  of  states,. 


122  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

estimated  at  over  565,000,000  acres,  equal  in  extent  to  all  Europe  outside  of 
Russia  and  Scandinavia,  became  part  of  the  United  States. 

LEWIS    AND    CLARK    EXPEDITION 

When  that  great  event  w^as  consummated  and  one  of  the  milestones  in  the 
world's  progress  upon  the  highway  of  universal  democracy  had  been  set  for 
good,  the  next  step  in  the  mind  of  Jefferson  was  to  provide  for  the  exploration 
of  the  vast  new  land.  The  westward  limits  of  Louisiana  were  not  indeed  de- 
fined by  the  treaty  of  purchase  otherwise  than  as  the  boundaries  by  which  the 
territory  had  been  ceded  by  Spain  to  France,  and  those  boundaries  in  turn  were 
defined  only  as  those  by  which  France  had  in  1763  ceded  to  Spjiin.  Hence  the 
western  boundary  of  Louisiana  was  indefinite,  although  subsequent  agreements 
and  usages  determined  the  boundary  to  be  the  crest  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  as 
far  south  as  Texas.  Jefferson  seems  to  have  thought  that  the  entire  continent 
to  the  Pacific  ought  to  be  included  in  the  exploration,  for  be  saw  also  that  the 
destiny  of  his  country  required  the  ultimate  union  of  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
coasts,  as  well  as  the  great  central  valley.  From  these  conceptions  and  aims  of 
Jefferson  sprang  that  most  interesting  and  influential  of  all  exploring  expedi- 
tions in  our  history,  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition  from  St.  Louis  up  the 
Missouri,  across  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  down  the  Snake  and  Columbia 
rivers  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Jefferson  had  contemplated  such  an  expedition  a  long  time.  Even  as  far 
back  as  December  4,  1783,  in  a  letter  to  George  Rogers  Clark,  he  raised  the 
question  of  an  exploration  from  the  Mississippi  to  California.  In  1792  he  took 
it  up  with  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  and  even  then  Meriwether 
Lewis  was  eager  to  head  such  an  expedition.  In  a  message  to  Congress  of 
January  18,  1803,  before  the  Louisiana  Purchase,  Jefferson  developed  the  im- 
portance of  a  thorough  exploration  of  the  continent  even  to  the  Western  Ocean. 
With  his  characteristic  secrecy,  Jefferson  was  disposed  to  mask  the  great  design 
of  ultimate  acquisition  of  the  continent  under  the  appearance  of  scientific  re- 
search. In  a  letter  to  Lewis  of  April  27,  1803,  he  says: — "The  idea  that  you 
are  going  to  explore  the  Mississippi  has  been  generally  given  out ;  it  satisfies 
public  curiosity  and  masks  sufficiently  the  real  destination."  That  real  destina- 
tion was  of  course  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  the  fundamental  aim  was  the  con- 
tinental expansion  of  the  then  crude  and  struggling  Republic  of  the  West. 
Considering  the  momentous  nature  of  the  undertaking  and  the  possibilities  to 
cover,  it  is  curious  and  suggestive  that  Lewis  had  estimated  the  expense  at 
$2,500,  and  Jefferson  called  upon  Congress  for  that  amount  of  appropriation. 
An  explorer  of  the  present  would  hardly  expect  to  go  outdoors  on  that  scale 
of  expense.     Jeffersonian  simplicity  vnth  a  vengeance! 

The  scope  of  this  book  does  not  permit  any  detailed  account  of  the  prepara- 
tions or  of  the  personnel  of  the  party.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  leader,  Meri- 
wether Lewis,  and  his  lieutenant,  William  Clark,  were  men  of  energy,  discre- 
tion, courage,  and  the  other  necessary  qualities  for  such  an  undertaking.  While 
not  men  of  education  or  general  culture  (Clark  could  not  even  spell  or  com- 
pose English  correctly),  they  both  had  an  abundance  of  common  sense  and  in 
preparation  for  their  mission  gained  a  hurried  preparation  in  the  essentials  of 
botany,  zoology,  and  astronomy  such  as  might  enable  them  to  observe  and  re- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  123 

port  intelligently  upon  the  various  objects  of  discovery  and  the  distances  and 
directions  traversed. 

Jefferson's  instructions  to  Captain  Lewis  give  one  an  added  respect  for  the 
intelligence  and  broad  hifmanity  of  the  Great  Democrat.  Particularly  did  he 
enjoin  upon  the  leader  of  the  party  the  wisdom  of  amicable  relations  with  the 
natives.  The  benevolent  spirit  of  the  President  appears  in  his  direction  that 
kine-pox  matter  be  taken  and  that  its  use  for  preventing  small-pox  be  explained 
to  the  Indians.  All  readers  of  American  history  should  read  these  instructions, 
both  for  an  estimate  of  Jeft'erson  personally  and  for  light  on  the  conditions  and 
viewpoints  of  the  times. 

The  number  in  the  party  leaving  St.  Louis  was  forty-five.  But  one  death 
occurred  upon  the  whole  jouniey,  which  lasted  from  May  14,  1804,  to  Septem- 
ber 23,  1806.  Never  perhaps  did  another  so  extended  and  difficult  expedition 
suffer  so  little.  And  this  was  the  more  remarkable  from  the  fact  that  there 
was  no  physician  nor  scientific  man  with  the  party  and  that  whatever  was 
needed  in  the  way  of  treating  the  occasional  sicknesses  or  acccidents  must  be 
done  by  the  Captains.  While  to  their  natural  force  and  intelligence  the  party 
owed  a  large  share  of  its  immunity  from  disaster,  good  fortune  surely  attendea 
them.  This  seems  the  more  noticeable  when  we  reflect  that  this  was  the  first 
journey  across  a  wilderness  afterwards  accentuated  with  every  species  of  suf- 
fering and  calamity. 

The  members  of  the  party  were  encouraged  to  preserve  journals  and 
records  to  the  fullest  degree,  and  from  this  resulted  a  fullness  of  detail  by  a 
number  of  the  men  as  well  as  the  leaders  which  has  delighted  generations  of 
readers  ever  since.  And  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  none  of  the  writers  had  any 
literary  genius,  these  journals  are  truly  fascinating,  on  account  of  the  nature 
of  the  undertaking  and  a  certain  glow  of  enthusiasm  which  invested  with  a 
charm  even  the  plain  and  homely  details  of  the  long  journey. 

The  first  stage  of  the  expedition  was  from  St.  Louis,  May  14,  1804,  to  a 
point  1 ,600  miles  up  the  Missouri,  reached  November  2d.  There  the  party  win- 
tered in  a  structure  which  they  called  Fort  Mandan.  The  location  was  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Missouri  opposite  the  present  city  of  Pierre,  South  Dakota. 
The  journey  had  been  made  by  boats  at  an  average  advance  of  ten  miles  a  day. 
The  river,  though  swift  and  with  frequent  shoals,  offered  no  serious  impedi- 
ments, even  for  a  long  distance  above  Fort  Mandan. 

After  a  long,  cold  winter  in  the  country  of  the  Mandans,  the  expedition 
resumed  its  journey  up  the  Missouri  on  April  7,  1805.  Of  the  interesting  de- 
tails of  this  part  of  their  course  we  cannot  speak.  Reaching  the  headwaters  of 
the  Missouri  on  August  12th,  they  crossed  that  most  significant  spot,  the  Great 
Divide.  A  quotation  from  the  journal  of  Captain  Lewis  indicates  the  lively 
sentiments  with  which  they  passed  from  the  Missouri  waters  to  those  of  the 
Columbia: — "As  they  proceeded,  their  hope  of  seeing  the  waters  of  the  Colum- 
bia rose  to  almost  painful  anxiety ;  when  at  the  distance  of  four  miles  from  the 
last  abrupt  turn  of  the  stream,  they  reached  a  small  gap  formed  by  the  high 
mountains  which  recede  on  either  side,  leaving  room  for  the  Indian  road.  From 
the  foot  of  one  of  the  lowest  of  these  mountains,  which  rises  with  a  gentle 
ascent  for  about  half  a  mile,  issued  the  remotest  water  of  the  Missouri.  They 
had  now  reached  the  hidden  sources  of  that  river  which  had  never  before 


124  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

been  seen  by  civilized  man ;  and  as  they  quenched  their  thirst  at  the  chaste  and 
icy  fountain, — as  they  sat  down  by  the  brink  of  the  little  rivulet  which  yielded 
its  distant  and  modest  tribute  to  the  parent  ocean — they  felt  themselves  re- 
warded for  all  their  labors  and  difficulties.  *  *  *•  They  found  the  descent 
much  steeper  than  on  the  eastern  side,  and  at  the  distance  of  three-quarters  of 
a  mile,  reached  a  handsome  bold  creek  of  cold,  clear  water  running  to  the  west- 
ward.    They  stopped  to  taste  for  the  first  time  the  waters  of  the  Columbia." 

After  some  very  harassing  and  toilsome  movements  in  that  vast  cordon 
of  peaks  in  which  lie  the  cradles  of  the  Missouri,  Yellowstone,  Snake,  Clear- 
water, and  Bitter  Root  rivers — more  nearly  reaching  the  starvation  point  than 
at  any  time  on  the  trip — the  party  emerged  upon  a  lofty  height  from  which 
their  vision  swept  over  a  vast  expanse  of  open  prairie,  in  which  it  became 
evident  there  were  many  natives  and,  as  they  judged,  the  near  vicinity  of  the 
great  river,  which,  as  they  thought  would  carry  them  in  short  order  to  the 
Western  Ocean  of  their  quest.  They  little  realized  that  they  were  yet  more 
than  six  hundred  miles  from  the  edge  of  the  continent.  Descending  upon  the 
plain  they  made  their  way  to  the  Kooskooskee,  now  known  as  the  Clearwater 
River.  As  judged  by  Olin  D.  Wheeler  in  his  invaluable  book,  "On  the  Trail 
of  Lewis  and  Clark,"  the  explorers  crossed  from  what  is  now  Montana  into 
the  present  Idaho  at  the  Lolo  Pass,  and  proceeded  thence  down  the  broken 
country  between  the  North  and  Middle  forks  of  the  Kooskooskee,  reaching  the 
junction  on  September  26th.  The  camp  at  that  spot  was  called  Canoe  Camp. 
There  they  remained  nearly  two  weeks,  most  of  them  sick  through  overeating 
after  they  had  sustained  so  severe  a  fast  in  the  savage  defiles  of  the  Bitter 
Roots,  and  from  the  effects  of  the  very  great  change  in  temperature  from  the 
snowy  heights  to  the  hot  valley  below.  At  Canoe  Camp  they  constructed  boats 
for  the  further  prosecution  of  their  journey.  They  left  their  thirty-eight  horses 
with  three  Indians  of  the  Chopunnish  or  Pierced-nose  tribe,  or  Nez  Perce  as  we 
now  know  them. 

With  their  canoes  they  entered  upon  a  new  stage  of  their  journey,  one 
easy  and  pleasant  after  the  hardships  of  the  mountains.  Down  the  beautiful 
Kooskooskee,  then  low  in  its  autumn  stage,  they  swept  gaily,  finding  frequent 
rapids,  though  none  serious.  The  pleasant  sounding  name  Kooskooskee,  which 
ought  to  be  preserv-ed  (though  Clearwater  is  appropriate  and  sonorous)  was 
supposed  by  the  explorers  to  be  the  name  of  the  river.  This  it  appears  was  a 
misapprehension.  The  author  has  been  told  by  a  very  intelligent  Indian  named 
Luke,  living  at  Kamiah,  that  the  Indians  doubtless  meant  to  tell  the  white  men 
that  the  stream  was  Koos  Koos,  or  water,  water.  Koos  was,  and  still  is,  the  Nez 
Perce  word  for  water.  Luke  stated  that  the  Indians  did  not  regularly  have 
names  for  streams,  but  only  for  localities,  and  referred  to  rivers  as  the  water  or 
koos  belonging  to  some  certain  locality. 

After  a  prosperous  descent  of  the  beautiful  and  impetuous  stream,  for  a 
distance  estimated  by  them  at  fifty-nine  miles  (considerably  over-estimated) 
the  party  entered  a  much  larger  stream  coming  from  the  south.  This  they  un- 
derstood the  Indians  to  call  the  Kimooenim.  They  named  it  the  Lewis  in  honor 
of  Captain  Lewis.  It  was  the  great  Snake  River  of  our  present  maps.  The 
writer  has  been  told  by  Mr.  Thomas  Beall  of  Lewiston,  that  the  true  Indian 
name  is  Twelka,  meaning  Snake.     The  party  was  now  at  the  present  location 


M^^^H|^HbM"'v 

\(  ^ 

.....  \ 

I'  i»(*" 

THOMAS  J.   BEALL 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  125 

of  Lewiston  and  Clarkston,  one  of  the  most  notable  regions  in  the  northwest 
for  beauty,  fertiHty,  and  all  the  essentials  of  capacity  for  sustaining  a  high  type 
■civilized  existence. 

The  party  camped  on  the  right  bank  just  below  the  junction  and  that  first 
■camp  of  white  men  was  nearly  opposite  both  Lewiston  and  Clarkston  of  today. 
They  say  that  the  Indians  flocked  from  all  directions  to  see  them.  The  scanti- 
ness of  their  fare  had  brought  them  to  the  stage  of  eating  dog-meat  which  they 
.say  excited  the  ridicule  of  the  natives.  The  Indians  gave  them  to  understand 
that  the  southern  branch  was  navigable  about  sixty  miles ;  that  not  far  from 
the  junction  it  received  a  branch  from  the  south,  and  at  two  days'  march  up  a 
larger  branch  called  Pawnashte,  on  which  a  chief  resided  who  had  more  horses 
than  he  could  count.  The  first  of  these  must  be  the  Asotin  unless  indeed  they 
referred  to  the  Grande  Ronde  which  is  the  first  large  stream,  but  is  at  a  consid- 
erable distance  from  the  junction.  The  Pawnashte  must  have  been  the  Sal- 
mon, the  largest  tributary  of  the  Snake.  The  Snake  at  the  point  of  the  camp 
■of  the  explorers  was  discovered  to  be  about  three  hundred  yards  wide.  The 
party  noticed  the  greenish  blue  color  of  the  Snake,  while  the  Kooskooskee  was 
as  clear  as  crystal 

The  Indians  at  this  point  are  described  as  of  the  Chopunnish  or  Pierced- 
nose  nation,  the  latter  of  those  names  translated  by  the  French  voyagers  into 
the  present  Nez  Perce.  According  to  the  observations  of  the  party  the  men 
were  in  person  stout,  portly,  well-looking;  the  women  small,  with  good  fea- 
tures and  generally  handsome.  The  chief  article  of  dress  of  the  men  was  a 
"buffalo  or  elk-skin  robe  decorated  with  beads,  sea-shells,  chiefly  mother-of- 
pearl  attached  to  an  otter-skin  collar  and  hung  in  the  hair,  which  falls  in  front 
in  two  queues;  feathers,  paints  of  different  kinds,  principally  white,  green, 
and  light  blue,  all  of  which  they  find  in  their  own  country.  The  dress  of  the 
women  is  more  simple,  consisting  of  a  long  skirt  of  argalia  or  ibex-skin,  reach- 
ing down  to  the  ankles  without  a  girdle ;  to  this  are  tied  little  pieces  of  brass 
and  shells  and  other  small  articles."  Further  on  the  journal  states  again:  "The 
Chopunnish  have  few  amusements,  for  their  life  is  painful  and  laborious;  and 
all  their  exertions  are  necessary  to  earn  even  their  precarious  subsistence. 
During  the  Summer  and  Autumn  they  are  busily  occupied  in  fishing  for  salmon 
and  collecting  their  Winter  store  of  roots.  In  the  Winter  they  hunt  the  deer  on 
snow  shoes  over  the  plains,  and  towards  Spring  cross  the  mountains  to  the 
Missouri  for  the  purpose  of  trafficking  for  buffalo  robes."  It  may  be  remarked 
ihere  parenthetically  that  there  is  every  indication  that  buffalo  formerly  inhab- 
ited the  Snake  and  Columbia  plains.  In  fact  buffalo  bones  have  been  found  in 
Tecent  years  in  street  excavations  at  Spokane.  What  cataclysm  may  have  led 
to  their  extermination  is  hiddden  in  obscurity.  But  at  the  first  coming  of  the 
whites  it  was  discovered  that  one  of  the  regular  occupations  of  the  natives  was 
crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  hunt  or  trade  for  buffalo. 

INDI.^NS'   VAPOR    BATHS 

Soon  after  resuming  the  journey  on  October  11th,  the  explorers  note  with 
•curiosity  one  of  the  vapor  baths  common  among  those  Indians,  which  they  say 
differed  from  those  on  the    frontiers  of    the  United   States  or  in  the  Rocky 


126  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Mountains.  The  bath  house  was  a  hollow  square  six  or  eight  feet  deep  formed 
in  the  river  bank  by  damming  up  with  mud  the  other  three  sides  and  covering 
the  whole  completely  except  an  aperture  about  two  feet  wide  at  the  top.  The 
bathers  descended  through  that  hole,  taking  with  them  a  jug  of  water  and  a 
number  of  hot  rocks.  They  would  throw  the  water  on  the  rocks  until  it  steamed 
and  in  that  steam  they  would  sit  until  they  had  perspired  sufficiently,  and  then 
they  would  plunge  into  cold  water.  This  species  of  entertainment  seems  to 
have  been  very  sociable,  for  one  seldom  bathed  alone.  It  was  considered  a 
great  affront  to  decline  an  invitation  to  join  a  bathing  party. 

The  explorers  seem  to  have  had  a  very  calm  and  uneventful  descent  of 
Snake  River.  They  describe  the  general  lay  of  the  country  accurately,  noting 
that  beyond  the  steep  ascent  of  two  hundred  feet  (it  is  in  reality  a  great  deal 
more  in  all  the  upper  part  of  this  portion  of  Snake  River)  the  country  becomes 
an  open,  level,  and  fertile  plain,  entirely  destitute  of  timber.  They  note  all  the 
rapids  with  sufficient  particularity  to  enable  any  one  thoroughly  familiar  with 
them  to  identify  most  of  them.  They  make  special  observation  of  the  long 
series  of  rapids  commonly  known  now  as  the  Riparia  and  Texas  Rapids,  and 
below  these  observe  a  large  creek  on  the  left  which  they  denominate  Kimooenim 
Creek,  the  present  Tucannon.  This  is  rather  odd,  for  that  had  already  been 
noted  as  the  native  name  of  the  main  river.  A  few  miles  farther  down  they 
pass  through  a  bad  rapid  about  twenty-five  yards  wide.  Of  course  it  must  be 
remembered  that  the  time  was  October  and  the  river  was  about  at  its  lowest. 
This  was  the  narrow  creek  of  the  Palouse  Rapids,  which,  however,  is  not  so 
narrow  as  they  estimated,  even  at  low  water.  At  the  end  of  this  rapid  they 
discovered  a  large  river  on  the  right  to  which  they  give  the  name  of  Drewyer, 
one  of  their  party,  their  mighty  hunter  in  fact.  This  was  a  many-named  stream, 
for  it  was  later  the  Pavion,  the  Pavillion,  and  at  last  the  present  Palouse,  the 
equivalent,  we  are  told  again  by  Thomas  Beall,  for  gooseberry.  The  principal 
rapids  below  the  entrance  of  the  Palouse  are  known  at  present  as  Fish-hook, 
Long's  Crossing,  Pine  Tree,  the  Potato  Patch,  and  Five-mile.  Five-mile  looked 
so  bad  to  them  that  they  unloaded  the  canoes  and  made  a  portage  of  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile.  At  a  distance  below  this,  which  they  estimated  at  seven 
miles,  they  reached  that  interesting  place  where  the  great  northern  and  southern 
branches  of  the  Big  River  unite.  They  were  then  at  the  location  of  the  present 
village  of  Burbank.  Many  interesting  events  and  observations  are  chronicled 
of  their  stay  at  that  point.  Soon  after  their  arrival  a  regular  procession  of  two 
hundred  Indians  from  a  camp  a  short  distance  up  the  Columbia  came  to  visit 
them,  timing  their  approach  with  the  music  of  dnnns,  accompanied  with  the 
voice.  There  seems  to  have  followed  a  regular  love-feast,  both  parties  taking 
whiffs  of  the  friendly  pipe  and  expressing  as  best  they  could  their  common  joy 
at  the  meeting.  Then  came  a  distribution  of  presents  and  a  mutual  pledging 
of  good  will. 

MEASURED   THE    RIVERS 

The  captains  measured  the  rivers,  finding  the  Columbia  960  yards  wide 
and  the  Snake  575.  From  their  point  of  observation  across  the  continued  plain 
they  noted  how  it  rose  into  the  heights  on  the  farther  side  of  the  river,  those 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  127 

which  we  now  call  "Horse  Heaven."  They  had  already  taken  into  account  the 
far  distant  mountains  to  the  south,  the  present  named  Blue  Mountains,  which 
they  thought  about  sixty  miles  distant,  just  about  the  right  estimate.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  it  was  one  of  the  perfect  days  not  infrequent  in  October  and  that  the 
azure  hues  of  those  mountains  which  we  have  today  were  before  them  in  all 
their  rich,  soft  splendor.  They  noted  in  the  clear  water  of  the  river  the  in- 
credible number  of  salmon.  The  Indians  gave  them  to  understand  that  fre- 
quently in  the  absence  of  other  fuel  they  burned  the  fish  that,  having  been 
thrown  out  upon  the  bank,  became  so  dry  as  to  make  excellent  fuel. 

These  Indians  were  of  a  tribe  known  as  Sokulks.  According  to  the  de- 
scription they  were  hardly  so  good-looking  a  people  as  the  Chopunnish,  but 
were  of  mild  and  peaceable  disposition  and  seemed  to  live  in  a  state  of  com- 
parative happiness.  The  men,  like  those  on  the  Kimooenim,  were  said  to  con- 
tent themselves  with  a  single  wife.  The  explorers  noted  that  the  men  shared 
with  their  mates  the  labor  of  procuring  subsistence  more  than  is  usual  among 
savages.  They  were  also  very  kind  to  the  aged  and  infirm.  Nor  were  they 
inclined  to  beggary.  All  things  considered  the  Sokulks  at  the  junction  of  the 
big  rivers  were  worthy  of  much  esteem. 

Captain  Clark  made  a  journey  up  the  Columbia  in  the  course  of  which 
he  made  sundry  interesting  observations  on  the  Indian  manner  of  preparing 
salmon  for  preservation  as  well  as  present  use.  At  one  point  he  entered  one 
of  the  mat  houses.  He  was  immediately  provided  with  a  mat  on  which  to  sit 
and  his  hosts  proceeded  at  once  to  cook  a  salmon  for  his  repast.  This  they  did 
by  heating  stones  and  dropping  them  into  the  buckets  of  water  which  contained 
the  fish,  adding  stones  to  maintain  the  boiling  of  the  water  until  the  fish  was 
properly  cooked.  After  sufficient  boiling  these  hospitable  natives  placed  the  fish 
before  Captain  Clark.  He  found  it  excellent.  One  thing  which  Captain  Clark 
noticed  at  this  point,  was  the  large  number  of  Indians  blind  in  one  or  both  eyes 
and  having  decayed  teeth.  He  attributed  the  blindness  to  the  glare  of  the  sun 
on  the  unprotected  eyes,  and  the  decay  of  teeth  to  the  habit  of  eating  roots 
without  cleaning  them  of  the  sandy  soil  in  which  they  grew.  It  would  appear 
from  the  topography  of  the  journal  that  Captain  Clark  went  some  distance 
above  the  present  location  of  Kennewick.  for  he  describes  a  large  river  flowing 
from  the  west,  known  to  the  Indians  as  Tapteal.  This  was  of  course  the  useful 
and  beautiful  stream  which  is  the  vital  feature  of  the  valley  described  in  this 
history,  the  Yakima.  The  fact  that  the  Lewis  and  Clark  party  learned  of  it 
under  the  name  of  Tapteal  seems  to  conform  to  the  fact  which  we  stated  on  the 
authority  of  Frank  Olney  in  Chapter  II,  Part  I,  of  this  volume,  that  the  word 
Yakima  is  a  new  name.  The  Tapteal  appears  at  many  points  in  later  reports  of 
explorers.  On  page  641  of  Coues'  edition  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  journals,  we 
find  other  forms  of  the  name:  Tapteel,  Tapteat,  Taptete,  Tapatett,  and  Taptul. 
It  does  not  appear  from  the  journal  that  the  party  ascended  or  even  that  they 
crossed  the  Tapteal,  but  they  were  undoubtedly  the  first  white  men  to  see  it. 

At  this  point  of  the  journey  the  party  secured  an  abundant  supply  of 
"game,"  grouse  (or  rather  what  we  now  call  prairie  chickens),  ducks,  and  alsa 
a  "prairie  cock,  about  the  size  of  a  small  turkey,"  (sage  hens,  as  we  call  them). 
The  journal  states  that  they  found  none  of  these  last  except  on  the  Columbia. 


128  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  some  Indians  say  that  genuine 
wild  turkeys  were  known  in  the  Yakima  Valley  in  old  times. 

While  camped  at  the  junction  of  the  rivers  the  men  were  busily  engaged 
in  mending  their  clothes  and  traveling  outfits  and  arms  and  otherwise  prepar- 
ing for  the  next  stage  of  the  journey.  One  very  interesting  feature  of  the  stay 
here  was  the  fact  that  one  of  the  chiefs  with  one  of  the  Chimnapum,  a  tribe 
farther  west,  provided  the  party  with  a  map  of  the  Columbia  and  the  nations  on 
its  banks.  This  was  drawn  on  a  robe  with  a  piece  of  coal  and  afterwards  trans- 
ferred by  some  one  of  the  explorers  to  a  piece  of  paper.  They  preserved  it 
as  a  valuable  specimen  of  Indian  delineation.  Inspection  of  the  copy  of  this 
map  shows  a  remarkable  general  accuracy. 

On  October  18th,  the  party  packed  up  and  pushing  ofif  into  the  majestic 
river  proceeded  downward  toward  the  highlands,  evidently  what  we  call  the 
Wallula  Gateway.  In  the  general  journal,  called  the  edition  of  1814,  in  which 
the  contributions  of  all  the  party  are  merged,  there  seems  to  be  some  confusion 
as  to  the  mouth  of  the  Walla  Walla  River.  The  record  mentions  an  island  near 
the  right  shore  fourteen  and  one-half  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Lewis'  River 
and  a  mile  and  a  half  beyond  that  a  small  brook  under  a  high  hill  on  the  left, 
"seeming  to  run  its  whole  course  through  the  high  country."  This  evidently 
must  be  the  Walla  Walla  River,  though  it  can  hardly  be  called  a  "small  brook," 
even  in  the  low  season,  and  it  flows  quite  distinctly  in  a  valley,  though  the  high- 
lands begin  immediately  below.  They  also  say:  "At  this  place  too  we  ob- 
served a  mountain  to  the  southwest  the  form  of  which  is  conical,  and  its  top 
covered  with  snow."  This  is  obviously  incorrect,  for  Mount  Hood,  which  is  the 
only  snow  mountain  to  the  southwest  visible  any  where  near  that  place,  cannot 
be  seen  from  the  mouth  of  the  Walla  Walla  except  by  climbing  the  highlands. 
They  might  have  seen  Mount  Adams  to  the  northwest. 

On  the  next  day,  October  19th,  the  party  was  visited  by  a  chief  of  whom 
they  say  more  and  tell  more  on  their  return.  This  was  Y'elleppit.  They  de- 
scribed him  as  a  "handsome,  well-proportioned  man,  about  five  feet  eight  inches 
high  and  about  thirty-five  years  old,  with  a  bold  and  dignified  countenance." 
His  name  is  preserved  in  a  station  on  the  S.  P.  S.  R.  R.,  located  just  about  at 
the  place  where  the  party  met  with  this  chieftain. 

After  the  meeting  with  Yelleppit  the  party  once  more  committed  them- 
selves to  the  downward  rushing  current  of  the  Columbia,  where  it  now  skirts 
Benton  and  Klickitat  counties  on  its  right  bank,  and  passed  beyond  the  range 
of  our  story.  Of  the  interesting  details  of  their  continued  journey  down  the 
river  and  the  final  vision  of  the  ocean,  "that  ocean,  the  object  of  all  our  labors, 
the  reward  of  all  our  anxieties,"  we  cannot  speak. 

START  ON  RETURN  JOURNEY 

Having  spent  the  winter  at  Fort  Clatsop,  about  ten  miles  from  the  present 
Astoria  and  nearly  the  same  distance  from  the  present  Seaside,  they  left  Fort 
Clatsop  for  their  long  return  journey,  on  March  23,  1806.  They  saw  many 
interesting  and  important  features  of  the  country  on  the  return,  which  they 
failed  to  note  in  going  down.     Among  these,  strange  to  say,  was  the  entrance 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  129 

of  the  Willamette,  the  largest  river  below  the  Snake.  The  return  was  made 
as  far  as  the  "Long  Narrows,"  (The  Dalles)  with  the  canoes,  but  at  that  point 
they  procured  horses  and  proceeded  thence  by  land,  mainly  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river.  Reaching  the  country  of  the  "Walla  Wallahs,"  they  again  came  in 
contact  with  their  old  friend,  whose  name  appears  in  that  portion  of  the  jour- 
nal as  Yellept.  They  found  him  more  of  a  gentleman  than  ever.  He  insisted 
on  his  people  making  generous  provision  for  the  needs  of  the  party,  and  gave 
them  the  valuable  information  that  by  going  up  the  "Wolla  Wollah"  River 
and  directly  east  to  the  junction  of  the  Snake  and  Kooskooskee  they  might 
have  a  route  full  of  grass  and  water  and  game,  and  much  shorter  than  to  follow 
the  banks  of  the  Snake  River.  Accordingly  crossing  from  the  north  bank  of 
the  Columbia,  which  they  had  been  following,  they  found  themselves  on  the 
Wolla  Wollah.  They  do  not  now  describe  it  as  before  as  a  "small  brook," 
but  as  "a  handsome  stream,  about  fifty  yards  wide  and  four  and  a  half  feet 
depth."  They  got  one  curious  misapprehension  here  which  was  held  later  by 
explorers  in  general  in  regard  to  the  Multnomah  or  Willamette.  They  under- 
stood from  the  Indians  that  the  Willamette  ran  south  of  the  Blue  Mountains 
and  was  as  large  as  the  Columbia  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wolla  Wollah,  which  they 
say  was  about  a  mile.  They  inferred  from  the  whole  appearance,  as  the  Indians 
seemed  to  explain  it,  that  the  sources  of  the  Willamette  must  approach  those 
of  the  Missouri  and  Del  Norte.  One  quaint  and  curious  circumstance  is  men- 
tioned at  this  stage  of  the  story,  as  it  has  been,  in  fact,  at  various  times.  And 
that  is  the  extravagant  delight  which  the  Indians  derived  from  the  viohn.  They 
were  so  fascinated  with  the  sound  of  this  instrument  and  the  dancing  which 
accompanied  it  that  they  would  come  in  throngs  and  sometimes  remain  up  all 
night.  In  this  particular  instance,  however,  they  were  so  considerate  of  the 
white  men's  need  of  sleep  that  they  retired  at  ten  o'clock. 

We  cannot  give  further  space  to  this  monumental  journey.  We  must  con- 
tent ourselves,  in  this  farewell  glance  at  this  first  and  in  many  respects  the 
most  interesting  and  important  of  all  the  early  transcontinental  expeditions, 
with  saying  that  the  effects  were  of  momentous,  even  transcendent  value  to  the 
development  of  our  country.  Without  the  incorporation  of  Old  Oregon  into 
the  United  States,  we  would  in  all  probability  not  have  got  California,  and  with- 
out our  Pacific  Coast  frontage,  think  what  a  crippled  and  curtailed  Union  this 
would  be !  We  would  surely  have  missed  our  destiny  without  the  Pacific  Coast. 
The  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition  was  one  of  the  essential  links  in  the  chain  of 
acquisition.  The  summary  of  distances  by  the  party  is  a  total  of  3,555  miles 
on  the  most  direct  route  from  the  Mississippi  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  the  total  distance  descending  the  Columbia  waters  is 
placed  at  640  miles. 

Jefferson's  tribute  to  captain  lewis 

President  Jefferson  did  not  exaggerate  the  character  of  this  expedition  in 
the  tribute  which  he  paid  to  Captain  Lewis  in  1813,  when  he  expressed  himself 
thus :  "Never  did  a  similar  event  excite  more  joy  throughout  the  United  States ; 
the  humblest  of  its  citizens  have  taken  a  lively  interest  in  the  details  of  this 
journey  and  looked  with  impatience  for  the  information  which  it  would  fur- 

(9) 


130  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

nish.  Nothing  short  of  the  official  journals  of  this  extraordinary  and  interest- 
ing journey  will  exhibit  the  importance  of  the  service,  the  courage,  devotion, 
zeal  and  perseverance  under  circumstances  calculated  to  discourage,  which  ani- 
mated this  little  band  of  heroes,  throughout  the  long,  dangerous  and  tedious 
travel." 

Though  many  additional  valuable  discoveries  of  this  land  where  we  live 
were  made  by  later  explorers,  Lewis  and  Clark  and  their  assistants  may  justly 
be  regarded  as  the  true  first  explorers.  They  were  moreover  the  only  party 
that  came  purely  for  exploration.  Later  parties,  though  making  valuable  ex- 
plorations, did  such  work  as  incidental  to  the  fur  trade.  With  the  completion 
of  this  great  expedition,  therefore,  we  may  regard  the  Era  of  the  Explorers 
completed  and  that  of  the  Fur  Hunters  begun. 

Our  special  interest  in  this  volume  is  the  Yakima  country  and  its  inhabi- 
tants as  noted  by  these  first  explorers. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  Lewis  and  Clark  party  entered  into  the  pre- 
cincts of  the  three  counties  covered  by  this  history  further  than  the  edge  of  Ben- 
ton, apparently  from  about  the  vicinity  of  Kennewick  and  thence  onward  to  the 
Yakima  River  and  possibly  toward  Richland  on  their  entrance  to  the  country. 
Then  when  they  resumed  the  journey  after  several  days'  pause  at  the  junction 
of  the  big  rivers,  they  seem  to  have  touched  the  land  at  various  points  from 
about  the  vicinity  of  Hover  downward,  though  their  journey  was  by  boat.  On 
the  return  they  came  with  horses  from  near  the  present  vicinity  of  Fallbridge 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Columbia  to  a  point  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  "Wolla 
Wollah,"  where,  with  the  assistance  of  Yellept,  they  crossed  to  the  southern 
shore. 

At  all  events  we  may  be  assured  that  the  eyes  of  Lewis  and  Clark  and  their 
associates  were  first  to  gaze  upon  the  sublime  river  toward  the  azure  hued 
Rattlesnake  Mountains  and  then  to  pass  through  the  Wallula  Gateway  to  the 
broad  plains  of  the  Umatilla  and  the  arid  slopes  with  which  the  Horse  Heavert 
fronts  the  south. 


CHAPTER  V 


ERA   OF   TRAPPERS,   HUNTERS   AND   TRAIL-MAKERS 

STARTING    OF    THE   FUR    TRADE PROFITS    OF    THE    BUSINESS — AMERICAN    FUR    COM- 
PANIES— FOUNDING  OF  ASTORIA — THE   FREE   TRAPPERS RECORD   OF  DISASTER 

SOME  STORIES  OF  THE  FUR  TRADERS — ROSS'  STORY — HUDSON'S  BAY   COMPANY 

THE   BOATS   OF  THE   TRADERS LATER    AMERICAN    FUR   TRADERS — SOME    UNIQUE 

FREE  TRAPPERS 

In  the  preceding  chapter  we  have  given  a  view  of  the  earliest  discoveries  by 
sea  and  land.  By  1806  the  general  features  of  the  continent  both  on  coast  and. 
interior  were  measurably  well  known.  With  the  discoveries  of  Meares  iind 
Vancouver  and  Broughton,  the  English  explorers,  and  Gray  and  Kendrick  and 
Ingraham,  the  Americans,  and  Heceta  and  Perez  and  Bodega,  the  Spaniards, 
and  La  Perouse,  the  Frenchman,  and  Behring,  Schelikoff  and  ResanofY,  the  Rus- 
sians, and  many  more  of  those  nations,  the  shore  line  all  the  way  from  the 
Arctic  circle  to  Mexico  had  been  traced  and  mapped.  By  the  explorations  of 
Malaspina  the  old  myth  of  Anian  had  been  finally  exploded.  The  Inland  Pas- 
sage, now  the  scene  of  many  summer  excursions  to  Alaska,  had  been  definitely 
located,  and  it  was  understood  that  the  old  legendary  voyages  of  Juan  de  Fuca 
and  Maldonado  and  Fonte  had  no  other  basis  of  fact  than  the  possible  passage- 
through  a  maze  of  islands  from  one  section  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  another. 
Such  was  the  status  of   discovery  on  the  coast. 

With  the  monumental  expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clark  the  location  of  the- 
mountains,  Rocky  and  Cascades,  and  some  of  their  spurs,  and  the  relations 
of  the  two  great  river  systems,  the  Missouri  and  Columbia  and  their  tribu- 
taries, to  each  other  and  to  the  mountains,  had  been  determined  in  a  general 
way.  Such  were  the  results  of  exploration.  But  one  of  the  great  working 
facts  of  the  progress  of  geographical  discovery  has  been  that  the  main  incen- 
tive was  not  discovery,  pure  and  simple,  but  was  some  ulterior  political  or  com- 
mercial end,  or  both  of  these  combined.  In  the  history  of  the  discovery  of 
the  American  Continent  we  find  two  of  those  ends  playing  a  tremendous  part 
in  determining  the  aims  and  movements  of  discoverers. 

Political  and  commercial  aims  were  curiously  interwoven  in  these  two 
great  quests,  and  ultimately  social  and  even  religious  aims  added  their  part 
to  the  complexities  and  evolutiops  and  involutions  of  these  fundamental  aims. 
These  two  great  quests  were  for  gold  and  for  furs. 

Hence,  we  find  ourselves  on  the  threshold  of  an   inquiry  into   the  outline 

features  of  one  of  these  great  quests,  that   for   furs.     We  shall    for  the   time 

dismiss  the  history  of  the  gold   hunters,   fascinating  as   it   is   and   tremendous 

as  has  been  its  part  in  human  afifairs,  with  the  observation  that  the  Spanish 

131 


132  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

and  Portuguese  were  guided  almost  entirely"  in  their  explorations  and  policies 
in  South  America,  Mexico,  and  the  southern  part  of  North  America  by  that 
mysterious  lure  of  the  precious  metals  and  precious  stones  which  stamped 
out  of  existence  the  beautiful  and  interesting  semi-civilizations  of  Peruvians 
and  Aztecs  and  ultimatley  hastened  the  downfall  of  Spanish  despotism.  By 
one  of  those  mysterious  allotments  of  fortune  or  Providence  which  constitute 
the  turning  points  of  history,  the  gold  quest  and  discoveries  in  North  America 
were  postponed  till  the  middle  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  with  the  result  that 
this  continent  became  Anglo-Saxon  rather  than  Spanish,  Republican  rather  than 
Monarchical. 

What  that  means  in  the  present  great  crisis  of  human  history  is  beyond 
the  scope  of  analysis  or  imagination. 

The  quest  for  furs,  while  less  dazzling  and  dramatic  than  that  for  gold 
and  diamonds,  has  been  more  steady  and  continuous  and  has  probably  played 
even  a  greater  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  world.  The  gold  hunt  was  mainly 
Spanish  and  Portuguese,  and  that  for  furs  mainly  French,  English  and  Rus- 
sian, while  the  Americans,  latest  to  arrive,  have  been  distributed  in  both  fields. 
And,  in  fact,  we  must  avoid  national  generalizations  in  such  a  view  as  this. 
None  of  the  people  of  Europe  or  America  have  shown  themselves  indifferent 
to  the  attractions  of  either  furs,  gold,  or  gems. 

STARTING    OF    THE    FUR   TRADE 

The  first  great  market  for  furs  was  China,  and  the  Russians  were  first 
to  enter  it.  The  crew  of  the  ill-fated  and  heroic  Russian  explorer,  Vitus 
Behring,  beleaguered  on  the  desolate  island  which  bears  his  name  and  where 
he  died,  discovered  the  sea  otter  skins,  and  when  they  escaped  from  their  rocky 
prison,  they  conveyed  many  of  these  furs  with  them  to  Avatcha  Bay,  and  thus 
the  conception  of  the  great  fur  trade  on  the  Pacific  was  first  formed.  In  1771 
a  Pole,  Maurice  de  Benyowski,  sailed  from  Kamchatka  with  the  first  regular 
cargo  of  furs,  to  Canton.  The  Mandarins  of  China  were  eager  to  secure  furs 
as  symbols  of  rank  and  wealth,  and  the  Canton  market  speedily  became  the 
entrepot  for  the  adventurers  of  all  nations,  East  and  West. 

In  1776,  the  very  year  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  that  Columbus 
of  Eighteenth  Century  England,  James  Cook,  started  on  his  inter-oceanic 
voyages  across  the  water  of  two  hemispheres.  In  the  course  of  it  he  passed 
up  the  coast  of  Oregon  and  Alaska  and  into  the  Arctic  Ocean.  By  another 
of  those  mysterious  dispensations  of  Providence,  there  was  on  one  of  Cook's 
ships  an  American  sailor,  John  Ledyard,  and  thereby  hangs  a  tale. 

For  this  keen  and  inquisitive  Yankee,  along  with  others  of  the  crew, 
found  and  preserved  for  their  own  comfort,  sea-otter  skins  from  the  Alaska 
islands.  Reaching  Canton,  they  discovered  that  there  was  a  great  demand  for 
these  furs,  and  they  sold  them  at  a  great  profit.  This  experience  planted  in 
the  enterprising  Ledyard  the  idea  of  encouraging  his  countrymen  to  visit  the 
western  coast  in  search  of  furs.  When  Ledyard  reached  America  he  came  in 
touch  with  JeflFerson  and  other  Americans,  and  indirectly  there  sprung  from 
this  course  of  events,  the  fitting  out  at  Boston  of  the  "Lady  Washington"  and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  133 

"Columbia  Rediviva,"  in  command  of  Robert  Gray  and  John  Kendrick,  to 
whom  we  owe  the  discovery  of  the  Columbia  River,  and  the  strongest  link  in 
the  chain  of  America's  claim  to  Oregon.  Indirectly,  also,  Jefferson  was  led 
on  to  the  Louisiana  Purchase  and  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition.  As  a 
result  of  these  beginnings  by  Russians  and  English  the  maritime  fur  trade 
had  reached  large  proportions  and  yielded  great  profits  by  the  opening  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century.  The  last  decades  of  the  Eighteenth  Century  were  fairly 
redolent  with  the  fragrance,  the  romance,  of  the  sea. 

These  were  the  years  when  the  United  States,  just  sprung,  with  the  fire 
and  hope  of  a  new  Era,  from  the  arms  of  Liberty,  was  entering  the  lists  of  com- 
merce against  the  nations  of  the  old  world.  Those  were  the  days  of  the  sail 
ships,  and  the  hard-visaged  skippers  of  Nantucket  and  Gloucester,  and  Boston, 
and  Newport  were  circumnavigating  the  globe  and  making  the  silks  and  nan- 
keens and  toys  and  fragrant  woods  and  spices  of  the  Orient  the  household 
treasures,  to  become  later  the  heirlooms  of  many  of  the  subsequent  "first  fami- 
lies" of  New  England. 

One  of  those  Yankee  barks  would  load  up  at  Boston  or  Nantucket  with 
trinkets  and  hatchets  and  tobacco  and  rum,  and  round  the  foaming  barriers 
of  Cape  Horn  and  up  the  South  American  and  Mexican  coasts,  sliding  through 
the  tropics,  and  then  creeping  along  the  California  and  Oregon  shores,  to  pause 
for  a  season's  trade  in  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  or  at  Nootka,  or  even  way 
up  North  to  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound  or  Dixon  Entrance  or  Cook's  Inlet,  there 
to  exchange  the  cargo  for  one  of  sea-otter  or  seal  skins,  battling  often  with 
waves  and  sometimes  with  treacherous  savages,  as  the  fate  of  the  "Tonquin" 
and  the  "Boston"  proved  only  too  truly.  Then,  with  Stars  and  Stripes  flying 
exultantly,  the  ship  would  square  away  for  Canton  or  Macao,  where  the  furs 
would  go  out  and  the  silks  and  teas  and  sandal  wood  and  spices  would  go  in, 
and  then  away  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  for  home.  Such  was  the  great 
three  years'  round-up  of  the  "Seven  Seas."  The  glory  and  fascination  and  the 
peril  of  the  ocean  was  in  it,  and  sometimes  its  profits.  What  with  savages 
and  storm  and  scurvy  and  fluctuating  markets  and  caprices  of  politics  and 
world  wars,  some  have  said  that  not  even  the  huge  percentages  of  gain  were 
adequate  compensation. 

PROFITS    OF   THE    BUSINESS 

Yet  those  percentages  were  large  enough  to  tempt  an  ever-increasing 
number  of  merchants  and  adventurers. 

Robert  Gray  once  got  for  an  axe  a  quantity  of  furs  on  Puget  Sound  that 
were  worth  $8,000  in  the  Canton  market.  Dixon  reports  that  in  1786  and  1787 
there  were  sold  in  Canton  five  thousand  eight  hundred  sea-otter  skins  for 
$160,700.  Sturgis  relates  that  he  had  collected  as  high  as  six  thousand  skins  of 
fine  quality  in  a  single  voyage,  and  that  on  one  day  he  got  five  hundred  and 
sixty  of  the  very  best.  In  one  case  he  knew  a  capital  of  $50,000  to  yield  a 
gross  income  of  $284,000. 

But  great  as  were  the  profits  and  important  as  were  the  historical  bearings 
of  the  maritime  fur  trade,  the  continental  trade  became  a  yet  more  potent  factor 
in  the  making  of  American  history. 


134  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

During  the  years  long  prior  to  the  growth  of  the  fur  trade  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  there  had  been  initiated  upon  the  Mississippi  and  St.  Lawrence  and  the 
Great  Lakes  the  great  companies  whose  agency  in  the  quest  for  furs  was  to 
play  a  great  part  in  the  history  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  These  traders  for  the 
sea-otter  and  the  seal  on  our  western  shore  represented  a  sort  of  free-for-all 
rush  to  new  fields  and  new  markets  without  any  special  moneyed  interests  in 
the  lead.  But  the  situation  in  Louisiana  and  Canada  was  radically  different. 
Great  operators,  foreshadowings  of  the  monopolies  of  the  Nineteenth  Century, 
had  come  into  existence  long  before  the  American  Revolution.  As  far  back 
as  the  beginning  of  the  Sixteenth  Century  De  Moots,  Pontgrave,  Champlain, 
and  other  great  French  explorers  had  secured  monopolies  on  :he  fur  trade  from 
Louis  XIII  and  his  minister,  Richelieu.  Later  La  Salle,  Hennepin,  DTberville 
and  others  had  the  same  advantages.  The  St.  Lawrence,  the  Great  Lakes, 
and  the  upper  Mississippi  were  the  great  "preserve"  of  these  concessionaires. 
The  English  and  their  American  colonists  set  themselves  in  battle  array  against 
the  monopolistic  Bourbon  methods  of  handling  the  vast  domain  which  the 
genius  and  enterprise  of  De  Monts  and  Champlain  had  won  for  France,  with 
the  result  that  upon  the  heights  of  Abraham  the  Fleur-de-Lis  was  lowered 
before  the  Cross  of  St.  George,  and  North  America  became  English  instead 
of  Gallic,  and  one  of  the  world's  milestones  was  set  for  good.  Then,  by  one 
of  those  beautiful  ironies  of  history  which  baffle  all  prescience,  victorious  Britain 
violated  the  principles  of  her  own  conquest  and  adopted  the  methods  of  Bourbon 
tyranny  and  monopoly,  with  the  result  that  another  milestone  was  set  on  the 
highway  of  liberty  and  the  new  continent  became  American  instead  of  European. 
But  out  of  the  struggles  of  that  century,  French,  English  and  American, 
out  of  the  final  distribution  of  territory,  by  which  England  retained  Canada 
and  with  it  a  large  French  and  Indian  population,  mingled  with  English  and 
Scotch,  out  of  these  curious  comminglings,  economic,  commercial,  political, 
religious,  and  ethnic,  grew  the  great  English  fur  companies,  whose  history  was 
largely  wrought  out  on  the  shores  of  the  Columbia,  and  from  whose  juxtapo- 
sition with  the  American  state-builder  the  romance  and  epic  grandeur  of  the 
history  of  the  River  largely  comes. 

Many  enterprises  were  started  by  the  French  and  English  in  the  Seven- 
teenth Century,  but  the  "Hudson's  Bay  Company"  became  the  Goliath  of  them 
all.  The  first  charter  of  this  gigantic  organization  was  granted  in  1670  by 
Charles  II  to  Prince  Rupert  and  seventeen  others,  with  a  capital  stock  of  ten 
thousand  five  hundred  pounds.  From  this  small  beginning  the  profits  were  so 
great  that,  notwithstanding  the  loss  of  two  hundred  thousand  pounds  from  the 
French  wars  during  the  latter  part  of  the  century,  the  company  declared 
dividends  of  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  per  cent. 

The  field  of  operations  was  gradually  extended  from  the  southeastern 
regions  contiguous  to  Hudson  Bay,  until  it  embraced  the  vast  and  dreary 
expanses  of  snowy  prairie  traversed  by  the  Saskatchewan,  the  Athabasca,  the 
Peace,  and  finally  the  Mackenzie.  Many  of  the  greatest  expeditions  by  land 
under  British  auspices  which  resulted  in  great  geographical  discoveries  were 
primarily  designed  for  the  expansion  of  the  fur  trade. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        .  135 

Just  at  the  critical  moment,  both  for  the  great  Canadian  Fur  Company,  as 
■well  as  for  discovery  and  acquisition  in  the  region  of  the  Columbia,  a  most 
important  and  remarkable  champion  entered  the  lists.  This  was  the  "North 
West  Fur  Company"  of  Montreal.  It  was  one  of  the  legitimate  consequences 
xjf  the  treaty  of  Paris  in  1763,  ceding  Canada  to  Great  Britain.  The  French 
in  Canada  became  British  subjects  by  that  treaty,  and  many  of  them  had  exten- 
sive interests  as  well  as  experience  in  the  fur  business.  Furthermore,  a  number 
of  Scotchmen  of  great  enterprise  and  intelligence  betook  themselves  to  Canada, 
eager  to  partake  of  the  boundless  opportunities  offered  by  the  new  shuffle  of 
the  cards.  These  Scotchmen  and  Frenchmen  became  natural  partners  in  the 
foundation  of  enterprises  independent  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  monopoly.  In  1783 
a  group  of  the  boldest  and  most  energetic  of  these  active  spirits,  of  whom  the 
leaders  were  McGillivray,  McTavish,  Benjamin  and  Joseph  Frobisher,  Reche- 
bleve,  Thain,  and  Frazer,  united  in  the  formation  of  the  North-West  Fur  Com- 
pany. Bitter  rivalry  soon  arose  between  the  new  company  and  the  old 
monopoly.  Following  the  usual  history  of  special  privilege,  the  old  company, 
which  had  now  been  in  existence  one  hundred  and  thirteen  years,  had  learned 
to  depend  more  on  privilege  than  on  enterprise,  and  had  become  somewhat 
degenerate.  The  North-Westers  "rustled"  for  new  business  in  new  regions. 
In  1789  Alexander  Mackenzie,  one  of  the  North-Westers,  made  his  way  with 
incredible  hardship  down  the  river  which  bears  his  name  to  the  Frozen  Ocean. 
A  few  years  later  he  made  the  first  journey  to  the  shore  of  the  Pacific,  com- 
memorating his  course  by  painting  on  a  rock  on  the  shore  of  Cascade  Inlet, 
■northeast  of  Vancouver  Island,  these  words:  "Alexander  Mackenzie,  from 
Canada,  by  land,  the  twenty-second  of  July,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
ninety-three." 

As  a  result  of  the  new  undertakings  set  on  foot  by  the  North- Westers  and 
the  re-awakened  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  both  companies  entered  the  Columbia 
Valley.  The  struggle  for  possession  of  Oregon  between  the  English  and 
American  fur  companies  and  their  governments  was  on.  In  the  Summer  of  1807 
and  several  times  later  David  Thompson  of  the  North  West  Company  crossed  the 
continental  divide  by  the  Athabasca  Pass  in  lat.  52°  25'.  The  North- Westers  had 
heard  of  the  Astor  enterprise  in  New  York  and  realized  that  they  must  be  up  and 
doing  if  they  would  control  the  land  of  the  Oregon.  Although  the  character 
of  soil,  climate,  and  productions  of  the  Columbia  Valley  was  but  imperfectly 
known,  enough  information  had  been  derived  from  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  from 
•ocean  discoveries,  to  make  it  plain  that  the  Columbia  furnished  the  most  con- 
venient access  to  the  interior  from  the  sea,  and  that  its  numerous  tributaries 
furnished  a  network  of  boatable  waters  unequalled  on  the  western  slope,  while 
there  was  every  reason  to  suppose  that  its  forests  abounded  in  fur-bearing  ani- 
mals and  that  its  climate  would  admit  of  much  longer  seasons  of  work  than  was 
possible  in  the  biting  winters  of  the  Athabasca.  It  became  vital  to  the  conti- 
nental magnitude  of  the  designs  of  the  Canadian  companies  that  they  control 
Oregon. 

For  greater  topical  clearness  we  will  anticipate  a  little  at  this  point  and 
state  that  after  several  years  of  intense  rivalry  it  became  plain  to  the  British 


136  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Parliament  that  it  was  suicidal  to  allow  a  policy  of  division  in  the  face  of  a 
common  enemy.  Hence  in  1821,  by  act  of  Parliament,  the  two  companies  were 
reorganized  and  united  under  a  charter  which  was  to  last  twenty-one  years  (and 
as  a  matter  of  fact  was  renewed  at  the  end  of  that  time),  and  under  the  pro- 
visions of  which  the  North-Westers  were  to  have  equal  shares  in  both  stock 
and  offices,  though  the  name  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  was  retained.  It 
will  be  remembered  therefore,  that  up  to  the  year  1821,  the  two  great  Canadian 
companies  were  distinct,  and  that  during  that  time  the  North- West  Company 
was  much  the  more  active  and  aggressive  in  the  Columbia  Valley,  but  that  after 
that  date  the  entire  force  of  the  Canadian  companies  was  combined  under  the 
name  of  the  old  monopoly.  But,  however  bitter  the  first  enmity  of  the  Cana- 
dian rivals,  they  agreed  on  the  general  proposition  that  the  Americans  must  be 
checkmated,  and  during  the  score  of  years  prior  to  their  coalition  they  were 
seizing  the  pivotal  points  of  the  Oregon  country.  During  the  next  two  decades 
they  created  a  vast  network  of  forts  and  stations,  and  reduced  the  country  con- 
tiguous to  the  river  and  its  tributaries  to  a  system  so  elaborate  and  interesting 
as  to  be  worthy  of  extended  study.  We  can  sketch  only  its  more  general  fea- 
tures. And  the  more  perfectly  to  understand  them,  we  must  arrest  here  the 
story  of  the  great  Canadian  monopoly  and  bring  up  the  movement  of  the  Amer- 
ican fur  companies. 

It  may  be  noted,  first  of  all,  that  by  reason  of  the  quicker  colonization  and 
settlement  and  consequent  establishment  of  agriculture  and  other  arts  pertain- 
ing to  home  life,  the  region  of  the  United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  never 
became  the  natural  habitat  of  the  trapper  and  fur  trader  to  anything  like  the 
degree  of  Canada  and  the  western  part  of  our  own  land.  Nevertheless  exten- 
sive fur  interests  grew  up  on  the  Mississippi  during  the  French  regime,  and 
in  1763-64  August  and  Pierre  Chouteau  located  a  trading  post  on  the  present 
site  of  St.  Louis,  and  the  fascinating  history  of  that  great  capital  began. 

AMERICAN    FUR    COMPANIES 

Most  of  the  American  trading  companies  confined  their  operations  to  the 
east  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  But  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  of  St. 
Louis,  composed  of  a  miscellaneous  group  of  Americans  and  Hispano-Gallo- 
Americans,  under  the  presidency  of  Manuel  Lisa,  a  bold  and  enterprising 
Spaniard,  took  a  step  over  the  crest  of  the  mountains  and  established  the  first 
trading  post  upon  the  waters  of  the  Columbia.  This  was  in  1809.  Andrew 
Henr}^  one  of  the  partners  of  the  aforesaid  company,  crossed  the  mountains 
in  that  year  and  a  year  later  built  a  fort  on  a  branch  of  the  Snake  River.  This 
seems  to  have  been  on  what  subsequently  became  known  as  Henry's  River.  It 
was  in  one  of  the  wildest  and  grandest  regions  of  all  that  wild,  grand  section 
of  the  Snake  River.  Henry's  River  drains  the  north  side  of  the  Three  Tetons, 
while  the  south  branch,  known  afterwards  as  Lewis  and  finally  as  Snake 
River,  drains  the  south  of  that  group  of  mountains.  Henry  must  be  remem- 
bered as  the  first  American  and  the  first  white  man  recorded  in  history  who 
built  any  structure  upon  Snake  River,  and  the  year  was  1810.  Both  Henry 
and  his  company  had  hopes  of  accomplishing  great  things  in  the  way  of  the 
fur  trade  in  that  very  favorable  region.     But  the  next  year  the  Indians  were 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  137 

so  threatening  that  the  fort  was  forsaken  and  the  party  returned  to  the  Mis- 
souri. When  the  Hunt  party  in  the  Fall  of  1811  sought  refuge  at  this  point, 
they  found  only  a  group  of  abandoned  huts,  with  no  provision  or  equipment 
of  which  they  could  make  any  use. 

But  though  Henry's  Fort  was  but  a  transient  matter,  his  American  coun- 
trymen were  beginning  to  press  through  the  open  gateways  of  both  mountain 
and  sea.  In  the  early  part  of  1809  the  Winship  brothers  of  Boston,  together 
with  several  other  keen-sighted  Yankees,  formed  a  project  for  a  definite  post 
on  the  Columbia  River,  proposing  to  reach  their  destination  by  ship.  Accord- 
ingly they  fitted  out  an  old  vessel  known  as  the  "Albatross,"  with  Nathan  Win- 
ship  as  captain,  William  Gale  as  captain's  assistant,  and  William  Smith  as  first 
mate.  Captain  Gale  kept  a  journal  of  the  entire  enterprise,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  valuable  of  the  many  ship  records  of  the  Northwestern 
Coast. 

Setting  sail  with  a  crew  of  twenty-two  men  and  an  excellent  supply  of 
stores  and  ammunition,  and  an  abundance  of  tools  and  hardware  for  erecting 
needful  buildings,  the  "Albatross"  left  Boston  in  the  Summer  of  1809.  After 
a  slow  and  tedious,  but  very  healthful  and  comfortable  voyage,  stopping  at  the 
Hawaiian  Islands  on  the  route,  the  "Albatross"  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Col- 
umbia River  on  May  26,  1810.  Many  American  and  other  ships  had  entered 
the  mouth  of  the  river  prior  to  that  date,  but  so  far  as  known  none  had  ascended 
any  considerable  distance.  Apparently  Gray  and  Broughton  were  the  only 
shipmasters  who  had  ascended  above  the  wide  expanse  now  known  as  Gray's 
Bay,  while  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition  contained  the  only  white  men  who 
had  seen  the  river  above  tidewater.  The  Winship  enterprise  may  be  regarded 
with  great  interest,  therefore,  as  the  first  real  attempt  to  plant  a  permanent  estab- 
ment  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 

Winship  and  his  companions  spent  some  days  in  careful  examination  of  the 
river  banks  and  as  a  result  of  their  search  they  decided  on  a  strip  of  valley  land 
formed  by  a  narrowing  of  the  river  on  the  north  and  an  indentation  of  the 
mountain  on  the  south.  This  pleasant  strip  of  fertile  land  is  located  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  lordly  stream,  and  its  lower  end  is  about  forty-five  miles 
from  the  ocean.  Being  partially  covered  with  a  beautiful  grove  of  oak  trees, 
the  first  to  be  seen  on  the  ascent  of  the  river,  the  place  received  the  name  of 
Oak  Point.  It  may  be  noted  that  this  name  was  subsequently  transferred  to  a 
promontory  nearly  opposite  on  the  north  bank,  and  this  circumstance  has  led 
many  to  locate  erroneously  the  site  of  the  first  buildings  designed  for  perma- 
nent use  on  the  banks  of  the  Columbia.  And  such  these  were,  for  the  Lewis 
and  Clark  structures  at  what  they  called  Fort  Clatsop,  erected  four  and  a  half 
years  earlier,  were  meant  only  for  a  winter's  use.  But  the  Winship  party  had 
glowing  visions  of  a  great  emporium  of  the  fur  trade,  another  Montreal  or 
St.  Louis,  to  inaugurate  a  new  era  for  their  country  and  themselves.  They 
designed  paying  the  Indians  for  their  lands,  and  in  every  way  treating  them 
justly.  They  seem  in  short  to  have  had  a  very  high  conception  of  the  dignity 
and  worth  of  their  enterprise.  They  were  worthy  of  the  highest  success,  and  the 
student  of  today  cannot  but  grieve  that  their  high  hopes  were  dashed  with 
disaster. 


138  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Tying  the  "Albatross"  to  the  bank  on  June  4th,  they  entered  at  once  with 
great  energy  on  the  task  of  felling  trees,  rearing  a  large  log  house,  clearing  a 
garden  spot,  in  which  they  at  once. began  the  planting  of  seeds,  and  getting 
ready  to  trade  with  the  natives.  But  within  four  days  the  river  began  to  rise 
rapidly,  and  the  busy  fort-builders  perceived  to  their  dismay  that  they  had 
located  on  land  subject  to  inundation.  All  the  work  thus  far  done  went  for 
naught,  and  they  pulled  their  fort  to  pieces  and  floated  the  logs  down  stream 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  a  higher  place.  There  they  resumed  their  buildings  with 
redoubled  energy.  But  within  a  week  a  much  more  dangerous  situation,  and  this 
time  permanently,  arrested  their  grand  project.  This  time  it  was  the  very  men 
toward  whom  they  had  entertained  such  just  and  benevolent  designs,  the 
Indians,  who  thwarted  their  plans.  For,  as  Captain  Gale  narrates  in  a  most 
entertaining  manner,  a  large  body  of  Chinooks  and  Cheheeles,  armed  with  bows 
and  arrows,  and  some  muskets,  made  their  appearance,  announcing  that  they 
were  on  their  way  to  war  against  the  Culaworth  tribe  who  had  killed  one  of 
their  chiefs  a  year  before.  But  the  next  day  the  Indians,  massing  themselves 
about  the  whites,  gave  such  plain  indications  that  the  previous  declaration  was 
a  pretense,  that  the  party  hastily  got  into  a  position  of  defence.  Their  cannon 
on  board  the  "Albatross"  had  already  been  loaded  in  anticipation  of  emergen- 
cies, and  so  plain  was  it  that  they  could  make  a  deadly  defence  that  the  threat- 
ened attack  did  not  come.  A  long  "pow  wow"  ensued  instead,  and  the  Chinooks 
insisted  that  the  builders  must  select  a  site  lower  down  the  river.  After  due 
consideration  the  party  decided  that  any  determined  opposition  by  the  Indians 
would  so  impair  their  enterprise,  even  though  they  might  be  able  to  defend 
themselves,  that  it  would  be  best  to  seek  a  new  location.  Accordingly  they 
reloaded  their  effects,  dropped  down  the  river,  and  finally  decided  to  make  a 
voyage  down  the  California  coast  and  return  the  next  year.  Return  they  did, 
but  by  that  time  the  next  year  the  Pacific  Fur  Company  had  already  located  at 
Astoria,  the  first  permanent  American  settlement,  and  the  Winship  enterprise 
faded  away.  That  the  design  of  the  Winships  was  not  at  all  chimerical  is  ap- 
parent from  the  fact  that  within  twenty  years  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  . 
made  of  Vancouver,  sixty  miles  farther  up  the  river,  the  very  kind  of  a  trading 
entrepot  of  which  the  Winships  had  dreamed.  Their  dream  was  reasonable, 
but  the  time  and  place  were  unpropitious. 

A  quotation  from  Captain  Gale's  journal  will  give  a  conception  of  his 
feelings : 

"June  12th. — The  ship  dropped  further  down  the  river,  and  it  was  now 
determined  to  abandon  all  attempts  to  force  a  settlement.  We  have  taken  off 
the  goats  and  hogs  which  were  left  on  shore  for  the  use  of  the  settlement,  and 
thus  we  have  to  abandon  the  business,  after  having,  with  great  difficulty  and 
labor,  got  about  forty-five  miles  above  Cape  Disappointment ;  and  with  great 
trouble  began  to  clear  the  land  and  build  a  house  a  second  time,  after  cutting 
timber  enough  to  finish  nearly  one-half,  and  having  two  of  our  hands  disabled 
in  the  work.  It  is,  indeed,  cutting  to  be  obliged  to  knuckle  to  those  whom  you 
have  not  the  least  fear  of,  but  whom,  from  motives  of  prudence,  you  are  obliged 
to  treat  with  forbearance.  What  can  be  more  disagreeable  than  to  sit  at  the 
table  with  a  number  of  these  rascally  chiefs,  who  while  they  supply  their  greedy 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY        •  139 

;mouths  with  your  food  with  one  hand,  their  bloods  boil  within  them  to  cut  your 
throat  with  the  other,  without  the  least  provocation." 

On  the  way  out  of  the  river  Captain  Winship  learned  that  the  Chinooks 
•designed  capturing  his  vessel,  and  would  doubtless  have  done  so,  had  not  his 
-vigilance  prevented. 

FOUNDING   OF    ASTORIA 

While  the  crew  of  the  "Albatross"  were  engaged  in  these  adventures,  the 
largest  American  fur  company  yet  formed  was  getting  ready  to  effect  a  lodg- 
anent  on  the  shores  of  the  Columbia.  This  was  the  Pacific  Fur  Company. 
John  Jacob  Astor  was  the  founder  of  this  enterprise.  Though  unfortunate  in 
almost  every  feature  of  its  history  and  its  final  outcome,  this  company  had  a 
magnificent  conception,  a  royal  grandeur  of  opportunity,  and  it  possessed  also 
the  felicity,  shared  by  no  one  of  its  predecessors,  of  the  genius  of  a  great  lit- 
•erary  star  to  illuminate  its  records.  To  Washington  Irving  it  owes  much  of 
its  fame.  Yet  the  commercial  genius  of  Astor  could  not  prevent  errors  of 
judgment  by  the  management  any  more  than  the  literary  genius  of  Irving  was 
able  to  conceal  their  errors,  or  the  genius  of  American  liberty  able  to  order 
•events  so  as  to  prevent  victory  for  a  time  by  the  "Britishers."  As  we  view  the 
history  in  the  large  it  may  be  that  we  shall  conclude  that  the  British  triumph 
at  first  was  the  best  introduction  to  American  triumph  in  the  end. 

John  Jacob  Astor  may,  perhaps,  be  justly  regarded  as  the  first  of  the  great 
promoters  or  financial  magnates  who  have  made  the  United  States  the  world's 
El  Dorado.  Coming  from  Germany  to  this  land  of  opportunity  after  the  close 
of  the  Revolutionary  war,  he  soon  manifested  that  keen  intuition  in  money 
matters,  as  well  as  intense  devotion  to  accumulation,  which  has  led  to  the  colos- 
sal fortunes  of  his  own  descendants  and  of  the  other  multimillionaires  of  this 
age.  Having  made  quite  a  fortune  by  transporting  furs  to  London,  Mr.  Astor 
turned  to  larger  fields.  With  his  broad  and  keen  geographical  and  commer- 
cial insight,  he  could  readily  grasp  the  same  fact  which  the  North-Westers  of 
Montreal  were  considering,  that  the  Columbia  River  might  well  become  the 
key  to  an  international  fur  trade,  as  well  as  a  strategic  point  for  American  ex- 
pansion westward.  He  made  overtures  to  the  North- Westers  for  a  partnership, 
but  they  declined.  Then  he  determined  to  be  the  chief  manager,  and  to  asso- 
ciate individual  Americans  and  Canadians  with  himself.  With  the  promptitude 
of  the  skilful  general,  he  proceeded  to  form  his  company  and  make  his  plan  of 
campaign  in  time  to  anticipate  the  apparent  designs  of  the  active  Canadians. 
They  saw,  as  well  as  Astor  did,  the  magnitude  of  the  stake  and  at  once  made  ready 
to  play  their  part.  For,  as  already  noted,  David  Thompson  crossed  the  Rockies 
by  the  Athabasca  Pass  in  1807  and  on  spent  the  Winter  at  Lake  Windermere 
on  the  Columbia  River,  and  in  the  Summer  of  1811  reached  Astoria,  only  to 
find  the  Astor  Company  already  established  there.  It  should  be  especially  noted 
that  the  Thompson  party  was  the  first  to  descend  the  river  from  near  its  source 
to  the  ocean,  although  of  course  Lewis  and  Clark  had  anticipated  them  on  the 
portion  below  the  junction  of  the  Snake  with  the  main   river. 

Mr.  Astor's  plans  provided  for  an  expedition  by  sea  and  one  by  land.  The 
first  was  to  convey  stores  and  equipment  for  founding  and  defending  the  pro- 


140  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

posed  capital  of  the  empire  of  the  fur  traders.  The  organization  of  Mr.  Astor's 
company  provided  that  there  should  be  a  capital  stock  of  a  hundred  shares,  of 
which  he  should  hold  half  and  his  associates  half.  Mr.  Astor  was  to  furnish 
the  money,  though  not  to  exceed  four  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  was  to. 
bear  all  losses  for  five  years.  The  term  of  the  association  was  fixed  at  twenty 
years  though  with  the  privilege  of  dissolving  it  in  five  years  if  it  proved  un- 
profitable. The  general  plan  and  the  details  of  the  expedition  had  been  decided 
upon  by  the  master  mind  of  the  founder  with  statesman-like  ability.  It  comes,, 
therefore,  as  a  surprise  to  the  reader  that  Mr.  Astor  should  have  made  a  capital 
mistake  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  undertaking.  This  mistake  was  in  the 
selection  of  his  associates  and  the  captains  of  some  of  his  ships.  Of  the  part- 
ners, five  were  Americans  and  five  were  Canadians.  Two  only  of  the  Ameri- 
cans remained  with  the  company  long  enough  to  have  any  determining  influ- 
ence on  its  policies.  Take  the  fact  that  the  majority  of  the  active  partners  and 
almost  all  the  clerks,  trappers,  and  other  employes  of  the  company  were  Cana- 
dians, and  put  it  beside  the  other  fact  that  war  was  imminent  with  Great  Britain 
and  did  actually  break  out  within  two  years,  and  the  dangerous  nature  of  the 
situation  can  be  seen.  Of  the  ship  captains,  the  first  one.  Captain  Jonathan 
Thorn  of  the  "Tonquin,"  was  a  man  of  such  overbearing  and  obstinate  nature 
that  disaster  seemed  to  be  fairly  invited  by  placing  him  in  such  a  vitally  respon- 
sible position.  The  captain  of  the  second  ship,  the  "Beaver,"  was  Cornelius 
Sowles,  and  he  seems  to  have  been  as  timid  and  irresolute  as  Captain  Thorn  was 
bold  and  implacable.  Both  lacked  judgment.  It  was  probably  natural  that  Mr. 
Astor,  having  had  his  main  prior  experience  as  a  fur  dealer  in  connection  with 
the  Canadians  centering  at  Montreal,  should  have  looked  in  that  direction  for 
associates.  But  inasmuch  as  war  between  England  and  the  United  States 
seemed  a  practical  certainty  it  was  a  great  error,  in  founding  a  vast  enterprise 
in  remote  regions  whose  ownership  was  not  yet  definitely  recognized,  to  share 
with  citizens  of  Great  Britain  the  determination  of  the  important  issues  of  the 
enterprise.  It  would  have  saved  Mr.  Astor  great  loss  and  chagrin  if  he  had 
observed  the  maxim:  "Put  none  but  Americans  on  guard."  As  to  the  captains 
of  the  two  vessels,  that  was  an  error  that  any  one  might  have  made.  Yet  for  a 
man  of  Astor's  exceptional  ability  and  shrewdness  to  err  so  conspicuously  in 
judging  the  character  of  the  men  appointed  to  such  important  places  seems 
indeed  strange. 

To  these  facts  in  regard  to  the  personnel  of  the  partners,  the  captains,  and 
the  force,  must  be  added  two  others,  i.  e.,  war  and  shipwreck.  The  combina- 
tion of  all  these  conditions  made  the  history  of  the  Astoria  enterprise  what  it 
was.  Yet,  with  all  of  its  adversity,  this  was  one  of  the  best  conceived,  and,  in 
most  of  its  details,  the  best  equipped  and  executed  of  all  the  great  enterprises 
which  have  appeared  in  the  commercial  history  of  our  country.  As  an  element 
in  the  development  of  the  land  of  the  Oregon,  it  must  be  accorded  the  first 
place  after  the  period  of  discovery. 

The  "Tonquin"  left  New  York  on  September  6,  1810.  She  carried  a  fine 
equipment  of  all  things  needed  for  founding  the  proposed  emporium.  She  was 
manned  by  a  crew  of  twenty-one  and  conveyed  members  of  the  fur-trading 
force  to  the   number  of   thirty-three.      Stopping  at   the    Sandwich    Islands,   an 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  141 

added  force  of  twenty- four  natives  was  taken  aboard.  At  various  times  on  the 
journey  the  rigid  ideas  of  naval  discipHne  and  the  imperious  temper  of  Captain 
Thorn  came  near  producing  mutiny  among  the  partners  and  clerks.  When 
the  "Tonquin"  hove  to,  off  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  on  March  22,  1811,  the 
eager  voyagers  saw  little  to  attract.  The  Avind  was  blowing  in  heavy  squalls, 
and  the  sea  ran  high.  Nevertheless  the  hard-hearted  captain  issued  orders  to 
the  first  mate.  Fox,  with  a  boat's  crew  of  four  men,  to  go  into  the  foaming 
waves  and  sound  the  channel.  The  boat  was  insufficinetly  provided,  and  it 
seemed  scarcely  short  of  murder  to  despatch  a  crew  under  such  circumstances. 
But  the  tyrannical  captain  would  listen  to  no  remonstrances,  and  the  poor  little 
boat  Vvent  tossing  over  the  billows  on  her  forlorn  hope.  Such  indeed  it  proved 
to  be,  for  neither  boat  nor  any  one  of  the  crew  waS  ever  heard  of  again.  This 
was  a  wholly  unnecessary  sacrifice  of  life,  for  the  "Tonquin"  was  in  no  danger, 
and  time  could  just  as  well  have  been  taken  for  more  propitious  weather. 

The  next  day,  the  wind  and  sea  having  abated,  the  "Tonquin"  drew  near 
the  dreaded  bar,  but,  no  entrance  that  satisfied  the  captain  appearing,  the  ship 
again  stood  off  to  spend  the  night  in  deep  water.  On  the  next  day,  the  24th, 
the  wind  fell  and  a  serene  sky  seemed  to  invite  another  attempt.  The  pinnace 
in  command  of  Mr.  Aikin,  with  two  white  men  and  two  Kanakas,  was  sent  out 
to  find  the  channel.  Following  the  pinnace  the  ship  moved  in  so  rapidly  under 
a  freshening  breeze  that  she  passed  the  pinnace,  the  unfortunate  men  on  board 
finding  it  impossible  to  effect  an  entrance  and  being  borne  by  the  refluent  cur- 
rent into  the  mad  surge  where  ocean  tide  and  outflowing  river  met  in  foamy 
strife.  So  the  pinnace  disappeared.  But  meanwhile  the  crew  had  all  their 
energies  engaged  to  save  the  "Tonquin."  For  the  wind  failed  at  the  critical 
moment  and  the  ship  struck  the  sands  with  violence.  Night  came  on.  Had  the 
men  been  classically  trained  (as  in  fact  Franchere  was)  they  might  have  re- 
membered Virgil,  Ponto  nox  incubat  atra.  But  they  had  not  time  for  classical 
or  other  quotations.  Hastily  dropping  the  anchors  they  lay  to  in  the  midst  of 
the  tumult  of  waters,  in  that  worst  of  situations,  on  an  unknown  coast  in  the 
dark  and  in  storm.  But  as  Franchere  expresses  it.  Providence  came  to  their 
succor,  and  the  tide  flooding  and  the  wind  rising,  they  weighed  the  anchors,  and 
in  spite  of  the  obscurity  of  the  night,  they  gained  a  safe  harbor  in  a  little  cove 
inside  of  Cape  Disappointment,  apparently  just  abreast  of  the  present  town  of 
Ilwaco. 

Thus  the  "Tonquin"  was  saved,  and  with  the  light  of  morning  it  could  be 
seen  that  she  was  fairly  within  the  bar.  Natives  soon  made  their  appearance, 
desirous  of  trading  beaver-skins.  But  the  crew  were  in  no  mood  for  commerce 
while  any  hope  existed  for  finding  the  lost  sailors.  Taking  a  course  toward 
the  shore  by  what  must  have  been  nearly  the  present  route  from  Ilwaco  to  Long 
Beach,  the  captain  and  a  party  with  him.  began  a  search  and  soon  found 
Weeks,  one  of  the  crew  of  the  pinnace.  He  was  stark  naked  and  suffering 
intensely  from  the  cold.  As  soon  as  sufficiently  revived  he  narrated  the  loss  of 
the  pinnace  in  the  breakers,  the  death  of  three  of  the  crew,  and  the  casting  of 
himself  and  one  of  the  Kanakas  upon  the  beach.  The  point  where  they  were 
cast  would  seem  to  have  been  near  the  present  location  of  the  life  saving  sta- 
tion. 


142  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  two  survivors  of  the  ill-fated  pinnace  having  been  revived,  the  party- 
returned  to  the  "Tonquin,"  which  was  now  riding  safely  at  anchor  in  the  bay 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  named  Baker's  Bay  by  Broughton  nineteen  years 
before.  Joy  for  their  own  escape  from  such  imminent  perils  was  mingled  with 
melancholy  at  the  loss  of  their  eight  companions  of  the  two  boats,  and  with  the 
melancholy  there  was  a  sense  of  bitterness  toward  the  captain,  who  was  to 
blame,  at  least  for  the  loss  of  the  small  boat. 

But  now  the  new  land  was  all  before  them  where  to  choose,  and  since 
Captain  Thorn  was  in  great  haste  to  depart  and  begin  his  trading  cruise  along 
the  coast,  the  partners  on  the  "Tonquin,"  Messrs.  McKay,  McDougal,  David 
Stuart,  and  Robert  Stuart,  decided  somewhat  hurriedly  to  locate  at  the  point 
which  had  received  from  Lieutenant  Broughton  the  name  of  Point  George.- 
Franchere  gives  a  pleasant  picture  of  the  beauty  of  the  trees  and  sky,  and  the- 
surprise  of  the  party  to  find  that,  though  it  was  only  the  12th  of  April  when 
they  set  to  work  upon  the  great  trees  which  covered  the  site  of  their  chosen 
capital,  yet  Spring  was  already  far  advanced.  They  did  not  then  understand 
the  effect  of  the  Japan  current  upon  the  Pacific  Coast  climate. 

An  incident  of  special  interest  soon  after  landing  was  the  appearance  on 
June  15th  of  two  strange  Indians,  a  man  and  a  woman,  bearing  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  Mr.  John  Stuart,  Fort  Estekatadene,  New  Caledonia.  These  two 
Indians  wore  long  robes  of  dressed  deerskins  with  leggings  and  moccasins  more 
like  the  Indians  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  could  not  understand  the 
speech  of  the  Astoria  Indians  nor  of  any  of  the  mixture  of  dialects  which  the 
white  men  tried  on  them,  until  one  of  the  Canadian  clerks  addressed  them  in 
the  Knisteneaux  language  with  which  they  seemed  to  be  partially  familiar. 
After  several  days  of  stay  at  the  fort  the  two  wandering  Indians  succeeded  in 
making  it  clear  to  the  traders  that  they  had  been  sent  out  by  a  clerk  named 
Finnan  McDonald  of  the  North-West  Fur  Company  from  a  fort  which  that 
company  had  just  established  on  the  Spokane  River.  They  said  that  they  had 
lost  their  way  and  in  consequence  had  descended  the  Tacousah-Tessah,  which. 
the  whites  supposed  to  be  their  name  for  the  Columbia,  though  the  general  im- 
pression among  the  Indians  is  that  Tacousah-Tessah,  or  Tacoutche-Tesse,  sig- 
nified Frazer  River.  From  the  revelation  gradually  drawn  from  these  two 
Indians  (and  the  surprising  discovery  was  made  that  they  were  both  women) 
the  very  important  conclusion  was  drawn  that  the  North-West  Fur  Company- 
was  already  prepared  to  contest  with  the  Astor  Company  the  possession  of  the 
river.  The  peculiar  feature  of  the  situation  was  that  the  most  of  the  Astoria 
Company  were  Canadian  and  British  by  blood  and  sympathy,  and  hence  were 
very  likely  to  fraternize  with  the  Montreal  traders. 

However,  the  Astorians  decided  to  send  an  expedition  into  the  interior  to- 
verify  the  story  given  by  the  two  Indian  women,  but,  just  as  they  were  ready 
to  go,  a  large  canoe  with  the  British  flag  floating  from  her  stern  appeared, 
from  which,  when  it  had  reached  the  landing,  there  leaped  ashore  an  active, 
well-dressed  man  w-ho  introduced  himself  as  David  Thompson,  of  the  North- 
West  Company.  This  was  the  same  man,  the  reader  will  remember,  who  had 
crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  the  year  before,  had  wintered  near  the  head  of 
the  river,  and  had  then  descended  it,  seeking  a  location  for  the  Columbia  River- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  145 

emporium  of  the  Canadian  Company.  But  he  was  too  late.  It  was  quite 
strange  by  what  narrow  margins  on  several  occasions  the  British  failed  to  fore- 
stall the  Yankees. 

Oh  July  23d  the  delayed  expedition  of  the  Astorians  set  forth  far  to  the 
interior,  and  as  a  result  of  their  investigations,  David  Stuart,  in  charge  of  the 
party,  began  the  erection  of  a  trading  house  at  the  mouth  of  the  Okanogan,  five 
hundred  and  forty  miles  above  Astoria.  It  was  on  September  2,  1811,  that  this 
post  was  begun,  and  hence  Fort  Okanogan  may  be  regarded  as  the  first  Ameri- 
can establishment  in  the  present  state  of  Washington.  It  was  antedated  a  few 
months  by  the  post  of  the  North-West  Company  at  the  entrance  of  the  Little 
Spokane  into  the  Spokane,  near  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Spokane. 

While  the  sea-faring  contingent  of  the  Astor  Company  were  thus  estab- 
lishing themselves  at  Astoria  and  Okanogan  and  were  making  the  beginnings- 
of  successful  trade  with  the  natives  both  on  the  seashore  and  inland,  the  land 
party  was  making  its  slow  and  toilsome  way  from  St.  Louis  to  the  Columbia 
River.  This  was  the  first  party  following  Lewis  and  Clark  to  cross  the  con- 
tinent, though,  as  already  stated,  Andrew  Henry  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company 
had  crossed  the  Great  Divide  to  the  headwaters  of  Snake  River  in  1809. 

The  land  division  made  its  journey,  or  started  to,  in  1811,  but  as  a  matter 
of  fact  the  party  did  not  reach  Asto'ria  till  the  opening  of  1812.  The  story  of 
this  strenuous  journey  is  told  in  Irving's  most  fascinating  style  in  his  Astoria, 
and  no  student  of  Pacific  Coast  history  should  fail  to  read  that  volume.  Per- 
haps few  have  failed.  The  commander  of  the  party  was  Wilson  Price  Hunt,, 
who  was  the  second  partner  in  rank  to  John  Jacob  Astor. 

With  Hunt  were  associated  four  other  partners  of  the  expedition.  Crooks, 
McKenzie,  Miller,  and  McClellan.  Accompanying  the  party  were  two  English 
naturalists,  Bradbury  and  Nuttall,  who  did  the  first  scientific  study  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region.  There  were  forty  Canadian  voyageurs  whose  duties  con- 
sisted in  rowing,  transporting,  cooking,  and  general  drudgery.  The  remaining 
twelve  of  the  party  consisted  of  a  group  of  American  hunters  and  trappers,  the 
leader  of  whom  was  a  Virginian  named  John  Day.  The  company  was  in  all 
respects  fitted  out  most  bountifully. 

There  were  at  that  time  two  great  classes  of  trappers.  The  first  and  most 
numerous  were  the  Canadian  voyageurs.  These  were  mainly  of  French  descent,, 
many  of  them  being  half-breeds.  Almost  amphibious  by  nature  and  training, 
gay  and  amiable  in  disposition,  with  true  French  vivacity  and  ingenuity,  gliding 
over  every  harsh  experience  with  laugh  and  song,  possessed  of  quick  sympathies 
and  humane  instincts  which  enabled  them  to  readily  find  the  best  side  of  the 
Indians,  these  French  voyageurs  constituted  a  most  interesting  as  well  as  indis- 
pensable class  in  the  trapper's  business. 

THE    FREE   TRAPPERS. 

The  free  trappers  were  an  entirely  different  class  of  men.  They  were  usu- 
ally American  by  birth,  Virginia  and  Kentucky  being  the  homes  of  most  of 
them.  Patient  and  indefatigable  in  their  work  of  trapping,  yet  when  on  their 
annual  trip  to  the  towns  given  to  wild  dissipation  and  savage  revellings,  indif- 


144  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

ferent  to  sympathy  or  company,  harsh  and  cruel  to  the  Indians,  bold  and  over- 
bearing, with  blood  always  in  their  eyes,  thunder  in  their  voices,  and  guns  in 
their  hands,  yet  underneath  all  of  their  harsh  exterior  having  noble  hearts, 
could  they  but  be  reached,  these  now  vanished  trappers  have  gone  to  a  place  in 
-history  alongside  of  the  old  Spartans  and  the  followers  of  Pizarro  and  Cortez 
in  Spanish  conquest. 

Of  the  many  adventures  of  the  Hunt  party  on  the  journey  up  the  Missouri, 
we  cannot  speak.  For  some  reason,  although  taking  a  more  direct  route  than 
did  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  having,  to  all  appearance,  a  better  equipped  party, 
they  did  not  make  so  good  time.  Guided  by  Indians,  they  crossed  chain  after 
chain  of  mountains,  supposing  each  to  be  the  summit,  only  to  find  another  yet 
to  succeed.  At  last  on  the  15th  of  September,  they  stood  upon  a  lofty  eminence 
■over  which  they  could  gaze  both  eastward  and  westward.  Scanning  attentively 
the  western  horizon,  the  guide  pointed  out  three  shining  peaks,  whose  bases,  he 
told  them,  were  touched  by  a  tributary  of  the  Columbia  River.  These  peaks 
.are  now  known  as  the  Three  Tetons. 

And  now  the  party  thus  late  in  the  season  was  starting  down  the  long 
western  slope  over  an  unknown  region. 

For  Lewis  and  Clark,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  gone  far  to  the  north 
and  had  descended  upon  the  Clearwater  and  had  made  much  better  time  than 
did  the  Hunt  party.  It  is  worth  noting,  however,  that  the  route  taken  by  the 
Hunt  party  was  that  which  later  became  in  most  of  its  course  the  great  Oregon 
Emigrant  Trail  down  Snake  River. 

The  Hunt  party  met  with  many  hardships.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  present 
Twin  Falls,  they  were  tantalized  by  seeing  the  river  rushing,  inaccessible, 
through  volcanic  sluiceways,  and  with  parched  lips  were  obliged  to  lie  down 
for  the  night  within  sound  of  its  angry  ravings  but  without  a  drop  to  drink. 
The  Scotchman  dubbed  this  place  "Caldron  Linn,"  the  Canadians  called  it  the 
""Devil's  Scuttle-hole,"  and  to  the  river  they  gave  the  name,  "La  Riviere  Mau- 
dite  Enragee"  (The  Accursed  Mad  River).  It  was  already  winter  time  when  the 
party  reached  the  point  on  Snake  River  near  Huntington,  crossed  at  present  by 
the  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  They  were  in  extremities  for  food  and  could  find 
few  Indians  from  whom  to  get  either  subsistence  or  information.  Being  at  the 
head  of  the  great  Snake  River  Canyon,  above  the  Seven  Devils  of  the  present 
nomenclature,  they  found  themselves  in  such  a  tangle  of  forbidding  crags  and 
cataracts  as  to  make  progress  impossible.  A  small  division,  however,  headed 
l^y  McKenzie,  one  of  the  partners  and  the  strongest  and  most  resourceful  of 
all,  did  make  their  way  down  the  canyon,  and  across  to  the  Clearwater,  and 
thence  to  navigable  water  on  the  Snake,  whence,  with  boats  constructed  on  the 
river  bank  they  made  their  way  down  the  Snake  and  Columbia  to  Astoria,  five 
"hundred  miles  distant,  arriving  a  month  or  more  in  advance  of  the  main  party. 

This  main  party,  meanwhile,  under  Hunt's  leadership  but  with  no  guid- 
ance, was  floundering  along  the  Boise  and  the  Weiser,  to  and  fro,  in  hope  of 
salvation  from  threatening  freezing  and  famine. 

At  last  they  crossed  Snake  River  and  struck  westward  across  the  highlands 
of  Burnt  River  and  Powder  River.  They  must  have  pursued  nearly  the  course 
•of  the  present  O.-W.  R.  R.  and  the  State  Highway  through  the  Baker  Valley. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        v  145 

•On  New  Year's  Day  they  were  in  the  beautiful  Grande  Ronde  Valley.  Attrac- 
tive as  it  now  is,  it  must  have  seemed  trebly  so  to  those  famished  wanderers. 
For  the  snows  in  which  they  had  been  floundering  ceased,  the  genial  sun  of  a 
new  year  broke  forth,  and,  best  of  all,  they  found  many  lodges  of  friendly 
Indians,  from  whom  they  procured  food  and  horses.  Thus  the  expedition  was 
saved.  The  mercurial  French  Canadians,  the  voyageurs  and  coureurs  des  bois, 
with  Gallic  enthusiasm  celebrated  New  Year's  Day  with  dance  and  song,  with 
feasts  of  dog  meat,  roasted,  boiled,  and  fricasseed,  and  thus  New  Year's  Day, 
1812,  was  celebrated  by  the  first  party  of  trappers  in  eastern  Oregon. 

Another  toilsome  stage  across  the  snowy  range  between  Grande  Ronde  and 
the  Umatilla  was  necessary  before  they  reached  the  spring-like  and  balmy  airs 
of  the  chinook-swept  plain  of  that  magnificent  valley  of  the  Umatilla.  Here 
they  found  a  large  and  well  equipped  body  of  the  Tushepaw  Indians.  These 
Indians  had  axes,  kettles,  and  other  implements  significant  of  trade  with  the 
whites.  Moreover  they  gave  their  eager  questioners  to  understand  that  the 
Great  River  was  only  two  days'  distant  and  that  a  small  party  of  white  men  had 
just  descended  it.  Being  now  relieved  of  anxiety  about  McKenzie  and  his 
party,  Hunt  felt  that  their  dangers  were  mainly  over,  and  with  well  filled  stom- 
achs and  packs  they  set  forth  across  the  pleasant  prairie  and  within  two  days, 
having  reached  a  point  presumably  near  the  present  Umatilla,  they  beheld  with 
overflowing  hearts  the  blue  majestic  flood,  nearly  a  mile  wide,  hastening  west- 
ward, the  Columbia !  Crossing  the  river  into  what  is  now  Benton  County, 
formerly  Yakima,  and  hence  within  the  scene  of  our  present  work,  they  pro- 
ceeded by  land  to  the  Grand  Dalles.  There  they  exchanged  horses  for  canoes, 
and  with  great  content  and  ease  after  the  snow  and  starvation  of  the  journey 
across  the  moutains  of  eastern  Oregon,  they  proceeded  gaily  down  the  sweep- 
ing waters  of  the  great  river.  On  February  15,  1812,  they  rounded  Tongue  Point 
and  close  at  hand  saw  the  Stars  and  Stripes  floating  from  the  wooden  walls  of 
the  newly  christened  town  of  Astoria.  As  they  neared  the  shore  their  approach 
was  noted,  and  the  whole  population  came  forth  to  meet  them — trappers,  sail- 
ors, and  Indians.  Foremost  in  the  crowd  were  the  advance  guard,  McKenzie 
and  his  men,  who  had  arrived  a  month  before  and  who,  having  left  the  main 
party  almost  at  death's  door  in  the  deserts  of  the  Snake  River,  held  no  confident 
hope  that  they  would  ever  see  them  again.  The  Canadians  with  their  Gallic 
vivacity  rushed  into  each  others  arms  like  so  many  school  girls,  while  even  the 
stiff- jawed  Scotchman  and  the  nonchalant  Americans  gave  themselves  up  to 
the  gladness  of  the  hour. 

The  next  two  or  three  days  were  mainly  devoted  to  eating  and  story  telling. 

Several  of  this  party  had  been  lost  by  drowning  or  starvation,  and  six  sick 
men,  under  the  leadership  of  Ramsay  Crooks  and  John  Day,  had  been  left  on 
Snake  River,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Weiser.  Of  their  subsequent  evil  fortunes 
we  will  make  mention   later. 

Gen.  H.  M.  Chittenden  of  Seattle  in  his  invaluable  History  of  the  Ameri- 
can Fur-Trade  sums  up  in  a  masterly  way  the  different  stages  of  the  course  of 
the  Hunt  party  and  of  the  return  journey  of  a  party  in  command  of  Crooks  and 
Stuart  which  left  Astoria  June  29,  1812,  and  reached  St.  Louis,  April  30,  1813. 
'General  Chittenden  considers  that  these  two  expeditions,  that  went  into  Oregon 

(10) 


146  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

under  Hunt  and  out  of  Oregon  under  Stuart,  practically  fixed  the  Oregon 
Trail  and  thus  made  a  contribution  of  much  interest  to  history.  In  entering. 
Hunt  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  by  what  became  known  as  Union  Pass.  It 
was  not  till  1823  that  a  small  party  of  hunters  belonging  to  the  Rocky  Mountain 
Fur  Company,  led  by  Etienne  Provost  and  sent  out  by  Andrew  Henry,  made  the 
great  discovery  of  South  Pass.  To  all  immigrants  or  the  descendants  of  such 
the  location  of  the  Oregon  Trail  is  one  of  the  great  events  of  history,  and  hence 
these  references  to  the  beginnings  of  "Trail  Making"  contain  much  interest. 

After  what  might  be  considered  in  a  general  way  an  auspicious  beginning, 
in  spite  of  so  much  hardship  and  some  disaster,  the  Pacific  Fur  Company  of 
John  Jacob  Astor  was  thus  inaugurated  both  by  sea  and  land.  It  was  the  fore- 
most American  enterprise  in  the  fur  trade,  and  the  causes  and  manner  of  its 
downfall,  a  matter  of  great  chagrin  to  Americans,  and  the  rise  of  the  great 
British  fur  companies,  the  Hudson's  Bay  and  the  North-West,  constitute  one  of 
the  pivots  on  which  the  history  of  this  country  turns.  The  strange  manner  in 
which  the  downfall  of  the  American  fur  trade  and  the  resulting  dominance  of 
their  British  rivals  were  swiftly  followed  by  the  supplanting  of  those  same 
great  British  interests  by  the  American  Missionary  and  American  Immigrant, 
composes  one  of  the  great  dramas  of  history. 

In  1812  all  signs  pointed  to  the  complete  success  of  Aster's  great  enter- 
prise. In  May,  1812,  the  Company's  ship  "Beaver,"  arrived  from  New  York, 
loaded  with  stores  and  trading  equipment,  and  bringing  a  considerable  addition 
to  the  force  of  men.  In  the  following  month  sixty  men  were  despatched  up- 
river,  and  by  them  a  trading  post  was  located  at  Spokane  and  another  on  the 
Snake  River  somewhere  near  the  present  site  of  Lewiston,  while  one  section  of 
the  party  went  across  the  mountains  and  down  the  Missouri,  to  convey  dis- 
patches to  Mr.  Astor. 

RECORD   OF  DISASTER 

At  this  stage  of  the  history  of  the  Astoria  enterprise,  every  aspect  was  en- 
couraging. The  trade  in  furs  on  the  Spokane,  the  Okanogan,  the  Snake,  and 
the  Coeur  d'  Alene  was  excellent,  a  successful  cruise  along  the  coast  by  the 
"Beaver"  seemed  sure,  and  the  Indians  about  the  mouth  of  the  river  were 
friendly  and  well  disposed.  Mr.  Astor's  great  undertaking  seemed  sure  to  be 
crowned  with  success.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  signs  of  hope  came  tidings  of 
dismay.  It  became  known  with  certainty  that  the  "Tonquin"  had  been  de- 
stroyed. This  appalling  disaster  was  related  directly  to  the  Astoria  Company 
by  the  only  survivor.  This  was  an  Indian  of  the  Chehalis  tribe  whose  name  is 
given  by  Irving  as  Lamazee,  by  Ross  as  Lamazu,  and  by  Bancroft  as  Lamanse. 
He  had  escaped  from  the  Indians  who  had  held  him  after  the  destruction  of 
the  "Tonquin"  and  had  finally  found  his  way  to  Astoria,  there  to  tell  his  tale, 
one  of  the  most  sanguinary  in  the  long  roll  of  struggles  with  the  Indians.  The 
next  great  disaster  was  the  wrecking  of  the  Lark,  the  third  of  the  Company's 
ships  from  New  York.  During  the  same  period  Mr.  Hunt,  the  partner  next 
in  rank  to  Mr.  Astor  and  the  one  above  all  who  could  have  acted  wisely  and 
patriotically  in  the  forthcoming  crisis,  had  gone  in  the  "Beaver"  on  a  trading 
cruise  among  the  Russians  of  Sitka,  and  by  a  most  remarkable  series  of  deten- 
tions he  had  been  kept  away  from  Astoria  for  over  a  year. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        '  147 

To  cap  the  climax  of  misfortunes,  the  War  of  1812  burst  upon  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  fur  traders  and  seemed  to  force  upon  such  of  the  partners  as  were 
of  British  nationality  the  question  of  theii  paramount  duty.  As  a  result  of  the 
crisis,  McDougal  and  McKenzie,  although  against  the  wishes  of  the  other  part- 
ners present,  sold  out  to  the  agent  of  the  North- Westers,  who  had  repaired  at 
once  to  Astoria  upon  knowledge  of  the  declaration  of  war.  Thus  the  great 
Astoria  enterprise  was  abandoned,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  went  down  and 
the  Union  Jack  went  up.  Soon  after  the  transfer,  the  British  man  of  war  Rac- 
coon, Captain  Black,  arrived  at  Astoria,  expecting  to  have  seized  the  place  as 
a  rich  prize  of  war.  Imagine  the  disgust  of  the  expectant  British  mariners  to 
discover  that  the  post  had  already  been  sold  to  British  subjects,  that  their  long 
journey  was  useless,  and  that  their  hopes  of  prize  money  had  vanished. 

With  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812  a  series  of  negotiations  between  the  min- 
isters of  the  two  countries  took  place  in  regard  to  the  possession  of  the  river, 
by  which  it  was  finally  decided  that  Astoria  should  be  restored  to  the  United 
States.  Accordingly,  on  the  6th  of  October,  1818,  the  British  Commissioners, 
Captain  F.  Hickey,  of  his  Majesty's  ship  "Blossom,"  and  J.  Keith,  representing 
the  North-West  Fur  Company,  signed  an  act  of  delivery  restoring  Fort  George 
(Astoria)  to  the  United  States.  Mr.  J.  B.  Prevost,  commissioner  for  the  United 
States,  signed  the  act  of  acceptance.  Astoria  was  once  again  American  prop- 
erty. 

While  the  river  was  now  nominally  in  possession  of  the  United  States,  it 
was  practically  under  the  control  of  the  British  fur  companies.  The  Pacific  Fur 
Company  ceased  to  operate,  and  the  North- Westers  entered  upon  active  work 
both  by  sea  and  land  in  exploring  the  vast  and  profitable  domain  which  the  mis- 
fortunes of  their  American  rivals,  supplemented  in  a  most  timely  manner  by  the 
treachery  of  McDougall  and  McKenzie,  had  put  within  their  power.  The  canny 
Scotchmen,  McDougall,  McTavish,  McKenzie,  McDonald,  and  the  various 
other  Macs  who  now  guided  the  plans  of  the  North-Westers,  signalized  their 
entrance  into  power  by  despatching  companies  to  the  various  pivotal  points  of 
the  great  Columbia  Basin,  the  Walla  Walla,  Yakima,  Okanogan,  Spokane,  and 
Snake  Rivers.  Two  incidents  may  be  related  to  illustrate  the  character  of  the 
people  and  the  conditions  of  that  wilderness  period. 

SOME   STORIES    OF   THE    FUR    TR.\DERS 

A  party  of  ninety  men  in  ten  canoes  left  Astoria  for  up-river  points  on 
April  4,  1814.  While  passing  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima,  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  up  the  river,  the  men  were  surprised  to  see  three  canoes  putting 
out  from  shore  and  to  hear  a  child's  voice  calling  out,  "Arretez  done!  arretez 
done!"  Stopping  to  investigate,  they  found  the  Indian  wife  of  Pierre  Dorion 
and  her  children.  They  had  been  with  the  party  under  command  of  John  Reed 
of  the  Astor  Company.  While  trapping  and  hunting,  deep  in  the  mountains 
of  Snake  River,  the  party  had  been  massacred  by  Indians.  The  woman  and 
her  two  boys  had  alone  escaped  the  massacre.  It  was  the  dead  of  Winter  and 
the  snows  lay  deep  on  the  Blue  Mountains.  But  the  wife  of  Dorion  found 
shelter  in  a  remote  fastness  of  the  mountains,  putting  up  a  bark  hut  for  a 
shelter  and  subsisting  on  the  carcasses  of  some  of  her  horses.     In  the  Spring 


148  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  pitiful  little  company  of  mother  and  children  descended  to  Walla  Walla 
and  found  there  more  kindly  disposed  natives  who  cared  for  them  and  turned 
them  over  to  the  protection  of  the  whites.  A  more  thrilling  story  of  suffering 
and  heroism  than  this  of  Madame  Dorion  and  her  children  has  never  come  up 
from  the  chronicles  of  the  wild  West. 

Of  similar  nature  was  the  story  of  Crooks  and  Day  to  which  we  referred 
-earlier.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Hunt  party  had  left  six  sick  men  in  the 
Snake  River  country.  They  had  little  hope  of  ever  seeing  them  again,  but  the 
next  Summer  the  party  on  their  way  up  the  Columbia  River,  saw  two  wretched 
looking  beings,  naked  and  haggard,  wandering  on  the  river  bank  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Umatilla.  Stopping  to  investigate,  they  discovered  that  these  were  Day 
and  Crooks,  the  leaders  of  the  party  which  they  had  left  behind.  Their  forlorn 
plight  was  relieved  with  food  and  clothes,  and,  having  been  taken  into  the  boat, 
they  related  their  dismal  tale.  It  appeared  that  they  had  been  provided  suffi- 
ciently by  the  Indians  to  sustain  their  lives  through  the  Winter.  In  the  Spring 
they  had  left  the  Canadians  among  the  Indians,  and  set  forth  in  the  hope  of 
reaching  the  Great  River.  But  having  reached  The  Dalles  they  had  been  robbed 
■of  rifles  and  ammunition,  stripped  of  their  clothing,  and  driven  forth  into  the 
wilderness.  They  were  almost  at  a  point  of  a  final  surrender  to  ill  fortune  when 
they  beheld  the  rescuing  boat.  So,  with  joyful  hearts,  they  turned  their  boat's 
prow  to  Astoria,  which  they  reached  in  safety.  But  poor  Day  never  regained 
his  health.  His  mind  was  shattered  by  the  hardships  of  his  journey,  and  he 
soon  pined  away  and  died.  The  barren  and  rugged  shores  of  the  John  Day 
River  in  eastern  Oregon  take  on  an  added  interest  in  view  of  the  sad  story  of 
the  brave  hunter  who  discovered  them,  and  who  wandered  in  destitution  for  so 
many  days  beside  them.  Strange  to  say,  the  four  Canadians  who  remained 
among  the  Indians  were  afterwards  found  alive,  though  utterly  destitute  of 
everything.  Hence  it  appears  that  the  loss  of  life  in  this  difficult  journey  was 
not  great. 

Yet  another  of  the  best  illustrations  of  life  among  the  fur  traders  is  the 
story  by  Alexander  Ross  of  his  adventure  in  the  "Eyakema"  Valley.  Ross  was 
first  in  the  employ  of  the  Astor  Company  and  when  they  sold  out  to  the  North- 
Westers  he  joined  the  latter.  His  book,  "Fur-traders  of  the  Far  West,"  from 
which  this  narrative  is  taken,  is  one  of  our  best  authorities.  It  is  especially 
worthy  of  note  that  from  the  reference  to  the  Pisscows  River  (Wenatchee) 
the  valley  "Eyakema,"  must  have  been  the  Kittitas.  It  is  also  important  to 
note  that  he  refers  to  it  as  more  or  less  known  to  the  fur  traders,  and  as  not 
having  been  considered  safe.  Since  this  adventure  occurred  in  1814  we  may 
readily  infer  that  those  enterprising  avant-couriers  of  civilization  had  already 
made  their  way  into  pretty  much  all  of  central  Washington. 

The  story  by  Ross  is  as  follows : 

"On  reaching  the  Oakanagan  everything  was  at  a  dead  stand  for  want  of 
packhorses  to  transport  the  goods  inland,  and  as  no  horses  were  to  be  got  nearer 
than  the  Eyakema  Valley,  some  two  hundred  miles  southwest,  it  was  resolved 
to  proceed  thither  in  quest  of  a  supply :  at  that  place  all  the  Indians  were  rich  in 
horses.  The  Cayouses,  the  Nez-Perces,  and  other  war-like  tribes,  assemble 
every  Spring  in  the  Eyakema  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  the  favourite  kamass  and 
Pelua,  or  sweet  potatoes,  held  in  high  estimation  as  articles  of  food  among  the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  149 

natives.  There  also  the  Indians  hold  their  councils,  and  settle  the  affairs  of 
peace  or  war  for  the  year;  it  is,  therefore,  the  great  national  rendezous,  where 
thousands  meet,  and  on  such  occasions,  horses  can  be  got  in  almost  any  num- 
ber; but,  owing  to  the  vast  concourse  of  mixed  tribes,  there  is  always  more  or 
less  risk  attending  the  undertaking. 

"To  this  place  I  had  been  once  before  during  the  days  of  the  Pacific  Fur 
Company,  so  it  fell  to  my  lot  again,  although  it  was  well  known  that  the  fatal  dis- 
asters which  more  than  once  took  place  between  those  tribes  and  the  whites 
would  not  have  diminished,  but  rather  increased,  the  danger;  yet  there  was  no 
alternative,  I  must  go :  so  I  set  off  with  a  small  bundle  of  trading  articles,  and. 
only  three  men,  Mr.  Thomas  McKay,  a  young  clerk,  and  two  French  Canadians, 
and  as  no  more  men  could  be  spared,  the  two  latter  took  their  wives  along  with, 
them,  to  aid  in  driving  the  horses,  for  women  in  these  parts  are  as  expert  as 
men  on  horseback. 

"On  the  fourth  night  after  leaving  Oakanagan,  Sopa,  a  friendly  neighbor- 
ing chief  of  the  Pisscows  tribe,  on  learning  that  we  were  on  our  way  to  the 
Eyakemas,  despatched  two  of  his  men  to  warn  us  of  our  danger,  and  bring  us 
back.  The  zealous  couriers  reached  our  camp  late  in  the  night.  My  men  were 
fast  asleep ;  but  there  was  no  sleep  for  me :  I  was  too  anxious,  and  heard  their 
approach.  I  watched  their  motions  for  some  time  with  my  gun  in  my  hand,  till 
they  called  out  in  thier  own  language,  "Samah !  Samah !  Pedcousm,  Pedcousm" 
— white  men,  white  men,  turn  back,  turn  back,  you  are  all  dead  men !  It  was, 
however,  of  no  use,  for  we  must  go  at  all  hazards.  I  had  risked  my  life  there  for 
the  Americans,  I  could  not  now  do  less  for  the  North-West  Company ;  so  with 
deep  regret  the  friendly  couriers  left  us  and  returned,  and  with  no  less  reluc- 
tance we  proceeded.  The  second  day  after  our  friends  left  us,  we  entered  the 
Eyakema  Valley — "the  Beautiful  Eyakema  Valley" — so  called  by  the  whites. 
But,  on  the  present  occasion,  there  was  nothing  beautiful  or  interesting  to  us; 
for  we  had  scarcely  advanced  three  miles  when  a  camp  in  the  true  Mameluke: 
style  presented  itself;  a  camp,  of  which  we  could  see  the  beginning  but  not  the- 
end!  It  could  not  have  contained  less  than  3,000  men,  exclusive  of  women  and' 
children,  and  treble  that  number  of  horses.  It  was  a  grand  and  imposing  sight 
in  the  wilderness,  covering  more  than  six  miles  in  every  direction.  Councils, 
root  gathering,  hunting,  horse-racing,  foot-racing,  gambling,  singing,  dancing, 
drumming,  yelling,  and  a  thousand  other  things  which  I  cannot  mention,  were 
going  on  around  us. 

"The  din  of  men,  the  noise  of  women,  the  screaming  of  children,  the  tramp- 
ing of  horses,  and  the  howling  of  dogs,  was  more  than  can  well  be  described! 
Let  the  reader  picture  to  himself  a  great  city  in  an  uproar — it  will  afford  some 
idea  of  our  position.  In  an  Indian  camp  you  see  life  without  disguise;  the  feel- 
ings, the  passions,  the  propensities,  as  they  ebb  and  flow  in  the  savage  breast. 
In  this  field  of  savage  glory  all  was  motion  and  commotion ;  we  advanced 
through  groups  of  men  and  bands  of  horses,  till  we  reached  the  very  centre- 
of  the  camp  and  there  the  sight  of  the  chiefs'  tents  admonished  us  to  dismount 
and  pay  them  our  respects,  as  we  depended  on  them  for  our  protection. 

"Our  reception  was  cool,  the  chiefs  were  hostile  and  sullen,  they  saluted 
us  in  no  very  flattering  accents.  'These  men  are  the  ones,'  said  they,  'who  kill 
our    relations,    the  people  who  have  caused  us  to  mourn.'     And  here,  for  the- 


•150  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

first  time,  I  regretted  we  had  not  taken  advice  in  time,  and  returned  with  the 
couriers;  for  the  general  aspect  of  things  was  against  us.  It  was  evident 
we  stood  on  slippery  ground:  we  felt  our  weakness.  In  all  sudden  and  unex- 
pected rencontres  with  hostile  Indians,  the  first  impulse  is  generally  a  tremor  or 
sensation  of  fear,  but  that  soon  wears  off;  it  was  so  with  myself  at  this  mo- 
ment, for  after  a  short  interval,  I  nerved  myself  to  encounter  the  worst. 

"The  moment  we  dismounted,  we  were  surrounded,  and  the  savages,  giving 
two  or  three  war-whoops  and  yells,  drove  the  animals  we  had  ridden  out  of  our 
sight ;  this  of  itself  was  a  hostile  movement.  We  had  to  judge  from  appear- 
ances, and  be  guided  by  circumstances.  My  first  care  was  to  try  and  direct 
their  attention  to  something  new,  and  to  get  rid  of  the  temptation  there  was  to 
dispose  of  my  goods ;  so  without  a  moment's  delay,  I  commenced  a  trade  in 
horses ;  but  every  horse  I  bought  during  that  and  the  following  day,  as  well  as 
those  we  had  brought  with  us,  were  instantly  driven  out  of  sight,  in  the  midst 
of  yelling  and  jeering;  nevertheless,  I  continued  to  trade  while  an  article  re- 
mained, putting  the  best  face  on  things  I  could,  and  taking  no  notice  of  their 
conduct,  as  no  insult  or  violence  had  as  yet  been  offered  to  ourselves  person- 
ally. Two  days  and  nights  had  now  elapsed  since  our  arrival,  without  food  or 
sleep;  the  Indians  refused  us  the  former,  our  own  anxiety  deprived  us  of  the 
latter. 

"During  the  third  day  I  discovered  that  the  two  women  were  to  have  been 
either  killed  or  taken  from  us  and  made  slaves.  So  surrounded  were  we  for 
miles  on  every  side,  that  we  could  not  stir  unobserved ;  yet  we  had  to  devise 
some  means  for  their  escape,  and  to  get  them  clear  of  the  camp  was  a  task  of  no 
ordinary  difficulty  and  danger.  In  this  critical  conjuncture,  however,  something 
had  to  be  done,  and  that  without  delay.  One  of  them  had  a  child  at  the  breast, 
which  increased  the  difficulty.  To  attempt  sending  them  back  by  the  road  they 
came,  would  have  been  sacrificing  them.  To  attempt  an  unknown  path  through 
the  rugged  mountains,  however  doubtful  the  issue,  appeared  the  only  prospect 
that  held  out  a  glimpse  of  hope ;  therefore  to  this  mode  of  escape  I  directed 
their  attention.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  they  set  out  on  their  forlorn  adventure, 
without  food,  guide  or  protection,  to  make  their  way  home  under  a  kind  Provi- 
dence ! 

"  'You  are  to  proceed,'  said  I  to  them,  'due  north,  cross  the  mountains,  and 
keep  in  that  direction  till  you  fall  on  the  Pisscows  River;  take  the  first  canoe 
you  find,  and  proceed  with  all  diligence  down  to  the  mouth  of  it  and  there  await 
our  arrival.  But  if  we  are  not  there  in  four  days,  you  may  proceed  to  Oakan- 
agan,  and  tell  your  story.'  With  these  instructions  we  parted ;  and  with  but 
little  hopes  of  our  ever  meeting  again.  I  had  no  sooner  set  about  getting  the 
women  off,  than  the  husbands  expressed  a  wish  to  accompany  them;  the  desire 
was  natural,  yet  I  had  to  oppose  it.  This  state  of  things  distracted  my  atten- 
tion ;  my  eyes  had  now  to  be  on  my  own  people  as  well  as  on  the  Indians,  as  I 
was  apprehensive  they  would  desert.  'There  is  no  hope  for  the  women  by  going 
alone,'  said  the  husbands,  'no  hope  for  us  by  remaining  here ;  we  might  as  well 
be  killed  in  the  attempt  to  escape,  as  remain  to  be  killed  here.'  'No,'  said  I, 
'by  remaining  here  we  do  our  duty ;  by  going,  we  should  be  deserting  our  duty.' 
To  this  remonstrance  they  made  no  reply.     The  Indians  soon  perceived  that 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  151 

they  had  been  outwitted.  They  turned  over  our  baggage,  and  searched  in  every 
hole  and  corner.  Disappointment  creates  ill-humour;  it  was  so  with  the  Indians. 
They  took  the  men's  guns  out  of  their  hands,  fired  them  off  at  their  feet,  and 
then,  with  savage  laughter,  laid  them  down  again ;  took  their  hats  off  their  heads, 
and  after  strutting  about  with  these  for  some  time,  jeeringly  gave  them  back  to 
their  owners;  all  this  time  they  never  interfered  with  me,  but  I  felt  that  every 
insult  offered  to  my  men  was  an  indirect  insult  offered  to  myself. 

"The  day  after  the  women  went  oft',  I  ordered  one  of  the  men  to  try  to 
cook  something  for  us ;  for  hitherto  we  had  eaten  nothing  since  our  arrival, 
except  a  few  raw  roots  which  we  managed  to  get  unobserved.  But  the  kettle 
was  no  sooner  on  the  fire  than  five  or  six  of  the  warriors  with  spears  bore  it  off, 
in  savage  triumph,  with  the  contents :  they  even  emptied  out  the  water,  and 
threw  the  kettle  on  one  side;  and  this  was  no  sooner  done  than  thirty  or  forty 
ill-favoured  wretches  fired  a  volley  in  the  embers  before  us,  which  caused  a 
cloud  of  smoke  and  ashes  to  ascend,  darkening  the  air  around  us :  a  strong  hint 
not  to  put  a  kettle  any  more  on  the  fire,  and  we  took  it. 

"At  this  time  the  man  who  had  put  the  kettle  on  the  fire  took  the  knife  with 
which  he  had  cut  the  venison  to  lay  it  by,  when  one  of  the  Indians,  called 
Eyacktana,  a  bold  and  turbulent  chief,  snatched  it  out  of  his  hand;  the  man,  in 
an  angry  tone,  demanded  his  knife,  saying  to  me,  T'll  have  my  knife  from  the 
villain,  life  or  death.'  'No,'  said  I.  The  chief  seeing  the  man  angry,  threw 
down  his  robe,  and  grasping  the  knife  in  his  fist,  with  the  point  downwards, 
raised  his  arm,  making  a  motion  in  advance  as  if  he  intended  using  it.  The 
crisis  had  now  arrived!  At  this  moment  there  was  a  dead  silence.  The  Indians 
were  flocking  in  from  all  quarters ;  a  dense  crowd  surrounded  us.  Not  a  mo- 
ment was  to  be  lost ;  delay  would  be  fatal,  and  nothing  now  seemed  to  remain 
for  us  but  to  sell  our  lives  as  dearly  as  possible.  With  this  impression,  grasping 
a  pistol,  I  advanced  a  step  towards  the  villain  who  held  the  knife,  with  full 
determination  of  putting  an  end  to  his  career  before  any  of  us  should  fall ;  but 
while  in  the  act  of  lifting  my  foot  and  moving  my  arm,  a  second  idea  flashed 
into  my  mind,  admonishing  me  to  soothe,  and  not  provoke,  the  Indians,  that 
Providence  might  yet  make  a  way  for  us  to  escape;  this  thought  saved  the  In- 
dian's life  and  ours  too.  Instead  of  drawing  the  pistol,  as  I  intended,  I  took  a 
knife  from  my  belt,  such  as  travelers  generally  use  in  this  country,  and  pre- 
sented it  to  him,  saying,  'Here,  my  friend,  is  a  chief's  knife,  I  give  it  to  you ; 
that  is  not  a  chief's  knife,  give  it  back  to  the  man.'  Fortunately,  he  took  mine 
in  his  hand ;  but,  still  sullen  and  savage,  he  said  nothing.  The  moment  was  a 
critical  one ;  our  fate  hung  on  as  by  a  thread ;  I  shall  never  forget  it !  All  the 
bystanders  had  their  eyes  fixed  now  on  the  chief,  thoughtful  and  silent  as  he 
stood ;  we  also  stood  motionless,  not  knowing  what  a  moment  might  bring 
forth.  At  last  the  savage  handed  the  man  his  knife,  and  turning  to  his  people 
holding  up  the  knife  in  his  hand,  exclaimed,  "Sheaugh.  Mc-yokat-Waltz" — 
Look,  my  friends,  at  the  chief's  knife:  These  words  he  repeated  over  and  over 
again.  He  was  delighted.  The  Indians  flocked  round  him :  all  admired  the  toy, 
and  in  the  excess  of  his  joy  he  harangued  the  multitude  in  our  favour.  Fickle 
indeed,  are  the  savages !  They  were  now  no  longer  enemies,  but  friends !  Sev- 
eral others,  following  Eyacktana's  example,  harangued  in  turn,  all  in  favour  of 


152  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  whites.  This  done,  the  great  men  squatted  themselves  down,  the  pipe  ol 
peace  was  called  for,  and  while  it  was  going  round  and  round  the  smoking, 
circle,  I  gave  each  of  the  six  principal  chiefs  a  small  paper-cased  looking-glass 
and  a  little  vermilion,  as  a  present;  and  in  return  they  presented  me  with  two 
horses  and  twelve  beavers,  while  the  women  brought  us  a  variety  of  eatables. 

"This  sudden  change  regulated  my  movements.  Indeed,  I  might  say  the 
battle  was  won.  I  now  made  a  speech  to  them,  in  turn,  and  as  many  of  them, 
understood  the  language  I  spoke,  I  asked  them  what  I  should  say  to  the  great 
white  chief  when  I  got  home,  when  he  asks  me  where  are  all  the  horses  I  bought 
from  you.  What  shall  I  say  to  him?  At  this  question  it  was  easy  to  see  that 
their  pride  was  touched.  Tell  him,'  said  Eyakctana,  't'hat  we  have  but  one 
mouth,  and  one  word;  all  the  horses  you  have  bought  from  us  are  yours;  they 
shall  be  delivered  up.'  This  was  just  what  I  wanted.  After  a  little  counselling 
among  themselves,  Eyacktana  was  the  first  to  speak,  and  he  undertook  to  see 
them  collected. 

"By  this  time  it  was  sun-down.  The  chief  then  mounted  his  horse,  and 
desired  me  to  mount  mine  and  accompany  him,  telling  one  of  his  sons  to  take 
my  men  and  property  under  his  charge  till  our  return.  Being  acquainted  with 
Indian  habits,  I  knew  there  would  be  repeated  calls  upon  my  purse,  so  I  put 
some  trinkets  into  my  pocket,  at>d  we  started  on  our  nocturnal  adventure;  which 
I  considered  hazardous,  but  not  hopeless. 

"Such  a  night  we  had!  The  chief  harangued,  travelled  and  harangued,  the 
whole  night;  the  people  replied.  We  visited  every  street,  alley,  hole  and  corner 
of  the  camp,  which  we  traversed  lengthway,  crossway,  east,  west,  south  and 
north,  going  from  group  to  group,  and  the  call  was  'Deliver  up  the  horses.' 
Here  was  gambling,  there  scalp  dancing;  laughter  in  one  place,  mourning  in 
another.  Crowds  were  passing  to  and  fro,  whooping,  yelling,  dancing,  drum- 
ming, singing,  men,  women  and  children  were  huddled  together ;  flags  flying, 
horses  neighing,  dogs  howling,  cliained  bears,  tied  wolves,  grunting  and  growl- 
ing, all  pell-mell  among  the  tents;  and,  to  complete  the  confusion,  the  night  was 
dark.  At  the  end  of  each  harangue  the  chief  would  approach  me,  and  whisper 
in  my  ear,  'Shc-augh  tanitay  cnim' — I  have  spoken  well  in  your  favour — a  hint 
for  me  to  reward  his  zeal  by  giving  him  something.  This  was  repeated  con- 
stantly, and  I  gave  him  each  time  a  string  of  beads,  or  two  buttons,  or  two 
rings.  I  often  thought  he  repeated  his  harangues  more  frequently  than  neces- 
sary, but  it  answered  his  purpose,  and  I  had  no  choice  but  to  obey  and  pay. 

"At  daylight  we  got  back ;  my  people  and  property  were  safe ;  and  in  two 
hours  after  my  eighty-five  horses  were  delivered  up,  and  in  our  possession. 
I  was  now  convinced  of  the  chief's  influence  and  had  got  so  well  into  his  good 
graces  with  my  beads,  buttons,  and  rings,  that  I  hoped  we  were  out  of  all  our 
troubles.  Our  business  being  done,  I  ordered  my  men  to  tie  up  and  prepare 
for  home,  which  was  glad  tidings  to  them.  With  all  this  favourable  change,  we 
were  much  embarrassed  and  annoyed  in  our  preparations  to  start.  The  savages 
interrupted  us  every  moment.  They  jeered  the  men,  frightened  the  horses,  and 
kept  handling,  snapping,  and  firing  off  our  gims ;  asking  for  this,  that,  and  the 
other  thing.  The  men's  hats,  pipes,  belts  and  knives  were  constantly  in  their 
hands.     They  wished  to  see  everything,  and  everything  they  saw  they  wished 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         '  153 

to  get,  even  to  buttons  on  their  clothes.  Their  teasing  curiosity  had  no  bounds ; 
and  every  delay  increased  our  difficulties.  Our  patience  was  tried  a  thousand 
times ;  but  at  last  we  got  ready  and  my  men  started.  To  amuse  the  Indians 
however,  till  they  could  get  fairly  off,  I  invited  the  chiefs  to  a  parley,  which  I 
put  to  a  stop  as  soon  as  I  thought  the  men  and  horses  had  got  clear  of  the 
camp.  I  then  prepared  to  follow  them,  when  a  new  difficulty  arose.  In  the 
hurry  and  bustle  of  starting,  my  people  had  left  a  restive,  awkward  brute  of  a 
horse  for  me  to  ride,  wild  as  a  deer,  and  as  full  of  latent  tricks  as  he  was  wild. 
I  mounted  at  least  a  dozen  times ;  in  vain  I  tried  to  make  him  advance.  He 
reared,  jumped  and  plunged;  but  refused  to  walk,  trot,  or  to  gallop.  Every  trial 
to  make  him  go  was  a  failure.  A  young  conceited  fop  of  an  Indian,  thinking 
he  could  make  more  of  him  than  I  could,  jumped  on  his  back;  the  horse  reared 
and  plunged  as  before,  when,  instead  of  slackening  the  bridle  as  he  reared,  he 
reined  it  tighter  and  tighter,  till  the  horse  fell  right  over  on  his  back,  and  almost 
killed  the  fellow.  Here  Eyacktana,  with  a  frown,  called  out,  'kap-sheesh 
she-earn — the  bad  horse — and  gave  me  another;  and  for  the  generous  act  I 
gave  him  my  belt,  the  only  article  I  had  to  spare.  But  although  the  difficuhies 
I  had  with  the  horse  were  galling  enough  to  me,  they  proved  a  source  of  great 
amusement  to  the  Indians,  who  enjoyed  it  with  roars  of  laughter.  Before 
taking  my  leave  of  Eyacktana,  it  is  but  justice  to  say  that,  with  all  his  faults, 
he  had  many  good  qualities,  and  I  was  under  great  obligations  to  him. 

"I  now  made  the  best  of  my  way  out  of  the  camp,  and,  to  make  up  for 
lost  time,  took  a  short  cut;  but  for  many  miles  could  see  nothing  of  my  people, 
and  began  to  be  apprehensive  they  had  been  waylaid  and  cut  off.  Getting 
to  the  top  of  a  high  ridge,  I  stopped  a  little  to  look  about  me,  but 
could  see  nothing  of  them.  I  had  not  been  many  minutes  there,  however, 
before  I  perceived  three  horsemen  coming  down  an  adjacent  hill  at  full  tilt. 
Taking  them  for  enemies,  I  descended  the  height,  swam  my  horse  across  a 
river  at  the  bottom  of  it,  and,  taking  shelter  behind  a  rock,  dismounted  to  wait 
my  pursuers.  There  I  primed  my  rifle  anew,  and  said  to  myself,  "I  am  sure 
of  two  shots,  and  my  pistols  will  be  more  than  a  match  for  the  other."  The 
moment  they  got  to  the  opposite  bank,  I  made  signs  for  them  to  keep  back, 
or  I  would  fire  on  them;  but  my  anxiety  was  soon  removed  by  their  calling 
out,  "As-nack-shee-lough,  as-nack-shee-lough" — your  friends,  your  friends. 
These  friendly  fellows  had  all  the  time  been  lurking  about  in  anxious  suspense, 
to  see  what  would  become  of  us.  Two  of  them  were  the  very  couriers  who  had, 
as  already  stated,  strongly  tried  to  turn  us  back.  I  was  overjoyed  at  this 
meeting;  yet  still  anxious,  as  they  had  seen  nothing  of  my  men,  to  find  whom 
we  all  set  off,  and  came  up  with  them  a  little  before  sundown.  When  we  first 
discovered  them  they  were  driving  furiously;  but  all  at  once  the  horses  stood 
still.  I  suspected  something,  and  told  the  Indians  to  remain  behind,  while  I 
alone  went  on  to  see  what  was  the  matter;  when,  as  I  had  expected,  seeing 
four  riders  following  them  at  full  gallop,  they  might  receive  us:  and  we  should 
have  met  with  a  warm  reception,  for  McKay,  although  young,  was  as  brave 
as  a  lion.  But  they  were  soon  agreeably  surprised,  and  the  matter  was  soon 
explained.  I  then  made  signs  for  the  Indians  to  come  forward.  The  moment 
we  all  joined  together,  we  alighted,  and  changed  horses,  and  drove  on  until 


154  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

midnight,  when  we  took  shelter  in  a  small  thicket  of  woods,  and  passed  the 
night  with  our  guns  in  our  hands. 

"At  dawn  of  day  we  again  set  oS;  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
reached  the  banks  of  the  Columbia,  some  six  miles  beyond  the  mouth  of  the 
Pisscows  River,  where  we  considered  ourselves  out  of  danger.  I  then  started 
on  ahead,  in  company  of  the  friendly  Indians,  to  see  if  the  two  women  had 
arrived ;  and,  as  good  luck  would  have  it,  we  found  them  with  a  canoe  ready 
to  ferry  us  across.  They  had  reached  the  place  about  an  hour  before  us; 
and  we  will  give  our  readers  a  brief  outline  of  their  adventures." 

Perhaps  still  more  vividly  illustrating  the  kind  of  men  that  made  the  first 
trails  across  the  wilderness  was  the  experience  of  John  Colter.  He  had  been 
a  member  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  party,  but  on  the  return  he  decided  to  go 
trapping  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

After  many  adventures  and  changes  he  fell  in  with  a  party  headed  by 
Manuel  Lisa,  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company.  Lisa  proceeded  with  his  party 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Bighorn  River,  and  there  established  a  fort.  Desiring  to 
notify  the  Indians  of  the  arrival  of  the  party,  Lisa  sent  Colter  all  alone  on  a 
journey  of  several  hundred  miles  to  the  Crows,  on  Wind  River,  and  to  the 
Blackfeet,  at  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri.  On  this  journey  Colter  became 
an  unwilling  participant  in  a  battle  between  those  two  contending  tribes.  He 
was  on  the  side  of  the  Crows,  and  after  rendering  efficient  aid  to  his  side  in 
winning  a  victory,  was  severely  wounded  in  the  leg.  Nevertheless,  nothing 
daunted,  he  set  forth  across  the  ranges  of  towering,  snowy  peaks  to  reach  Lisa's 
Fort.  He  succeeded  in  the  solitary  and  desperate  undertaking,  and  in  the  course 
of  it  discovered  Yellowstone  Lake  and  the  geyser  region,  which  now  makes 
the  Yellowstone  Park  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  Returning  to  the 
mountains,  Colter  was  captured  by  the  savage  and  cruel  Blackfeet.  Wishing 
to  have  a  little  sport  with  their  hapless  victim,  the  Indians  stripped  him  and 
asked  him  if  he  was  a  fast  runner.  From  his  knowledge  of  their  customs  he 
understood  that  he  was  to  be  put  up  in  a  race  for  life  against  several  hundred 
Indians.  He  gave  them  to  understand  that  he  was  a  poor  runner,  though  as 
a  matter  of  fact  he  was  very  fast.  Accordingly,  they  gave  him  several  hundred 
yards  start  on  the  open  prairie,  with  the  Jefferson  fork  of  the  Missouri  six 
miles  distant.  Away  he  sped  with  the  whole  pack  behind  him  like  a  band  of 
wolves,  with  the  war  whoop  ringing  over  the  plain.  With  his  naked  feet  torn 
and  bleeding  from  cactus,  Colter  soon  outdistanced  most  of  the  pursuers,  but 
half-way  across  the  plain,  glancing  over  his  shoulder,  he  saw  that  one  swift 
Indian,  armed  with  a  spear,  was  gaining  on  him.  With  the  violence  of  Colter's 
exertions  the  blood  was  streaming  from  his  nostrils  down  the  front  of  his 
body,  and  just  as  the  Indian  was  almost  within  striking  distance  Colter  sud- 
denly stopped  and  turned,  a  ghastly  spectacle,  with  extended  arms.  The  Indian 
was  so  disconcerted  with  the  unexpected  move  that  in  endeavoring  to  wield 
his  spear  he  lost  his  footing  and  fell.  Instantly  picking  up  the  spear.  Colter 
pinned  his  assailant  to  the  ground  and  on  he  went  again  toward  the  river.  The 
foremost  of  the  pursuing  Indians,  finding  their  expiring  comrade,  paused  long 
enough  to  set  up  a  hideous  howl  and  then  rushed  on.  But  Colter,  though  almost 
at  the  limit  of  his  strength,  drove  himself  on  to  the  river  ahead  of  the  band, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  155 

and,  breaking  through  the  copse  of  cottonwoods  which  skirted  the  stream,  he 
plunged  in.  Just  below  was  a  small  island  against  which  drift  had  lodged. 
Diving  beneath  the  drift,  Colter  managed  to  find  a  crack  between  the  trees 
where  he  might  get  his  head  in  the  air.  There  he  remained  undiscovered  all 
night,  while  the  savages  were  shrieking  around  like  so  many  devils.  In  the 
early  morning  he  let  loose  from  the  drift  and  floated  and  swam  a  long  ways 
down  the  stream,  and  when  day  fairly  broke  had  got  beyond  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  his  enemies.  But  in  what  a  horrid  plight!  Stark  naked,  with  no 
food  and  no  weapons  for  game,  the  soles  of  his  feet  pierced  thick  with  the 
cruel  spikes  of  the  cactus!  Yet  such  is  the  endurance  of  some  men  that  in 
seven  days  during  which  his  only  subsistence  was  roots  dug  with  his  fingers, 
Colter  made  his  way  to  Lisa's  Fort.  The  story  was  told  by  Colter  to  Bradbury, 
who  narrated  it  in  his  book,  "Travels  in  North  America."  Irving  used  it  in 
his  "Astoria,"  and  it  also  appears  in  Chittenden's  "American  Fur  Trade." 
"Such  was  Life  in  the  Far  West." 

Hudson's  bay  company 

It  is  not  possible  to  give  lengthy  details  of  the  subsequent  interesting  and 
important  history  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  but  the  part  which  it  enacted 
in  Oregon  history  was  so  great  that  we  must  give  a  brief  view  of  its  organiza- 
tion in   Oregon  with  its  capital  at   Vancouver. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  important  fact  that  in  1821  the  two  great 
Canadian  companies,  the  North-West  and  the  Hudson's  Bay,  decided  to 
unite.  With  the  union,  the  great  era  of  fur  trade  in  the  Columbia  Basin  fairly 
began,  to  continue  about  twenty-five  years,  yielding  then  to  the  American  immi- 
grant. That  twenty-five  years  of  the  dominance  of  the  great  Fur  Company 
contained  nearly  all  the  poetry  and  romance  as  well  as  the  profit  and  states- 
manship of  the  business.  The  entire  region  of  the  River,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
Puget  Sound  country,  was  mapped  out  in  a  most  systematic  manner  with  one 
chief  central  fort,  Vancouver  on  the  Columbia.  A  more  magnificent  location 
for  the  purpose  cannot  be  conceived.  It  is  now  the  site  of  a  flourishing  city 
and  of  the  United  States  Fort  Headquarters  for  the  Northwest,  generally 
conceded  to  be  the  finest  fort  location  in  the  United  States.  At  this  date,  1918, 
it  is  headquarters  for  gathering  air-plane  spruce  lumber.  Fort  Vancouver 
was  established  in  1825,  upon  a  superb  bench  of  land  gently  sloping  back  from 
the  river  for  two  miles.  Great  trees  fringed  the  site.  Mount  Hood  lifted  its  pin- 
nacled majesty  sixty  miles  to  the  eastward,  the  sinuous  mazes  of  the  Willamette 
Valley  stretched  out  far  southward,  while  the  lordly  river  was  in  full  view 
a  dozen  miles  up  and  down.  Every  natural  advantage  and  delight  which  wild 
nature  could  ofifer  was  here  in  fullness.  Ships  could  readily  ascend  the  hundred 
miles  from  the  ocean  to  unload  their  merchandise  and  take  on  their  cargoes 
of  precious  furs,  the  furs  collected  at  the  outlay  of  so  much  toil  and  suflfering 
over  the  area  of  hundreds  of  miles.  Every  species  of  fish  and  game  abounded 
in  the  waters  and  along  the  banks  of  the  river.  Deer  and  elk  tossed  their 
antlers  between  the  stately  firs  of  the  upland  and  pheasants  and  grouse  whirred 
among  the  branches.     Geese,  cranes,  ducks  and  swans,  in  countless  numbers. 


156  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

darkened  the  lagoon  amid  the  many  islands  enclosed  by  the  mouths  of  the 
Willamette  and  the  adjacent  water  of  the  larger  stream.  Fish  of  many  varie- 
ties, the  royal  Chinook  salmon,  king  of  food  fish,  being  at  the  head  in  beauty 
and  edibility,  though  surpassed  in  size  by  the  gigantic  sturgeon,  which  some- 
times weighed  a  thousand  pounds,  abounded  in  the  river.  No  epicure  of  the 
world's  capitals  could  command  such  viands  as  nature  brought  to  the  doors 
of  the  denizens  of  Fort  Vancouver. 

The  fort  itself  was  laid  out  on  a  scale  of  amplitude  suitable  to  the  spacious- 
ness of  the  site.  It  was  enclosed  with  a  picket  wall  twenty  feet  high,  with 
massive  buttresses  of  timber  inside.  This  enclosure  was  a  parallelogram  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  by  five  hundred  feet.  Inside  were  about  forty  buildings,  the 
Governor's  residence  of  generous  dimensions  being  in  the  center.  Two  chapels 
provided  for  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  company,  while  schoolhouse,  stores, 
"bachelors'  halls,"  and  ships  of  various  kinds  attested  the  variety  of  the  needs. 
Along  the  bank  of  the  river,  outside  the  enclosure,  lay  quite  a  village  of  cot- 
tages for  the  married  employes,  together  with  hospital,  boathouses,  granaries, 
warehouses,  threshing  mills,  and  dairy  buildings. 

Taken  altogether  Fort  Vancouver  was  the  model  fort  of  the  western  slope. 
Moreover,  the  fertile  soil  and  genial,  humid  climate  soon  encouraged  the  fac- 
tors of  the  company  to  experiment  with  gardens  and  orchards,  and,  within  a 
few  years  after  founding,  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land  were  in  the  finest  state 
of  productivity,  while  three  thousand  head  of  cattle,  twenty-five  hundred  sheep, 
three  hundred  brood  mares,  and  over  a  hundred  milch  cows,  added  their  boun- 
teous contributions  to  the  already  plentiful  resources  of  the  fort. 

With  this  rich  larder,  with  the  spacious  buildings,  with  the  annual  arrivals 
and  departures  of  ships  by  sea  and  fleets  of  bateaux  by  river,  with  hunting 
trips  and  Indian  policies,  with  the  intercoast  traffic  with  the  Russians  on  the 
north  and  the  Spaniards  on  the  south,  there  was  as  much  to  engage  and  delight 
the  minds  of  these  people  as  if  they  had  lived  in  the  heart  of  civilization. 

Any  account  of  Fort  Vancouver  would  be  incomplete  without  some  refer- 
ence to  Dr.  John  McLoughlin,  chief  factor  of  the  company  in  the  Columbia 
district  from  1824  to  the  time  of  his  retirement  from  the  company  in  1846  and 
settlement  at  Oregon  City,  Oregon,  as  an  American  citizen.  Rarely  has  any 
one  in  the  stormy  history  of  the  Columbia  Basin  received  such  unvarying  and 
unqualified  praise  as  has  this  truly  great  man.  Physically,  mentally,  and  morally, 
Doctor  McLoughlin  was  altogether  the  king  of  the  fur  traders.  Six  feet  four 
inches  in  height,  his  noble  and  expressive  face  crowned  with  a  great  cascade 
of  snowy  hair,  firm  yet  kindly,  prompt  and  business-like  yet  sympathetic  and 
helpful,  "White  Eagle,"  as  the  Indians  called  him,  was  a  true-born  king  of 
men. 

We  have  said  that  Fort  Vancouver  was  the  great  central  fort.  Others 
commanding  the  pivotal  points  upon  the  river  and  its  tributaries  were  Fort 
Hall  and  Fort  Boise  on  the  Snake,  Spokane  House  on  the  Spokane  near  the 
present  metropolis  of  the  Inland  Empire,  Fort  Colville  on  the  Columbia  River 
at  Kettle  Falls,  Columbia,  Fort  Okanogan  at  the  junction  of  the  stream  of  that 
name  with  the  Great  River,  Fort  Owen  in  the  Coeur  d'  Alene  region.  Fort 
Walla  Walla,  first  known  as  Fort  Nez  Perce,  on  the  Columbia  at  the  mouth  of 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  157 

the  Walla  Walla,  and  Fort  George  on  the  former  site  of  Astoria.  These  forts 
were  all  laid  out  in  the  same  general  fashion  as  Fort  Vancouver,  though  no  one 
was  so  large,  elaborate,  or  comfortable.  Besides  the  forts  there  were  a  number 
of  small  trading  posts.  The  chief  furs  procured  in  the  interior  were  beaver, 
and  those  on  the  coast  were  sea-otter.  Many  others,  as  the  mink,  sharp-toothed 
otter,  fox,  lynx  and  raccoon,  were  found  in  abundance. 

The  profits  of  the  business  were  immense.  Alexander  Ross  relates  that 
he  secured  one  morning  before  breakfast  one  hundred  and  ten  beaver  skins  for 
a  single  yard  of  white  cloth.  Ross  spent  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  days 
alone  in  the  Okanogan  country.  During  that  time  he  collected  one  thousand 
five  hundred  and  fifty  beavers,  besides  other  peltries,  worth  in  the  Canton  market 
two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  which  cost  him  in  his  objects  of 
trade  only  thirty-five  pounds.  That  was  while  Ross  was  connected  with  the 
Astor  Company. 

In  completing  this  necessarily  hurried  chapter  on  the  fascinating  era  of  the 
fur  traders,  we  cannot  omit  a  brief  reference  to  the  movements  of  the  regular 
brigades  of  boats  up  and  down  the  river,  for  these  comprised  a  great  part  of 
both  the  business  and  the  romance  of  the  age.  The  course  of  these  brigades  was 
from  the  southern  shores  of  Hudson  Bay,  through  Manitoba,  to  the  crest  of  the 
Rockies  at  the  head  of  the  Columbia.  Water  was  utilized  to  the  greatest  possible 
extent,  while  at  the  portages  and  across  the  mountains  horse-power  and  man- 
power were  employed.  Once  afloat  upon  the  Columbia,  the  brigades  braved 
most  of  the  rapids,  paying  occasional  toll  of  men  and  goods  to  the  envious  dei- 
ties of  the  waters,  yet  with  marvelous  skill  and  general  good  fortune  making 
their  way  down  the  thousand  or  more  miles  from  Boat  Encampment  to  Fort 
Vancouver.  The  descent  was  easy  compared  with  the  ascent.  The  first  journey 
of  the  east-bound  brigade  of  the  North-Westers  from  Astoria  to  Montreal  was 
in  1814,  and  it  required  the  time  from  April  4th  to  May  Uth  to  reach  the  mouth 
of  Canoe  River,  the  point  at  which  they  entered  upon  the  mountain  climb  to 
the  head  of  the  Athabasca. 

The  boatmen  were  French-Canadians,  a  hardy,  mercurial,  light-hearted 
race,  half  French,  with  the  natural  grace  and  politeness  of  their  race,  and  having 
the  pleasant  patois  which  has  made  them  the  theme  of  much  popular  present- 
day  literature.  They  were  half  Indian,  either  in  tastes  and  manners  or  in  blood, 
with  the  atmosphere  of  forests  and  streams  clinging  to  every  word  and  gesture. 
They  were  perhaps  the  best  boatmen  in  the  world.  Upon  those  matchless  lakes 
into  which  the  Columbia  and  its  tributaries  expand  at  intervals  the  fur-laden 
boats  would  glide  at  ease,  while  the  wild  songs  of  the  coureurs  des  bois  would 
echo  from  shore  to  shore  in  lazy  sibilations,  apparently  betokening  no  thought 
of  serious  or  earnest  business.  But  once  the  rapids  were  reached,  the  gay  and 
rollicking  knight  of  the  paddle  became  all  attention.  With  keen  eyes  fixed  on 
every  swirl  or  rock,  he  guided  the  light  craft  with  a  ready  skill  which  would  be 
inconceivable  to  one  less  daring  and  experienced.  The  brigades  would  run 
almost  all  the  rapids  from  Death  Rapids  to  the  sea,  making  portages  at  Kettle 
Falls,  Tumwater  or  Celilo  Falls,  and  the  Cascades,  though  at  some  stages  of 
the  water  they  could  run  down  even  them  except  Kettle  Falls.  They  always 
had  to  carry  around  those  points  in  ascending  the  river.     In  spite  of  all  the  skill 


158  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

of  the  voyageurs  the  Columbia  and  the  Snake,  the  Pend  Oreille  and  the  Koo- 
tenai, have  exacted  a  heavy  toll  of  life  from  those  who  have  laid  their  compell- 
ing hands  upon  the  white  manes  of  chute  and  cataract.  Many,  even  of  the 
voyageurs,  are  the  human  skeletons  that  have  whitened  the  volcanic  beds  of  the 
great  stream. 

THE   BOATS   OF  THE  TRADERS 

The  boats  used  by  the  fur  brigades  were  either  log  canoes  obtained  of  the 
Indians  or  bateaux.  The  former  were  hollowed  from  the  magnificent  cedars 
which  grew  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  sometimes  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long,  with 
prow  carved  in  fantastic,  even  beautiful  fashion.  They  would  hold  from  six  to 
twenty  persons  with  from  half  a  ton  to  two  or  three  tons  of  load,  yet  were  so 
light  that  two  men  could  carry  one  of  the  medium  size  while  four  could  handle 
one  of  any  size  around  a  portage.  But  the  voyageurs  never  took  quite  so  much 
to  the  canoes  as  did  the  Indians,  whose  skill  in  handling  them  in  high  waves  is 
described  by  Ross  and  Franchere  as  something  astonishing.  And  even  the  In- 
dians of  the  present  show  much  the  same  ability,  though  the  splendid  cedar 
canoes  are  no  longer  made,  and  only  here  and  there  can  one  of  the  picturesque 
survivors  be  seen. 

The  bateaux  were  boats  of  peculiar  shape,  being  built  very  high  and  broad 
so  thai  in  an  unloaded  condition  they  seemed  to  rest  on  the  water  almost  like  a 
paper  shell.  Both  ends  were  high  and  pointed  as  prows.  They  were  propelled 
with  oars  and  steered  with  paddles.  One  of  the  usual  size  was  about  thirty 
feet  long  and  five  feet  wide.  Being  light-draft,  double-enders,  capable  of  hold- 
ing large  loads  and  yet  easily  conveyed  around  portages,  more  steady  and  roomy 
than  canoes,  these  bateaux  were  the  typical  Columbia  River  medium  of  com- 
merce during  the  era  of  the  fur  traders.  They,  too,  have  mainly  vanished 
from  the  scenes  of  their  former  glory.  Canoes,  bateaux,  cries  and  yells  of  In- 
dians, songs  of  voyageurs,  have  gone  into  the  engulfing  limbo  of  the  bygone, 
along  with  the  keen-eyed  Scotch  factor  and  the  sharp-featured  Yankee  skipper. 
Yet  the  swans  and  geese  and  ducks  still  darken  the  more  placid  expanses  of  the 
river  and  the  salmon  still  start  the  widening  circles  in  almost  undiminished 
numbers,  while  the  glaciated  heights  of  Hood  and  Adams  and  St.  Helens  (we 
would  rather  say  Wiyeast,  Pahtou  and  Loowit)  still  stand  guard  over  the  un- 
changing water. 

LATER    .\MERICAN     FUR    TRADERS 

While  the  British  fur  interest  in  Oregon  completely  triumphed  over  the 
American,  large  and  influential  companies  were  organized  and  carried  on  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains  with  energy  and  success  by  the  latter  people,  the  chief 
outfitting  point  being  St.  Louis.  The  chief  of  these  companies  having  any 
sphere  of  operations  within  the  territory  of  the  Snake  and  Columbia  rivers  were 
the  Missouri  Fur  Company  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company  already 
spoken  of.  The  Missouri,  however,  was  their  main  field  of  operations.  The 
elaborate  history  by  Gen.  H.  M.  Chittenden,  referred  to  on  a  preceding  page, 
gives  a  complete  view  of  these  companies  and  their  chief  managers.  The  limits 
of  our  space  forbid  more  than  a  brief  summary  of  the  achievements  of  four 
men  who  may  be  looked  upon  as  typical  of  the  fur  traders,  hunters,  and  trail- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  159 

makers  whom  we  are  trying  to  portray.  These  four  men  were  William  H. 
Ashley,  Jedadiah  Smith,  Nathaniel  Wyeth,  and  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville. 

The  first  named  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  went  from  his  native  state 
to  St.  Louis  in  1802.  He  "grew  up  with  the  country,"  and  became  very  prom- 
inent in  the  affairs  of  that  then  crude  and  wild  region.  He  became  lieutenant- 
governor  in  1820,  general  in  command  of  the  state  troops  in  1822,  and  a  member 
of  Congress  in  1831,  serving  three  terms.  In  1822  he  formed  a  partnership  in 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company,  with  Andrew  Henry,  who  had,  as  we  have 
noted,  been  previously  a  member  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  and  had 
built  Fort  Henry  on  the  upper  Snake.  Ashley  carried  out  the  business  of  ex- 
ploration on  the  Missouri  and  Green  rivers,  and  in  the  Salt  Lake  Basin  with 
such  energy  and  general  success  (though  with  some  serious  misfortunes  and 
with  Indian  troubles),  as  to  acquire  an  ample  fortune  for  himself  and  to  serve 
a  most  important  part  in  discovery  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  and  the  Salt 
Lake  Basin.  In  1826,  Ashley  drove  the  first  wheeled  vehicle  of  any  kind,  a 
wagon  with  a  six  pounder  cannon,  up  the  North  Platte,  through  South  Pass 
to  Utah  Lake.  In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  recall  that  Milton  Sub- 
lette, a  member  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company,  went  from  St.  Louis, 
leaving  that  point  April  10,  1830,  with  eighty-one  men  mounted  on  mules,  and 
with  ten  wagons  drawn  by  five  mules  each,  to  the  rendezvous  on  Wind  River. 
That  may  be  regarded  as  the  initiation  of  the  Oregon  Trail,  later  the  scene  of 
the  "great  trek"  of  the  American  people  to  take  possession  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Jedadiah  Smith  was  perhaps  the  most  interesting  and  unique  of  all  the 
noted  fur  traders  and  trail-makers.  The  main  operations  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain Company  of  which  Smith  was  a  member  were  on  the  upper  Missouri, 
Green  River,  and  Salt  Lake.  Smith,  however,  made  several  most  remarkable 
journeys  to  California  and  Oregon.  He  was  a  very  unique  character,  a  devout 
Christian  ariQ  yet  one  of  the  boldest  of  traders  and  discoverers.  He  might  be 
said  to  have  carried  the  Bible  in  one  hand  and  his  rifle  in  the  other.  He  usually 
began  the  day  with  devotions  and  expected  his  men  to  be  present.  Yet  he 
pushed  his  business  and  discoveries  to  the  limit.  His  first  great  trip  was  in 
1826.  He  proceeded  from  Great  Salt  Lake  to  the  Colorado,  thence  across  Ari- 
zona and  southern  California,  to  San  Diego,  a  route  unknown  to  whites  before. 
After  going  up  and  down  California  hundreds  of  miles  he  crossed  the  moun- 
tains and  deserts  eastward  the  next  Summer,  following  a  more  northern  route 
abounding  in  perils  and  hardship.  In  1827  the  journey  to  California  was  re- 
peated almost  immediately  upon  his  return  from  the  first.  In  the  Spring  and 
Summer  of  1828,  he  struck  out  on  an  entirely  new  course.  This  was  up  the 
Sacramento  and  northwesterly  across  the  lofty  ranges  of  southern  Oregon  to- 
the  Umpqua  on  the  Oregon  Coast.  There  with  his  nineteen  men  he  did  suc- 
cessful trapping,  but  a  difficulty  with  the  Indians  resulted  in  the  massacre  of 
the  whole  party  except  himself  and  three  others.  Those  three  being  separated' 
from  the  leader,  he  made  his  way  in  utter  destitution  and  with  great  suffering 
to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Fort  at  Vancouver.  Dr.  John  McLoughlin,  the  chief 
factor,  with  his  usual  generosity  supplied  the  survivors  of  this  disaster  with 
their  vital  necessities  and  sent  a  well-armed  party  to  secure  the  valuable  furs 
of  which  the  Umpquas  had  robbed  them.     Most  of  the   furs  were  brought  to 


160  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Vancouver  and  McLoughlin  paid  Smith  $2,000.00  for  them.  Remaining  in 
Vancouver  till  March,  1829,  Smith  made  his  way  up  the  Columbia  to  the 
Flathead  country  and  thence  along  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Teton  Range 
on  the  upper  Snake  River.  This  vast  series  of  routes  by  Jedadiah  Smith 
through  Utah,  New  Mexico,  Nevada,  Arizona,  California,  Oregon,  Washington, 
Idaho,  Wyoming  and  Colorado,  was  the  most  extensive  that  had  yet  been  taken 
and  did  more  than  any  other  to  give  a  comprehensive  view  of  what  became  the 
west  third  of  the  United  States.  In  1831,  lamentable  to  relate,  this  truly  heroic 
and  enterprising  master-trapper  was  killed  by  Comanche  Indians  on  the  Cimar- 
ron Desert. 

Nathaniel  Jarvis  Wyeth  and  Benjamin  Louis  Eulalie  Bonneville  were 
practically  contemporary,  and  in  their  adventurous  careers  crossed  each  other's 
trails.  Wyeth  was  born  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  and  from  the  traditions 
of  the  family  should  have  been  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College.  He  was,  how- 
ever, so  eager  to  enter  some  active  career  that  he  did  not  complete  a  college 
course.  He  became  quite  fascinated  with  the  Utopian  idea  about  Oregon  given 
to  the  world  by  Hall  J.  Kelley,  and  in  1832  he  started  upon  a  grand  enterprise 
toward  the  setting  sun.  He  had  conceived  a  general  plan  of  a  vast  emporium 
of  American  business  in  furs  and  salmon,  similar  to  that  of  Astor.  With  an 
ardent  imagination  and  yet  great  practical  good  sense,  Wyeth  had  the  material 
for  an  empire  builder.  That  he  failed  to  fulfill  his  grand  design  was  due  partly 
to  sheer  bad  luck,  but  mainly  to  the  invincible  monopoly  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  The  work  of  Wyeth  was,  however,  an  essential  link  in  the  great 
chain  which  finally  led  to  American  ownership  of  Oregon.  The  first  trip  of 
Wyeth  was  in  1832.  He  crossed  the  mountains  in  company  with  Sublette,  a 
noted  trapper  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Company,  and  after  some  disasters  with 
the  Indians,  he  traversed  the  Blue  Mountains  and  reached  Fort  Walla  Walla 
(the  present  Wallula)  in  October.  Pierre  Pambrun  was  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company's  agent  at  Walla  Walla  and  he  received  the  destitute  and  nearly  fam- 
ished Americans  with  lavish  hospitality.  After  recuperating  a  few  days  at 
Walla  W'alla,  Wyeth  descended  the  Columbia,  with  unabated  enthusiasm,  ex- 
pecting to  find  the  ship  which  had  left  Boston  in  the  Spring,  well  laden  with 
stores,  already  waiting  his  arrival.  But  alas  for  human  hopes!  When  he 
reached  Fort  Vancouver  he  learned  that  his  vessel  had  been  wrecked.  His  men 
had  already  suffered  much  and  lost  faith  in  the  lucky  star  of  their  leader  and 
asked  to  be  reheved  from  further  service.  He  was  compelled  perforce  to 
grant  their  request,  for  he  had  no  money.  Spending  the  Winter  in  and  around 
Vancouver,  treated  by  McLoughlin  with  utmost  kindness,  and  acquiring  much 
knowledge  and  experience,  but  no  money,  the  indomitable  Yankee  determined 
to  return  and  raise  another  fund  and  challenge  fate  and  his  rivals  again.  Feb- 
ruary, 1833,  found  him  again  at  Walla  Walla.  Thence  he  pursued  a  devious 
course  to  Spokane  and  Colville,  across  the  Divide,  down  the  mountains  to  the 
Tetons  on  the  upper  Snake,  where  he  fell  in  with  Bonneville.  First  planning 
to  go  with  Bonneville  to  California,  Wyeth  suddenly  decided  to  return  to 
Boston  and  make  ready  for  an  immediate  new  expedition  to  Oregon.  He  made 
an  extraordinary  voyage  down  the  Bighorn  and  finally  down  the  Missouri  to 
St.  Louis  in  a  "bull-boat."     Safely  reaching  Boston  in  November,  he  brought 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  161 

all  his  contagious  enthusiasm  to  bear  on  certain  moneyed  men  with  the  result 
that  he  organized  a  new  company  known  as  the  Columbia  River  Fishing  and 
Trading  Company.  A  new  vessel,  the  "May  Dacre,"  was  outfitted  for  the  voy- 
age around  Cape  Horn  to  Oregon. 

Again  with  new  men  and  equipment  and  with  such  experience  from  his 
former  journey  as  made  success  seem  sure,  Wyeth  started  on  his  new  expedi- 
tion from  St.  Louis  on  April  3,  1834.  One  interesting  feature  of  this  journey 
■was  that  two  conspicuous  scientists,  Thomas  Nuttall  and  J.  K.  Townsend,  and 
the  advance  guard  of  the  missionaries,  Jason  Lee  and  party  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  accompanied  the  party.  But  even  though  better  equipped  than  before 
and  though  seemingly  having  the  sanction  of  both  Science  and  the  Church  to 
bless  his  aims,  the  same  old  ill-fortune  seemed  to  travel  with  him.  He  had 
brought,  under  a  contract  made  on  his  return  the  year  before,  a  valuable  stock 
of  goods  for  the  Sublettes  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company,  and  now 
when  on  reaching  their  rendezvous  he  made  ready  to  deliver  the  goods  brought 
with  so  much  toil  and  expense,  the  Sublettes  refused  to  receive  them.  Their 
•company  was,  in  fact,  at  the  point  of  dissolution.  Though  Wyeth  had  the 
forfeit  money  that  they  had  put  up  with  the  contract,  that  was  small  recompense 
for  his  labor  of  transportation.  But  nothing  daunted,  the  stout-hearted  pro- 
moter declared  to  the  Sublettes,  "I  will  roll  a  stone  into  your  garden  which 
you  will  never  be  able  to  get  out."  In  fulfillment  of  his  threat  he  prepared  to 
invade  their  territory  by  building  a  fort  in  which  to  store  the  rejected  goods 
and  from  which  to  send  his  trappers  to  all  parts  of  the  upper  Snake.  The  fort 
thus  established  was  the  famous  Fort  Hall,  the  most  notable  fort  on  the  whole 
route,  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  present  Pocatello.  In  spite  of  delays,  the  party 
seems  to  have  traveled  with  unparalleled  celerity,  for  leaving  Fort  Hall  they 
reached  the  Grande  Ronde  on  August  31st,  a  date  at  which  previous  parties 
had  hardly  reached  the  head  of  Snake  River.  In  the  Grande  Ronde  the  party 
again  encountered  Bonneville.  Three  days  more  saw  them  at  Walla  Walla,  and 
on  September  6th,  Wyeth  was  once  more  at  Vancouver.  Here  came  misfortune 
number  two.  He  had  expected  to  find  the  "May  Dacre"  already  in  the  river 
with  a  good  haul  of  salmon  which  they  planned  to  salt  and  take  east  on  the 
return  trip.  But  the  vessel  reached  Vancouver  the  next  day  after  Wyeth's  own 
arrival,  too  late  for  any  effective  fishing  that  year.  She  had  been  struck  by 
lightning  and  had  lost  three  months'  time  in  repairs.  With  indefatigable  energy. 
Wyeth  inaugurated  his  plans.  He  sent  a  detail  of  men  to  Fort  Hall  with  sup- 
plies. He  conducted  an  extensive  trapping  expedition  to  central  Oregon  up  the 
Des  Chutes  River.  He  built  Fort  William  on  Sauvie's  Island.  If  any  one 
ever  deserved  success,  Wyeth  did.  But  Doctor  McLoughlin,  though  the  kindest 
of  men  and  though  personally  wishing  every  success  to  Wyeth,  could  not  forget 
that  he  was  responsible  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  He  underbid  Wyeth 
for  the  Indian  trade  and  headed  him  off  at  every  turn  in  opening  new  regions. 
Nothing  but  a  purse  as  long  as  that  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  could  have 
stood  the  pressure.  Worst  of  all,  a  pestilence  broke  out  among  the  Indians 
from  which  they  died  like  flies  and  from  which  some  of  Wyeth's  own  men 
perished.  The  Indians  attributed  the  scourge  to  the  evil  "Tomanowas"  of  the 
"Bostons"  and  absolutely  boycotted  them.    The  brave  fight  was  lost.    Bad  luck 

(11) 


162  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

and  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  were  too  much  for  this  all-deserving  Yankee. 
Wyeth  threw  up  his  hands,  sold  out  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for  what 
they  would  give,  yielding  to  them  possession  of  his  cherished  Fort  Hall,  which 
became  one  of  their  most  advantageous  posts,  and  made  his  way  baffled  but  by 
no  means  disheartened,  to  his  New  England  home.  With  his  downfall  it  be- 
came clear  that  no  ordinary  force  could  dispossess  the  great  British  company 
from  its  vantage  ground  in  Oregon. 

But  meanwhile  Bonneville  was  upholding  the  Stars  and  Stripes  as  valor- 
ously,  but  not  more  successfully,  than  Wyeth.  Bonneville  was  a  Frenchman 
who  came  to  New  York  in  his  youth,  and  who  had  most  influential  friends,  and 
had  also  the  extreme  good  fortune  of  attracting  the  favorable  notice  of  Wash- 
ington Irving  and  becoming  the  hero  of  one  of  the  most  fascinating  books  of 
that  leading  American  writer,  "Bonneville's  Adventures."  Through  this  intro- 
duction to  the  reading  public,  greedy  in  those  days  for  tales  of  the  romance 
and  adventure  of  the  Far-West,  Bonneville  acquired  a  fame  and  vogue  and 
became  invested  with  a  certain  glamour  beyond  that  of  any  of  the  fur  traders 
of  Old  Oregon.  By  the  favor  and  influence  of  Thomas  Paine,  Bonneville  had 
earlier  become  a  West  Point  appointee  and  graduated  in  1819.  When  La  Fay- 
ette came  to  America  in  1825  Bonneville  was  detailed  to  accompany  the  "Hero 
of  Two  Continents"  on  his  tour  of  the  States.  Greatly  pleased  with  his  young 
compatriot.  La  Fayette  took  him  back  to  France  on  his  return,  and  for  several 
years  the  young  French-American  was  a  member  of  the  household  of  that  great 
man.  Returning  to  the  land  of  his  adoption  and  resuming  his  army  connec- 
tions, Bonneville  became  absorbed  with  the  idea  that  he  might  gratify  both  his 
love  of  adventure  and  of  money  by  entering  the  fur  trade  in  the  Far-West. 
Securing  from  the  War  Department  an  appointment  as  a  special  explorer  of 
new  lands  and  investigator  of  the  Indian  tribes,  he  was  also  allowed  to  make  a 
personal  venture  in  the  fur  trade. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  in  his  "Pacific  Coast  Historj'"  viciously  attacks  Bonneville 
as  well  as  Irving  who  immortalized  him.  General  Chittenden  in  his  "History 
of  the  American  Fur-Trade  in  the  Far-West"  defends  both  in  a  very  spirited 
and  successful  manner. 

The  series  of  expeditions  undertaken  by  Bonneville  extended  over  the 
years  1833-5.  Those  years  were  replete  with  adventure,  hardship,  romance  of 
a  sort,  but  very  little  success  in  the  quest  for  furs.  In  the  course  of  those 
years  the  adventurous  army  ofificer  traversed  and  retraversed  the  country  cov- 
ered by  the  watersheds  of  the  Snake  River  and  its  tributaries.  Green  River  and 
the  Colorado,  the  Great  Salt  Lake  Basin,  and  down  the  Columbia.  One  of  the 
most  valuable  journeys  of  his  party  was  through  the  Humboldt  Basin,  across 
the  Sierras  and  into  California,  a  new  route  somewhat  similar  to  the  earlier  one 
of  Jedadiah  Smith.  That,  however,  was  commanded  not  by  Bonneville  him- 
self, but  by  I.  R.  Walker,  Bonneville's  most  valued  assistant.  The  most  inter- 
esting part  of  Bonneville's  expedition  to  the  inhabitants  of  eastern  Washington 
was  his  Winter  trip  from  the  Grande  Ronde  to  the  "Wayleway"  (Wallowa), 
down  the  Snake  to  the  present  vicinity  of  Asotin,  thence  across  the  prairies  of 
what  is  now  Garfield  and  Columbia  counties,  to  Walla  Walla.  He  describes 
that  region  as  one  of  rare  beauty  and  apparent  fertility  and  predicts  that  it  will; 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         '  163. 

some  time  be  the  scene  of  high  cuhivation  and  settlement.  Reaching  Fort  Walla 
Walla,  he  was  received  by  Pierre  Pambrun  with  the  same  courtesy  which  that 
commandant  had  bestowed  on  Wyeth,  but  when  he  tried  to  secure  supplies  for 
his  depleted  equipment,  Pambrun  assured  him  that  he  would  have  to  draw  the 
line  at  anything  which  would  foster  the  American  fur  trade.  Like  Wyethy 
Bonneville  discovered  to  his  sorrow  and  cost  that  he  was  "up  against"  an  im- 
movable wall  of  monopoly  of  the  hugest  and  most  inflexible  aggregation  of 
capital  in  the  western  hemisphere.  He  could  not  compete  at  Walla  Walla.  De- 
scending the  Columbia  River  he  found  the  same  iron  barrier  of  monopoly.  He, 
too,  threw  up  his  hands.  The  American  fur  traders  were  at  the  end  of  their 
string.     They  retired  and  left  the  great  monopoly  in  undisputed  possession. 

Thus  ends,  in  American  defeat,  this  first  combat  for  possession  of  Oregon. 
Another  combat  and  another  champion  for  the  Americans  was  due.  Exit  the 
trapper.  Enter  the  missionary.  Another  chapter  and  we  shall  see  what  the 
new  actor  could  do  and  did  do  on  the  grand  stage  of  Oregon  history. 

SOME    UNIQUE   FREE    TRAPPERS 

We  should  not  fail  to  mention  here  three  men  of  unique  character,  wha 
were  for  many  years  "free  trappers"  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  became  per- 
manent residents  of  Oregon,  well  known  to  old-timers  in  Oregon.  A  few  even 
of  the  present  inhabitants  of  Yakima  no  doubt  have  seen  them,  while  a  larger 
number  are  familiar  with  their  names  and  deeds  through  the  memories  of  parents 
or  grandparents.  These  three  men  were  Joe  Meek,  "Doctor"  Robert  Newell, 
and  "Squire"  George  W.  Ebberts.  The  first  was  a  character  sure  enough.  The 
author  of  this  work  when  a  boy  saw  Joe  Meek  many  times  and  has  regarded  him 
as  naturally  one  of  the  brightest  men  that  he  ever  knew,  though  without  edu- 
cation or  an  environment  of  a  character  suited  to  develop  his  larger  qualities. 
He  was  one  who  "saved  the  day"  in  a  certain  measure  at  the  time  of  the  famous 
meeting  at  Champoeg,  Oregon,  in  1843,  when  the  settlers  met  to  discuss  the 
question  of  a  provisional  government,  pending  the  determination  of  whether 
they  should  decide  to  establish  an  American  or  a  British  connection.  The  ques- 
tion hung  in  the  balance  and  so  nearly  were  the  two  sides  divided  that  the 
leader  of  neither  hardly  dared  call  for  a  vote,  when  Meek  rose  to  his  lofty 
stature  (even  in  old  age  he  had  about  the  finest  physique  that  the  author  ever 
saw)  and  in  a  stentorian  voice  shouted  out:  "Who's  in  favor  of  a  divide?  All 
that  want  to  join  the  Americans  follow  me!"  The  spell  was  broken.  The 
Americans  fell  in  behind  the  former  trapper,  and  by  fifty-two  to  fifty,  the 
assemblage  declared  its  preference  for  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  That  was  one  of 
the  big  days  in  Oregon  historj'. 

Later  Meek  made  a  Winter  journey  across  the  mountains  to  convey  news 
of  the  Whitman  Massacre  to  the  Government  at  Washington.  He  called  him- 
self "Envoy  Extraordinary'  and  IMinister  Plenipotentiary  from  the  Republic  of 
Oregon  to  the  Government  of  the  United  States."  He  returned  with  the 
appointment  as  first  United  States  marshal  in  Oregon.  While  well  fitted  for 
the  militant  and  muscular  duties  of  his  ofifice  he  was  hardly  fitted  for  its  clerical 
and   book-keeping  end.      His   accounts  were   hopelessly   confused    at    one    time 


164  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

and  having  been  questioned  in  court  as  to  what  had  become  of  certain  funds, 
he  repHed  with  the  utmost  sang  froid  and  innocence,  "Why,  thar  was  barly 
enough  for  the  offilcers!"  a  phrase  which  was  a  by- word  in  Oregon  for  many 
years. 

Newell  was  almost  as  much  of  a  character  as  Meek,  but  not  so  witty.  A 
special  thing  to  remember  of  him  is  the  fact  that  he  drove  the  first  wagon  across 
the  Blue  Mountains  and  into  the  Walla  Walla  Valley.  That  was  in  1840.  It 
should  be  remembered,  however,  that  Marcus  Whitman,  the  missionary  and 
physician,  had  driven  a  wagon  from  St.  Louis  to  Fort  Boise  in  1836.  Whitman 
covered  more  new  ground  than  any  other  of  the  first  roadmakers  of  Oregon 
and  without  question  overcame  more  obstacles  and  is  more  nearly  entitled  to  the 
credit  of  being  the  first  to  demonstrate  the  feasibility  of  driving  wagons  to  the 
Pacific,  than  any  other. 

"Squire"  Ebberts  was  a  plainer  and  less  unique  personage  than  either  Meek 
or  Newell,  but  well  sustained  his  character  as  one  of  the  trappers  and  trail- 
makers  of  Old  Oregon. 

Such  must  suffice  for  such  a  view  as  our  limits  permit  of  the  period  covered 
by  the  era  of  the  trapi>ers. 

In  closing  this  chapter  we  desire  to  give  a  glance  at  the  authors  from  whom 
we  derive  the  history  of  the  early  American  trappers. 

The  literature  pertaining  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  is  much  more  ex- 
tensive and  we  shall  make  no  effort  here  to  enumerate  its  representatives.  The 
chief  original  sources  for  our  knowledge  of  the  ocean  journey  of  the  Astor 
party,  the  founding  of  Astoria,  and  the  prosecution  of  the  fur  trade  in  Walla 
Walla,  Okanogan,  Spokane,  Yakima,  Boise,  and  diiiferent  parts  of  Snake  River, 
are  Gabriel  Franchere,  Alexander  Ross,  Ross  Cox  and  Peter  Corney. 

The  same  writers  narrate  parts  of  the  events  of  Hunt's  land  journey, 
though  not  themselves  in  the  party,  while  for  the  early  parts  of  the  journey  the 
chief  authority  is  found  in  the  journals  of  Bradbury  and  Nuttall,  English 
naturalists  who  accompanied  the  party  a  portion  of  its  course.  Our  knowledge 
of  the  doings  of  Smith,  Ashley,  Sublette,  and  others,  is  found  in  their  various 
letters  and  reports,  and  these  are  most  admirably  exhibited  in  the  authoritative 
work  of  General  Chittenden,  several  times  cited  in  this  chapter.  Over  parts 
of  the  miscellaneous  careers  of  the  participants  in  that  history,  Washington 
Irving  has  cast  the  glow  of  his  genius  and  in  "Astoria,"  "Bonneville's  Adven- 
tures," and  the  "Fur  Traders  of  the  West,"  he  has  provided  a  picture  gallery 
of  that  era,  incomparable  in  beauty  of  style  and  vividness  of  portraiture.  Ban- 
croft has  covered  the  period  in  his  vast  compendium.  With  much  accumulation 
of  valuable  data  he  has  distinguished  himself  by  his  sour  and  ill-founded  criti- 
cisms of  Irving.  Any  admirer  of  Irving  who  desires  to  see  a  due  castigation 
of  Bancroft  may  be  gratified  by  reading  Chapter  XIV  in  Volume  I  of  Chitten- 
den. Nothing  is  left  to  be  desired  in  a  suitable  flaying  of  the  ill-natured  and 
voluminous  compiler  of  the  "Native  Races,"  and  other  parts  of  Pacific  Coast 
history.  It  may  be  added  that  while  Bancroft  is  certainly  worthy  of  an  honor- 
able place  as  a  collector  of  historical  data,  so  much  of  his  use  of  it  is  ill-judged 
and  ill-executed  that  one  can  at  times  heartilv  encore  the  sentiment  of  Ambrose 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  s  165 

Bierce,  that  most  caustic  and  brilliant  of  California  writers,  in  regard  to  his 
fellow-townsman  Bancroft.  It  happened  once  in  San  Francisco  that  a  man 
named  Bancroft  died  suddenly.  The  report  at  first  was  that  it  was  H.  H.  Ban- 
croft, the  author.  It  proved  to  be  a  stranger,  and  Bierce  expressed  his  sym- 
pathy with  the  country  on  the  fact  that 

"Death    came    so   near,   but    missed    the    mark. 
And  did  his  awful  work  so  ill 
That  Hubert  H.  is  living  still." 


CHAPTER   VI 


THE  MISSIONARY  PERIOD 

THE    "book    of    life" — FIRST    CHRISTIAN    CRUSADERS MRS.     WHITMAN'S    DIARY 

THE     WHITMAN     CONTROVERSY LOVEJOY's     LETTER WHITMAN'S     LETTER     TO 

SECRETARY  PORTER MRS.    PRINGLE   ON    WHITMAN THE   WHITMAN    MASSACRE 

ST.    JOSEPH    MISSION    BURNED. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  we  learned  that  the  various  attempts  of  American 
trappers  and  fur  companies  to  control  the  fur  trade  of  Oregon  failed. 

The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  was  too  firmly  entrenched  in  its  vast  domain 
to  be  loosened  by  any  business  of  its  own  kind.  Nor  would  there  have  been  any 
special  advantage  to  the  United  States  or  the  world  in  dislodging  the  great 
British  company  and  substituting  an  American  enterprise  of  the  same  sort. 
The  aim  and  policy  of  all  fur  companies  were  the  same :  i.  e.,  to  keep  the  coun- 
try a  wilderness,  to  trade  with  the  natives  and  derive  a  fortune  from  the  lavish 
bounty  of  the  wild  animal  life. 

The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  was  as  good  as  any  enterprise  of  its  type 
could  be. 

The  unfortunate  fact  was  not  so  much  that  it  was  the  British  who  were 
skimming  the  cream  of  the  wilderness,  as  that  the  regime  of  any  fur  company 
was  necessarily  antagonistic  to  that  incoming  tide  of  settlers  who  would  bring 
with  them  the  home,  the  ship,  the  road,  the  church,  the  school, — in  short,  civ- 
ilization. Hence  the  necessary  poHcy  of  the  great  fur  company  was  to  discour- 
age immigration,  or,  in  fact,  any  form  of  enterprise  which  would  utilize  the 
latent  agricultural,  pastoral,  and  manufacturing  resources  of  Oregon.  This 
policy  existed,  in  spite  of  the  fact  (of  which  we  shall  see  many  illustrations 
later)  that  individual  managers  and  officers  of  the  company  were  often  of  broad 
and  benevolent  character  and  predisposed  to  extend  a  cordial  welcome  to  the 
advance  guard  of  American  immigration. 

A  few  stray  Americans  had  drifted  to  Oregon  and  California  with  the 
hope  of  inaugurating  enterprises  that  would  lead  to  American  occupation.  In 
general,  however,  the  land  beyond  the  Rockies  was  as  dark  a  continent  as 
Africa. 

THE    "book  of   life" 

But  in  1832  a  strange  and  interesting  event  occurred  whicli  unlocked  the 
gates  of  the  Western  Wilderness  and  led  in  a  train  of  conditions  which  made 
American  settlement  and  ownership  a  logical  result.  In  1832  a  party  of  four 
Indians  from  the  Far- West  appeared  at  St.  Louis  on  a  strange  quest ;  seeking 
the  "White  Man's  Book  of  Life."  Efiforts  have  been  made  by  certain  recent 
writers  to  belittle  or  discredit  this  event,  for  no  very  apparent  reason  unless  it 
166 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  167 

be  that  general  disposition  of  some  of  the  so-called  critical  school  of  investi- 
gators to  spoil  anything  that  appeals  to  the  gentler  or  nobler  emotions,  and 
especially  to  oppose  the  idea  that  men  are  susceptible  of  any  motives  of  re- 
ligion or  human  sympathy  or  any  other  spirit  than  the  mercenary  and  mate- 
rialistic. But  there  can  be  no  question  about  the  journey  of  these  four  Indians, 
nor  can  there  be  any  reasonable  doubt  that  their  aim  was  to  secure  religious 
instruction  for  their  people.  The  details  of  the  journey  and  the  nature  of  the 
expectations  of  the  tribe  and  of  the  envoys  might  of  course  be  variably  under- 
stood and  stated,  but  the  general  statements  given  by  rehable  contemporary 
authorities  are  not  open  to  doubt. 

To  what  tribe  the  Indians  belonged  seems  uncertain.  It  has  been  stated 
by  some  that  they  were  Flatheads.  That  tribe,  though  quite  widely  dispersed 
had  their  principal  habitat  in  what  is  now  northern  Idaho  and  northwestern 
Montana.  Miss  Kate  McBeth,  for  many  years  a  missionary  to  the  Nez  Perce 
Indians,  and  located  at  Kamiah  and  then  at  Lapwai,  near  Lewiston,  thought 
that  three  of  the  Indians  were  Nez  Perces  and  one  a  Flathead. 

Nor  is  it  known  how  those  Indians  got  the  notion  of  zk  "Book  of  Life." 

Bonneville  states  in  his  journal  that  Pierre  Pambrun,  the  agent  at  Fort 
Walla  Walla,  taught  the  Indians  the  rudiments  of  Catholic  worship.  Some 
have  conjectured  that  the  American  trapper,  Jedadiah  Smith,  a  devout  Chris- 
tion,  may  have  imparted  religious  instruction.  Miss  McBeth  formed  the  im- 
pression that  their  chief  hope  was  that  they  might  find  Lewis  and  Clark,  whose 
journey  in  1805-6  had  produced  a  profound  effect  on  the  Nez  Perces. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Clark  was  at  the  very  time  of  this  visit  of  the 
Indians,  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  at  St.  Louis.  He  has  left  no  state- 
ment as  to  the  location  of  these  Indians,  though  he  referred  to  the  fact  of  their 
visit  to  several  persons  who  have  recorded  his  statements. 

The  first  published  account  of  this  visit  appeared  in  the  New  York  "Chris- 
tian Advocate"  of  March  1,  1833.  This  was  in  the  form  of  a  letter  from  G.  P. 
Disoway,  who  had  charge  of  the  removal  of  certain  Indians  to  a  reservation 
west  of  St.  Louis.  In  his  letter  Disoway  enclosed  one  from  William  Walker, 
an  interpreter  for  the  Wyandotte  Indians.  Walker  had  met  the  four  Indians 
in  General  Clark's  office  in  St.  Louis.  He  was  impressed  with  their  appear- 
ance, and  learned  that  General  Clark  had  given  them  some  account  of  the 
origin  and  history  of  man,  of  the  coming  of  the  Savior,  and  of  His  work  for 
the  salvation  of  men.  According  to  Walker  two  of  the  Indians  died  in  St. 
Louis.  As  to  whether  the  others  reached  their  home  he  did  not  know.  The 
first  account  was  confirmed  in  a  most  valuable  way  by  George  Catlin,  the  noted 
painter  and  student  of  Indian  life.  He  was  making  a  journey  up  the  Missouri 
River  on  one  of  the  first  steamers  to  ascend  that  stream  to  Fort  Benton.  In 
the  Smithsonian  Report  for  1885  can  be  found  Catlin's  account,  as  follows: 
"These  two  men,  when  I  painted  them,  were  in  beautiful  Sioux  dresses  which 
had  been  presented  to  them  in  a  talk  with  the  Sioux,  who  treated  them  very 
kindly,  while  passing  through  the  Sioux  countr}'.  These  two  men  were  part  of 
a  delegation  that  came  across  the  mountains  to  St.  Louis  a  few  years  since,  to 
inquire  for  the  truth  of  the  representations  which  they  said  some  white  men 


168  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

had  made  among  them,  that  our  rehgion  was  better  than  theirs,  and  that  they 
would  all  be  lost  if  they  did  not  embrace  it. 

"Two  old  and  venerable  men  of  this  party  died  in  St.  Louis,  and  I  trav- 
eled two  thousand  miles,  companion  with  these  two  fellows,  toward  their  own 
country,  and  became  much  pleased  with  their  manners  and  dispositions.  When 
I  first  heard  the  objects  of  their  extraordinary  mission  across  the  mountains, 
I  could  scarcely  believe  it;  but  on  conversing  with  General  Clark  on  a  future 
occasion,  I  was  fully  convinced  of  the  fact." 

Rather  curiously  Catlin  speaks  of  these  Indians  as  being  Flatheads  or 
Nez  Perces,  as  though  the  two  tribes  were  identical. 

The  letter  by  Disoway  in  the  "Christian  Advocate"  was  discussed  in  "The 
Illinois  Patriot"  of  October,  1833,  together  with  the  statement  that  the  subject 
had  excited  so  much  interest  that  a  committee  of  the  Illinois  Synod  had  been 
appointed  to  report  on  the  duty  of  the  churches.  The  committee  went  to  St. 
Louis  and  conferred  with  General  Clark,  receiving  from  him  a  confirmation  of 
the  report. 

When  this  pathetic  story,  together  with  the  stirring  appeal  of  the  commit- 
tee, had  reached  the  Christian  people  of  the  countrj^,  it  produced  a  profound 
impression.  The  decades  of  the  Twenties  and  Thirties  were  a  time  of  deep 
religious  sentiment.  It  was  the  beginning  of  the  missionary  movements  of  the 
century.  To  the  sensitive  souls  of  the  time  this  unheralded  call  from  the  Far- 
West  seemed  a  veritable  Macedonian  cry.  From  it  sprang  the  Christian  mis- 
sions of  Oregon.  And  the  missionaries  were  the  advance  guard  of  immigration. 
And  the  immigration  decided  that  the  American  home  builder  and  farmer 
should  own  Oregon,  rather  than  that  the  British  fur  trader  and  the  Indians 
should  keep  it  as  a  game  preserve  and  fur  depot.  It  would  indeed  be  too  much 
to  say  that  American  ownership  of  Oregon  would  not  have  resulted,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  missionaries.  But  it  may  safely  be  said  that  the  acquisition 
would  have  been  delayed  and  that  there  would  have  been  many  more  chances 
of  failure,  if  the  missionaries  had  not  fitted  into  the  evolution  of  the  drama 
just  as,  and  just  when,  they  did.  The  missionary  period  was  an  essential  one, 
coming  between  that  of  the  fur  traders  and  that  of  the  immigrants. 

While  the  scope  of  our  undertaking  requires  us  to  confine  our  narration 
mainly  to  the  area  covered  in  this  history,  yet  in  order  to  preserve  the  histori- 
cal continuity  and  to  exhibit  the  forces  which  led  to  the  subsequent  develop- 
ments, we  must  enlarge  the  picture  enough  to  include  a  glimpse  of  the  mission 
locations  outside  of  Yakima. 

FIRST    CHRISTIAN    CRUS.\DERS 

The  first  of  the  Christian  crusaders  to  respond  to  the  Macedonian  call 
from  Oregon  was  a  party  under  Jason  Lee  of  the  Methodist  Church.  This 
party  came  to  Oregon  in  1834  in  company  with  Nathaniel  Wyeth,  the  Ameri- 
can trader.  Reaching  Vancouver,  the  missionaries  presented  themselves  to 
Doctor  McLoughlin,  the  chief  factor.  He  met  them  with  every  expression  of 
generous  good-will  and  advised  them  to  locate  in  the  Willamette  Valley  rather 
than  among  the  tribes  from  whom  had  proceeded  the  Macedonian  call.     As  a 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         >  169 

result,  Lee  with  his  assistants  located  at  Chemawa,  near  the  present  Salem, 
Oregon. 

From  that  mission  sprang  the  first  permanent  American  settlement,  the 
native  name  of  which  was  Chemeketa,  Place  of  Council,  or  Peace  Ground.  The 
missionaries  gave  it  the  Bible  equivalent,  Salem,  a  proceeding  of  more  piety  than 
good  judgment.  The  Willamette  LTniversity  of  the  present  is  the  offspring 
of  the  school  started  by  the  missionaries  for  the  Indian  children  and  within 
a  few  years  modified  so  as  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  white  children.  For  that 
earliest  mission,  like  the  later,  discovered  that  the  great  work,  after  all,  must 
be  for  the  white  race,  not  for  the  Indians. 

The  next  year  after  the  coming  of  the  Lee  party,  another  movement  was 
initiated  which  was  destined  to  have  a  most  intimate  connection  with  Oregon 
history.  In  1835  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman,  in  company  with  Dr.  Samuel  Parker, 
set  forth  on  a  reconnaissance  to  determine  the  advisability  of  locating  a  mission 
among  the  Indians  from  whom  had  gone  the  Macedonian  call.  Reaching  Green 
River,  the  outlook  seemed  so  encouraging  that  it  was  decided  to  part  company. 
Dr.  Parker  continuing  westward  with  Indians  who  had  met  them  at  Green 
River,  while  Dr.  Whitman,  the  younger  and  more  active  of  the  two,  returned 
to  his  home  in  Rushville,  New  York,  and  there  organized  a  missionary  band. 

As  a  result  of  Dr.  Whitman's  return,  a  party  consisting  of  himself  and 
his  bride,  Narcissa  Prentiss,  and  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  and  his  newly  wedded 
bride,  Eliza  Hart,  set  forth  in  1836  for  Oregon.  With  them  was  William  H. 
Gray  as  secular  agent  and  general  manager.  With  the  party  also  were  two 
Indian  boys  who  had  accompanied  Dr.  Whitman  the  year  before  on  his  return 
from  Green  River. 

This  bridal  journey  of  4,000  miles,  most  of  it  on  horseback,  has  been 
often  described.  Aside  from  the  momentous  results  in  the  history  of  Oregon 
and  the  United  States,  the  story  is  one  of  heroism  and  devotion  which  had  few 
parallels,  and  the  record  closes  with  a  martyr's  crown  for  Marcus  and  Narcissa 
Whitman. 

MRS.    whitman's    diary 

Among  the  precious  relics  in  Whitman  College  are  Mrs.  Whitman's  diary 
and  that  of  Mrs.  Spalding,  of  the  journey.  That  of  Mrs.  Whitman  was  made 
by  herself  from  notes  on  the  way  and  was  sent  from  Vancouver  to  her  parents 
upon  the  completion  of  the  journey.  Its  heading  is  as  follows: — "Narcissa 
Whitman's  Diary  of  a  Missionary  Tour  West  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  Per- 
formed in  1836.  Being  the  first  white  female  ever  beyond  the  mountains  on  the 
continent.  The  journey  was  performed  on  horseback  a  distance  of  4,000  miles. 
She,  in  company  with  her  husband,  Marcus  Whitman,  M.  D.,  and  H.  H.  Spald- 
ing and  wife,  left  the  state  of  New  York  for  this  tour  in  February  of  1836 — 
traveled  through  a  part  of  Pennsylvania-Ohio,  and  finally  arrived  at  St.  Louis, 
in  Missouri.  Here  they  joined  the  Fur  Company  that  crosses  the  mountains  every 
year,  and  were  also  joined  by  Messrs,  Suturly  [Saturlee  in  Mrs.  Spalding's 
diary]  and  Gray  missionaries  to  the  West.  Matters  thus  arranged  they  all  left 
St.  Louis  in  March  for  the  "far  West."  The  further  particulars  of  the  journey 
may  be  learned  from  the  following  extracts  from  her  journal  taken  on  the 
way." 


170  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Following  this  heading  is  a  letter  addressed  to  her  parents,  dated,  Van- 
•couver,  October  20,  1836,  in  which  she  says  that  the  journal  covers  the  journey 
from  the  "Rendezvous,"  and  that  while  at  Vancouver  they  had  been  so  situated 
that  she  could  copy  her  notes  taken  on  the  way.  The  party  had  crossed  the 
Great  Divide  on  July  4th,  and  on  that  day  celebrated  the  natal  day  of  the  coun- 
try, and  as  they  looked  down  the  long  vista  westward  seem  to  have  felt  that 
they  would  claim  possession  of  that  western  land  in  the  name  of  the  American 
Union  and  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ.  They  had  reached  the  "Rendezvous" 
on  Green  River  July  6th.  After  several  days  there,  refitting  and  resting  and 
conferring  with  Indians,  they  resumed  the  next  great  stage  of  the  march  with 
a  detachment  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  under  Mr.  McLeod,  bound  for 
Walla  Walla. 

It  was  July  18,  1836,  when  they  set  forth  under  these  new  auspices.  A 
■company  of  Flathead  and  Nez  Perce  Indians  also  travelled  with  them.  It  ap- 
pears from  the  diary  of  Mrs.  Spalding  that  the  Nez  Perces  were  very  anxious 
that  the  party  accompany  them,  but  as  they  apparently  wished  to  hunt  on  the 
-way  it  was  manifestly  necessary  that  the  party  go  with  the  traders.  One  chief- 
tain, Mrs.  Spalding  says,  concluded  to  go  with  them,  though  it  would  deprive 
Tiim  of  the  privilege  of  securing  a  supply  of  meat  for  the  Winter. 

Mrs.  Whitman  tells  of  the  tedious  time  which  Doctor  Whitman  had  with 
.his  wagon.  This  was  one  of  the  notable  features  of  his  journey.  Some  have 
asserted  that  he  was  the  first  to  drive  a  wagon  from  the  Missouri  to  the  Colum- 
bia. This  is  only  partly  true.  Ashley,  Smith,  Sublette,  Bonneville,  and  other 
trappers,  had  driven  wagons  to  the  Black  Hills,  and  to  other  points,  but  none 
of  them  had  gone  so  far  west  as  Whitman  with  a  wagon.  But  when  he  reached 
"Snake  Fort."  near  Boise,  he  left  his  wagon.  In  1840  Robert  Newell  went 
clear  through  the  Blue  Mountains  and  reached  Walla  Walla.  However,  Doctor 
Whitman  deserves  all  praise  for  his  energy  and  persistence  in  pushing  his 
"Chick-chick-Shaile-kikash,"  as  the  Indians  called  his  wagon,  even  to  Fort 
Boise  and  he  may  be  very  justly  called  one  of  the  first  wheel-track-makers. 

It  is  interesting  and  pathetic  to  see  how  Mrs.  Whitman  craved  some  of  her 
mother's  bread.  During  part  of  their  journey  they  had  an  exclusive  diet  of 
bufifalo  meat.  Occasionally  they  would  have  berries  and  fish.  They  had  sev- 
-eral  cows  with  them  and  from  them  had  some  milk,  which  was  a  great  help. 

They  had  to  shoe  their  cattle  (presumably  with  hide,  though  it  is  not  so 
stated)  on  account  of  sore  feet.  With  the  cows  were  two  suckling  calves, 
which,  Mrs.  Whitman  says,  seemed  to  be  in  excellent  spirits,  and  made  the  jour- 
ney with  no  suffering,  except  sore  feet. 

Soon  after  passing  a  point  on  Snake  River,  where  the  Indians  were  tak- 
ing salmon,  Mrs.  Whitman  bade  good-bye  to  her  little  trunk  which  they  had 
been  able  to  carry  thus  far,  but  were  now  compelled  to  leave.  It  is  truly 
pathetic  to  read  the  words  in  her  journal:  "Dear  H.  (this  was  her  sister  Har- 
riet, to  whom  she  is  especially  addressing  the  words).  The  little  trunk  you 
gave  me  had  come  thus  with  me  so  far  and  now  I  must  leave  it  here  alone.  Poor 
little  trunk!  I  am  sorry  to  leave  thee.  Thou  must  abide  there  alone  and  no 
more  by  thy  presence  remind  me  of  my  dear  Harriet. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  171 

"Twenty  miles  below  the  falls  on  Snake  River,  this  shall  be  thy  place  of 
rest.  Farewell,  little  trunk.  I  thank  thee  for  thy  faithful  services,  and  that  I 
have  been  cheered  by  thy  presence  so  long.    Thus  we  scatter  as  we  go  along." 

A  little  later  it  appears  that  Mr.  McKay  rescued  the  trunk.  Mrs.  Whit- 
man shows  that  she  had  quite  a  sense  of  humor  by  recording  when  she  found 
what  Mr.  McKay  had  done,  that  her  "soliloquizing  about  it  last  night  was  for 
naught." 

The  journal  contains  quite  a  glowing  account  of  the  beauties  of  Grande 
Ronde  Valley,  then  of  the  toilsome  zigzag  trail  out  of  it  into  the  Blue  Moun- 
tains westward.  On  August  29th,  the  party  stood  upon  the  open  summit,  from 
which  they  saw  the  valley  of  the  Columbia,  "It  was  beautiful.  Just  as  we 
gained  the  highest  elevation  and  began  to  descend,  the  sun  was  dipping  his  disk 
behind  the  Western  horizon. 

"Beyond  the  valley  we  could  see  two  distant  mountains.  Mount  Hood  and 
Mount  St.  Helens."     (The  latter  of  those  mountains  was  Adams,  not  St.  Helens.) 

Our  missionary  band  were  now  in  sight  of  their  goal.  It  was  not,  how- 
ever, till  September  1st,  that  they  actually  rode  into  Walla  Walla.  In  fact 
part  of  the  company,  including  the  Spaldings,  did  not  reach  the  Fort  till  Sep- 
tember 3d.  It  was  a  thrilling  moment  to  that  devoted  little  band.  It  seemed 
to  them  almost  equal  to  what  it  would  to  one  of  us  modems  to  enter  Washing- 
ton or  Paris  or  London.  Think  of  the  journey  of  those  two  women,  those 
hrides,  those  hundreds  of  miles  from  St.  Louis  to  Walla  Walla,  five  months 
and  mainly  on  horseback. 

As  they  drew  near  the  fort,  both  horses  and  riders  became  so  eager  to 
reach  the  end  of  the  journey  that  they  broke  into  a  gallop.  They  saw  the  first 
appearance  of  civilization  in  a  garden  about  two  miles  from  the  fort.  That 
•garden  must  have  been  nearly  upon  the  present  location  of  Wallula. 

As  they  rode  up  to  the  fort,  Mr.  McLeod  (who  had  gone  ahead  to  prepare 
for  their  coming),  Mr.  Pambnm,  the  commandant,  and  others,  came  forth  to 
meet  so  new  and  remarkable  an  addition  to  the  population  of  Oregon. 

Mrs.  Whitman  has  the  enthusiasm  of  a  child  in  describing  the  chickens, 
turkeys,  pigeons,  hogs,  goats  and  cattle,  which  latter  were  the  fattest  that  she 
ever  saw,  and  then  she  goes  into  ecstacies  over  the  breakfast  of  salmon,  potatoes, 
tea,  bread  and  butter,  and  then  the  room  in  the  fort  with  its  comfort,  after  all 
their  hardships.  The  officers  of  the  Fur  Company  treated  them  with  the  utmost 
courtesy  and  consideration. 

Such  was  that  momentous  entrance  of  the  missionaries  and  of  the  first 
white  women  into  Fort  Walla  Walla,  September  1,  1836. 

The  next  chapter  in  the  story  of  the  Whitman  party  was  their  journey  to 
Vancouver,  the  emporium  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Cohipany.  Leaving  Walla 
Walla  by  boat  the  7th  of  September,  they  reached  the  "New  York  of  the 
Pacific,"  as  Mrs.  Whitman  says  they  had  been  told  to  consider  it,  on  the  14th. 
Mrs.  Whitman  expresses  in  her  journal  the  admiration  of  the  party  for  the 
beauty  of  the  river,  more  beautiful  she  says,  than  the  Ohio,  though  the  rugged 
cliffs  and  shores  of  drifting  sand  below  Walla  Walla  looked  dismal  and  for- 
bidding.    They  found  much  to  delight  them  at  Vancouver,  the  courtesy  and 


172  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

hospitality  of  Doctor  McLoughlin  and  his  assistants ;  the  bounteous  table,  with 
feasts  of  salmon,  roast  duck,  venison,  grouse  and  quail,  rich  cream  and  delic- 
ious butter ;  a  picture  of  toothsomeness  which  it  makes  one  hungry  to  read ;  the 
ships  from  England  moored  to  the  river  brink,  and  the  well-kept  farm  with 
.grain  and  vegetables,  fruits  of  every  sort,  grapes  and  berries,  a  thousand  head 
of  cattle,  and  many  sheep,  hogs,  and  horses;  a  perfect  oasis  of  civilized  de- 
lights to  the  little  company  of  missionaries,  worn  and  homesick  during  their 
months  on  horseback  across  the  barren  plains  and  through  wild  mountains. 

Doctor  Whitman  and  Mr.  Spalding,  leaving  their  wives  in  the  excellent 
keeping  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  people  at  Vancouver,  returned,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Gray,  to  the  Walla  Walla  country  to  decide  upon  locations.  They  had  ex- 
pected, so  Mrs.  Whitman  says,  to  locate  in  the  Grande  Ronde,  the  beauty  and 
fertility  of  which  had  been  portrayed  in  glowing  colors  by  returning  adven- 
turers and  fur  traders.  But  discovering  as  they  passed  through  that  it  was  so 
buried  in  the  mountains  and  so  difficult  of  access  from  the  rivers  and  the  reg- 
ular routes  of  travel,  they  fixed  upon  Waiilatpu  (Wielitpoo,  Mrs.  Whitman 
spells  it)  for  one  post  and  Lapwai  for  another.  The  Whitmans  became  estab- 
lished at  Waiilatpu,  "the  place  of  rye  grass"  six  miles  west  of  the  present 
Walla  Walla;  and  the  Spaldings  at  Lapwai  two  miles  up  the  Lapwai  Creek,  and 
about  twelve  from  the  mouth  of  the  Clearwater,  the  present  site  of  Lewiston. 

A  few  months  after  the  location  at  Waiilatpu  on  March  4,  1837,  a  beam  of 
sunshine  lighted  in  the  home  of  the  Whitmans  in  the  form  of  a  daughter,  Alice 
Clarissa,  the  first  white  child  born  west  of  the  Rockies  and  north  of  California. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  next  white  girl  born  in  what  is  now  Washing- 
ton was  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Yakima,  Mrs.  Abigail  Walker  Carr,  bom 
at  Tshimakain  near  Spokane,  and  dying  in  Yakima  November  11,  1918.  The 
Indians  were  extraordinarily  pleased  with  the  "little  white  papoose"  or  "Cayuse 
temi"  (Cayuse  girl)  Alice,  and  if  she  had  Hved,  the  tragedy  of  a  little  later 
might  not  have  occurred.  In  a  letter  preserved  at  Whitman  College,  from  Mrs. 
Whitman  to  her  sister  and  husband,  Rev.  Lyman  P.  Judson,  of  Angelica,  New 
York,  dated  March  15,  1838,  she  says:  "Our  little  daughter  comes  to  her  mother 
every  now  and  then  to  be  cheered  with  a  smile  and  a  kiss  and  to  be  taken  up  to 
rest  for  a  few  moments  and  then  away  she  goes  running  about  the  room  or  out 
of  doors  diverting  herself  with  objects  that  attract  her  attention.  A  refreshing 
comfort  she  is  to  her  parents  in  their  solitary  situation." 

With  her  parents  so  needing  that  child,  fairly  idolizing  her  and  their  very 
lives  wrought  up  with  hers,  it  is  too  sad  to  relate  that  on  June  23,  1840,  the 
bright  active  little  creature  wandered  out  of  the  house  while  the  mother  was 
engaged  in  some  household  task  and  took  her  way  to  the  fatal  river  that  then 
ran  close  to  the  mission  house,  though  it  now  has  a  new  channel  half  a  mile 
away.  Missing  little  Alice  Clarissa,  Mrs.  Whitman  hastened  to  the  river,  with 
a  sinking  dread,  and  there  she  saw  the  little  cup  where  the  child  had  dropped 
it.  This  mutely  told  the  heart-breaking  tale.  An  Indian,  diving  into  the  stream, 
found  the  body,  but  the  gentle  and  lovable  life,  the  life  of  the  whole  mission, 
was  gone.  That  faithful  and  devoted  father  and  mother  had  one  less  tie  to 
life.     The  patient  resignation   with  which  the  anguished  parents   endured   this 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  173 

infinite  sorrow  shows  vividly  what  strength  may  be  imparted  by  the  real  Chris- 
tian spirit. 

Both  Doctor  Whitman  and  Mr.  Spalding  were  indefatigable,  workers  and 
quickly  created  civilized  conditions  upon  the  beautiful  places  where  they  had 
planted  their  missions. 

Doctor  Whitman  was  a  man  of  powerful  physique  and  familiar  from 
boyhood  with  the  practical  duties  of  farm  and  mill.  He  could  turn  his  hand  to 
almost  anything  in  the  way  of  construction.  The  same  was  true  of  Mr.  Gray, 
who  spent  part  of  his  time  at  Waiilatpu  and  part  at  Lapwai,  though  he  returned 
in  1837  to  the  east  in  search  of  new  helpers. 

But  within  a  few  months  the  Whitmans  were  comfortably  housed,  and 
every  year  saw  some,  improvement  about  the  buildings  and  land.  Seed  for 
grain  and  fruit  trees  was  secured  at  Vancouver,  and  stock  was  provided  also. 
The  Waiilatpu  farm  consisted  of  a  fertile  belt  of  bottom  land  of  about  three 
hundred  acres  between  the  Walla  Walla  River  and  Mill  Creek,  with  unlimited 
range  of  low  hill  and  bench  land  covered  with  bunch  grass  which  furnished  the 
finest  of  stock  feed  almost  the  whole  year  round.  Doctor  Whitman  was  himself 
a  practical  millwright  and  soon  had  a  small  saw-mill  equipped  about  twenty 
miles  up  Mill  Creek,  while  adjoining  the  mission  house  he  laid  out  a  mill  dam, 
the  lines  of  which  can  still  be  seen.  The  mill  was  a  grist  mill  and  located  at  the 
western  side  of  the  pond  and  within  a  few  steps  of  the  mission  house  and  the 
"Mansion,"  as  they  called  the  large  adobe  building  erected  a  few  years  after 
their  arrival  for  the  accommodation  of  the  frequent  visitors,  especially  after 
American  immigrants  began  to  come. 

Toiling  incessantly  the  missionary-doctor  and  hero  was  rewarded  by  seeing 
his  mission  brought  in  a  surprisingly  brief  time  to  a  condition  of  profitable  cul- 
tivation. T.  J.  Farnham  who  came  with  the  so-called  "Peoria  party"  in  1839 
says  of  Whitman's  place:  "I  found  250  acres  enclosed  and  200  acres  in  good 
cultivation.  I  found  forty  or  fifty  Indian  children  between  the  ages  of  seven 
and  eighteen  years  in  school,  and  Mrs.  Whitman  an  indefatigable  instructor. 
It  appeared  to  me  quite  remarkable  that  the  Doctor  could  have  made  so  many 
improvements  since  the  year  1836;  but  the  industry  which  crowded  every  hour 
of  the  day,  his  untiring  energy  of  character,  and  the  very  efficient  aid  of  his  wife 
in  relieving  him  in  a  great  degree  from  the  labors  of  the  school,  enabled  him, 
without  funds  for  such  purposes,  and  without  other  aid  than  that  of  a  fellow 
missionary  for  short  intervals,  to  fence,  plow,  build,  plant  an  orchard,  and  do 
all  the  other  laborious  acts  of  opening  a  plantation  on  the  face  of  that  distant 
wilderness,  learn  an  Indian  language,  and  do  the  duties,  meanwhile  of  a  physi- 
cian to  the  associate  stations  on  the  Clearwater  and  Spokane."  Joseph  Dray- 
ton of  the  Wilkes  exploring  expedition  of  the  United  States  Navy  visited 
Waiilatpu  in  1841.  He  says  of  the  mission:  "All  the  premises  looked  comfort- 
able, the  garden  especially  fine,  vegetables  and  melons  in  great  variety.  The 
wheat  in  the  fields  was  seven  feet  in  the  tassel." 

Had  not  Dr.  Whitman  possessed  great  physical  strength,  as  well  as  deter- 
mination and  energy,  he  could  not  have  endured  the  excessive  toil  which  was 
the  price  of  his  rapid  progress.     Senator  Nesmith  who  came  to  Oregon  in  the 


174  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

immigration  of  1843,  said  in  the  hearing  of  the  author  of  this  work,  "Whitman 
had  a  constitution  hke  a  saw  mill."'  Another  pioneer  said  of  him  that  he  had. 
the  energy  of  a  Napoleon. 

Some  old  timer  has  said  that  Whitman  used  to  ride  in  a  day  to  the  present 
site  of  Lewiston  from  Waiilatpu,  about  ninety  miles.  He  would  do  it  by  chang- 
ing horses  several  times.  He  was  hard  on  horses,  and  when  some  one  remon- 
strated on  the  ground  of  cruelty,  the  Doctor  replied,  "My  time  is  worth  more 
than  the  horse's  comfort." 

As  has  been  stated,  Mr.  W.  H.  Gray  went  east  in  1837  for  reinforcements. 
The  next  year  he  came  again  to  Oregon  with  a  valuable  addition.  Besides  the 
addition  to  his  own  life  of  a  bride,  Mary  Dix  (who  was  one  of  the  choice  spirits 
of  old  Oregon  and  during  many  years  a  center  of  life  and  light  in  the  new 
country)  there  were  three  missionaries,  each  also  with  a  newly  wedded  wife. 
These  were  Revs.  Elkanah  Walker,  Gushing  Eells,  and  A.  B.  Smith.  Mr.  Gor- 
nelius  Rogers  accompanied  the  party.  Reaching  Walla  Walla  the  new  arrivals 
were  assigned  to  new  stations :  Messrs.  Eells  and  Walker  to  Tshimakain,  near 
the  present  city  of  Spokane,  while  Mr.  Smith  went  to  Kamiah,  about  sixty  miles 
east  of  the  present  site  of  Lewiston.  Mr.  Rogers  and  the  Grays  went  to  Lapwai. 
There  seemed  never  to  have  been  more  faithful  and  devoted  missionaries  than 
were  these  of  the  four  missions  of  Waiilatpu,  Lapwai,  Tshimakain  and  Kamiah. 
Yet  it  could  not  be  said  that  they  were  successful  in  turning  any  considerable 
numbers  of  natives  to  Ghristianity.  The  Nez  Perces  at  Lapwai  and  other  sta- 
tions established  by  Mr.  Spalding,  notably  the  one  at  Alpowa,  were  most  amen- 
able to  Ghristian  influences,  while  the  Gayuses  in  the  Walla  Walla  Valley  were 
least  so.  In  contemplation  of  the  apparently  scanty  progress,  the  missionary 
board  at  Boston  decided  to  discontinue  the  missions  at  Waiilatpu  and  Lapwai, 
to  discharge  Alessrs.  Spalding,  Gray,  Smith  and  Rogers,  and  to  send  Dr.  Whit- 
man to  the  Spokane  country. 

While  these  difificulties  were  harassing  the  missionaries,  very  important 
events  were  taking  place  in  national  life.  The  slavery  and  the  tarifif  questions 
had  become  fire  brands  in  domestic  politics.  The  questions  of  annexation  of 
Texas,  of  occupation  of  Oregon,  of  possible  trouble  with  Mexico  over  the 
former  and  with  England  over  the  latter,  were  threatening  corresponding 
chaos  in  foreign  aiifairs.  Doctor  Whitman,  reticent  and  sagacious,  saw  clearly 
that  his  chosen  aim  of  leading  the  natives  to  civilization  and  Ghristianity  was 
rapidly  sinking  in  importance  in  comparison  with  the  question  of  the  white 
race  in  the  new  land,  and  of  the  ownership  of  this  great  region.  In  1842  the 
Ashburton  Treaty  with  England  settled  the  northeastern  boundary  and  the  sup- 
position was  that  it  would  also  settle  the  Oregon  Question. 

But  when  the  treaty  was  signed  on  August  9,  it  appeared  that  the  ques- 
tion of  Oregon  was  left  unsettled.  In  a  message  of  August  11,  President 
Tyler  explained  to  the  Senate  that  so  little  probability  of  agreement  existed  that 
it  was  thought  not  expedient  to  make  that  subject  a  matter  of  negotiation. 

While  the  Ashburton  Treaty  was  pending  the  first  real  immigration, 
though  a  small  one  of  a  hundred  and  twelve  persons,  came  to  Oregon.  In  it, 
among  several  of  the  most  notable  of  the  Old  Oregonians,  was  A.  L.  Lovejoy, . 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  17? 

a  young  New  England  lawyer,  a  man  of  energy  and  ambition,  destined  to  play 
a  conspicuous  part  in  Oregon  history. 

When  the  party  reached  Whitman's  station  on  the  Walla  Walla  they  deliv- 
ered to  him  letters  from  the  States  and  discussed  with  him  the  pending  treaty- 
and  the  danger  that  it  might  draw  the  line  so  as  to  leave  Oregon  to  Great  Brit- 
ain, or  at  least  to  make  the  Columbia  River  the  boundary,  placing  the  entire 
Puget  Sound  basin  and  the  mountains  and  plains  eastward  to  the  river  in  pos- 
session of  Great  Britain.  Seeing  the  imminence  of  the  danger.  Whitman  deter- 
mined upon  a  supreme  efifort.  He  decided  to  make  a  mid-Winter  journey  east 
with  three  aims  in  view:  to  present  to  the  Government  the  situation  and  the 
vital  need  of  preserving  Oregon  for  the  United  States ;  to  try  to  aid  in  form- 
ing and  guiding  an  immigration  to  Oregon ;  and  to  settle  affairs  of  the  mission 
with  the  board  at  Boston.  He  asked  Love  joy  to  go  with  him.  It  looked  like 
a  desperate  undertaking,  but  Lovejoy,  an  athletic,  ambitious  young  man,  agreed 
to  go. 

THE    WHITMAN    CONTROVERSY 

At  this  point  comes  in  the  bitterly  disputed  "Whitman  Controversy."  It 
is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to  undertake  an  argumentative  treatment 
of  this  question.  The  question  at  issue,  if  rationally  considered,  is  rather  the 
extent  of  the  services  of  Dr.  Whitman  in  "saving  Oregon  to  the  United  States." 

Mrs.  F.  F.  Victor,  Elwood  Evans,  Prof.  E.  G.  Bourne,  and  Principal  W. 
I.  Marshall  have,  more  than  others,  presented  arguments  in  favor  of  the  con- 
tention that  Dr.  Whitman  had  no  important  part  in  the  great  political  drama  of 
Oregon,  while  the  claim  that  he  had  large  political  aims  and  bore  a  conspicuous 
part  in  influencing  the  final  result  has  been  supported  in  books  written  by  Dr. 
O.  W.  Nixon,  Rev.  William  Barrows,  Professor  William  Mowry,  and  Rev. 
Myron  Eells.  The  final  book  by  the  last  named,  the  life  of  Marcus  Whitman, 
is  in  the  judgment  of  the  writer,  the  final  and  unanswered  and  indeed  unan- 
swerable, word  on  the  subject. 

The  author  of  this  history  has  given  in  the  Washington  Historical  Quar- 
terly of  April,  1917,  his  reasons  for  thinking  the  statements  of  Professors 
Bourne  and  Marshall  inaccurate  and  their  arguments  inconclusive. 

The  fact  acknowledged  by  all  is  that  Whitman  made  a  ride  during  the 
Fall  and  Winter  of  1842  and  succeeding  months  of  1843  which  for  daring,  hero- 
ism and  fortitude,  has  few  parallels  in  history. 

The  question  of  controversy  is,  what  did  he  make  such  a  journey  for.  His 
critics  say  that  it  was  in  consequence  of  the  decision  of  the  missionary  board 
to  discontinue  his  mission  on  the  Walla  Walla.  Mrs.  Victor  and  Principal 
iMarshall  are  the  only  ones  among  these  critics  who  have  achieved  the  distinc- 
tion of  attributing  base  or  selfish  motives  to  Whitman.  They  have  held  forth 
the  idea  that  he,  foreseeing  the  incoming  of  immigrants,  wanted  to  maintain  the 
station  at  Waiilatpu,  in  order  to  raise  vegetables  and  other  supplies  to  sell  at  a 
high  price.  Whether  a  motive  of  that  sort  would  lead  a  man  of  Whitman's 
type  to  take  that  desperate  ride  in  mid-Winter  through  the  Rocky  Mountains,  at 
peril  of  life  a  dozen  times  over  from  Indians,  freezing,  and  starvation,  is  a 
question  which  different  people  w^ould  view  differently,  according  to  their  way 


176  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

of  estimating  the  motives  which  determine  men's  actions.  Perhaps  people 
whose  estimate  of  human  nature,  based  possibly  on  their  own  inner  conscious- 
ness of  motives,  is  that  selfish  gain  is  the  leading  motive,  would  agree  that  the 
hope  of  cornering  the  vegetable  market  at  Waiilatpu  was  an  adequate  cause  of 
Whitman's  ride.  To  some  other  people  it  would  seem  likely  that  the  main- 
spring of  his  action  was  some  great  national  and  patriotic  aim  and  that  while 
he  wished  to  maintain  the  mission  his  great  aim  was  to  convince  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  value  of  Oregon  and  to  help  organize  an  immigration  which  would 
settle  the  ownership  of  Oregon  in  favor  of  his  country.  At  any  rate,  he  went. 
That  much  is  undisputed. 

Practically  the  only  account  of  that  memorable  mid-Winter  ride  from 
Waiilatpu  to  St.  Louis  is  from  A.  L.  Lovejoy,  the  sole  white  companion  of 
Whitman.     Whitman  himself  was,  like  most  heroes,  a  man  of  few  words. 

Ke  told  various  friends  something  of  his  experiences  in  Washington  and 
Boston  and  told  to  associates  and  wrote  a  few  letters  to  friends  about  the  im- 
migration of  1843,  but  he  seems  to  have  been  very  reticent  about  the  "Ride." 
Mr.  Lovejoy  wrote  two  letters  about  that  journey,  one  dated  November  6,  1869, 
which  is  found  in  W.  H.  Gray's  History  of  Oregon,  and  one  addressed  to  Dr. 
G.  H.  Atkinson  and  used  by  him  in  an  address  on  February  22,  1876.  This 
letter  so  vividly  portrays  the  character  of  this  undertaking,  as  it  comes  from 
the  only  witness  besides  Whitman  himself,  that  we  deem  it  suitable  to  incor- 
porate it  here. 

LOVEJOV'S    LETTER. 

Mr.  Lovejoy  says:  "We  left  Waiilatpu  October  3,  1842,  traveled  rapidly, 
reached  Fort  Hall  in  eleven  days,  remained  two  days  to  recruit  and  make  a  few 
purchases.  The  doctor  engaged  a  guide,  and  we  left  for  Fort  Unita.  We  had 
terribly  severe  weather.  The  snows  retarded  our  progress  end  blinded  the  trail, 
so  we  lost  much  time.  After  arriving  at  Fort  Uinta,  and  making  some  pur- 
chases for  our  trip,  we  took  a  new  guide  and  started  for  Taos.  After  being 
out  some  four  or  five  days  we  encountered  a  terrific  snowstorm,  which  forced 
us  to  seek  shelter  in  a  deep  ravine,  where  we  remained  snowed  in  for  four  days, 
at  which  time  the  storm  had  somewhat  abated,  and  we  attempted  to  make  our 
way  out  upon  the  highlands,  but  the  snow  was  so  deep  and  the  winds  so  piercing 
and  cold,  we  were  compelled  to  return  to  camp  and  wait  a  few  days  for  a  change 
of  weather.  Our  next  effort  to  reach  the  highlands  was  more  successful;  but, 
after  spending  several  days  wandering  around  in  the  snow  without  making 
much  headway,  our  guide  told  us  that  the  deep  snow  had  so  changed  the  face 
of  the  country  that  he  was  completely  lost  and  could  take  us  no  further.  This 
was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  doctor,  but  he  was  determined  not  to  give  it  up  with- 
out another  effort. 

"We  at  once  agreed  that  the  doctor  should  take  the  guide  and  return  to 
Fort  Uncompahgre  and  get  a  new  guide,  and  I  remain  in  camp  with  the  ani- 
mals until  he  could  return,  which  he  did  in  seven  days  with  our  new  guide,  and 
we  were  now  on  our  route  again.  Nothing  of  much  import  occurred  but  hard 
and  slow  traveling  through  deep  snow  until  we  reached  Grand  River,  which 
was  frozen  on  either  side  about  one-third  across.     Although  so  intensely  cold, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         •  177 

the  current  was  so  very  rapid  that  about  one-third  of  the  river  in  the  center  was 
not  frozen.  Our  guide  thought  it  would  be  dangerous  to  attempt  to  cross  the 
river  in  its  present  condition,  but  the  doctor,  nothing  daunted,  was  the  first  to 
take  the  water.  He  mounted  his  horse ;  the  guide  and  myself  shoved  the  Doctor 
and  his  horse  off  the  ice  into  the  foaming  stream.  Away  he  went,  completely 
under  water,  horse  and  all,  but  directly  came  up,  and  after  buffeting  the  rapid 
foaming  current,  he  reached  the  ice  on  the  opposite  shore  a  long  way  down  the 
stream.  He  leaped  from  his  horse  upon  the  ice  and  soon  had  his  noble  animal 
by  his  side.  The  guide  and  myself  forced  in  the  pack  animals,  and  followed  the 
Doctor's  example,  and  were  soon  on  the  opposite  shore,  drying  our  frozen 
clothes  by  a  comfortable  fire.  We  reached  Taos  in  about  thirty  days,  having  suf- 
fered greatly  from  cold  and  scarcity  of  provisions.  We  were  compelled  to  use 
mule  meat,  dogs,  and  such  other  animals  as  came  in  our  reach.  We  remained 
at  Taos  a  few  days  only,  and  started  for  Bent's  and  Savery's  Fort,  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Arkansas  River.  When  we  had  been  out  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
days  we  met  George  Bent,  a  brother  of  Governor  Bent,  on  his  way  to  Taos. 
He  told  us  that  a  party  of  mountain  men  would  leave  Bent's  Fort  in  a  few  days 
for  St.  Louis,  but  said  we  would  not  reach  the  fort  with  our  pack  animals  in 
time  to  join  the  party.  The  Doctor,  being  very  anxious  to  join  the  party  so  he 
could  push  on  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  Washington,  concluded  to  leave  myself 
and  guide  with  the  animals,  and  he  himself,  taking  the  best  animal,  with  some 
bedding  and  a  small  allowance  of  provision,  started  alone,  hoping  by  rapid 
travel  to  reach  the  fort  in  time  to  join  the  St.  Louis  party,  but  to  do  so  he 
would  have  to  travel  on  the  Sabbath,  something  we  had  not  done  before.  Myself 
and  guide  traveled  on  slowly  and  reached  the  fort  in  four  days,  but  imagine 
our  astonishment  when  on  making  inquiry  about  the  Doctor  we  were  told  that 
he  had  not  arrived  nor  had  he  been  heard  of.  I  learned  that  the  party  for  St. 
Louis  was  camped  at  the  Big  Cottonwood,  forty  miles  from  the  fort,  and  at  my 
request  Mr.  Savery  sent  an  express,  telling  the  party  not  to  proceed  any  farther 
until  we  learned  something  of  Doctor  Whitman's  whereabouts,  as  he  wished  to 
accompany  them  to  St.  Louis.  Being  furnished  by  the  gentlemen  of  the  fort 
with  a  suitable  guide,  I  started  in  search  of  the  Doctor,  and  traveled  up  the 
river  about  one  hundred  miles.  I  learned  from  the  Indians  that  a  man  had 
been  there  who  was  lost  and  was  trying  to  find  Bent's  Fort.  They  said  they 
had  directed  him  to  go  down  the  river  and  how  to  find  the  fort.  I  knew  from 
their  description  it  was  the  Doctor.  I  returned  to  the  fort  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, but  the  Doctor  had  not  arrived.  We  had  all  become  very  anxious  about 
him. 

"Late  in  the  afternoon  he  came  in  very  much  fatigued  and  desponding; 
said  that  he  knew  that  God  had  bewildered  him  to  punish  him  for  traveling  on 
the  Sabbath.  During  the  whole  trip  he  was  very  regular  in  his  morning  and 
evening  devotions,  and  that  was  the  only  time  I  ever  knew  him  to  travel  on  the 
Sabbath. 

"The  Doctor  remained  all  night  at  the  fort,  starting  only  on  the  following 
morning  to  join  the  St.  Louis  party.  Here  we  parted.  The  Doctor  proceeded 
to  Washington.     I  remained  at  Bent's  Fort  until  Spring,  and  joined  the  Doctor 

(12) 


178  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  following  July  near  Fort  Laramie,  on  his  way  to  Oregon,  in  company  with 
a  train  of  emigrants." 

In  the  life  of  Whitman  by  Myron  Eells,  there  is  a  summary  of  the  events 
which  immediately  followed,  so  well  adapted  to  our  purpose  that  we  quote  it 
here  as  resting  upon  the  authority  of  Mr.  Eells,  whom  we  regard  as  a  writer 
of  undoubted  candor  and  accuracy. 

"When  Doctor  Whitman  arrived  at  St.  Louis  he  made  his  home  at  the 
house  of  Doctor  Edward  Hale,  a  dentist.  In  the  same  house  was  William  Bar- 
rows, then  a  young  school  teacher,  afterward  a  clergyman  and  author  of  Bar- 
rows'  'Oregon.' 

"Reaching  Cincinnati,  he  went  to  the  house  of  Doctor  Weed.  Here,  accord- 
ing to  Professor  Weed,  he  obtained  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  but  whether  he  wore 
them  all  the  time  until  he  left  the  east  or  not  is  a  question.  Some  writers  speak 
of  him  as  appearing  in  buckskins,  or  something  akin  to  them,  afterwards  both 
at  Washington  and  Boston.  Some,  as  Dr.  S.  J.  Parker,  say  he  was  not  so 
dressed.  It  is  just  barely  possible  that  both  may  be  true — that  he  kept  his  buck- 
skins and  buffalo  coat  and  occasionally  wore  them.  It  is  quite  certain  that  he 
did  not  throw  them  away,  as  according  to  accounts  he  wore  his  buckskins  in  re- 
turning to  Oregon  the  next  Summer. 

"The  next  visit  on  record  was  at  Ithaca,  New  York,  at  the  home  of  his  old 
missionary  friend  and  fellow  traveler,  Rev.  Samuel  Parker.  Here,  after  the 
surprise  of  his  arrival  was  over,  he  said  to  Mr.  Parker:  T  have  come  on  a  very 
important  errand.  We  must  both  go  at  once  to  Washington,  or  Oregon  is  lost, 
ceded  to  the  English.'  Mr.  Parker,  however,  did  not  think  the  danger  to  be  so 
great,  and  not  for  lack  of  interest  in  the  subject,  but  because  of  other  reasons, 
did  not  go,  Doctor  Whitman  went  alone,  and  reached  Washington. 

"The  Doctor,  or  his  brother,  had  been  a  classmate  of  the  Secretary  of  War,. 
James  M.  Porter.  Through  him  the  Doctor  obtained  an  introduction  to  Daniel 
Webster,  then  Secretary  of  State,  with  whom  he  talked  about  Oregon  and  the 
saving  of  it  to  the  United  States,  but  Mr.  Webster  received  him  very  coolly, 
and  told  him  it  was  too  late,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  for  he  had  considered 
it,  decided  it,  and  turned  it  over  to  the  President,  who  could  sign  Oregon  away 
or  refuse  to  do  so.  Accordingly  Doctor  Whitman  went  to  President  Tyler,  and 
for  some  time  they  talked  about  Oregon.  Even  the  Cabinet  were  called  to- 
gether, it  is  said,  and  an  evening  was  spent  on  the  subject.  The  objection  was 
made  that  wagons  could  never  be  taken  to  Oregon  and  that  consequently  the 
country  could  never  be  peopled  overland  by  emigrants,  while  the  distance  around 
Cape  Horn  was  altogether  too  great  to  think  of  taking  settlers  to  the  country 
that  way.  In  reply  to  this,  Doctor  Whitman  told  of  the  great  value  of  the 
country  and  of  his  plans  to  lead  an  emigration  through  with  their  wagons  the 
next  Summer.  He  stated  that  he  had  taken  a  wagon  into  Oregon  six  years  be- 
fore to  Fort  Boise,  that  others  had  taken  one  from  Fort  Hall  to  Walla  Walla, 
and  that  with  his  present  knowledge,  having  been  over  the  route  twice,  he  was 
sure  he  could  take  the  emigrant  wagons  through  to  the  Columbia.  The  Presi- 
dent then  said  that  he  would  wait,  before  carrying  the  negotiations  any  further, 
until  he  could  hear  whether  Doctor  Whitman  should  succeed,  and  if  he  should. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  179 

there  would  be  no  more  thought  of  trading  off  Oregon.  This  satisfied  the 
Doctor. 

"He  then  went  to  New  York  to  see  Mr.  Horace  Greeley,  who  was  known 
to  be  a  friend  of  Oregon.  He  went  there  dressed  in  his  rough  clothes,  much 
the  same  that  he  wore  across  the  continent.  When  he  knocked  at  the  door  a 
lady  came,  Mrs.  Greeley  or  a  daughter,  who,  on  seeing  such  a  rough-looking 
person,  said  to  his  inquiries  for  Mr.  Greeley,  'Not  at  home.'  Doctor  Whitman 
started  away.  She  went  and  told  Mr.  Greeley  about  him  and  Mr.  Greeley,  who 
was  of  much  the  same  style  and  cared  but  little  for  appearance,  looked  out  of 
the  window,  and  seeing  him  going  away,  said  to  call  him  in.  It  was  done,  and 
they  had  a  long  talk  about  this  Northwest  Coast  and  its  political  relations. 

"From  New  York  Doctor  Whitman  went  to  Boston,  where  the  officers  of 
the  American  Board  at  first  received  him  coldly,  because  he  had  left  his  sta- 
tion for  the  east  without  permission  from  them,  on  business  so  foreign  to  that 
which  he  had  been  sent  to  Oregon  to  accomplish.  Afterwards,  however,  they 
treated  him  more  cordially. 

"From  Boston  he  went  to  New  York  State  and  visited  relatives.  Then 
taking  with  him  his  nephew,  Perrin  B.  Whitman,  he  bade  them  good-by  and 
left  for  Missouri.  While  there  he  did  all  he  could  to  induce  people  to  join  the 
emigration  for  Oregon,  then  went  with  the  emigration,  assisting  the  guide.  Cap- 
tain Gantt,  until  they  reached  Fort  Hall,  and  aiding  the  emigrants  very  materi- 
ally. Fort  Hall  was  as  far  as  Captain  Gantt  had  agreed  to  guide  them,  and 
from  there  the  emigrants  reached  the  Columbia  River  safely  with  their 
wagons." 

The  incoming  of  the  immigration  of  1843  was  a  determining  factor  in  the 
settlement  of  the  Oregon  question.  There  can  be  no  question  that  Doctor  Whit- 
man performed  a  conspicuous  service  in  organizing  and  leading  that  immigra- 
tion. 

It  is  true,  however,  that  many  influences  combined  to  draw  that  company 
of  frontiersmen  to  the  border  of  civilization  and  to  give  them  the  common  pur- 
pose of  the  great  march  across  the  wilderness.  The  leading  motives  perhaps 
were  the  desire  first  to  acquire  land  in  what  they  thought  would  prove  a  para- 
dise and  second  to  carry  the  American  flag  across  the  continent  and  secure 
ownership  of  the  Pacific  Coast  for  their  country. 

whitman's  letter  to   secretary   porter 

Doctor  Whitman  himself  wrote  several  valuable  letters  referring  to  the 
immigration.  The  most  important  of  these  was  one  to  the  Secretary  of  War 
enclosing  a  proposed  bill  for  a  line  of  forts  across  the  plains  to  defend  immi- 
grations. This  letter  has  such  an  important  bearing  on  the  whole  story  of  Whit- 
man and  his  connection  with  the  immigration  and  the  acquisition  of  Oregon  that 
part  of  it  is  incorporated  here.  And  we  would  submit  to  the  reader  the  diffi- 
culty which  we  feel  that  any  candid  critic  would  experience  in  examining  this 
letter  and  then  denying  Whitman's  part  in  "Saving  Oregon  to  the  United 
States."  Whitman's  letter  was  found  among  the  files  of  the  War  Department 
with  the  following  endorsement : 


180  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"Marcus  Whitman,  inclosing  synopsis  of  a  bill,  with  his  views  in  reference 
to  importance  of  the  Oregon  Territory,  War.    383-rec.     June  22,  1844." 

Portions  of  the  letter  follow: 
■"To  the  Hon.  James  M.  Porter, 

Secretary  of  War. 

"Sir:  In  compliance  with  the  request  you  did  me  the  honor  to  make  last 
Winter,  while  in  Washington,  I  herewith  transmit  to  you  the  synopsis  of  a  bill 
which,  if  it  could  be  adopted  would,  according  to  my  experience  and  observa- 
tion, prove  highly  conducive  to  the  best  interest  of  the  United  States  generally, 
to  Oregon,  where  I  have  resided  for  more  than  seven  years  as  a  missionary, 
and  to  the  Indian  tribes  that  inhabit  the  immediate  country.  The  Government 
will  now,  doubtless  for  the  first  time,  be  apprised  through  you,  or  by  means  of 
this  communication,  of  the  immense  immigration  of  families  to  Oregon  which 
has  taken  place  this  year.  I  have,  since  our  interview,  been  instrumental  in 
piloting  across  the  route  described  in  the  accompanying  bill,  and  which  is  the 
only  eligible  wagon  road,  no  less  than  three  hundred  families,  consisting  of  one 
thousand  persons  of  both  sexes,  with  their  120  wagons,  694  oxen,  and  773 
loose-  cattle. 

"The  emigrants  are  from  different  States,  but  principally  from  Missouri, 
Arkansas,  Illinois  and  New  York.  The  majority  of  them  are  farmers,  lured  by 
the  prospect  of  bounty  in  lands,  by  the  reported  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  by  the 
desire  to  be  first  among  those  who  are  planting  our  institutions  on  the  Pacific 
Coast.  Among  them  are  artisans  of  every  trade,  comprising,  with  farmers,  the 
very  best  material  for  a  new  colony.  As  pioneers,  these  people  have  under- 
gone incredible  hardships,  and  having  now  safely  passed  the  Blue  Mountain 
Range  with  their  wagons  and  effects,  have  established  a  durable  road  from  Mis- 
souri to  Oregon,  which  will  serve  to  mark  permanently  the  route  of  large  num- 
bers each  succeeding  year,  while  they  have  practically  demonstrated  that 
wagons  drawn  by  horses  or  oxen  can  cross  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Columbia 
River,  contrary  to  all  the  sinister  assertions  of  all  those  who  pretended  it  to 
be  impossible. 

"In  their  slow  progress,  these  persons  have  encountered,  as  in  all  former 
instances,  and  as  all  succeeding  emigrants  must  if  this  or  some  similar  bill  be 
not  passed  by  Congress,  the  continual  fear  of  Indian  aggression,  the  actual  loss 
through  them  of  horses,  cattle  and  other  property,  and  the  great  labor  of  trans- 
porting an  adequate  amount  of  provisions  for  so  long  a  journey.  The  bill  here- 
with proposed  would,  in  a  great  measure,  lessen  these  inconveniences  by  the 
establishment  of  posts,  which,  while  having  the  power  to  keep  the  Indians  in 
check,  thus  doing  away  with  the  necessity  of  military  vigilance  on  the  part  of 
the  travelers  by  day  and  night,  would  be  able  to  furnish  them  in  transit  with 
fresh  supplies  of  provisions,  diminishing  the  original  burdens  of  the  emigrants, 
and  finding  thus  a  ready  and  profitable  market  for  their  produce,  a  market  that 
would,  in  my  opinion,  more  than  suffice  to  defray  all  the  current  expenses  of 
such  posts.  The  present  party  is  supposed  to  have  expended  no  less  than 
$2,000  at  Laramie's  and  Bridger's  forts,  and  as  much  more  at  Fort  Hall  and 
Fort  Boise,  two  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  stations.    These  are  at  present 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  I8r 

the  only  stopping  places  in  a  journey  of  2,200  miles,  and  the  only  place  where 
additional  supplies  can  be  obtained,  even  at  the  enormous  rate  of  charge,  called! 
mountain  prices,  i.  e.,  $50  the  hundred  for  flour  and  $50  the  hundred  for  coffee;, 
the  same  for  sugar,  powder,  etc. 

"Many  cases  of  sickness  and  some  of  death  took  place  among  those  whc 
accomplished  the  journey  this  season,  owing,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  uninv- 
terrupted  use  of  meat,  salt  and  fresh,  with  flour,  which  constitute  the  chief 
articles  of  food  they  are  able  to  convey  on  their  wagons,  and  this  could  be 
obviated  by  the  vegetable  productions  which  the  posts  in  contemplation  couldl 
very  profitably  afford  them.  Those  who  rely  on  hunting  as  an  auxiliary  sup- 
port, are  at  present  unable  to  have  their  arms  repaired  when  out  of  order ;  horses 
and  oxen  become  tender  footed  and  require  to  be  shod  on  this  long  journey,, 
sometimes  repeatedly,  and  the  wagons  repaired  in  a  variety  of  ways.  I  men- 
tion these  as  valuable  incidents  to  the  proposed  measure,  as  it  will  also  be  found'- 
to  tend  in  many  other  incidental  ways  to  benefit  the  migratory  population  of 
the  United  States  choosing  to  take  this  direction,  and  on  these  accounts,  as  well' 
as  for  the  immediate  use  of  the  posts  themselves,  they  ought  to  be  provided; 
with  the  necessary  shops  and  mechanics,  which  would  at  the  same  time  exhibit 
the  several  branches  of  civilized  art  to  the  Indians. 

"The  outlay  in  the  first  instance  would  be  but  trifling.  Forts  like  those  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  surrounded  by  walls  enclosing  all  the  buildings, 
and  constructed  almost  entirely  of  adobe,  or  sun-dried  brick,  with  stone  founda- 
tions only,  can  be  easily  and  cheaply  erected. 

"Your  familiarity  with  the  Government  policy,  duties,  and  interest,  render' 
it  unnecessary  for  me  to  more  than  hint  at  the  several  objects  intended  by  the 
enclosed  bill,  and  any  enlargement  upon  the  topics  here  suggested  as  induce- 
ments to  its  adoption  would  be  quite  superfluous,  if  not  impertinent.  The  very 
existence  of  such  a  system  as  the  one  above  recommended  suggests  the  utility 
of  postofiices  and  mail  arrangements,  which  it  is  the  wish  of  all  who  now  live 
in  Oregon  to  have  granted  them;  and  I  need  only  add  that  contracts  for  this 
purpose  will  be  readily  taken  at  reasonable  rates  for  transporting  the  mail 
across  from  Missouri  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  in  forty  days,  with  fresh 
horses  at  each  of  the  contemplated  posts.  The  ruling  policy  proposed  regards 
the  Indians  as  the  police  of  the  country,  who  are  to  be  relied  upon  to  keep 
the  peace,  not  only  for  themselves,  but  to  repel  lawless  white  men  and' 
banditti,  under  the  solitary  guidance  of  the  superintendents  of  the  several  posts, 
aided  by  a  well-directed  system  to  induce  the  punishment  of  crime.  It  will 
only  be  after  the  failure  of  these  means  to  procure  the  delivery  for  punish- 
ment of  violent,  lawless  and  savage  acts  of  aggression,  that  a  band  or  tribe 
should  be  regarded  as  conspirators  against  the  peace,  or  punished  accordingly 
by  force  of  arms. 

"Hoping  that  these  suggestions  may  meet  your  approbation,  and  conduce 
to  the  future  interest  of  our  growing  country,  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
Honorable  Sir. 

"Your  obedient  servant, 
i  '  '  "Marcus  Whitman."' 


182  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

It  may  be  added  that  Whitman  was  so  thoroughly  interested  in  the  idea 
of  the  Une  of  forts  across  the  continent  that  he  wrote  another  communication 
to  tlie  Secretary  of  War  from  Waiilatpu  in  1847,  October  16th,  only  about  six 
weeks  before  his  murder,  setting  forth  with  similar  force  and  clearness  the 
wisdom  of  such  a  system. 

During  the  four  years  that  followed  the  coming  of  the  "Great  Immigration" 
the  nxission  at  Waiilatpu  was  a  center  of  light  and  help  to  the  incoming  immi- 
grations. Many  incidents  have  been  preserved  showing  the  industry,  fortitude, 
and  open-handed  philanthropy  of  the  Whitmans.  The  earlier  immigrations 
usually  stopped  at  Waiilatpu,  coming  across  the  country  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
present  location  of  Athena  or  Weston  and  down  Pine  Creek  to  the  Walla  Walla. 
The  immigrants  were  always  short  of  provisions  and  generally  had  no  money. 
To  have  a  stock  of  provisions  at  all  equal  to  emergencies  put  a  tremendous 
strain  on  Doctor  Whitman,  and  nobly  did  he  meet  the  needs.  Among  many 
instances  of  the  helping  hand  of  the  missionaries  are  two  given  in  Eells'  life 
of  Whitman,  which  we  give  as  illustrative  of  many  that  might  be  given. 

"Among  the  immigrants  of  1844  was  a  man  named  Sager,  who  had  a 
family  consisting  of  his  wife  and  seven  children,  between  the  ages  of  infancy 
and  thirteen.  The  father  died  of  typhoid  fever  on  Green  River,  and  the  mother 
sank  under  her  burdens  when  she  reached  Snake  River,  and  there  died.  The 
immigrants  cared  for  the  children  until  they  reached  Doctor  Whitman's,  but 
would  take  them  no  farther.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  took  the  strangers  in 
at  first  for  the  Winter,  but  afterward  adopted  them  and  cared  for  them  as  long 
as  they  lived. 

MRS.    PRINGLE    ON    WHITMAN. 

"Mrs.  C.  S.  Pringle,  one  of  these  children,  afterwards  gave  the  following 
account  of  this  event.  It  was  written  in  answer  to  a  charge  made  by  Mrs. 
F.  F.  Victor  that  the  Doctor  was  mercenary,  making  money  out  of  the  immi- 
grants: "In  April,  1844,  my  parents  started  for  Oregon.  Soon  after  starting 
we  were  all  camped  for  the  night,  and  the  conversation  after  awhile  turned 
upon  the  probability  of  death  before  the  end  of  the  journey  should  be  reached. 
All  told  what  they  would  wish  iheir  families  to  do  in  case  they  should  fall  by 
the  way.  My  father  said:  'Well,  if  I  should  die,  I  would  want  my  family  to 
stop  at  the  station  of  Doctor  Whitman.'  Ere  long  he  was  taken  sick  and  died, 
but  with  his  dying  breath  he  committed  his  family  to  the  care  of  Captain  Shaw, 
with  the  request  that  they  should  be  left  at  the  station  of  Doctor  Whitman. 
Twenty-six  days  after  his  death  his  wife  died.  She,  too,  requested  the  same. 
When  we  were  in  the  Blue  Mountains,  Captain  Shaw  went  ahead  to  see  about 
leaving  us  there.  The  Doctor  objected,  as  he  was  afraid  the  board  would  not 
recognize  that  as  a  part  of  his  labor.  After  a  good  deal  of  talk  he  consented 
to  have  the  children  brought,  and  he  would  see  what  could  be  done.  On  the 
17th  day  of  October  we  drove  up  to  the  station,  as  forlorn  a  looking  lot  of 
children  as  ever  was.  I  was  a  cripple,  hardly  able  to  walk,  and  the  babe  of 
six  months  was  dangerously  ill.  Mrs.  Whitman  agreed  to  take  the  five  girls, 
but  the  boys  must  go  on  (they  were  the  oldest  of  the  family).  But  the  'mer- 
cenary' Doctor  said,  'All  or  none.'     He  made  arrangements  to  keep  the  seven 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         v  183' 

until  Spring,  and  then  if  we  did  not  like  to  stay,  and  he  did  not  want  to  keep 
us,  he  would  send  us  below.  An  article  of  agreement  was  drawn  up  in  writing 
between  him  and  Captain  Shaw,  but  not  one  word  of  money  or  pay  was  in  it. 
I  had  it  in  my  possession  for  years  after  I  came  to  the  (Willamette)  Valley, 
having  received  it  from  Captain  Shaw.  Before  Captain  Shaw  reached  The 
Dalles  he  was  overtaken  by  Doctor  Whitman,  who  announced  his  intention  of 
adopting  the  seven,  on  his  own  responsibiHty,  asking  nothing  of  the  Board  for 
maintenance.  The  next  Summer  he  went  to  Oregon  City  and  legally  became 
our  guardian,  and  the  action  is  on  the  records  of  Clackamas  County.  Having 
done  this,  he  further  showed  his  'mercenary'  nature  by  disposing  of  our  father's 
estate  in  such  a  way  that  he  could  not  reahze  a  cent  from  it.  He  exchanged 
the  oxen  and  old  cows  for  young  cows,  and  turned  them  over  to  the  two  boys 
to  manage  until  they  could  grow  to  manhood;  besides  this,  he  gave  them  each 
a  horse  and  saddle,  which,  of  course,  came  out  of  his  salary,  as  we  were  not 
mission  children,  as  were  the  three  half-breeds  that  were  in  the  family.  After 
doing  all  this  he  allowed  the  boys  opportunities  to  accumulate  stock  by  work 
or  trade.  Often  he  has  said  to  us,  'You  must  all  learn  to  work,  for  father  is 
poor  and  can  give  you  nothing  but  an  education.  This  I  intend  to  do  to  the 
best  of  my  ability.' 

"Another  incident  with  an  immigrant  is  here  related,  given  almost  in  the 
words  of  the  narrator,  Joseph  Smith,  who  came  to  the  country  in  1846.  He 
says :  I  was  mighty  sick  crossing  the  Blues,  and  was  so  weak  from  eating 
blue  mass  that  they  had  to  haul  me  in  the  wagon  till  we  got  to  Doctor  Whit- 
man's place  on  the  Walla  Walla  River.  Then  mother  Whitman  came  and 
raised  the  wagon  cover  and  says,  'What  is  the  matter  with  you,  my  brother?' 
'I  am  sick,  and  I  don't  want  to  be  pestered  much,  either.'  'But,  but,  my  young 
friend,  my  husband  is  a  doctor,  and  can  probably  cure  your  ailment ;  I'll  go  and 
call  him.'  So  off  she  clattered,  and  purty  soon  Doc  came,  and  they  packed  me 
in  the  cabin,  and  soon  he  had  me  on  my  feet  again.  I  eat  up  a  whole  band  of 
cattle  for  him,  as  I  had  to  winter  with  him.  I  told  him  I'd  like  to  work  for 
him,  to  kinder  pay  part  of  my  bill.  Wall,  Doc,  set  me  to  making  rails,  but  I 
only  made  two  hundred  before  Spring,  and  I  got  to  worrj'in'  'cause  I  hadn't 
only  fifty  dollars  and  a  saddle  horse,  and  I  reckoned  I  owed  the  Doctor  four 
or  five  hundred  dollars  for  my  life.  Now,  maybe  I  wasn't  knocked  out  when 
I  went  and  told  the  Doctor  I  wanted  to  go  on  to  Webfoot,  and  asked  him  how 
we  stood;  and  the  Doctor  p'inted  to  a  cayuse  pony,  and  says,  'Money  I  have 
not,  but  you  can  take  that  horse  and  call  it  even,  if  you  will.'  " 

It  is  worth  noticing  that,  though  Mr.  Smith  says  "Mother"  Whitman,  she 
was  only  thirty-eight  at  the  time. 

But  at  that  time,  the  very  year  of  the  final  consummation  of  the  great 
work  of  Whitman,  the  treaty  of  1846,  giving  Oregon  up  to  lat.  49°  to  the 
United  States,  a  consummation  which  must  have  made  the  brave  hearts  of  the 
heroic  pair  thrill  with  joy  and  gratitude,  the  shadow  was  approaching,  the  end 
was  near.  The  crown  of  heroism  and  service  must  be  still  further  crowned 
with  martyrdom. 

Ever  since  the  death  of  little  Alice,  the  Indians  at  Waiilatpu  had  seemed 
to  lose  in  growing  measure  the  personal  interest  which  they  had  manifested. 


184  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

With  the  coming  of  constantly  growing  immigrations  and  the  apparent  eager- 
ness of  the  Whites  to  secure  land,  the  natives  felt  increasing  suspicion. 

The  more  thoughtful  of  them,  especially  those  who  had  been  in  the  "States" 
and  had  seen  the  countless  numbers  of  the  "palefaces,"  began  to  see  that  it 
was  only  a  question  of  time  when  they  would  be  entirely  dispossessed.  Again, 
the  unavoidable  policies  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  were  hostile  to  the 
American  settler.  While  individually  the  ofificers  of  the  Company  were  as 
kind  and  courteous  to  the  missionaries  as  men  well  could  be,  and  were  helpful 
to  them  in  their  religious  labors,  it  was  a  different  matter  when  it  came  to 
settlers  swarming  into  the  country  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes  at  the  head  of 
wagon  trains  and  with  the  implements  of  husbandry  in  their  hands.  The  Indians 
were  predisposed,  for  many  reasons,  to  side  with  the  Company.  With  it  they 
did  their  trading.  It  maintained  the  wild  conditions  of  the  country.  The 
French-Canadian  voyageurs  and  coureurs  des  bois  were  much  kinder  and  more 
considerate  of  the  Indians  than  the  Americans,  and  intermarried  with  them. 
Besides  those  general  causes  of  hostility  to  the  Americans,  there  were  certain 
specific  events  during  that  period  of  doubt  and  suspicion  which  brought  affairs 
to  a  focus  and  precipitated  the  Whitman  Massacre.  Some  have  believed  that 
the  murder  of  "Elijah"  (as  the  Whites  called  him),  the  son  of  Peupeumoxmox, 
the  chief  of  the  Walla  Wallas,  apparently  a  fine,  manly  young  Indian,  was  a 
strong  contributory  cause.  The  young  brave  had  gone  to  California  in  1844, 
and  while  near  Sutter's  Fort  had  become  involved  in  a  dispute  with  some  white 
settlers  and  had  been  brutally  murdered.  The  old  chief,  Peupeumoxmox,  had 
brooded  over  this  dastardly  deed  and  though  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  had 
any  part  in  the  Massacre  there  was  deep  resentment  among  the  Indians  of  the 
Walla  Walla  Valley  and  no  doubt  many  of  them  were  in  the  mood  to  apply  the 
in  his  medicine  chest,  two  Indians  who  seem  to  have  been  leaders  in  the  plot 
usual  Indian  rule  that  a  life  lost  demanded  a  life  in  payment.  Apparently  the 
most  immediate  influence  leading  to  the  Massacre  was  due  to  an  epidemic  of 
measles  which  swept  the  valley  in  1847.  Doctor  Whitman  was  indefatigable  iri 
ministering  to  the  sick,  but  many  died.  The  impression  became  prevalent  among 
the  Indians  that  they  were  the  victims  of  poison.  This  idea  was  nurtured  in 
their  minds  by  several  renegade  Indians  and  half-breeds,  of  whom  Lehai,  Tom 
Hill,  and  Jo  Lewis  were  most  prominent. 

Seeing  the  gathering  of  clouds  about  the  mission  and  the  many  warning 
indications.  Doctor  Whitman  had  taken  up  the  project  of  leaving  Walla  Walla 
and  going  to  The  Dalles,  a  point  where  he  had  in  fact  at  first  wished  to  locate, 
but  had  been  dissuaded  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  officials. 

THE    WHITMAN    MASSACRE 

The  story  of  the  Massacre  has  been  many  times  told  and  may  be  found  in 
many  forms.  We  can  but  briefly  sketch  its  leading  events.  Mr.  Spalding  of 
Lapwai  was  temporarily  at  Waiilatpu  and  on  November  27,  1847,  he  and  Doctor 
Whitman  went  to  the  Umatilla  in  response  to  a  request  for  medical  attention. 
Feeling  uneasy  about  affairs  at  home,  Doctor  Whitman  returned  the  next  day, 
reaching  Waiilatpu  late  at  night.    On  the  day  following,  the  29th,  while  engaged 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  185 

approached  him  and  while  one,  Tilaukait,  drew  his  attention  by  talking,  the 
other,  Tamahas,  struck  him  with  a  tomahawk.  He  fell  senseless,  though  not 
yet  dead.  Jo  Lewis  seems  to  have  directed  the  further  execution  of  the  cruel 
conspiracy  and  soon  Mrs.  Whitman,  shot  in  the  breast,  fell  to  the  floor,  though 
not  dying  for  some  time.  She  was  the  only  woman  slain.  There  were  in  all, 
fourteen  victims  of  their  dreadful  attack.  Several  escaped,  Mr.  Spalding,  who 
was  on  his  way  back  from  the  Umatilla,  being  one  of  them.  After  several  days 
and  nights  of  harrowing  suffering  he  reached  Lapwai.  There  were  forty-six 
survivors  of  the  Massacre,  nearly  all  women  and  children.  It  is  generally 
supposed  that  they  were  subjected  to  cruelty  and  outrage  worse  than  death, 
though  some  of  the  survivors  deny  this.  They  were  ransomed  by  Peter 
Skeen  Ogden  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  transported  to  the  Wil- 
lamette Valley.  The  full  story  of  the  war  which  follows  belongs  in  the  Chapter 
on  Indian  Wars.  So  ended  in  darkness,  but  not  in  shame,  the  mission  at 
Waiilatpu.  The  peaceful  spot  six  miles  west  of  Walla  Walla,  in  the  midst  of 
the  fair  and  fruitful  valley,  is  marked  with  a  granite  monument  on  the  summit 
of  the  hill  and  a  grave  at  the  foot.  There  the  dust  of  the  martyrs  rests  in  a 
plain  marble  crypt  upon  the  surface  of  which  appear  their  names.  It  is  indeed 
one  of  the  most  sacred  spots  in  the  Northwest,  suggestive  of  patriotism,  devo- 
tion, self-sacrifice,  suffering,  sorrow,  tragedy,  and  final  triumph.  In  November, 
1916,  the  remains  of  W.  H.  Gray  and  Mary  Dix  Gray,  his  wife,  were  removed 
from  Astoria  and  placed  by  the  side  of  the  grave  at  Waiilatpu.  As  associates 
from  the  first,  of  the  Whitmans,  and  engaged  in  the  same  arduous  struggle  for 
the  establishment  of  civilized  and  Christian  institutions  in  this  beautiful  wild- 
erness, they  are  fittingly  joined  with  them  in  their  final  resting  place. 

By  reason  of  priority  in  time  as  well  as  its  connection  with  immigration  and 
public  affairs,  and  also  its  tragic  end,  and  perhaps  too  the  controversies  that 
have  arisen  in  connection  with  it,  the  Whitman  Mission  has  secured  a  place  in 
history  far  more  prominent  than  that  of  any  other,  either  east  or  west  of  the 
Cascade  Mountains.  But  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  within  a  short  time 
after  the  incoming  of  white  settlers,  all  the  leading  churches  sent  missionaries 
into  the  Northwest  both  for  the  Indians  and  whites.  Next  in  point  of  time 
after  the  Methodist  missions  of  the  Willamette  Valley  and  the  Presbyterian 
and  Congregationalist  missions  of  the  upper  Columbia  and  Snake  Rivers,  came 
the  Catholic.  It  should  be  understood  that  in  speaking  of  that  church  as  third 
in  time  we  speak  of  the  era  of  the  beginnings  of  settlement.  For  it  should  be 
remembered  that  there  had  been  visiting  Catholic  priests  among  the  Hudson's 
Bay  posts  long  prior  to  the  coming  of  Jason  Lee,  the  first  of  the  Protestants. 
The  French-Canadians  were  almost  universally  of  Catholic  rearing,  and  the 
officers  of  the  company  encouraged  the  maintenance  of  religious  worship  and 
instruction  according  to  the  customary  methods.  There  were  not,  however,  any 
regular  permanent  Catholic  missions  until  a  little  after  the  Protestant  missions 
already  described. 

The  inauguration  of  regular  mission  work  by  the  Catholic  Church  grew 
out  of  the  establishment  of  a  settlement  at  Chanipoeg  on  the  Willamette  by 
Doctor  McLoughlin  during  the  years  from  1828  on.  Quite  a  little  group  of  re- 
tired Hudson's  Bay  Company  men,   French-Canadians   with   Indian   wives   and 


186  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

half-breed  children,  had  become  located  on  the  fertile  tract  still  known  as  French 
Prairie.  So  well  had  the  settlement  thrived  that  in  1834,  the  year  of  the  arrival 
of  Jason  Lee  in  the  same  neighborhood,  an  application  was  made  to  Doctor 
Provencher,  vicar  apostolic  of  Hudson  Bay,  to  send  a  clergyman  to  that  point. 
A  church  was  built  in  1836,  the  first  church  building  in  Oregon.  Not  till  1837 
could  the  request  for  a  visit  from  a  minister  to  Oregon  be  fulfilled.  In  that 
year,  Rev.  Modeste  Demers  went  to  the  Red  River,  and  the  following  year,  in 
■company  with  Rev.  Francis  N.  Blanchet,  resumed  the  journey  to  Oregon. 

In  the  progress  of  their  journey  they  stopped  at  Walla  Walla  for  a  day. 
Reaching  Vancouver  on  November  24,  1838,  they  entered  with  zeal  and  devo- 
tion upon  their  task  of  ministering  to  both  whites  and  Indians.  Remaining  at 
Vancouver  till  January,  1839,  Father  Blanchet  started  on  a  regular  course  of 
visitations,  going  first  to  the  settlement  on  the  Willamette  where  there  were 
twenty-six  Catholic  families  and  where  the  people  had  already  constructed  a 
•chapel.  Next  he  visited  Cowlitz  Prairie,  where  there  were  four  families.  These 
stations  were  of  course  outside  of  the  scope  of  the  present  work,  but  reference 
to  them  indicates  the  time  and  place  and  manner  of  starting  the  great  series  of 
Catholic  missions  which  soon  became  extended  all  over  Oregon. 

While  Father  Blanchet  was  at  Cowlitz,  his  fellow  worker,  Demers,  estab- 
lished mission  work  at  Fort  Nisqually.  In  the  Summer  of  1839  he  made  an  ex- 
tended tour  of  the  upper  Columbia  region.  In  the  course  of  this  he  visited 
Walla  Walla,  Okanogan,  and  Colville,  starting  work  among  the  Indians  by 
baptizing  their  children.  From  that  time  on  Father  Demers  or  some  one  of 
the  Jesuit  priests  made  annual  visits  to  those  stations  adding  children  by  bap- 
tism each  year. 

In  the  meantime  another  of  the  most  important  of  the  Catholic  mission- 
aries, and  the  one  to  whom  the  world  is  indebted  for  one  of  the  best  histories 
of  Oregon  missions,  was  on  his  way.  This  was  Rev.  Father  Pierre  J.  De  Smet. 
In  March,  1840,  he  set  out  for  Oregon  from  the  St.  Joseph  Mission  at  Council 
Bluffs,  journeying  by  the  Platte  River  route.  On  June  25th  he  reached  Green 
River,  long  known  as  a  rendezvous  of  the  fur  traders. 

There  he  held  Mass  for  the  trappers  and  Indians.  Referring  to  this  in  a 
subsequent  letter  he  writes  thus:  "On  Sunday  the  fifth  of  July,  I  had  the  con- 
solation of  celebrating  the  Holy  Sacrifice  sub  dio.  The  altar  was  placed  on  an 
elevation,  and  surrounded  with  boughs  and  garlands  of  flowers;  I  addressed 
the  congregation  in  French  and  in  English  and  spoke  also  by  an  interpreter  to 
the  Flatheads  and  Snake  Indians.  It  was  a  spectacle  truly  moving  for  the  heart 
of  a  missionary  to  behold  an  assembly  composed  of  so  many  dififerent  nations 
who  all  assisted  at  our  holy  mysteries  with  great  satisfaction.  The  Canadians 
sang  hymns  in  French  and  Latin,  and  the  Indians  in  their  native  tongue.  It 
-was  truly  a  Catholic  worship.  The  place  has  been  called  since  that  time,  by  the 
French-Canadians,  la  prairie  de  la  Messe." 

After  a  week  at  the  Green  River  rendezous,  Father  De  Smet  with  his  Indian 
guides  resumed  the  journey  westward  by  way  of  the  Three  Tetons  to  the 
upper  waters  of  Snake  River.  While  at  Henry  Lake  he  climbed  a  lofty  peak 
from  which  he  could  see  in  both  directions  and  while  there  he  carved  on  a  stone 
the  words:  "Sancttts  Igiwtitts,  Patronus  Montium,  Die  Julii  23,   1840." 


CATHOLIC    MISSION    ESTABLISHED    IN    1851 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  187 

That  was  as  far  west  as  Father  De  Smet  went  at  that  time.  After  two 
months  among  the  Flatheads  about  the  head  of  Snake  River  he  returned  to  St. 
Louis  in  the  last  part  of  the  year.  One  point  of  interest  in  connection  with  this 
return,  as  showing  the  disposition  of  the  Indians  to  seek  religious  instruction, 
is  that  a  certain  Flathead  chief  named  Insula  who  accompanied  Father  De  Smet 
to  St.  Louis,  had  gone  to  Green  River  in  1835  to  meet  missionaries.  It  is  stated 
by  Rev.  Father  E.  V.  O'Hara  in  his  valuable  "Catholic  History  of  Oregon" 
that  Insula  was  much  disappointed  to  find  not  the  "blackgowns"  as  he  had  ex- 
pected, but  Doctor  Whitman  and  Doctor  Parker  on  their  reconnaissance.  It  is 
probably  impossible  to  determine  just  what  distinction  between  different  de- 
nominations of  Christians  may  have  existed  in  the  Indian  mind,  but  it  may  be 
recalled  that  Whitman  and  Parker,  while  at  Green  River,  deemed  the  outlook 
so  encouraging  that  they  decided  that  Whitman  should  return  to  the  States  for 
reinforcements,  while  Parker  went  on  with  the  Indians  and  made  an  extensive 
exploration  of  the  entire  Oregon  country. 

Father  De  Smet  returned  to  the  Flathead  mission  in  1841  and  in  1842  pro- 
ceeded to  Vancouver  by  way  of  the  Spokane.  In  the  course  of  the  journey  he 
visited  all  the  principal  Indian  tribes  in  the  Kootenai,  Pend  Oreille,  Coeur 
d'Alene,  Spokane  and  Walla  Walla  countries.  Returning  to  the  east  after 
twenty-five  months  of  missionary  service  in  Oregon  and  then  spending  some 
time  in  Europe,  he  returned  with  quite  a  reinforcement  in  the  ship  LTnfatigable 
in  1844  The  ship  was  nearly  wrecked  on  the  Columbia  River  bar,  and  of  the 
experience  De  Smet  gives  a  peculiarly  vivid  description.  He  deemed  the  final 
safe  entrance  due  to  special  interposition  of  Divine  Providence  on  account  of 
the  day,  July  31st,  being  sacred  to  St.  Ignatius. 

Father  De  Smet  was  a  vivid  and  interesting  writer  and  a  zealous  mission- 
ary. He  greatly  overestimated  the  number  of  Indians  in  Oregon,  placing  them 
at  a  hundred  and  ten  thousand  and  in  equal  ratio  estimated  the  converts  at 
numbers  hardly  possible  except  by  the  most  sweeping  estimates. 

The  Catholic  missions  were  gradually  extended  until  they  covered  points 
in  the  entire  Northwest.  The  Bishop  of  Oregon  was  Rev.  Francis  N.  Blanchet 
who  was  located  near  Salem.  In  1845  and  1846  he  made  an  extensive  tour 
in  Canada  and  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  securing  reinforcements.  As  a  result 
of  his  journey  and  the  action  of  the  Holy  See  the  Vicariate  was  erected  into 
an  Ecclesiastical  Province  with  the  three  sees  of  Oregon  City,  Walla  Walla, 
and  Vancouver  Island.  Rev.  A.  M.  A.  Blanchet  was  appointed  Bishop  of  Walla 
Walla,  and  Father  Demers  Bishop  of  Vancouver  Island,  while  Bishop  F.  N. 
Blanchet  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  Archbishop  of  Oregon  City. 

Bishop  A.  M.  A.  Blanchet  reached  Fort  Walla  Walla  on  September  5,  1847, 
having  come  with  a  wagon  train  by  the  usual  emigrant  road  from  St.  Louis. 
This  might  be  regarded  as  the  regular  establishment  of  Catholic  missions  in 
Walla  Walla.  The  Bishop  was  accompanied  to  Walla  Walla  by  four  Oblate 
Fathers  of  Marseilles  and  Father  J.  B.  A.  Brouillet  as  Vicar  General,  and  also 
by  Father  Rousseau  and  William  Leclaire,  Deacon.  Bishop  Blanchet  located 
among  the  Umatilla  Indians  at  the  home  of  Five  Crows.  The  mission  was  fairly 
established  only  a  few  days  prior  to  the  Whitman  Massacre.  Bishop  Blanchet 
went  to  Oregon  City  after  the  massacre  and  by  reason  of  the  Indian  war  he 


188  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

found  it  impossible  to  return  to  Walla  Walla.  He  established  St.  Peter's  Mis- 
sion at  The  Dalles,  and  there  he  remained  till  September,  1850.  During  that 
year  there  came  instructions  from  Rome  to  transfer  the  Bishop  of  Walla  Walla, 
to  the  newly  established  diocese  of  Nisqually.  The  diocese  of  Walla  Walla- 
was  suppressed  and  its  administration  merged  with  that  of  Colville  and  Fort 
Hall  in  the  control  of  the  Archbishop  of  Oregon  City. 

While  in  this  view  of  missionary  history  and  its  connections  we  have 
been  covering  the  broad  scope  of  Old  Oregon,  which  included  the  entire  North- 
west, we  do  not  forget  that  our  theme  is  especially  the  Yakima  Valley. 

It  seems  that  neither  the  earliest  explorers,  fur  traders,  nor  mission- 
aries became  so  familiar  with  Yakima  as  with  Walla  Walla,  Spokane,  or  the 
Snake  River.  The  reason  is  obvious.  While  the  Yakima  was  unsurpassed  by 
any  of  them  in  potential  resources  and  in  the  vigor  and  number  of  native  tribes, 
Yakima  was  ofT  the  main  routes  of  travel.  The  Snake  and  Columbia  were  the 
great  natural  arteries  of  travel,  and  the  primary  aim  of  all  incomers  was  to 
reach  the  seaboard.  The  maps  of  Lewis  and  Clark  show  that  they  obtained 
from  the  Indians  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tapteal  (Yakima)  and  on  the  Columbia 
adjoining,  a  remarkably  intelligent  conception  of  the  rivers  and  mountains. 
They  learned  of  the  towering  heights  of  the  Cascades  and  of  course  followed, 
the  Great  River  to  the  ocean.  The  trappers  did  the  same.  Yet  it  appears  from. 
the  narratives  of  Alexander  Ross  and  other  of  the  first  trappers  that  there  were 
frequent  and  regular  visits  to  Yakima  in  search  of  furs  or  horses.  The  same 
was  doubtless  true  of  the  early  missionaries 

Apparently  the  Catholic  missionaries  were  first  in  the  field  in  the  Yakima 
Valley.  There  seems  to  be  a  little  uncertainty  about  the  first  locations.. 
Reverend  Father  O'Hara  in  his  "Catholic  History  of  Oregon,"  refers  to  Father 
D'Herbomez  as  having  established  the  Yakima  mission  "with  his  indefatigable- 
brethren  of  the  Oblates  in  the  year  1847,"  and  maintaining  it  till  the  Indian 
war  of  1855  forced  him  to  retire.  It  appears  from  Theodore  Winthrop  in 
"Canoe  and  Saddle,"  from  which  we  shall  give  an  extract,  that  Fathers 
D'Herbomez  and  Pandosy  were  located  on  the  "Atinam"  (Ahtanum)  and  that 
they  had  been  among  the  different  tribes  of  the  Yakimas  some  five  years." 
Winthrop's  journey  was  in  1853.  The  mission  of  the  Ahtanum  became  known? 
later  as  the  St.  Joseph  Mission,  but  it  appears  that  the  mission  of  that  name 
was  first  located  near  the  present  town  of  Wapato,  but  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Yakima  River,  near  the  present  residence  of  W.  P.  Sawyer.  To  the  Indians 
the  spot  was  known  as  Aleshecas.  This  mission  was  located  in  1849  by  Father 
Pandosy  and  Brother  Blanchet.  It  appears  that  there  was  also  an  auxiliary 
mission  in  the  Moxee.  On  account  of  threats  against  the  mission  by  some  of 
the  Indians  Owhi,  the  chief,  took  Father  Pandosy  with  him  to  Selah  and  some- 
times to  Manashtash.  Father  Chirouse  in  the  meantime  spent  the  Winter  of 
1849  with  Brother  Blanchet  at  Aleshecas.  In  the  next  year,  however,  Kamiakin 
took  him  under  his  protection. 

Mr.  Splawn  states  also  that  a  log  house  was  built  for  Father  Pandosy  on- 
Naneum  Creek  in  1850.  In  1852  the  mission  at  Aleshecas  was  abandoned  and 
that  near  the  present  Tampico  became  the  St.  Joseph  Mission.  During  the  war 
of  1855  the  soldiers  under  Major  Rains  of  the  Regulars  and  Colonel  Nesmith; 


OLDEST  CABIN  NOW  STANDING  IN  YAKIMA  VALLEY 
Built  liy  J.  P.  Mattoon  in   1864,   mm   iiuiuM    liy  Win.   V.  Sauyei 


;mki;  iKiMi:  ok  w.  r.  sa\v\ 


PRESENT  HOME  OF  W.  P.  SAWYER 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  189 

■of  the  Volunteers  finding  the  mission  house  on  the  Ahtanum  deserted  and  a 
keg  of  powder  secreted,  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Fathers  were  aiding 
the  Indians,  and  accordingly  the  mission  was  burned.  Such  was  the  end  of 
the  first  mission  on  the  Ahtanum. 

Mr.  Splawn  understands  from  the  records  of  Father  A.  M.  A.  Blanchet 
that  the  first  mission  in  Yakima  was  the  St.  Rose  Mission  and  that  it  was  estab- 
lished in  1847  at  "Simkoe."  Another  authority  is  quoted  by  Mr.  Splawn  (His- 
toricus,  in  Gonzaga  Magazine,  1914)  as  asserting  that  the  St.  Rose  Mission 
was  estabhshed  at  Chemna  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima  River. 

From  Winthrop's  narrative  we  find  that  Father  Pandosy  was  on  the  Ahtanum 
in  1853  and  had  been  among  the  different  tribes  of  the  Yakimas  for  some  five 
years.  He  states  that  the  priests  told  him  that  they  spent  the  summers  in  the 
Ahtanum  "when  the  copper-colored  lambs  of  their  flock  were  in  the  mountains, 
plucking  berries  in  the  dells,  catching  crickets  on  the  slopes.  In  Winter  they 
resided  at  a  station  on  the  Yakimah  eastward."  Doubtless  it  was  the  Aleshecas 
Mission  referred  to  as  eastward.  It  appears  from  evidence  given  .in  the 
United  States  courts  in  the  subsequent  suit  over  the  mission  claim  at  Tampico 
that  that  mission  was  established  in  1852.  From  this  it  would  seem  authorita- 
tive that  the  Tampico  Mission  was  established  in  1852,  and  that  the  St.  Rose 
Mission  of  1847,  whether  at  Chemna  or  Simkoe,  was  the  earliest  mission.  As 
quoted  by  Mr.  Splawn  the  founding  of  that  mission  is  attributed  to  Fathers 
Paschal  Ricard  and  E.  C.  Chirouse. 

It  appears  from  the  statements  of  Mr.  David  Longmire  that  there  was  a 
priest  located  at  Selah  in  1853  at  what  is  now  the  George  Hall  place. 

ST.   JOSEPH    MISSION   BURNED 

The  effect  of  the  war  of  1855-6  and  the  burning  of  the  buildings  of  the  St. 
Joseph  Mission  was  the  suspension  of  the  Catholic  missions  for  a  number  of 
jears.  Fathers  Pandosy,  Chirouse,  and  D'Herbomez  spent  the  year  following 
in  Fort  Simcoe  and  among  the  Wenatchee,  Okanogan,  and  Spokane  tribes,  and 
no  one  of  them  returned  to  Yakima.  In  1867-68  Fathers  St.  Onge  and  Boulet 
undertook  the  reestablishment  of  the  mission  on  the  Ahtanum.  Buildings  were 
completed  in  1870  and  in  the  year  following  on  July  15th,  dedicatory  services 
were  conducted  by  Bishop  A.  M.  A.  Blanchet.  In  1870  one  of  the  most  not- 
able of  the  Catholic  missionaries  located  at  Ahtanum.  This  was  Father  Car- 
uana.  Two  years  later  came  Father  Grassi.  These  two  men  were  typical  Jesuit 
missionaries,  patient,  zealous,  and  indefatigable.  They  served  alternately  in 
some  degree,  each  being  assigned  part  of  the  time  to  the  Ahtanum  Mission  and 
part  to  the  St.  Regis  Mission  at  Kettle  Falls.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  in 
1872  these  Fathers  set  out  an  apple  orchard  on  the  Tampico  place,  which  is  now 
on  the  A.  D.  Eglin  ranch.  In  1883  Father  Grassi  established  Gonzaga  College 
at  Spokane.  Although  Father  Caruana  was  especially  assigned  to  the  work 
among  the  Indians,  he,  like  the  missionaries  of  all  the  denominations,  had  recog- 
nized the  fact  that  the  churches  must  look  to  the  white  population  for  their 
main  source  of  upbuilding.  As  there  came  to  be  some  gathering  of  population 
at  Yakima  City  in  the  early  seventies  Father  Caruana  undertook  the  founding 
of  both  a  church  and  a  school.     This  school  was  the  beginning  of  St.  Joseph's 


190  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Academy  for  Girls,  moved  from  the  old  town  to  North  Yakima  and  now  a 
flourishing  institution  with  fine  buildings  and  an  attendance  of  three  hundred 
pupils.     Father  Jean  Baptiste  Raiberti  was  first  chaplain  of  this  school. 

The  close  of  the  life  of  Father  Caruana  has  an  element  of  pathos.  He 
had  reached  a  great  age,  and  after  various  changes  of  location,  always  keeping 
up  his  mission  work,  in  1896  he  went  to  Coeur  d'Alene,  where  he  lived  in  re- 
tirement through  his  declining  years.  In  1913  he  was  urged  to  attend  the  semi- 
centennial of  the  beginning  of  his  mission  work  in  Spokane.  The  exertion  was 
beyond  his  feeble  strength  and  two  days  after  his  return  to  Coeur  d'Alene  he 
passed  away,  revered  by  both  whites  and  reds.  He  had  been  a  missionary  to 
the  Indians  for  fifty-one  years. 

With  the  administration  of  President  Grant  in  1869,  a  new  system  of  mis- 
sions on  Indian  reservations  came  into  existence.  This  was  the  assignment  of 
the  spiritual  oversight  of  the  natives  to  different  churches. 

In  pursuance  of  this  policy,  inaugurated  and  announced  to  Congress  in 
1870,  the  Indians  of  the  Yakima  Reservation  were  assigned  in  that  year  to  the 
Methodists.  This  action  was  disastrous  to  the  Catholic  missions  in  Yakima, 
and  within  a  few  years  they  were  practically  disbanded.  As  may  be  seen  from 
Father  O'Hara's  book  on  the  "Catholic  History  of  Oregon,"  the  Catholic 
Church  felt  that  it  was  unjustly  treated  in  the  application  of  this  policy.  It  is 
asserted  that  they  had  no  proper  representation  on  the  Commission  of  Indian 
Affairs.  Father  De  Smet  asserted  in  a  letter  of  March  11,  1871,  that,  having 
been  invited  to  attend  a  meeting  of  various  church  people  in  Washington  City 
to  consider  assignments,  he  found  himself  the  only  Catholic  in  the  conference 
and  practically  powerless  to  secure  any  consideration  for  his  church.  Never- 
theless the  order  was  made  that  the  Catholics  should  be  allowed  to  build  chapels 
on  the  Yakima  Reservation.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  both  Methodists 
and  Catholics  among  the  Reservation  Indians,  though  the  author  has  been  re- 
cently informed  by  those  familiar  with  afifairs  on  the  Reservation  that  the 
Indians  are  not  inclined  to  adhere  to  any  Christian  Church,  the  dissensions  in 
the  various  denominations  and  their  own  unhappy  experiences  with  many  of 
the  so-called  Christian  race  having  weakened  their  faith  in  all  churches. 

In  connection  with  this  stage  of  the  history  we  come  in  contact  with  one 
of  the  dominant  figures  of  Yakima  history,  James  H.  Wilbur.  His  history 
properly  belongs  to  that  of  the  Reservation  and  we  shall  have  much  more  to  say 
of  him  later.  But  he  is  fitly  mentioned  in  connection  with  mission  work. 
He  was  a  leading  man  among  the  first  Methodist  ministers  and  missionaries 
in  Oregon,  a  man  of  extraordinary  power  both  of  body  and  spirit.  He  was  a 
true  representative  of  the  Church  Militant  and  the  Church  Triumphant,  and 
in  case  of  any  failure  of  spiritual  forces  he  could  wield  those  of  the  physical 
arm  v;ith  an  energy  which  made  him  a  terror  to  evil  doers.  He  became  Super- 
intendent of  Schools  on  the  Reservation  in  1860  and  in  1864  was  appointed 
Indian  agent.  In  both  capacities  he  was  an  earnest  missionary  to  the  Indians. 
With  the  introduction  of  Grant's  policy  in  1870,  Mr.  Wilbur  became  able  to  use 
both  official  and  moral  agencies  for  the  promotion  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
And  he  was  a  genuine  frontier  Methodist  of  the  powerful  type.  His  power  was 
great  and  his  influence  unbounded.  He  was  agent  twenty  years  and  during 
that  time  exercised  a  force  among  both  races  such  as  few  men  in  the  North- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        ,  191 

west  ever  did.  Honored,  loved,  respected  by  all,  and  feared  by  some,  Father 
Wilbur  was  truly  one  of  the  great  men  of  the  Northwest.  He  passed  away  in 
Walla  Walla  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven.  With  the  decade  of  the 
seventies  it  may  be  said  that  the  missionary  era  ended,  and  we  shall  be  ready 
to  take  up  that  of  the  immigrants. 

As  a  final  view  of  the  early  days  of  the  Yakima  missions  we  will  close 
this  chapter  with  the  promised  extract  from  Winthrop's  fascinating  volume, 
"Canoe  and  Saddle." 

It  will  be  recalled  that  Winthrop,  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Army, 
later  losing  his  life  in  the  Civil  War,  a  soldier,  traveler,  poet,  and  all-round  hero, 
made  a  solitary  journey  in  1853  from  Puget  Sound  to  The  Dalles  by  way  of 
the  Naches  Pass  and  the  River.  He  had  stopped  on  the  Wenas  to  interview  the 
McClelland  party  of  railroad  engineers,  and  had  then  gone  on  toward  "Le  Play 
House,"  as  the  Indians  called  it,  the  St.  Joseph  Mission. 

This  is  his  narrative  of  the  approach  to  the  Ahtanum : — "We  had  long  ago 
splashed  across  the  Nachchese.  The  sun,  nearing  the  western  hills,  made 
every  opening  valley  now  a  brilliant  vista.  The  rattlesnake  had  died  just  on  the 
edge  of  the  Atinam  ridges,  and  Kpawintz  was  still  brandishing  his  yellow  and 
black  prey,  and  snapping  the  rattle  about  the  flanks  of  his  wincing  roan,  when 
Uplintz  called  me  to  look  with  him  up  into  the  streaming  sunshine,  and  see  Le 
Play  House. 

"A  strange  and  unlovely  spot  for  religion  to  have  chosen  for  its  home 
influence.  It  needed  all  the  transfiguring  power  of  sunset  to  make  this  desolate 
scene  endurable.  Even  sunset,  lengthening  the  shadow  of  every  blade  of  grass, 
could  not  create  a  mirage  of  verdant  meadow  there,  nor  stretch  scrubby  cotton- 
wood  trees  to  be  worthy  of  their  exaggerated  shade.  No  region  this  where  a 
Friar  Tuck  would  choose  to  rove,  solacing  his  eremite  days  with  greenwood 
pleasures.  Only  ardent  hermits  would  banish  themselves  to  such  a  hermitage. 
The  missionary  spirit,  or  the  military  religious  discipline,  must  be  very  positive, 
which  sends  men  to  such  unattractive  heathen  as  these,  to  a  field  of  labor  far 
away  from  any  contact  with  civilization,  and  where  no  exalting  result  of  con- 
verted multitudes  can  be  hoped. 

"The  mission  was  a  hut-like  structure  of  adobe  clay,  plastered  upon  a 
frame  of  sticks.  It  stood  near  the  stony  bed  of  the  Atinam.  The  sun  was  just 
setting  as  we  came  over  against  it,  on  the  hill-side.  We  dashed  down  into  the 
valley,  that  moment  abandoned  by  sunlight.  My  Indians  launched  forward 
to  pay  their  friendly  greeting  to  the  priests.  But  I  observed  them  quickly 
pause,  walk  their  horses,  and  noiselessly  dismount. 

"As  I  drew  near,  a  sound  of  reverent  voices  met  me, — vespers  at  this  sta- 
tion in  the  wilderness.  Three  souls  were  worshipping  in  the  rude  chapel  at- 
tached to  the  house.  It  was  rude  indeed, — a  cell  of  clay, — but  a  sense  of  the 
Divine  Presence  was  there,  not  less  than  in  many  dim  old  cathedrals,  far  away, 
where  earlier  sunset  had  called  worshippers  of  other  race  and  tongue  to  breathe 
the  same  thanksgiving  and  the  same  heartfelt  prayer.  No  pageantry  of  ritual 
such  as  I  had  often  witnessed  in  ancient  fanes  of  the  same  faith;  when  in- 
cense filled  the  air  and  made  it  breathe  upon  the  finer  senses ;  when  from  the 
organ  tones,  large,  majestical,  triumphant,  subduing,  made  my  being  thrill  as 
if  music  were  the  breath  of  a  new  life  more  ardent  and  exalting;  when  inward 


192  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

to  join  the  throngs  that  knelt  there  solemnly,  inward  to  the  sanctuary  where 
their  fathers'  fathers  had  knelt  and  prayed  the  ancestral  prayers  of  mankind  for 
light  and  braver  hope  and  calmer  energy ;  inward  with  the  rich  mists  of  sunset 
flung  back 'from  dusky-'^walls  of' tinre-g-lorified  marble  palaces,  came  the  fair 
and  the  mean,  the  desolate  and  the  exultant,  came  beauty  to  be  transfigured  to 
more  tender  beauty  with  gentle  penitence  and  purifying  hope,  came  weariness 
and  pain  to  be  soothed  with  visions  of  joy  undying,  celestial, — came  hearts 
well-nigh  despairing,  self  scourged,  or  cruelly  betrayed,  to  win  there  dear  re- 
pentance strong  with  tears,  to  win  the  wise  and  agonized  resolve; —  never  in 
any  temple  of  that  ancient  faith,  where  prayer  has  made  its  home  for  centuries, 
has  prayer  seemed  so  mighty,  worship  so  near  the  ear  of  God,  as  vespers  here 
at  this  rough  shrine  in  the  lonely  valley  of  Atinam. 

"God  is  not  far  from  our  lives  at  any  moment.  But  we  go  for  days  and 
years  with  no  light  shining  forth  from  kindling  heart  to  reveal  to  us  the  near 
divineness.  With  clear  and  cultivated  perception  we  take  in  all  facts  of  beauty, 
all  the  wonderment  of  craft,  cunning  adaptation,  and  subtile  design  in  nature ; 
we  are  guided  through  thick  dangers,  and  mildly  scourged  away  from  enfeebling 
luxury  of  too  much  bliss ;  we  err  and  sin,  and  gain  the  bitter  lessons  of  penance ; 
and  all  this. while  we  are  deeming  or  dreaming  ourselves  thoughtfully  religious, 
and  are  so  up  to  the  measure  of  our  development.  But  yet,  after  all  these 
years,  coming  at  last  to  a  wayside  shrine,  where  men  after  their  manner  are 
adoring  so  much  of  the  Divine  as  their  minds  can  know,  we  are  touched  with  a 
strange  and  larger  sympathy,  and  perceive  in  ourselves  a  great  awakening,  and 
a  new  and  wider  perception  of  God  and  the  Godlike,  and  know  that  we  have 
entered  upon  another  sphere  of  spiritual  growth. 

"Vespers  ended.  The  missionaries,  coming  forth  from  their  service,  wel- 
comed me  with  quiet  cordiality.  Visits  of  men  not  savage  were  rare  to  them 
as  are  angels'  visits  to  worldlings.  In  Winter  they  resided  at  a  station  on  the 
Yakimah  in  the  plains  eastward.  Atinam  was  their  Summer  abode,  when  the 
copper-colored  lambs  of  their  flock  were  in  the  mountains,  plucking  berries  in 
the  dells,  catching  crickets  on  the  slopes. 

"Messrs.  D'Herbomez  and  Pandosy  had  been  some  five  years  among  the 
different  tribes  of  this  Yakimah  region,  efl^ecting  of  course  not  much.  They  had 
become  influential  friends,  rather  than  spiritual  guides.  They  could  exhibit 
some  results  of  good  advice  in  potato  patches,  but  polygamy  was  too  strong 
for  them.  Kamaiakan,  chiefest  of  Yakimah  or  Klickatat  chiefs,  sustained  their 
cause  and  accepted  their  admonitions  in  many  matters  of  conduct,  but  never 
asked  should  he  or  should  he  not  invite  another  Mrs.  Kamaiakan  to  share  the 
Tionors  of  his  lodge.  Men  and  Indians  are  firm  against  clerical  interference 
in  domestic  institutions.  Perhaps  also  Kamaiakan  had  a  vague  notion  of  the 
truth,  that  polygamy  is  not  a  whit  more  unnatural  than  celibacy. 

Whether  or  not  these  representatives  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  have  per- 
suaded the  Yakimahs  to  send  away  their  supernumerary  squaws,  for  fear  of 
something  harsher  than  the  good-natured  amenities  of  purgatory,  one  kindly 
and  successful  missionary  work  they  have  done,  in  my  reception  and  entertain- 
ment. Their  fare  was  mine.  Salmon  from  the  stream  and  potatoes  from  their 
own  garden  spread  the  board.  Their  sole  servant,  an  old  Canadian  lay  brother, 
cared  for  my  horses — for  them  and  for  me  there  was  perfect  repose." 


CHAPTER  VII 


COMING  OF   THE   IMMIGRANTS 

FIRST      COMERS GOVERNMENT      EXPEDITIONS THE      GREAT      IMMIGRATION — FIRST 

IMMIGRATION      THROUGH      YAKIMA — GEORGE      H.      HIMES'      LETTER      TO      EZRA 

MEEKER WINTHROP'S    DESCRIPTION    OF    SCENERY    AND    OF    ADVENTURES THE 

PROVISIONAL    GOVERNMENT 

The  Yakima  country  was  among  the  later  regions  of  the  Northwest  to  be 
■developed,  but  it  went  through  essentially  the  same  stages  of  history  as  Walla 
Walla,  the  Willamette,  the  Palouse,  and  other  parts  of  the  country.  The  arid 
climate  of  all  except  the  parts  contiguous  to  the  mountains  discouraged  settle- 
ment to  any  large  degree  until  the  time  for  irrigation  arrived.  But  like  other 
sections  it  passed  through  the  stages  of  gold  hunting,  fur  hunting,  cattle  raising, 
— and  then  entered  into  its  destiny  of  becoming  the  great  horticultural  and  or- 
chard region  of  the  state.  Its  stages  of  evolution  were  retarded  longer,  then 
more  rapidly  accelerated  than  the  others  and  finally  came  with  a  rush  not 
known  in  any  other  section  of  the  inland  country.  It  may  be  noted,  however, 
that  it  was  the  common  experience  of  all  the  interior  sections  to  be  neglected 
by  the  earliest  immigrations.  The  first  settlers  all  headed  for  the  seaboard,  first 
the  Willamette  Valley,  and  then  Puget  Sound. 

Hence,  we  find  even  in  Walla  Walla,  the  first  to  be  developed  of  the  inland 
districts,  that  the  builders  were  largely  of  those  who  came  with  the  railroads 
and  not  with  the  ox-teams.  Much  more  so  was  it  the  case  with  Spokane  and 
Yakima,  which  could  hardly  be  called  pioneer  sections  at  all  in  the  sense  of  the 
Willamette  Valley,  whose  creators  were  mainly  the  ox-team  pioneers  of  the  de- 
cades of  the  forties,  fifties,  and  sixties.  Yet  in  spite  of  this  fact  that  Yakima 
is,  and  has  been,  essentially  a  modern  rather  than  a  genuine  pioneer  community 
in  the  primitive  sense,  many  of  its  builders  are  the  children  or  grand  children 
of  the  ox-team  pioneers,  and  the  halo  of  that  heroic  era  still  casts  its  glow  over 
all  their  childhood  memories.  And  yet  further,  aside  from  personal  connec- 
tions, the  era  of  the  pioneers  is  one  of  the  great  working  facts  of  American  his- 
tory. As  a  nation  we  were  born  on  the  move  westward.  Indeed  we  cannot 
claim  this  great  pioneer  movement  to  be  an  American  fact,  though  it  is  more 
vividly  exhibited  in  America  and  especially  Western  America  than  elsewhere. 
It  is  in  truth  a  world  fact.  While  we  cannot  aver  and  we  cannot  bring  any 
rabbinical  legend  to  prove  it — we  have  the  impression  that  when  Adam  and 
Eve  were  just  fairly  recovering  from  the  shock  of  expulsion  from  the  Garden 
of  Eden,  Eve,  brushing  away  her  tears,  looked  bravely  toward  the  unknown 
and  said,  "Let's  go  West,  Adam!"  Their  descendants  have  been  moving  West 
ever  since.  And  now  in  the  greatest  cataclvsm  of  history,  we  here,  where  East 
193 

(13) 


194  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

is  West  and  West  is  East, — we,  the  children  of  the  pioneers,  are  sending  our 
sons  and  our  treasure  both  East  and  West,  in  order  to  teach  the  world  that  great 
fundamental  fact,  Liberty,  the  boon  for  which  our  fathers  moved  West. 

FIRST    COMERS 

The  pioneer  era  was  ushered  in  by  the  coming  to  Oregon  of  fur  hunters, 
missionaries  and  Httle  bands  of  adventurers,  who  together  composed  the  nucleus 
of  that  American  community  which  formed  the  Provisional  Government  of 
1843.  There  were  certain  individuals,  too,  whose  agency  in  leading  the  way  to 
the  immigration  movement  was  so  unique  as  to  deserve  mention. 

One  of  these  was  Hall  J.  Kelley  of  Boston.  He  was  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire  and  a  Harvard  graduate.  As  early  as  1815,  when  seventeen  years 
old,  he  conceived  the  idea  of  the  colonization  of  Americans  in  Oregon.  He  was 
a  man  of  high  scholarship,  philanthropic  spirit,  and  patriotic  purpose.  He  was 
a  dreamer  and  idealist,  planning  to  form  a  community  on  the  Columbia,  as  one 
of  the  Utopias  which  minds  of  that  stamp,  from  Plato  down,  have  been  fond 
of  locating  somewhere  in  the  unexplored  West.  After  making  a  great  effort 
with  partial  success,  to  enHst  Congress  in  his  schemes,  he  succeeded  in  organiz- 
ing a  company  of  several  hundred,  and  by  1828  shaped  the  definite  plan  of 
going  to  St.  Louis  and  following  the  route  of  the  fur  companies  across  the 
plains  to  the  River  of  Oregon.  But  opposition  by  those  same  fur  companies 
and  adverse  criticism  by  the  press  broke  up  his  enterprise  for  that  time.  In 
1832  he  started  with  a  small  party  for  the  land  of  his  dreams  by  the  route 
through  Mexico  and  California.  He  met  with  Ewing  Young,  an  American  of 
great  natural  abilities  and  some  education.  Young  and  Kelley,  brainy  and 
original  men,  the  former  from  shrewd  commercial  instinct  and  the  latter  from 
philanthropic  dreams,  formed  a  little  company,  and  proceeded  overland  from 
California  to  Oregon.  This  was  in  the  autumn  of  1834.  When,  after  some  dis- 
asters, the  company  of  eleven  reached  the  Columbia,  Young  took  up  a  great 
tract  of  land  in  the  Chehalem  Valley,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  stock-raising, 
Kelley,  having  become  an  invalid,  went  in  distress  to  Fort  Vancouver,  where 
Doctor  McLoughlin  treated  him  with  kindness,  though  the  exclusive  "British- 
ers" would  not  admit  him  to  "social  equality."  The  other  members  of  the 
company  were  scattered  in  various  directions,  but  some  of  them  remained  till 
American  occupancy  became  an  accomplished  fact. 

This  company  of  1834, — the  same  year  that  the  Methodist  missionaries 
under  Jason  Lee  arrived — ^may  be  considered  the  advance  guard  of  American 
immigration.  Kelley,  upon  his  return  to  New  England  by  way  of  the  Sand- 
wich Islands,  disseminated  much  useful  information  about  Oregon.  To  him, 
without  doubt,  is  to  be  attributed  much  of  the  subsequent  wave  of  interest 
which  swept  on  toward  American  immigration.  As  first  a  New  England  col- 
lege man.  educator,  and  social  theorizer,  and  then  a  leader  of  the  pioneer  move- 
ment to  Oregon,  Hall  J.  Kelley  is  worthy  of  permanent  remembrance. 

Ewing  Young  became  distinguished  for  leading  the  party  which  in  1837 
drove  a  band  of  seven  hundred  cattle  from  Califomia  to  Oregon.  This  event 
marked  an  epoch  in  preparing  for  immigration  and  subsequent  American  pos- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  195 

session.  One  of  the  peculiarly  noteworthy  facts  in  connection  with  Young's 
enterprise,  is  that  Doctor  McLoughlin,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  magnate, 
who  had  at  first  discountenanced  Young  on  account  of  a  charge  of  stealing 
brought  against  him  from  California,  and  who  frowned  upon  the  cattle  enter- 
prise for  fear  of  American  influence,  became  reconciled  to  both  Young  and  the 
cattle,  and  subscribed  liberally  to  the  enterprise. 

The  next  movement  may  be  called  a  real  immigration  to  Oregon.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  party  of  nineteen,  commonly  known  as  the  "Peoria  party,"  since  they 
went  from  Peoria,  Illinois.  Jason  Lee,  the  missionary  of  Chemeketa,  deliv- 
ered a  lecture  at  that  place  in  1838,  and  so  much  interest  in  Oregon  was  aroused 
that  in  the  year  following,  the  Peoria  party,  the  first  regular  party  from  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  set  forth  for  the  River  of  the  West.  Their  leader,  T.  J. 
Farnham,  christened  his  followers  the  "Oregon  Dragoons"  and  Mrs.  Farnham 
gave  them  a  flag  with  the  inscription,  "Oregon  or  the  Grave."  Farnham  de- 
clared his  purpose  to  seize  Oregon  for  the  United  States. 

The  Peoria  party  had  the  good  fortune  to  have  two  writers  with  the  num- 
ber, v/hose  accounts  possess  rare  interest.  These  writers  were  the  leader  Farn- 
ham, and  Robert  Shortess.  The  party  went  to  pieces  at  Bent's  Fort  on  the 
Arkansas,  but  its  members  reached  Oregon  somewhat  in  driblets  during  that 
year,  and  the  one  following.  Shortess  reached  the  Whitman  Mission  at  Walla 
Walla  in  the  Fall  of  1839,  and  there  he  remained  until  the  following  Spring, 
when  he  went  down  the  river  to  The  Dalles.  From  The  Dalles,  he  made  his 
way  over  the  Cascade  Mountains  to  the  Willamette  Valley,  and  there  he  lived 
many  years.  Farnham  also  finally  reached  Oregon,  but  his  avowed  mission 
was  unfulfilled.  Shortess  says  of  him:  "Instead  of  raising  the  American  flag 
and  turning  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  out-of-doors,  he  accepted  the  gift  of  a 
suit  of  clothes  and  a  passage  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  took  a  final  leave  of 
Oregon."  But  upon  his  return  to  the  States,  Farnham  published  a  "Pictorial 
History  of  Oregon  and  California,"  a  book  of  many  interesting  features,  and 
one  which  played  a  worthy  part  in  waking  the  people  of  the  Mississippi  Valley 
to  the  attractions  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

GOVERNMENT  EXPEDITIONS 

Soon  after  the  close  of  Wyeth's  enterprise,  there  were  two  notable  govern- 
ment expeditions  to  the  Columbia  River.  One  was  commanded  by  Sir  Edward 
Belcher  of  the  British  Navy,  and  the  other  by  Lieutenant  Charles  Wilkes  of 
the  American  Navy.  The  Wilkes  Expedition  was  one  of  the  most  interesting 
and  important  ever  undertaken  by  the  United  States  Government.  The 
squadron  consisted  of  two  sloops-of-war,  the  "Peacock"  and  the  "Vincennes," 
the  store  ship,  "Relief,"  the  brig,  "Porpoise,"  and  the  schooners,  "Sea  Gull" 
and  "Flying  Fish."  This  fine  squadron  took  up  its  principal  station  on  Puget 
Sound,  from  which  extensive  surveys  were  made,  one  across  the  mountains  to 
Fort  Okanogan ;  another  to  the  Cowlitz  Valley  and  the  Columbia  River  as  far 
as  Wallula. 

One  of  the  most  important  results  of  this  elaborate  Wilkes  Expedition  was 
to  estabHsh  in  the  minds  of  officers  of  the  Government  the  essential  unity  of  all 


196  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

parts  of  the  Pacific  Coast  and  the  boundless  opportunities  offered  to  American 
immigration.  Wilkes  and  his  intelligent  officers  readily  grasped,  and  conveyed 
through  an  elaborate  report  to  the  Government,  the  idea  that  Paget  Sound  was 
an  inherent  and  integral  part  of  Oregon  and  that  the  Columbia  Basin  was  essen- 
tial to  the  proper  development  of  American  commerce  upon  the  Pacific.  They 
may  also  have  forecast  the  time  when  California,  with  her  girdles  of  gold  and 
chaplets  of  freedom,  would  spring,  Athena-like,  from  the  Zeus  brain  of  Ameri- 
can enterprise.  The  control  of  the  river  was  the  key  to  the  control  of  the  entire 
coast  from  San  Diego  to  the  Straits  of  Fuca ;  and  American  ownership  should 
have  extended  to  Sitka. 

A  memorable  calamity  occurred  to  the  squadron  upon  its  entrance  to  the 
river,  and  that  was  the  loss  of  the  "Peacock"  on  the  Columbia  River  bar.  The 
oft  depicted  terrors  of  the  river  were  realized  at  that  time,  and  yet  it  was  not 
the  river's  fault,  for  the  "Peacock"  was  out  of  the  channel.  The  spit  is  known 
as  "Peacock  Spit"  to  this  day. 

Among  the  many  episodes  connecting  Wilkes  with  the  early  immigration 
was  the  building  of  the  schooner  "Star  of  Oregon"  and  her  voyage  to  Califor- 
nia for  cattle.  This  was  in  1842.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Ewing  Young 
had  made  a  successful  trip  from  California  with  cattle.  But  as  the  popu- 
lation of  the  Columbia  had  increased  there  was  a  great  desire  among 
the  settlers  to  obtain  a  larger  number  of  cattle  to  let  loose  upon  the 
rich  pasture  lands  of  the  Willamette  Valley.  A  little  group  of  Ameri- 
cans conceived  the  adventurous  project  of  building  a  schooner  of  Oregon 
timber,  sailing  to  California  and  there  trading  her  for  stock  and  driving  the 
band  home  across  the  country.  The  schooner  was  built  by  Felix  Hathaway, 
Joseph  Gale,  and  Ralph  Kilbourne.  The  oak  and  fir  timber  of  which  the  vessel 
was  built  was  cut  on  Sauvie's  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Willamette,  and  in 
due  time  she  was  launched  and  taken  to  Willamette  Falls  for  fitting.  A  diffi- 
culty arose.  Doctor  McLoughlin  refused  to  sell  sails,  cordage,  and  other  ma- 
terials. He  had  the  only  supply  in  Oregon.  In  despair  the  enterprising  ship- 
builders appealed  to  Lieutenant  Wilkes.  He  felt  a  keen  interest  in  their  laud- 
able undertaking  and  made  a  visit  to  McLoughlin  to  try  to  change  his  resolu- 
tion. By  assuring  the  Doctor  that  he  would  be  responsible  for  all  the  bills,  as 
well  as  for  the  good  conduct  of  the  party,  he  induced  him  to  allow  the  requisi- 
tion for  all  materials  necessary  to  complete  the  gallant  craft.  Gale  was  the  only 
sailor  in  the  party.  Having  satisfied  Wilkes  that  he  was  qualified  to  command 
a  ship,  and  having  received  from  him  a  present  of  a  flag,  an  ensign,  a  com- 
pass, kedge-anchor,  hawser,  log  line,  and  two  log  glasses,  the  captain  flung  the 
flag  to  the  Oregon  breeze  and  turned  the  prow  of  the  "Star  of  Oregon"  toward 
the  river's  mouth.  She  may  be  remembered  as  the  first  sea-going  vessel  built 
of  Oregon  timber.  Crossing  the  bar  in  a  storm,  she  sped  southward  in  a  spank- 
ing breeze,  all  hands  seasick  except  Gale.  He  held  the  wheel  thirty-six  hours 
continuously  and  in  five  days  "dashed  through  the  portals  of  the  Golden  Gate 
like  an  arrow,  September  17,  1842." 

As  it  was  too  late  to  get  the  cattle  back  to  Oregon  that  fall,  the  party  sold 
their  schooner  for  three  hundred  and  fifty  cows,  wintered  in  California,  and  the 
next  Spring  drove  to  the  Columbia  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  I97 

six  hundred  head  of  mules  and  horses,  and  three  thousand  sheep.  This  was 
an  achievement  which  made  the  way  for  immigration  clearer  than  ever  before, 
and  in  a  most  effective  manner  united  the  American  settlers  with  the  American 
Government.  Some  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  people  could  begin  to  see 
the  handwriting  on  the  wall.  Doctor  McLoughlin  saw  most  quickly  and  most 
clearly,  and  as  elsewhere  narrated,  began  to  transfer  his  interests  to  the  Amer- 
ican side.  This  fine  old  man  was  big-brained,  big-bodied,  and  big-souled,  a  nat- 
ural American,  though  compelled  to  work  for  the  British  fur  monopolists  for 
the  time.  He  admired  the  independent  spirit  of  the  incoming  Yankee  immi- 
grants, even  when  the  joke  was  on  him.  He  afterwards  told  with  much  gusto 
of  an  American  named  Woods  crossing  the  Columbia  to  Vancouver  to  try  to  get 
goods.  He  found  his  credit  shaky,  and  somewhat  piqued,  he  exclaimed :  "Well, 
never  mind,  I  have  an  uncle  back  east  rich  enough  to  buy  out  the  whole  of  your 
old  Hudson's  Bay  Company!"  "Well,  well,  Mr.  Woods,"  demanded  the  auto- 
crat, "who  may  this  very  rich  uncle  of  yours  be?"  "Uncle  Sam,"  was  the  un- 
abashed and  characteristic  American  reply.  "Old  Whitehead"  also  appreciated, 
though  he  was  obliged  to  manifest  a  dignified  disapproval,  when  two  young 
men  from  New  York,  having  reached  the  fort  on  the  river,  were  asked  about 
their  passports.  Laying  their  hands  on  their  rifles  they  replied,  "These  are  an 
American's  passports." 

These  small  miscellaneous  immigrations  were  in  continuance  from  about 
1830  to  1842.  In  the  latter  year  a  hundred  came.  In  1843,  as  elsewhere  re- 
lated, the  Provisional  Government  was  instituted.  At  the  very  same  time, 
the  immigration  of  1843  was  on  its  way  to  the  river. 

THE   GREAT   IMMIGRATION 

This  immigration  of  1843  was  in  many  respects  The  most  remarkable  of  all. 
It  was  the  first  large  one,  and  it  was  a  type  of  all.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  had  made  his  great  Winter  ride  in  1842-43  across  the 
Rockies  to  St.  Louis,  with  a  double  aim.  First  he  wished  to  see  the  officers  of 
the  American  Board  of  Missions  and  then  to  enlist  the  American  Government 
and  people  in  the  policy  of  holding  Oregon.  This  was  against  the  manifest 
aims  of  the  British.  There  was  already  a  tremendous  interest  felt  in  Oregon 
among  the  people  of  Missouri,  Illinois,  and  the  other  great  Prairie  States. 
Whitman's  opportune  arrival  and  his  announced  purpose  to  guide  an  immigra- 
tion to  the  Columbia  became  widely  known,  and  brought  to  a  focus  many 
vaguely-considered  plans. 

J.  W.  Nesmith,  subsequently  one  of  the  most  prominent  pioneers  and  a 
member  of  each  House  of  Congress  from  Oregon,  has  given  a  humorous  ac- 
count of  the  manner  of  starting  this  immigration  of  1843,  of  which  he  was  a 
member,  which  is  so  characteristic  that  we  quote  it  here.  "Mr.  Burnett, (  or  as 
he  was  more  familiarly  styled,  'Pete,'  was  called  upon  for  a  speech.  Mounting 
a  log,  the  glib  tongued  orator  delivered  a  glowing,  florid  address.  He  com- 
menced by  showing  his  audience  that  the  then  western  tier  of  states  and  terri- 
tories were  crowded  with  a  redundant  population,  who  had  not  sufficient-  elbow 
room  for  the  expansion  of  their  enterprise  and  genius,  and  it  was  a  duty  they 


198  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

owed  to  themselves  and  posterity  to  strike  out  in  search  of  a  more  expanded 
field  and  a  more  genial  climate,  where  the  soil  yielded  the  richest  return  for 
the  slightest  amount  of  cultivation, — where  the  trees  were  loaded  with  perennial 
fruit, — and  where  a  good  substitute  for  bread,  called  La  Camash,  grew  in  the 
ground ;  where  salmon  and  other  fish  crowded  the  stream ;  and  where  the 
principal  labor  of  the  settlers  would  be  confined  to  keeping  their  gardens  free 
from  the  inroads  of  buffalo,  elk,  deer,  and  wild  turkeys.  He  appealed  to  our 
patriotism  by  picturing  forth  the  glorious  empire  we  should  establish  upon  the 
shores  of  the  Pacific, — how  with  our  trusty  rifles  we  should  drive  out  the  British 
usurpers  who  claimed  the  soil,  and  defend  the  country  from  the  avarice  and  pre- 
tensions of  the  British  Lion, — and  how  posterity  would  honor  us  for  placing 
the  fairest  portion  of  the  land  under  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  *  *  *  Other 
speeches  were  made  full  of  glowing  description  of  the  fair  land  of  promise,  the 
far-away  Oregon,  which  no  one  in  the  assemblage  had  ever  seen,  and  about 
which  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  had  ever  read  any  account.  After  the  elec- 
tion of  Mr.  Burnett  as  captain,  and  other  necessary  officers,  the  meeting,  as 
motley  and  primitive  a  one  as  ever  assembled,  adjourned,  with  'three  cheers' 
for  Captain  Burnett  and  Oregon." 

Peter  Burnett  to  whom  Nesmith  here  refers,  was  the  same  who  became 
the  first  Governor  of  California. 

By  the  walnut  hearth-fires  in  many  a  home  of  the  Prairie  States  and  at  the 
corn-huskings  and  quilting  bees  the  talk  of  Oregon  and  the  forests  of  the  Colum- 
bia, and  the  rich  pasture  lands  of  the  Willamette,  and  the  salmon  and  game,  and 
genial  climate  and  majestic  mountains,  went  the  rounds.  Interest  grew  into 
enthusiasm,  enthusiasm  waxed  hot,  and  in  the  early  Spring  the  great  immigra- 
tion of  1843  set  forth  from  Westport,  Missouri,  for  the  Columbia  waters. 
Though  the  immigration  of  1843  was  the  earliest  of  any  size  and  the  first  with 
any  number  of  women  and  children,  it  had  perhaps  the  least  trouble  and  mis- 
fortune and  the  most  romance  and  gayety  and  enthusiasm  of  any.  The  experi- 
ence of  crossing  the  plains  was  one  which  nothing  else  could  duplicate — the 
hasty  rising  in  the  chill  damp  of  the  morning,  the  preparing  the  cattle  and  horses 
for  the  long,  hard  drive,  the  rounds  of  the  wagons  to  strengthen  bolts  and 
tires  and  tongues,  the  loading  of  the  rifles  for  possible  hostile  Indian  or 
buffalo,  the  setting  forth  of  the  scouts  on  horseback,  the  long  train  strung  across 
the  dusty  plain,  the  occasional  bands  of  wild  Indians  emerging  like  a  whirl- 
wind from  the  broad  expanse,  and  then  the  approaching  cool  of  night  with  its 
hurried  rest  on  the  tough  prairie  sod.  Sometimes  there  were  nights  of 
storm  and  stampede  and  darkness.  Sometimes  savage  beasts  and  savage  men 
startled  the  train,  or  one  of  the  stupendous  herds  of  buffalo  went  thundering 
across  the  prairie.  Then  came  the  first  glimpse  of  snowy  heights,  then  of  deep 
canyons,  and  then  the  summit  was  attained,  and  far  westward  stretched  the 
maze  of  plains  and  mountains  through  which  the  Snake  River,  the  greatest  of 
the  tributaries  of  the  Columbia,  took  its  swift  way. 

During  most  of  the  journey  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  was  guide,  physician, 
and  friend.  While  severe  controversy  has  arisen  as  to  the  extent  of  his  services 
in  organizing  the  immigration,  the  testimony  is  unvarying  as  to  the  value  of 
his  presence  with  the  train.     Last  to  bed  at  night  and  first  up  in  the  morning, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  199 

attending  the  people,  cattle,  and  horses  in  their  sicknesses  and  accidents,  ahead 
of  the  train  on  horseback  to  find  the  passes  of  the  hills  and  the  fords  of  the 
rivers,  the  watcher  by  night  and  the  pilot  by  day,  the  missionary  doctor  was  the 
veritable  "Mr.  Greatheart"  of  the  immigration. 

Great  was  the  astonishment  of  Captain  Grant,  commandant  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company's  Fort  Hall  on  Snake  River,  near  the  present  Pocatello, 
when  the  long  train  filed  past  the  enclosure.  Grant  had  known  Whitman  before 
and  was  aware  of  his  stubborn  determination  and  patriotic  purpose.  But  Grant 
attempted  just  the  same  to  dissuade  the  immigrants  of  1843  from  going  farther 
with  their  wagons,  declaring  the  Blue  Mountains  to  be  impassable.  But  on  the 
immigrants  went  westward.  A  band  of  Indians  from  Waiilatpu,  headed  by 
Sticcus,  came  to  meet  the  train,  searching  for  Whitman,  telling  him  that  his 
medical  services  were  in  great  demand  at  Lapwai.  The  much-needed  guide 
turned  over  the  pilotage  of  the  train  to  Sticcus,  and  he  himself  hastened  on  to 
minister  to  the  sick  at  Lapwai.  As  he  passed  through  Waiilatpu  he  learned 
that  the  threatening  conduct  of  the  Indians  had  led  Mrs.  Whitman  to  go  to 
Vancouver,  and  that  during  his  absence  the  Indians  had  burned  his  mill  and 
committed  other  depredations.  But  it  was  his  lot  to  labor  and  suffer.  He  had 
become  accustomed  to  it. 

The  event  proved  that  Sticcus  was  a  thoroughly  capable  guide.  For 
though  not  speaking  a  word  of  English,  he  made  his  directions  so  well  under- 
stood by  pantomime  that,  as  Mr.  Nesmith  has  said,  he  led  them  safely  over  the 
roughest  mountain  road  that  they  ever  saw.  And  so  in  due  time  the  train 
emerged  from  the  screen  of  timber  on  the  Blue  Mountains.  Stretched  wide 
before  them  lay  the  plains  of  Umatilla  and  Walla  Walla,  while  in  the  far  dis- 
tance the  "River  of  the  West"  poured  through  the  arid  waste.  Yet  farther  the 
snow  summits  of  the  Cascade  ridged  the  western  sky.  After  a  brief  pause  at 
Waiilatpu,  the  train  reached  the  banks  of  the  river.  The  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  section  of  the  river  first  reached  is  very  dry  in  Autumn.  Aside  from  the 
river  itself,  the  immediate  scene  is  desolate  and  forbidding.  But  probably  those 
immigrants  of  '43  gazed  upon  the  blue  flood,  a  mile  wide  and  hastening  to  the 
western  ocean,  with  feelings  almost  akin  to  those  which  swelled  the  hearts  of 
the  Pilgrims  landing  from  the  Mayflower.  This  was  another  epic  of  state- 
making,  and  one  generation  after  another  of  the  Americans  who  have  wrought 
such  achievement  may  well  turn  back  to  join  hands  with  those  before. 

Doubtless  the  immigrants,  as  they  stood  by  the  river  in  the  pleasant  haze 
of  the  October  afternoon,  felt  as  though  their  journey  was  substantially  at  an 
end.  Being  now  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  on  the  river  of  that  name,  they  paused 
to  make  ready  for  the  last  stage  of  the  journey,  little  realizing  what  perils  and 
sufferings  it  would  entail.  Doctor  Whitman  and  Archibald  McKinley,  the  chief 
factor  at  the  fort,  advised  them  to  leave  their  cattle  and  wagons  to  winter  on 
the  Walla  Walla,  while  they  pursued  their  way  down  the  stream  on  flatboats. 
Part  of  the  company  accepted  the  advice,  but  a  number  determined  to  keep  all 
their  belongings  together  and  to  take  the  road  along  the  bank  of  the  river  to 
The  Dalles,  and  there  make  flatboats. 

To  those  who  remained  on  the  Walla  Walla  now  fell  the  difficult  task  of 
constructing  flatboats.     Huge,  uncouth  structures  they  were,  made  of  timber 


200  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

gathered  on  the  river  bank.  But  when  loaded  and  pushed  out  into  the  swift 
current,  steered  with  immense  sweeps  in  the  stern,  these  floatboats  afforded 
to  the  footsore  and  exhausted  immigrants  a  dehghtful  change.  Out  of  the  dust, 
off  the  rocks,  away  from  the  sagebrush,  with  more  of  laugh  and  song  than  they 
had  had  for  many  a  day,  they  swept  gaily  on.  For  a  hundred  miles  or  more 
the  elements  were  propitious.  With  the  bright  sunshine,  the  clear,  cool  water, 
the  majestic  snow  peaks  in  the  distance,  the  easily  gliding  boats,  this  seemed 
the  pleasantest  part  of  the  entire  journey.  But  after  The  Dalles  had  been 
reached  and  the  two  divisions  of  the  company  were  again  united  and  on  their 
way  down  the  River  to  the  Cascades,  disaster  began  to  haunt  them. 

From  the  Cascades  to  Vancouver,  the  company  suiifered  more  than  in  all 
the  rest  of  their  journey.  The  Fall  rains  were  at  hand,  and  it  poured  with  an 
unremitting  energy  such  as  no  one  can  realize  who  has  not  seen  a  rain  storm 
on  the  lower  River.  Food  had  become  almost  exhausted.  Clothing  was  in 
rags.  Tired,  hungry,  wet,  cold,  disheartened,  the  immigrants  who  had  so 
jauntily  descended  the  River  to  this  "Strait  of  Horrors"  presented  a  most  woeful 
appearance.  It  actually  seemed  that  many  must  perish.  But  in  the  crisis,  help 
came.  One  of  the  party  managed  to  procure  a  canoe  and  hastened  down  the 
River  to  Fort  Vancouver.  As  soon  as  Dr.  McLoughlin  learned  that  nearly  nine 
hundred  men,  women  and  children  were  beleaguered  in  the  mist  and  chill,  he 
equipped  boats  with  flour,  meat  and  tea,  and,  in  his  choleric  excitement,  waving 
his  huge  cane,  bade  the  boatman  hurry  to  the  rescue.  It  was  not  business  for 
the  good  Doctor  to  thus  aid  and  abet  American  immigrants,  and  the  directors 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  and  the  cold-blooded  Sir  George  Simpson, 
governor-in-chief,  disapproved.  But  it  was  humanity,  and  that  ever  predomi- 
nated in  the  mind  of  "Old  Whitehead."  The  next  night  he  caused  vast  bonfires 
to  be  alight  along  the  bank,  and  gathered  all  the  eatables  and  blankets  that 
the  place  afforded.  When  boat  loads  of  the  battered,  but  rescued  Americans 
drew  near  the  Doctor  was  on  the  bank  to  meet  them,  to  hand  out  the  women 
and  children,  to  administer  the  balm  of  cheery  words  and  warmth  and 
food.  Few  were  the  travelers  on  the  river,  none  were  the  immigrants  of 
'43,  who  would  not  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed. 

After  this  happy  pause  at  Vancouver,  the  immigration  passed  on  to  the 
Willamette  Falls,  then  the  center  of  operations  in  Oregon,  and  there  they  were 
soon  joined  by  the  chosen  men  who  had  driven  their  thireteen  hundred  head 
of  cattle  by  the  trail  over  the  Cascade  Mountains,  a  task  toilsome  and  even 
distressing,  but  one  that  was  accomplished.  After  an  inactive  winter  in  the 
mild,  muggy,  misty  Oregon  climate,  the  immigrants  of  '43  spread  abroad  in 
the  opening  Spring  to  secure  land,  each  his  square  mile,  as  the  Provisional 
Government  provided,  and  as  the  American  government  was  contemplating. 

Such  was  the  coming  of  tbe  immigrants  to  the  River.  Subsequent  immi- 
grations bore  a  general  resemblance  to  that  of  1843.  Each  had  its  special 
feature.  That  of  1845  was  conspicuous  for  its  size.  It  was  three  thousand 
strong.  It  was  also  illustrious  for  the  laying  out  of  the  road  across  the  Cas- 
cade Mountains,  near  the  southern  flank  of  Mount  Hood.  This  noble  and  diffi- 
cult undertaking  was  carried  through  by  S.  K.  Barlow  and  William  Rector.  It 
was  a  terrific  task,  and  not  completed  the  first  year.     Canons,  precipitous  rocks. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  20t 

morasses,  sandhills,  tangled  forests,  fallen  trees,  criss-crossed  and  interlaced 
with  briars  and  vines  and  shrubbery  of  tropical  luxuriance,  such  as  no  one  can 
appreciate  who  has  not  seen  an  Oregon  jungle — these  were  the  obstructions  tO' 
the  Barlow  Road.  But  they  were  vanquished,  and  in  1846  and  thence  onward 
the  immigrants  made  this  the  regular  route  to  the  Willamette  Valley.  So  steep- 
was  Laurel  Hill  on  the  western  slope  that  wagons  had  to  be  let  down  by  ropes 
from  level  to  level.  The  marks  of  the  ropes  or  chains  are  still  seen  on  the  trees- 
of  Laurel  Hill.  The  immigration  of  1852  was  sadly  conspicuous  for  the  devas- 
tations of  cholera.  Many  a  family  was  broken  in  sunder  and  some  even  were 
entirely  eliminated  by  the  dreadful  plague.  The  immigrations  of  1854  and  1855' 
were  notable  for  the  Indian  outbreaks,  and  especially  for  the  atrocious  butchery 
of  the  Ward  family,  near  Boise,  in  the  earlier  year,  the  most  pitiless  Indian, 
outrage  in  Oregon  history. 

From  1850  onward  for  some  years  the  Donation  Land  Law  of  Congress, 
was  a  great  lure  to  immigrants,  for  by  it  a  man  and  wife  could  obtain  a  section 
of  land.  A  single  man  could  take  up  half  a  section.  That  situation  encouraged 
early  marriages.  Girls  were  in  great  demand.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  to 
see  fourteen-year-old  brides.  Some  narrators  relate  having  found  married 
women  in  the  woods  of  the  Columbia  who  were  playing  with  their  dolls !  But, 
though  the  immigrations  varied  in  special  features,  they  were  all  alike  in  their 
mingling  of  mirth  and  melancholy,  of  toil  and  rest,  of  suffering  and  enjoyment,, 
of  heroism  and  self-sacrifice.  They  embodied  an  epoch  of  American  history 
that  can  never  come  again.  To  have  been  an  immigrant  from  the  Missouri 
to  the  Columbia  was  an  experience  to  which  nothing  else  on  earth  is  compar- 
able. It  confers  a  title  of  American  nobility  by  the  side  of  which  the  coronets- 
of  some  European  dukes  are  tawdry  and  contemptible.  Perhaps  no  one  ever 
better  phrased  the  spirit  of  Oregon  immigration  than  Jesse  Applegate,  of  the 
train  of  '43,  one  of  the  foremost  of  Oregon's  builders,  long  known  as  the 
"Sage  of  Yoncalla."  So  fitting  do  we  deem  his  language  that  we  quote  here 
an  extract  from  one  of  his  addresses : 

"The  Western  pioneer  had  probably  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  or  the  Cum- 
berland Mountains  when  a  boy  and  was  now  in  his  prime.  Rugged,  hardy,, 
and  powerful  of  frame,  he  was  full  to  overflowing  with  the  love  of  adventure,, 
and  animated  by  a  brave  soul  that  scorned  the  very  idea  of  fear.  All  had 
heard  of  the  perpetually  green  hills  and  plains  of  western  Oregon,  and  how  the 
warm  breath  of  the  vast  Pacific  tempered  the  air  to  the  genial  degree  and 
drove  Winter  back  to  the  north.  Many  of  them  contrasted  in  imagination  the 
open  stretch  of  a  mile  square  of  rich,  green,  and  grassy  land,  where  the  straw- 
berry plant  bloomed  through  every  Winter  month,  with  their  circumscribed 
clearings  in  the  Missouri  bottoms.  Of  long  Winter  evenings  neighbors  visited 
each  other,  and  before  the  big  shell-bark  hickory  fire,  the  seasoned  walnut  fire, 
the  dry  black-jack  fire,  or  the  roaring  dead  elm  fire,  they  talked  these  things 
over;  and  as  a  natural  consequence,  under  these  favorable  circumstances,  the 
spirit  of  emigration  warmed  up;  and  the  "Oregon  fever"  became  as  a  household 
expression.  Thus  originated  the  vast  cavalcade,  or  emigrant  train,  stretching: 
its  serpentine  length  for  miles,  enveloped  in  vast  pillars  of  dust,  patiently  wend- 
ing its  toilsome  way  across  the  American  continent. 


202  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"How  familiar  these  scenes  and  experiences  with  the  old  pioneers!  The 
vast  plains,  the  uncountable  herds  of  buffalo;  the  swift-footed  antelope;  the 
bands  of  mounted,  painted  warriors;  the  rugged,  snow-capped  mountain  ranges; 
the  deep,  swift,  and  dangerous  rivers,  the  lonesome  howl  of  the  wild  wolf;  the 
.midnight  yell  of  the  assaulting  savage;  the  awful  panic  and  stampede;  the 
solemn  and  silent  funeral  at  the  dead  hour  of  night,  and  the  lonely  and  hidden 
grave  of  departed  friends, — what  memories  are  associated  with  the  Plains 
across!" 

FIRST   IMMIGRATION    THROUGH    YAKIMA 

To  readers  of  this  volume  the  most  interesting  immigration  in  many  respects 
is  that  of  1853.  This  was  the  first  to  pass  through  the  Yakima  Valley  and 
-over  the  Naches  Pass  to  Puget  Sound.  We  have  the  inestimable  privilege  of 
the  residence  in  Yakima  County  of  a  participant  in  that  historic  immigration. 
This  is  David  Longmire,  one  of  the  most  honored  of  pioneers,  whose  clear 
mind  and  tenacious  memory  make  his  recollections  a  treasury  of  valuable 
information  about  that  immigration  as  well  as  other  phases  of  history  with 
which  he  has  been  connected,  while  his  genial  and  kindly  disposition  has  made 
friends  of  all  who  know  him.  Mr.  Longmire  prepared  an  account  with  a  list 
-of  names  for  the  Washington  Historical  Quarterly  of  January,  1917,  which  is 
so  valuable  that  we  incorporate  it  here. 

Aiken,  A.  G. ;  Aiken,  James ;  Aiken,  John ;  Baker,  Bartholomew  C. ;  Baker, 
Mrs.  Fanny;  Baker,  James  E. ;  Baker,  John  Wesley;  Baker,  Leander  H. ;  Baker, 
lilijah;  Baker,  Mrs.  Olive;  Baker,  Joseph  N. ;  Baker,  William  LeRoy;  Barr, 
James;  Bell,  James;  Bell,  Mrs.  Eliza  (Wright)  ;  Bennett,  William;  Biles,  James; 
Biles,  Mrs.  Nancy  M. ;  Biles,  George  W. :  Biles,  James  B. ;  Biles,  Clark;  Biles, 
Mrs.  Kate  (Sargent);  Biles,  Mrs.  Susan  Belle  (Drew);  Biles,  Mrs.  Euphemia 
(Brazee)  (Knapp) ;  Biles,  Margaret;  Bourne,  Alexander;  Bowers,  John; 
■Burnett,  Frederick ;  Brooks,  Mrs.  Martha  (Young)  ;  Byles,  Rev.  Charles ;  Byles, 
Mrs.  Sarah  W. ;  Byles,  David  F. ;  Byles,  Charles  N. ;  Byles,  Mrs.  Rebecca  E. 
(Goodell)  ;  Byles,  Mrs.  Sarah  I.  (Ward);  Byles,  Luther;  Claflin,  William; 
Clinton,  Wesley ;  Davis,  Varine ;  Day,  Joseph ;  Downey,  William  R. ;  Downey, 
Mrs.  William  R. ;  Downey,  Christopher  Columbus ;  Downey,  George  W. ; 
Downey,  James  H. ;  Downey,  William  A. ;  Downey,  R.  M. ;  Downey, 
John  M. ;  Downey,  Mrs.  Louise  (Guess)  ;  Downey,  Mrs.  Jane  (Clark)  ; 
Downey,    Mrs.    Susan     (Lathm) ;    Downey,    Mrs.    Laura    Belle     (Bartlett)  ; 

Finch,    Henry    C. ;    Fitch,    Charles    Reuben ;    Frazier,    ;    Frazier,    Mrs. 

Elizabeth:  Gotzen,  G. ;  Guess,  Mason  F. ;  Guess,  Wilson;  Gant,  James; 
■Gant,  Mrs.  James ;  Gant,  Harris ;  Gant,  Mrs.  Harris ;  Greenman,  Clark 
N. ;  Hampton  J.  Wilson ;  Himes,  Tyrus ;  Himes,  Mrs.  Emiline ;  Himes, 
George  H. ;  Himes,  Mrs.  Helen  Z.  (Ruddell)  ;  Himes,  Judson  W. ; 
Himes,  Mrs.  Lestina  Z.  (Eaton)  ;  Hill,  Mrs.  Marj-  Jane  (Byles)  ;  Horn, 
Thomas;  Horn,  Mrs.  Thomas;  Johns,  Benjamin;  Judson,  Peter;  Judson,  Mrs. 
Peter ;  Judson,  Stephen ;  Judson,  John  Paul ;  Kilborn,  Norman ;  Kincaid, 
William  M. ;  Kincaid,  Mrs.  Susannah  (Thompson)  ;  Kincaid,  Ruth  Jane 
(McCarty)  ;  Kincaid,  Joseph  C. ;  Kincaid,  Mrs.  Laura  (Meade);  Kincaid, 
James;  Kincaid.  William   Christopher;   Kincaid,  John;   Lane,   Mrs.   Daniel   E. ; 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  203 

Lane,  Edward;  Lane,  Daniel  E. ;  Lane,  William;  Lane,  Timothy;  Lane,  Albert; 
Lane,  John;  Lane,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Whitesel) ;  Lane,  Mrs.  Abigail;  Light,  Eras- 
tus  A. ;  Light,  Mrs.  Erastus  A. ;  Light,  Henry ;  Light,  Harvey ;  Longmire, 
James;  Longmire,  Mrs.  James;  Longmire,  Elcaine;  Longmire,  Mrs.  Tillathi 
(Kandle) ;  Longmire,  John  A.;  Longmire,  David;  McCullough,  James;  McCul- 
lough,  Mrs.  Julia  Amy;  McCullough,  Mrs.  Mary  Frances  (Porter);  McCul- 
lough, Flora,  now  a  sister  of  charity  in  Montreal ;  Meller,  Mrs.  Gertrude 
(DeLin)  ;  Moyer,  John  B. ;  Melville,  George;  Melville,  Mrs.  George;  Melville, 
Mrs.  Kate  (Thompson);  Melville,  Robert;  Mitchell,  Henry;  Morrison;  Neisan, 
John ;  Ogle,  Van.,  now  ninety-three  years  old,  living  at  Orting,  Washington ; 
Ragan,  Henry;  Ragan,  John;  Ray,  Henry;  Ray,  Sam;  Risdon,  Henry;  Risdon, 
Joel;  Rockfield,  H. ;  Sarjent,  Asher;  Sarjent,  Mrs.  Asher;  Sarjent,  E.  N. ; 
Sarjent,    Francis  Marion;  Sarjent,  Wilson;   Sarjent,   Mrs.   Matilda    (Saylor)  ; 

Sarjent,  Mrs.  Rebecca   (Kellett)  ;  Sperry,  J.  A.;  Stewart,  Mr.  ;  Steward, 

Mrs.  ;  Steward,  Miss;  Steward,  Celia;  six  more  children  of  Steward  fam- 
ily, names  unknown ;  Watts,  Evan ;  West,  Newton ;  Whitmore,  Seymour ; 
Woolery,  Isaac;  Woolery,  Mrs.  Margaret;  Woolery,  Mrs.  Agnes  (Lamon)  ; 
Woolery,  James  Henderson ;  Woolery,  Robert  Lemuel ;  Woolery,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Jane  (Ward);  Woolery,  Abraham;  Woolery,  Garden;  Woolery,  Mrs.  Abraham 
(Aunt  Pop),  Mary  Ann;  Woolery,  Jacob  Francis;  Woolery,  Daniel  Henry; 
Whitesel,  William;  Whitesel,  William  Henry;  Whitesel,  Mrs.  Nancy  (Leach); 
Whitesel,  Margaret ;  Whitesel,  Alexander ;  Whitesel,  Cal. ;  Wright,  Israel  H. ; 
Wright,  Mrs.  Israel  H. ;  Wright,  Benjamin  F. ;  Wright,  Mrs.  Benjamin  F. ; 
Wright,  James;  Wright,  Mrs.  Eliza  (Bell);  Wright,  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Moore); 
Wright,  William;  Wright,  Byrd;  Wright,  Carl;  Wright  (Grandfather)  ;  Wright 
(Grandmother);  Wright,  Mrs.  Annis  (Downey);  West,  Newton;  Woodward, 
John  W. ;  Young,  Austin  E. 

Mr.  Longmire  states  that  there  were  two  sections  of  the  train — one  of  146 
persons  with  thirty-six  wagons,  the  other  of  thirty-nine  persons.  On  the 
Umatilla,  where  Pendleton  now  is,  the  party  having  been  induced  to  go  to  the 
Sound  direct,  across  the  Cascade  Mountains  through  the  Yakima  Valley,  left 
the  Oregon  Road  and  crossing  the  plains  where  Athena  now  is,  passed  the 
former  Whitman  Station  at  Waiilatpu  and  thence  to  Fort  Walla  Walla  (Wal- 
lula.)  About  twenty-one  of  the  party,  however,  continued  down  the  Orego-ft 
Road  to  Portland.  One  of  the  most  interesting  statements  of  Mr.  Longmire 
pertains  to  the  kindness  shown  the  party  by  the  Walla  Walla  chief,  Peupeu- 
moxmox.  He  and  his  brother  slaughtered  a  fat  beef  for  them,  assisted  them 
across  the  Columbia,  and  guided  them  across  the  Yakima  and  on  their  way 
north.  The  brother  unintentionally  took  them  from  their  intended  course,  but, 
as  Mr.  Longmire  says,  "that  was  not  his  fault."  They  had  told  him  that  they 
wanted  to  go  "where  the  soldiers  were."  They  had  in  mind  the  soldiers  on 
Puget  Sound,  but  the  Indian  thought  that  they  referred  to  the  soldiers  at  Fort 
Colville  and  headed  them  in  that  direction.  When  they  had  reached  sight  of 
White  Blufifs  on  the  Columbia  they  perceived  the  mistake  and,  turning  west, 
passed  through  the  sagebrush  prairies  north  of  Rattlesnake  Mountain  and 
thence  by  an  easy  and  direct  course  to  the  present  location  of  Selah  and  on  to 
the  Wenas.    They  followed  the  Wenas  about  twelve  miles  above  Mr.  Longmire's 


204  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  ^ 

present  place,  then  crossed  the  ridge  to  the  Naches,  reaching  that  stream  two 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  Nile  Creek. 

Considering  that  this  was  the  first  party  on  the  Naches  Road,  and  that 
they  mainly  constructed  their  own  road,  they  made  remarkably  good  time.  The 
crossing  of  the  Columbia  was  on  September  8th,  and  they  reached  Nisqually 
Plains  October  10th  or  12th,  being  strung  out  somewhat  on  the  way.  Mr. 
Longmire  states  that  the  immigration  was  greatly  favored  in  respect  to  health,, 
but  one  death,  that  of  James  McCullough,  occurring  on  the  way.  That  was 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima,  and  Mr.  McCullough  was,  in  Mr.  Longmire's 
judgment,  the  first  white  man  to  be  buried  in  the  Yakima  Valley.  We  may 
conjecture,  however,  that  during  the  era  of  the  fur  traders  other  whites  may 
have  ended  their  days  here. 

A  second  section  of  immigrants  crossed  the  mountains  about  three  weeks 
after  the  main  train.  As  given  by  Mr.  Longmire,  these  were  the  following: 
William  Mitchell,  from  whom  the  famous  hotel  at  Olympia  derived  its  name;. 
Ira  Woodin,  who  started  the  first  tannery  in  Seattle ;  Mrs.  Ira  Woodin,  Samuel 
Homes,  Mrs.  Samuel  Homes,  Louisa  Homes,  Frederic  Homes,  Florence 
Homes,  Rev.  Mr.  Morrison  and  family,  Mr.  Shock,  Mrs.  Shock,  William  B. 
Johns ;  Martha  T.  Johns,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  Mitchell,  and  six 
more  Johns  children;  Mr.  Livingston  and  two  daughters,  one  of  whom  became 
the  wife  of  William  Brannan,  the  whole  family  being  murdered  by  Indians  in 
the  Fall  of  1855,  and  thrown  by  the  murderers  into  a  well  at  a  point  near  the- 
present  town  of  Orting.  Alexander  Barnes  was  also  a  member  of  that  immi- 
gration. 

The  only  members  of  the  train  in  the  party  that  continued  to  Portland,  that 
Mr.  Longmire  has  on  his  records,  were  the  Bakers,  the  Burnetts,  Joseph  Day 
and  the  Gant  family,  a  mother  and  five  children. 

This  immigration  of  1853  is  fittingly  commemorated  by  a  granite  monument 
a  short  distance  from  Mr.  Longmire's  house.  It  stands  by  the  roadside  in  a 
conspicuous  place,  from  which  there  is  a  commanding  view  of  the  beautiful 
and  historic  Wenas  Valley.  It  was  erected  by  the  Yakima  Pioneer  Association,, 
and  was  dedicated  September  20,  1917.     The  inscription  is  this: — 

CHIEF   OW-Hl's  GARDENS. 

FIRST     EMIGR.\NT     TRAIN 

SEPT.    20,    1853. 

M'CLELLAN's    HEADQUARTERS. 

fAKIMA    PIONEER    ASSOCIATION, 

SEPT.    20,    1917. 

As  this  fine  monument  is  on  the  highway  from  the  east  over  Snoqualmie 
Pass,  one  of  the  finest  scenic  highways  in  the  United  States,  thousands  of 
passing  tourists  stop  to  view  this  historical  spot,  and  beyond  any  other  similar 
monument  in  this  part  of  the  state,  it  fulfills  its  mission  of  educating  the 
American  people  in  the  significant  stages  of  national  history.  It  is  not  too  much 
to  «ay  that  this  first  emigrant  train  across  central  Washington  and  the  Cascade 
Mountains  to  Puget  Sound  was  an  event  second  only  to  the  incoming  of  the 


it^ii^itf^i 

iiiSik^ii 

ft        V     t 

^'MditJlii' 

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"'""'  '  -  •^'-*^  ^Wi»i    i|«p„, 

;o.\Ux\rp:xT  UEDicATr.n  ski'tkmbkr  l'o,  ion,  ox  david  longmire'p  eaxch 

IN    YAKIMA    ('OINTV,    WASHINGTON,    COMMEMORATING   THE    COMING   OF 
THE    ?"IKST    KMKfl.'ANTS     INTO    YAKIMA    COUNTY 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  205 

train  of  1843,  the  arrival  of  wliich  in  Oregon  was  one  of  the  great  determining 
events  in  the  American  acquirement  of  Oregon. 

The  incoming  of  this  train  of  1853  was  so  important  that  we  feel  sure 
that  our  readers  would  be  glad  to  see  still  other  narrations,  and  we  therefore 
incorporate  here  a  letter  written  by  George  H.  Himes,  of  Portland,  and  given 
in  Ezra  Meeker's  "Pioneer  Reminiscences." 

The  letter  follows : 

"Portland,  Oregon,  January  23,  1905. 
■"My  Dear  Meeker: 

"Some  time  early  in  August,  1853,  Nelson  Sargent,  from  Puget  Sound, 
met  our  party  in  Grande  Ronde  Valley,  saying  to  his  father,  Asher  Sargent, 
mother,  two  sisters  and  two  brothers,  and  such  others  as  he  could  make  an 
impression  on,  'You  want  to  go  to  Puget  Sound.  This  is  a  better  country  than 
the  Willamette  Valley.  All  the  good  land  is  taken  up  there;  but  in  the  Sound 
region  you  can  have  the  pick  of  the  best.  The  settlers  on  Puget  Sound  have 
cut  a  road  through  Natchess  Pass,  and  you  can  go  direct  from  the  Columbia 
through  the  Cascade  Mountains,  thus  avoiding  the  more  wearisome  trip  through 
the  mountains  over  the  Barlow  route  to  Portland,  and  then  down  the  Columbia 
to  Cowlitz  River,  and  then  over  a  miserable  road  to  Puget  Sound.' 

"A  word  about  the  Sargents.  Asher  Sargent  and  his  son  Nelson  left 
Indiana  in  1849  for  California.  The  next  year  they  drifted  northward  to  the 
northern  part  of  Oregon,  on  Puget  Sound.  Some  time  late  in  1850  Nelson  and 
a  number  of  others  were  shipwrecked  on  Queen  Charlotte  Island,  and  remained 
among  the  savages  for  several  months.  The  father,  not  hearing  from  the  son, 
supposed  he  was  lost,  and  in  1851  returned  to  Indiana.  Being  rescued  in  time. 
Nelson  wrote  home  that  he  was  safe;  so  in  the  Spring  of  1853  the  Sargents, 
Longmires,  Van  Ogles,  and  possibly  some  others  from  Indiana,  started  for 
Oregon.  Somewhere  on  the  Platte  the  Bileses  (two  families).  Bakers  (two 
families),  Downeys,  Kincaids,  my  father's  family  (Tyrus  Himes),  John  Dodge 
and  family — John  Dodge  did  the  stone  work  on  the  original  Territorial  Uni- 
versity Building  at  Seattle;  Tyrus  Himes  was  the  first  boot  and  shoe  maker 
north  of  the  Columbia  River ;  James  Biles  was  the  first  tanner,  and  a  lady, 
Mrs.  Frazier,  was  the  first  milliner  and  dressmaker — all  met  and  journeyed 
westward  peaceably  together,  all  bound  for  Willamette  Valley.  The  effect  of 
Nelson  Sargent's  presence  and  portrayal  of  the  magnificent  future  of  Puget 
Sound  caused  most  members  of  this  company  of  140  or  more  persons,  or  the 
leaders  thereof,  James  Biles  being  the  most  conspicuous,  to  follow  his  (Sar- 
gent's) leadership.  At  length  the  Umatilla  camp  ground  was  reached,  which 
was  situated  about  three  miles  below  the  present  city  of  Pendleton.  From 
that  point  the  company  headed  for  old  Fort  Walla  Walla  (Wallula  of  today), 
on  the  Columbia  River.  It  was  understood  that  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in 
crossing,  but  no  boat  was  found.  Hence,  a  flatboat  was  made  by  whipsawing 
lumber  out  of  driftwood.  Then  we  went  up  the  Yakima  River,  crossing  it 
eight  times.  Then  to  the  Natchess  River,  through  the  sagebrush,  frequently 
as  high  as  a  covered  wagon,  which  had  to  be  cut  down  before  we  could  pass 
through  it.  On  September  15th  we  reached  the  mountains  and  found  that 
there  was  no  road,  nothing  but  an  Indian  trail  to  follow.     Indeed,  there  was 


206  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

no  road  whatever  after  leaving  the  Cokmibia,  and  nothing  but  a  trail  from  the 
Umatilla  to  the  Columbia;  and  being  an  open  country,  we  had  no  particular 
difficulty  in  making  headway,  but  I  remember  all  hands  felt  quite  serious  the 
night  we  camped  in  the  edge  of  the  timber,  the  first  of  any  consequence  that 
we  had  seen,  on  the  night  of  the  15th  of  September.  Sargent  said  he  knew 
the  settlers  had  started  to  make  a  road,  and  could  not  understand  why  it  was 
not  completed ;  and  since  his  parents,  brother  and  sisters  were  in  the  company, 
most  of  us  believed  that  he  did  not  intend  to  deceive.  However,  there  was  no 
course  to  pursue  but  to  go  forward.  So  we  pushed  on  as  best  we  could,  follow- 
ing the  bed  of  the  stream  part  of  the  time,  first  on  one  bank  and  then  on  the 
other.  Every  little  ways  we  would  reach  a  point  too  difficult  to  pass ;  then  we 
would  go  to  the  high  ground  and  cut  our  way  through  the  timber,  frequently 
not  making  more  than  two  or  three  miles  a  day.  Altogether,  the  Natchess  was 
crossed  sixty-eight  times.  On  this  journey  there  was  a  stretch  of  fifty  miles 
without  a  blade  of  grass  the  sole  subsistence  of  cattle  and  horses  being  browse 
from  young  maple  and  alder  trees,  which  was  not  very  filling,  to  say  the  least. 
In  making  the  road  every  person  from  ten  years  old  up  lent  a  hand,  and  there 
is  where  your  humble  servant  had  his  first  lessons  in  trail  making,  bare  footed 
to  boot,  but  not  much,  if  any,  worse  off  than  many  others.  It  was  certainly  a 
strenuous  time  for  the  women,  and  many  were  the  forebodings  indulged  in  as 
to  the  probability  of  getting  safely  through.  One  woman,  'Aunt  Pop,'  as  she 
was  called — one  of  the  Woolery  women — would  break  down  and  shed  tears 
now  and  then ;  but  in  the  midst  of  her  weeping  she  would  rally,  and  by  some 
quaint  remark  or  funny  story,  would  cause  everybody  in  her  vicinity  to  forget 
their   troubles. 

"In  due  time  the  summit  of  the  Cascades  was  reached.  Here  there  was  a 
small  prairie — really,  it  was  an  old  burn  that  had  not  grown  up  to  timber  of 
any  size.  Now  it  was  October,  about  the  8th  of  the  month,  and  bitter  cold 
to  the  youth  with  bare  feet  and  fringed  pants  extending  half-way  down  from 
knees  to  feet.  My  father  and  the  teams  had  left  camp  and  gone  across  the 
little  burn,  where  most  of  the  company  was  assembled,  apparently  debating 
about  the  next  movement  to  make.  And  no  wonder;  for  as  we  came  across  we 
saw  the  cause  of  the  delay.  For  a  sheer  thirty  feet  or  more  there  was  an 
almost  perpendicular  bluff,  and  the  only  way  to  go  forward  was  by  that  way, 
as  was  demonstrated  by  an  examination  all  about  the  vicinity.  Heavy  timber 
at  all  other  points  precluded  the  possibility  of  getting  on  by  any  other  route. 
So  the  longest  rope  in  the  company  was  stretched  down  the  cliff,  leaving  just 
enough  to  be  used  twice  around  a  small  tree  which  stood  on  the  brink  of  the 
precipice-;  but  it  was  found  to  be  altogether  too  short.  Then  James  Biles 
said :  'Kill  one  of  the  poorest  of  my  steers  and  make  his  hide  into  a  rope  and 
attach  it  to  the  one  you  have.'  Three  animals  were  slaughtered  before  a  rope 
could  be  secured  long  enough  to  let  the  wagons  down  to  a  point  where  they 
would  stand  up.  Then  one  yoke  of  oxen  was  hitched  to  a  wagon,  and,  by 
locking  all  wheels  and  hitching  on  small  logs  with  projecting  limbs,  it  was 
taken  down  to  a  stream  then  known  as  'Greenwater.'  It  took  the  best  part  of 
two  days  to  make  this  descent.  There  were  thirty-six  wagons  belonging  to  the 
company,  but  two  of  them  with  a  small  quantity  of  provisions,  were  wrecked 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  207 

on  this  hill.  The  wagons  could  have  been  dispensed  with  without  much  loss. 
Not  so  the  provisions,  scanty  as  they  were,  as  the  company  came  to  be  in  sore 
straits  for  food  before  the  White  River  prairie  was  reached,  probably  South 
Prairie  of  today,  where  food  supplies  were  first  obtained,  consisting  of  potatoes 
without  salt  for  the  first  meal.  Another  trying  experience  was  the  ascent  of 
Mud  Mountain  in  a  drenching  rain,  with  the  strength  of  a  dozen  yoke  of  oxen 
attached  to  one  wagon,  with  scarcely  anything  in  it  save  camp  equipment,  and 
taxing  the  strength  of  the  teams  to  the  utmost.  But  all  trials  came  to  an  end 
when  the  company  reached  a  point  six  miles  from  Steilacoom,  about  October 
17th,  and  got  some  good,  fat  beef  and  plenty  of  potatoes,  and  even  flour,  mainly 
through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  W.  F.  Tolmie.  The  change  from  salmon  skins 
was  gratifying. 

"And  now  a  word  about  the  wagon  road  that  had  been  cut  through  to 
Greenwater.  There,  it  seems,  according  to  a  statement  made  to  me  a  number 
of  years  ago  by  James  Longmire,  and  confirmed  by  W.  O.  Bush,  one  of  the 
workers,  an  Indian  from  the  east  side  of  the  mountains,  met  the  road  workers, 
who  inquired  of  him  whether  there  was  any  'Boston  men'  coming  through. 
He  replied,  'Wake' — no.  Further  inquiry  satisfied  the  road  builders  that  the 
Indian  was  truthful,  hence  they  at  once  returned  to  the  settlements,  only  to 
be  greatly  astonished  two  weeks  later  to  find  a  weary,  bedraggled,  forlorn, 
hungry  and  footsore  company  of  people  of  both  sexes,  from  the  babe  in  arms — 
my  sister  was  perhaps  the  youngest,  eleven  months  old,  when  we  ceased  travel- 
ing— to  the  man  of  fifty-five  years,  but  all  rejoicing  to  think  that  after  trials 
indescribable  they  had  at  last  reached  the  'Promised  Land.' 

"Mrs.  James  Longmire  says  that  soon  after  descending  the  big  hill  from 
the  summif,  perhaps  early  the  next  day,  as  she  was  a  few  hundred  yards  in 
advance  of  the  teams,  leading  her  little  girl  three  years  and  two  months  old, 
and  carrying  her  baby  boy,  then  fifteen  months  old,  she  remembers  meeting 
a  man  coming  toward  the  immigrants  leading  a  pack  animal,  who  said  to  her: 
'Good  God  Almighty,  woman,  where  did  you  com.e  from?  Is  there  any  more? 
Why,  you  can  never  get  through  this  way.  You  will  have  to  turn  back.  There 
is  not  a  blade  of  grass  for  fifty  miles.'  She  replied:  'We  can't  go  back;  we've 
got  to  go  forward.' 

"Soon  he  ascended  the  hill  by  a  long  detour  and  gave  supplies  to  the  immi- 
grants. Mrs.  Longmire  says  she  remembers  hearing  this  man,  called  'Andy,' 
and  is  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  Andy  Burge. 

"When  the  immigrant  party  got  to  a  point  supposed  to  be  about  six  miles 
from  Steilacoom,  or  possibly  near  the  cabin  of  John  Lackey,  it  camped.  Vege- 
tables were  given  them  by  Lackey,  and  also  by  a  man  named  Mahon.  Doctor 
Tolmie  gave  a  beef.  When  that  was  sent  to  the  camp  the  Doctor  gave  it  in 
charge  of  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Woolery — 'Atmt  Pop' — and  instructed  her  to  keep 
it  intact  until  the  two  oldest  men  in  the  company  came  in,  and  that  they  were 
to  djvide  it  evenly.  Soon  a  man  came  with  a  knife  and  said  he  was  going  to 
have  some  meat.  Mrs.  Woolery  said:  'No,  sir.'  He  replied:  'I  am  hungry, 
and  I  am  going  to  have  some  of  it.'  In  response  she  said :  'So  are  the  rest  of 
us  hungry ;  but  that  man  said  I  was  not  to  allow  anyone  to  touch  it  until  the  two 
oldest  men  came  into  camp,  and  they  would  divide   it  evenly.'     He   said:     'I 


208  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

can't  wait  for  that.'  She  said:  'You  will  have  to.'  He  then  said:  'By  what 
authority?'  'There  is  my  authority,'  holding  up  her  fist— she  weighed  a  hun- 
dred pounds  then — and  she  said:  'You  touch  that  meat  and  I'll  take  that  ox 
bow  to  you,'  grabbing  hold  of  one.  The  man  then  subsided.  Soon  the  two 
■oldest  men  came  into  camp.  The  meat  was  divided  according  to  Doctor  Tolmie's 
■directions,  and,  with  the  vegetables  that  had  been  given  by  the  settlers,  all 
hands  had  an  old-fashioned  boiled  supper — the  first  for  many  a  day. 

"I  know  from  experience  just  what  such  a  supper  meant  to  that  camp  and 
.how  it  tasted.  God  bless  that  company.  I  came  to  know  nearly  all  of  them 
personally,  and  a  bigger  hearted  set  never  lived.  They  earned  the  right  to  be 
■called  Pioneers  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  but  a  large  percentage  have  gone 
on  to  pleasant  paths,  where  the  remainder  of  us  are  soon  to  be  joined  in 
■enduring  fellowship." 

In  this  book  Mr.  Meeker  gives  a  story  of  Mr.  Himes,  who  was  the  ten- 
year-old  boy  referred  to,  so  interesting  that  it  also  is  given  here  as  illustrative 
of  those  strenuous  times  of  '53. 

"The  struggle  over  that  ten  miles,  where  to  a  certain  extent  each  party 
became  so  intent  on  its  particular  surroundings  as  to  forget  all  else,  the  women 
and  children  were  left  to  take  care  of  themselves  while  the  husbands  tugged 
at  the  wagons.  I  now  have  in  mind  to  relate  the  experience  of  one  of  these 
mothers  with  a  ten-year-old  boy,  one  child  of  four  years  and  another  of  eight 
months. 

"Part  of  the  time  these  people  traveled  on  the  old  'trail  and  part  on  the 
newly-cut  road,  and  by  some  means  fell  behind  the  wagons,  which  forded  that 
turbulent,  dangerous  stream.  White  River,  before  they  reached  the  bank,  and 
were  out  of  sight,  not  knowing  but  the  woman  and  children  were  ahead. 

"I  wish  every  little  boy  of  ten  years  of  age  of  this  great  state,  or,  for  that 
matter,  twenty  years  old  or  more,  could  read  and  profit  by  what  I  am  now 
going  to  relate,  especially  if  that  little  or  big  boy  at  times  thinks  he  is  having 
a  hard  time  because  he  is  asked  to  help  his  mother  or  father  at  odd  times,  or 
perchance  to  put  in  a  good  solid  day's  work  on  Saturday,  instead  of  spending 
it  as  a  holiday ;  or,  if  he  has  a  cow  to  milk  or  wood  to  split,  or  anything  that  is 
work,  to  make  him  bewail  his  fate  for  having  such  a  hard  lime  in  life.  I  think 
the  reading  of  the  experience  of  this  little  ten-year-old  boy,  with  his  mother 
and  two  smaller  children,  would  encourage  him  to  feel  more  cheerful  and  more 
content  with  his  lot. 

"As  I  have  said,  the  wagons  had  passed  on,  and  there  these  four  people 
were  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  while  their  whole  company  was  on  the 
opposite  bank  and  had  left  them  there  alone. 

"A  large  fallen  tree  reached  across  the  river,  but  the  top  on  the  farther 
side  lay  so  close  to  the  water  that  a  constant  trembling  and  swaying  made  the 
trip  dangerous. 

"Npne  of  them  had  eaten  anything  since  the  previous  day,  and  but  a  scant 
supply  then ;  but  the  boy  resolutely  shouldered  the  four-year-old  and  safely 
deposited  him  on  the  other  side.  He  next  took  the  baby  across,  then  came  the 
mother. 

"  'I  can't  go !'  she  exclaimed ;  'it  makes  me  so  dizzy.' 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  209 

■"'Put  one  hand  over  your  eyes,  mother,  and  take  hold  of  me  with  the 
other,'  said  the  boy ;  and  so  they  began  to  move  out  sideways  on  the  log,  a  half- 
step  at  a  time. 

"  'Hold  steady,  mother ;  we  are  nearly  over.' 

"  'Oh,  I  am  gone !'  was  the  only  response,  as  she  lost  her  balance  and  fell 
into  the  river,  but  happily  so  near  the  farther  bank  that  the  little  boy  was  able 
to  catch  a  bush  with  one  hand  that  hung  over  the  bank,  while  holding  on  to 
his  mother  with  the  other,  and  so  she  was  saved. 

"It  was  then  nearly  dark,  and  without  any  knowledge  of  how  far  it  was 
to  camp,  the  little  party  started  on  the  road,  only  tarrying  long  enough  on  the 
bank  of  the  river  for  the  mother  to  wring  the  water  out  of  her  skirts,  the  boy 
■carrying  the  baby  while  the  four-year-old  walked  beside  his  mother.  After 
nearly  two  miles  of  travel  and  ascending  a  very  steep  hill,  it  being  now  dark, 
the  glimmer  of  camp  lights  came  in  view;  but  the  mother  could  see  nothing, 
for  she  fell  senseless,  utterly  prostrated. 

"I  have  been  up  and  down  that  hill  a  number  of  times,  and  do  not  wonder 
"the  poor  woman  fell  senseless  after  the  effort  to  reach  the  top.  The  great 
vi^onder  is  that  she  should  have  been  able  to  go  as  far  as  she  did.  The  incident 
illustrates  how  the  will  power  can  nerve  one  up  to  extraordinary  achievements, 
hut  when  the  object  is  attained  and  the  danger  is  past,  then  the  power  is 
measurably  lost,  as  in  this  case,  when  the  good  woman  came  to  know  they  were 
safe.  The  boy  hurried  his  two  little  brothers  into  camp,  calling  for  help  to 
rescue  his  mother.  The  appeal  was  promptly  responded  to,  the  woman  being 
■carried  into  camp  and  tenderly  cared  for  until  she  revived. 

"Being  asked  if  he  did  not  want  something  to  eat,  the  boy  said  'he  had 
forgot  all  about  it,'  and  further,  'he  didn't  see  anything  to  eat,  anyway;'  where- 
upon someone  with  a  stick  began  to  uncover  some  roasted  potatoes,  which 
he  has  decided  was  the  best  meal  he  had  ever  eaten,  even  to  this  day. 

"This  is  a  plain  recital  of  actual  occurrences,  without  exaggeration,  obtained 
from  the  parties  themselves  and  corroborated  by  numerous  living  witnesses." 

Aside  from  the  interest  which  gathers  around  the  immigration  of  1853 
itself,  there  are  two  other  special  associations  which  make  the  year  memorable. 
One  of  these  is  indicated  by  the  words  upon  the  Wenas  monument,  that  is, 
"McClellan's  Headquarters." 

In  1853  George  B.  McClellan,  subsequently  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  in  charge  of  an  engineering  party  seeking  a  railroad 
route  through  the  Cascades.  Governor  I.  I.  Stevens,  the  first  Governor  of 
Washington  Territory,  had  formed  the  far-seeing  conception  of  a  great 
■northern  railroad.  With  tremendous  energy  he  entered  upon  the  exploration  of 
such  ?  route.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  route  of  the  present  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  follows  nearly  the  course  which  Governor  Stevens  outlined 
at  that  time.  McClellan  was  in  command  of  one  of  the  parties  under  Stevens. 
In  view  of  their  subsequent  relations,  McClellan  the  commander  and  Stevens 
the  subordinate,  it  is  interesting  to  recall  that  at  various  places  Stevens  rebukes 
McClellan  for  lack  of  bold  enterprise  in  carrying  on  the  survey.  In  the  Civil 
War,  it  will  be  recalled,  McClellan  failed  as  commander  against  Lee,  through 


210  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

excess  of  caution,  while  Stievens  died  as  a  hero,  perhaps  as  the  result  of  an 
excess  of  boldness,  upon  the  bloody  field  of  Chantilly. 

The  other  connection  with  1853  in  Yakima  is  found  in  that  incomparable 
book,  "Canoe  and  Saddle,"  by  Theodore  Winthrop.  Winthrop  made  a  journey 
alone  except  for  Indians,  some  of  whom  were  eager  to  help  him  "shuffle  ofif  this 
mortal  coil,"  from  Port  Townsend  to  The  Dalles  via  the  "Nachchese"  (as  he 
spells  it),  "Atinam"  (as  he  spells  that),  and  the  "Klickatat"  (as  he  spells  that), 
to  The  Dalles.  This  is  altogether  the  most  brilliant  book  written  by  any  traveler 
through  Old  Oregon,  and  is  in  the  same  class  in  literature  with  Irving's  eloquent 
descriptions  of  scenes  which  he  did  not  see. 

WINTHROP'S  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  SCENERY  AND  OF  ADVENTURES. 

A  chapter  from  "Canoe  and  Saddle,"  describing  some  scenery  of  very- 
high  order,  and  also  some  adventures  which  came  near  to  being  of  very  low 
order,  may  interest  our  readers  just  at  this  stage  of  the  story. 

"People,  cloddish,  stagnant,  and  mundane,  such  as  most  of  us  are,  pretend 
to  prefer  sunset  to  sunrise,  just  as  we  fancy  the  past  greater  than  the  present,, 
and  repose  nobler  than  action.  Few  are  radical  enough  in  thought  to  per- 
ceive the  great  equalities  of  beauty  and  goodness  in  phenomena  of  nature  or 
conditions  of  life.  Now,  I  saw  a  sunrise  after  my  night  by  the  Nachchese^ 
which,  on  the  side  of  sunrise,  it  is  my  duty  to  mention. 

"Having,  therefore,  put  in  my  fact,  that  on  a  morning  of  August,  in  the 
latter  half  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  sunrise  did  its  duty  with  splendor,  I  have 
also  done  my  duty  as  an  observer.  The  simple  statement  of  a  fact  is  enough 
for  the  imaginative,  who  will  reproduce  it  for  themselves,  according  to  their 
experience ;  the  docile  unimaginative  will  buy  alarm-clocks  and  study  dawns. 
Yet  I  give  a  few  coarse  details  as  a  work  of  supererogation. 

"If  I  had  slept  but  faintly,  the  cobble-stones  had  purveyed  me  a  substitute 
for  sleep  by  hammering  me  senseless;  so  that  when  the  chill  before  dawn  smote 
me,  and  I  became  conscious,  I  felt  that  I  needed  consolation.  Consolation 
came.  I  saw  over  against  me,  across  the  river,  a  hill,  blue  as  hope,  and  seem- 
ingly far  away  in  the  gray  distance.  Light  flushed  upward  from  the  horizon,, 
meeting  no  obstacles  of  cloud,  to  be  kindled  and  burnt  away  into  white  ashi- 
ness.  Light  came  up  the  valley  over  the  dark,  surging  hills.  Full  in  the  teeth 
of  the  gale  it  came,  strong  in  its  delicacy,  surely  victorious,  as  a  fine  scimitar 
against  a  blundering  bludgeon.  Where  light  and  wind  met  on  the  crest  of  an 
earth  billow,  there  the  hill  opposite  was  drawing  nearer,  and  all  the  deep 
scintillating  purple,  rich  as  the  gold  powdered  robe  of  an  Eastern  queen.  As 
daylight  grew  older,  it  was  strong  enough  to  paint  detail  without  sacrificing- 
efifect;  the  hill  took  its  place  of  neighborhood,  upright  and  bold,  a  precipitous 
front  of  warm,  brown  basalt,  with  long  cavities,  freshly  cleft,  where  prisms 
had  fallen,  striping  the  brown  with  yellow.  First  upon  the  summit  of  this  cliflf 
the  sunbeams  alighted.  Thence  they  pounced  upon  the  river,  and  were  whirled 
along  upon  its  breakers,  carrying  light  down  to  flood  the  valley.  In  the  vigorous 
atmosphere  of  so  brilliant  a  daybreak  I  divined  none  of  the  difficulties  that 
were  before  sunset  to  befall  me. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  211 

"By  this  we  were  in  the  saddle,  following  the  sunlight  rush  of  the  stream. 
Stiffish.  after  passing  the  night  hobbled,  were  the  steeds,  as  bruised  after  boulder 
beds  were  the  cavaliers.  But  Loolowcan,  the  unimpassioned,  was  now  aroused. 
Here  was  the  range  of  his  nomad  life.  Anywhere  hereabouts  he  might  have 
had  his  first  practice  lessons  in  horse  stealing.  His  foot  was  on  his  native 
bunch-grass.  Those  ridges  far  away  to  the  northeast  must  be  passed  to  reach 
Weenas.  Beyond  those  heights,  to  the  far  south,  is  Atinam,  and  'Le  Play 
House,'  the  mission.  Thus  far  time  and  place  have  made  good  the  description 
of  the  eloquent  Owhhigh. 

"Presently,  in  a  small  plain  appeared  a  horse,  hobbled  and  lone  as  a  loon  on 
a  lake.  Have  we  acquired  another  masterless  estray?  Not  so.  Loolowcan 
uttered  a  peculiar  trilobated  yelp,  and  forth  from  an  ambush,  where  he  had 
dodged,  crept  the  shabbiest  man  in  the  world.  Shabby  are  old-clo'  men  in  the 
slums  of  Brummagem;  shabbier  yet  are  Mormons  at  the  tail  of  an  emigration. 
But  among  the  seediest  ragamuffins  in  the  most  unsavory  corners  I  have  known, 
I  find  no  object  that  can  compare  with  this  root-digging  Klickatat,  as  at  Loo- 
lowcan's  signal-yelp  he  crept  from  his  lair  among  the  willows.  His  attire  merits 
attention  as  the  worst  in  the  world. 

"The  moccasins  of  Shabbiest  had  been  long  ago  another's,  probably  many 
another  Klickatat's.  Many  a  coyote  had  appropriated  them  after  they  were 
thrown  away  as  defunct,  and,  after  gnawing  them  in  selfish  solitude,  every 
coyote  had  turned  away  unsatisfied  with  their  flavor.  Then  Shabbiest  stepped 
forward,  and  claimed  the  treasure  trove.  He  must  have  had  a  decayed 
ingenuity ;  otherwise  how  with  thongs,  with  willow  twigs,  with  wisps  of  grass 
and  persistent  gripe  of  toe,  did  he  compel  those  tattered  footpads  to  remain 
among  his  adherents? 

"Breeches  none  had  Shabbiest ;  leggins  none ;  shirt  equally  none  to  speak  of. 
But  a  coat  he  had,  and  one  of  many  colors.  Days  before,  on  the  water  of  Whulge, 
I  had  seen  a  sad  coat  on  the  back  of  that  rusty  and  fuddled  chieftain,  the  Duke 
of  York.  Nature  gently  tempers  our  experience  to  us  as  we  are  able  to  bear. 
The  Duke's  coat  was  my  most  deplorable  vision  in  coats  until  its  epoch,  but  it 
had  educated  me  to  lower  possibilities.  Ages  ago,  when  this  coat  was  a  new 
and  lively  snuf¥-co!or,  Garrick  was  on  the  stage.  Goldsmith  was  buying  his 
ridiculous  peach-blossom,  in  shape  like  this,  if  this  were  ever  shapely.  In 
the  odors  that  exhaled  from  it  there  seemed  an  under  stratum  of  London  coffee- 
houses. Who  knows  but  He  of  Bolt  Court,  slovenly  He  of  the  Dictionary, 
may  not  have  been  guilty  of  its  primal  grease  spot?  And  then  how  that  habili- 
ment became  of  a  duller  snuiT-color;  how  grease-spots  oozed  each  into  its 
inheritors,  after  familiarizing  it  with  the  gutter,  pawned  it  one  foggy  November 
day,  when  London  was  swallowing  cold  pea-soup  instead  of  atmosphere ;  how, 
the  pawner  never  coming  to  redeem,  the  pawnee  sold  it  to  an  American  prisoner 
of  the  Revolution,  to  carry  home  with  him  to  Boston,  his  native  village  ;  how  a 
degraded  scion  of  the  family  became  the  cook  of  Mr.  Astor's  ill-fated  ship,  the 
Tonquin,  and  swopped  it  with  a  Chinook  chief  for  four  otterskins;  and  how 
from  shabby  Chinook  to  shabbier  it  had  passed,  until  Shabbiest  got  it  at  last ; 
all  these  adventures,  every  eventful  scene  in  this  historic  drama,  was  written 
in   multiform    inscription    all    over    this    time-stained    ruin,    so    that    an    expert 


212  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

observer  might  read  the  tale  as  a  geologist  reads  eras  of  the  globe  in  a  slab  of 
fossiliferous  limestone. 

"Such  was  the  attire  of  Shabbiest,  and  as  such  he  began  a  powwow  with 
Loolowcan.  The  compatriots  talked  emphatically,  with  the  dull  impulsiveness, 
the  calm  fury,  of  Indians.  I  saw  that  I,  my  motions,  and  my  purposes,  were 
the  subject  of  their  discourse.  Meanwhile  I  stood  by,  somewhat  bored,  and  a 
little  curious. 

"At  last,  he  of  the  historical  coat  turned  to  me,  and,  raising  his  arms,  one 
sleeveless,  one  fringed  with  rags  at  the  shoulder,  delivered  at  me  a  harangue, 
in  the  most  jerky  and  broken  Chinook.  Given  in  broken  English,  correspond- 
ing, its  purport  was  as  follows: — 

"Shabbiest  loquitur,  in  a  naso-guttural  choke :  'What  you  white  man  want 
get  'em  here  ?  Why  him  no  stay  Boston  country  ?  Me  stay  my  country ;  no 
ask  you  come  here.  Too  much  soldier  man  go  all  round  everywhere.  Too 
much  make  pop-gun.  Him  say  kill  bird,  kill  bear — sometime  him  kill  Indian. 
Soldier  man  too  much  shut  eye,  open  eye  at  squaw.  Squaw  no  like;  s'pose 
squaw  like,  Indian  man  no  like  nohow.  Me  no  understand  white  man.  Plenty 
good  thing  him  country ;  plenty  blanket ;  plenty  gun ;  plenty  powder ;  plenty 
horse.  Indian  country  plenty  nothing.  No  good  Weenas  give  you  horse.  No 
good  Loolowcan  go  Dalles.  Bad  Indian  there.  Smallpox  there.  Very  much 
all  bad.  Me  no  like  white  man  nohow.  S'pose  go  away,  me  like.  Me  think 
all  some  pretty  fine  good.  You  big  chief,  got  plenty  thing.  Indian  poor,  no 
got  nothing.  Howdydo?  Howdydo?  Want  swop  coat?  Want  swop  horse? 
S'pose  give  Indian  plenty  thing  much  good.  Much  very  big  good  great  chief 
white  man!' 

"  'Indignant  sagamore,'  replied  I,  in  mollifying  tones,  'you  do  indeed  mis- 
understand us  blanketeers.  We  come  hither  as  friends  for  peace.  No  war  is 
in  our  hearts,  but  kindly  civilizing  influences.  If  you  resist,  you  must  be  civilized 
out  of  the  way.  We  should  regret  your  removal  from  these  prairies  of  Weenas, 
for  we  do  not  see  where  in  the  world  you  can  go  and  abide,  since  we  occupy 
the  Pacific  shore  and  barricade  you  from  free  drowning  privileges.  Succumb 
gracefully,  therefore,  to  your  fate,  my  representative  redskin.  Do  not  scowl 
when  soldier  men,  searching  for  railroads,  repose  their  seared  and  disappointed 
eyeballs  by  winking  at  your  squaws.  Do  not  long  for  pitfalls  when  their  cavalry 
plod  over  your  kamas  swamps.  Believe  all  same  very  much  good.  Howdydo? 
Howdydo?  No  swop!  I  cannot  do  you  the  injustice  of  swopping  this  buck- 
skin f.hirt  of  mine,  embroidered  with  porcupine  quills,  for  that  distinguished 
garment  of  yours.  Nor  horse  can  I  sivop  in  fairness ;  mine  are  weary  from 
travel,  and  accustomed  for  a  few  days  to  influences  of  mercy.  But,  as  a  memo- 
rial of  this  pleasant  interview  and  a  testimonial  to  your  eloquent  speech,  I 
should  be  complimented  if  you  would  accept  a  couple  of  charges  of  powder.' 

"And,  suiting  act  to  word,  I  poured  him  out  powder,  which  he  received 
in  a  buckskin  rag,  and  concealed  in  some  shabby  den  of  his  historic  coat.  Shab- 
biest seemed  actually  grateful.  Two  charges  of  powder  were  like  two  soup 
tickets  to  a  starving  man, — two  dinners  inevitably,  and  possibly,  according  to 
the  size  of  his  mark,  many  dinners,  were  in  that  black  dust.  He  now  asked 
to  see  my  six-shooter,  which  Loolowcan  had  pointed  at  during  their  vernacular 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  213 

confidence.  He  examined  it  curiously,  handling  it  with  some  apprehension, 
as  a  bachelor  does  a  baby. 

"  'Wake  nika  kunitux  ocook  tenas  musket.  Pose  mika  maniook  po,  ikta 
mika  memloose ; — I  no  understand  that  little  musket.  Suppose  you  make  shoot, 
how  many  you  kill?'  he  asked.  ' 

"  'Hin,  pose  moxt  tahtilum.  Many,  perhaps  two  tens,'I  said,  with  mild 
confidence. 

"This  was  evidently  impressive.  'Hyas  tamanous ;  big  magic,'  said  both. 
'Wake  cultus  ocook ;  no  trifler  that  1' 

"We  parted,  Shabbiest  to  his  diggings,  we  to  our  trail.  Hereupon  Loolow- 
can's  tone  changed  more  and  more.  His  old  terrors,  real  or  pretended,  awoke. 
He  feared  The  Dalles.  It  was  a  long  journey,  and  I  was  in  such  headlong 
haste.  And  how  could  he  return  from  The  Dalles,  had  we  once  arrived?  Could 
the  son  of  Owhhigh  foot  it?    Never!     Never!     Would  I  give  him  a  horse? 

"Obviously  not  at  all  would  I  give  a  horse  to  the  new-fledged  dignitary,  1 
informed  him,  cooling  my  wrath  at  these  bulbous  indications  of  treachery,  nur- 
tured by  the  talk  of  Shabbiest,  and  ready  to  grow  into  a  full-blown  Judas-tree 
if  encouraged.  At  last,  by  way  of  incitement  to  greater  diligence  in  procuring 
fresh  horses  for  me  from  the  bands  at  Weenas,  I  promised  to  hire  one  for  his 
return  journey.  But  Loolowcan  the  Mistrusted,  watching  me  with  disloyal 
eyes  from  under  his  matted  hair,  became  doubly  doubted  by  me  now. 

"We  turned  northward,  clomb  a  long,  rough  ridge,  and  viewed  beyond,  a 
valley  bare  and  broad.  A  strip  of  Cottonwood  and  shrubs  in  the  middle 
announced  a  river,  Weenas.  This  was  the  expected  locale;  would  the  personnel 
be  as  stationary?  Rivers,  as  it  pleases  nature,  may  run  away  forever  without 
escaping.  Camps  of  Nomad  Klickaltats;  are  more  evasive.  The  people  o£ 
Owhhigh,  driving  the  horses  of  Owhhigh,  might  have  decamped.  What,  then, 
Loolowcan,  son  of  a  horse-thief?  Can  your  talents  aid  me  in  substituting  a 
fresher  for  Gubbins  drooping  for  thy  maltreatment? 

"Far  away  down  the  valley,  where  I  could  see  them  only  as  one  sees  lost 
Pleiads  with  telescopic  vision,  were  a  few  white  specks.  Surely  the  tents  of 
Boston  soldier  tilicum,  winkers  at  squaws  and  thorns  in  the  side  of  Shabbiest, — 
a  refuge  if  need  be  there,  thought  I,  Loolowcan  turned  away  to  the  left,  leading 
me  into  the  upper  valley. 

"We  soon  discovered  the  fact,  whatever  its  future  worth  might  be,  that 
horses  were  feeding  below.  Presently  a  couple  of  lodgers  defined  themselves 
rustily  against  the  thickets  of  Weenas.  A  hundred  horses,  roans,  calicos,  sorrels, 
iron-grays,  blacks  and  whites,  were  nipping  bunch  grass  on  the  plain.  My  weary 
trio,  wearier  this  hot  morning  for  the  traverse  of  the  burnt  and  shaggy  ridge 
above  Weenas,  were  enlivened  at  sight  of  their^  fellows,  and  sped  toward  them 
companionably.  But  the  wild  cavalcade,  tossing  disdainful  heads  and  neighing 
loudly,  dashed  off  in  a  rattling  stampede;  then  paused  curiously  till  we  came 
near  and  then  were  off  again,  the  lubberly  huddling  along  far  in  the  rear  of 
the  front  caracolers. 

"We  dismounted,  and  tethered  our  wayfarers  each  to  a  bush,  where  he 
might  feed,  but  not  fly  away  to  saddleless  freedom  with  the  wild  prairie  band. 
We  entered  the  nearer  and  larger  of  the  two  lodges. 


214  .  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"Worldlings,  whether  in  palaces  of  Cosmopolis  or  lodges  of  the  Siwashes, 
do  not  burn  incense  before  the  absolute  stranger.  He  must  first  establish  his 
claims  to  attention.  No  one  came  forth  from  the  lodges  to  greet  us.  No  one 
showed  any  sign  of  curiosity  or  welcome  as  we  entered.  Squalid  were  these 
huts  of  squalid  tenancy.  Architecture  does  not  prevail  as  yet  on  the  American 
continent,  and  perhaps  less  among  the  older  races  of  the  western  regions  than 
among  the  newer  comers  Bostonward.  These  habitations  were  structures  of 
roughly  split  boards,  leaning  upon  a  ridge-pole. 

"FiVe  foul  copper  heads  and  bodies  of  men  lurked  among  the  plunder  of 
that  noisome  spot.  Several  squaws  were  searching  for  gray  hairs  in  the  heads 
of  several  children.  One  infant,  evidently  malcontent,  was  being  fiat  headed. 
This  fashionable  martyr  was  papoosed  in  a  tight  swathing  wicker-work  case. 
A  broad  pad  of  buckskin  compressed  its  facile  skull  and  brain  beneath.  If 
there  is  any  reason  why  the  Northwest  Indians  should  adopt  the  configuration 
of  idiots,  none  such  is  known  to  me.  A  roundhead  Klickatat  woman  would  be 
a  pariah.  The  ruder  sex  are  not  quite  so  elaborately  beautified,  or  possibly 
their  brains  assert  themselves  more  actively  in  later  life  against  the  distortion 
of  childhood.  The  Weenas  papoose,  victim  of  aboriginal  ideas  in  the  plastic 
art,  was  hung  up  in  a  corner  of  the  lodge,  and  but  for  the  blinking  of  its  beady 
black  eyes,  almost  crowded  out  of  its  head  by  the  tight  pad,  and  now  and  then 
a  feeble  howl  of  distress,  I  should  have  thought  it  a  laughable  image,  the  pet 
fetish  of  these  shabby  devotees.  Sundry  mats,  blankets,  skins  'and  dirty  miscel- 
lanies furnished  this  populous  abode. 

"Loolowcan  was  evidently  at  home  among  these  compatriots,  frowzier  even 
than  he.  He  squatted  among  them,  sans  gene,  and  lighted  his  pipe/  One  of  the 
ladies  did  the  honors,  and  motioned  me  to  a  seat  upon  a  rusty  bear  skin.  It 
instantly  began  biting  me  virulently  through  my  corduroys ;  whereat  I  exchanged 
it  for  a  mat,  soon  equally  carnivorous.  Odors  very  villainous  had  made  their 
settlement  in  this  congenial  spot.  An  equine  fragrance  such  as  no  essence  could 
have  overcome,  pervaded  the  masculine  group.  From  the  gynaeceum  came  a 
perfume,  hard  to  decipher,  until  I  bethought  me  how  Governor  Ogden,  at  Fort 
Vancouver  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  with  a  cruelly  waggish  wink  to  me, 
had  persuaded  the  commissary  of  the  railroad  party  to  buy  twelve  dozen  quarts 
of  Macassar,  as  presents  for  the  Indians. 

"  'Fair  and  softly'  is  the  motto  of  a  Siwash  negotiation.  Why  should  they, 
in  their  monotonous  lives,  sacrifice  a  new  sensation  by  hurry? 

"The  five  copper-skins  first  eyed  me  over  with  lazy  thoroughness.  They 
noted  my  arms  and  equipment.  When  they  had  thus  taken  my  measure  by  the 
eye,  they  appealed  to  my  guide  for  historical  facts ;  they  would  know  my 
whence,  my  whither,  my  wherefore,  and  his  share  in  my  past  and  my  future. 

"Loolowcan  droned  a  sluggish  tale,  to  whose  points  of  interest  they  grunted 
applause  between  pufifs  of  smoke.  Then  there  was  silence  and  a  tendency 
toward  slumber  declared  itself  among  them ;  their  minds  needed  repose  after 
so  unusual  a  feast  of  ideas.  Here  I  protested.  I  expressed  my  emphatic  sur- 
prise to  Loolowcan,  that  he  was  not  urgent  in  fulfilling  the  injunctions  of  my 
friend  the  mighty  Owhhigh,  and  his  own  agreement  to  procure  horses,  the 
quadrupeds  were  idle,  and  I  was  good  pay.     A  profitable  bargain  was  possible. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  215 

"The  spokesman  of  the  party,  and  apparently  owner  of  the  lodge  and 
horses,  was  an  olyman  Siwash,  an  old  savage,  totally  unwashed  from  boyhood 
up,  and  dressed  in  dirty  buckskin.  Loolowcan,  in  response  to  my  injunctions 
appealed  to  him.  Olyman  declined  expediting  me.  He  would  not  lend,  nor 
swop,  nor  sell  horses.  There  was  no  mode  for  the  imparting  of  horses,  tem- 
porarily or  permanently,  that  pleased  him.  His  sentiments  on  the  subject  of 
Boston  visitors  were  like  those  of  Shabbiest.  All  my  persuasions  he  qualified 
as  'Cultus  wah  wah ;  idle  talk."  Not  very  polite  are  thy  phrases,  Olyman,  head- 
man of  Stenchville  on  Weenas.  At  the  same  time  he  and  the  four  in  chorus 
proposed  to  Loolowcan  to  abandon  me.  Olyman  alone  talked  Chinook  jargon ; 
the  other  four  sat,  involved  in  their  dirty  cotton  shirts,  waiting  for  interpreta- 
tion, and  purred  assent  or  dissent, — yea,  to  all  the  insolence  of  Olyman ;  nay,  to 
every  suggestion  of  mine.  Toward  me  and  my  plans  the  meeting  was  evidently 
sulky  and  inclement. 

"Loolowcan,  however,  did  not  yet  desert  his  colors.  He  made  the  supple- 
mentary proposition  that  Olyman  should  hire  us  a  sumpter  horse,  on  which  he, 
the  luxurious  Loolowcan,  disdainer  of  pedestrians,  might  prance  back  from 
the  far-away  Dalles.  I  was  very  willing  on  any  conditions  to  add  another 
quadruped  to  my  trio.  They  all  flagged  after  the  yesterday's  work,  and  Gubbins 
seemed  ready  to  fail. 

"While  this  new  question  was  pending,  a  lady  came  to  my  aid.  The  prettiest 
and  wisest  of  the  squaws  paused  in  her  researches,  and  came  forward  to  join 
the  council.  This  beauty  of  the  Klickatats  thought  hiring  the  horse  an  admirable 
scheme.  'Loolowcan,'  said  she,  'can  take  the  consideration-money  and  buy  me 
"ikta,"  what  not,  at  The  Dalles.'  This  suggestion  of  the  Light  of  the  Harem 
touched  Olyman.  He  rose,  and  commanded  the  assistance  of  the  shirt-clad 
quartette.  They  loungingly  surrounded  the  band  of  horses,  and  with  whoops 
and  throwing  of  stones  drove  them  into  a  corral,  near  the  lodges.  Olyman  then 
produced  a  hide  lasso,  and  tossed  its  loop  over  the  head  of  a  roan,  the  stereo- 
scopic counterpart  of  Gubbins. 

"Meantime  Loolowcan  had  driven  up  my  horses.  I  ordered  him  to  tie 
Antipodes  and  Gubbins  together  by  the  head  with  my  long  hide  lariat.  The 
manner  of  all  the  Indians  was  so  intolerably  insolent,  that  I  still  expected 
trouble.  My  cavalry,  I  resolved,  should  be  well  in  hand.  I  flung  the  bight  of 
the  lariat  with  a  double  turn  over  the  horn  of  my  saddle  and  held  Klale,  my 
quiet  friend,  by  his  bridle.     My  three  horses  were  thus  under  complete  control. 

"The  roan  was  brought  forward.  But  again  an  evil  genius  among  the 
Indians  interfered,  and  growled  a  few  poisonous  words  into  the  ear  of  Olyman. 
Olyman  doubled  his  demand  for  his  horse.  I  refused  to  be  imposed  upon  with 
an  incautious  expression  of  opinion  on  the  subject.  The  Indians  talked  with 
ferocious  animation  for  a  moment,  and  then  retired  to  the  lodge.  The  women 
and  children  who  had  been  spectators  immediately  in  a  body  marched  off,  and 
disappeared  in  the  thickets.  Ladies  do  not  leave  the  field  when  amicable  enter- 
tainment is  on  the  cards. 

"But  why  should  I  tarry  after  negotiation  had  failed?  I  ordered  Loolow- 
can to  mount  and  lead  the  way.     He  said  nothing,  but  stood  looking  at  me,  as 


216  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

if  I  were  another  and  not  myself,  his  recent  friend  and  comrade.  There  was- 
a  new  cast  of  expression  in  his  dusky  eyes. 

"At  this  moment  the  Indians  came  forth  from  the  lodge.  They  came  along 
in  a  careless,  lounging  way,  but  every  ragamuffin  was  armed.  Three  had  long, 
single-barrel  guns  of  the  Indian  pattern.  One  bore  a  bow  and  arrows.  The 
fifth  carried  a  knife,  half-concealed,  and,  as  he  came  near,  slipped  another 
furtively  into  the  hand  of  Loolowcan. 

"What  next?    A  fight?     Or  a  second  shamfight,  like  that  of  Whulge? 

"I  stood  with  my  back  to  a  bush,  with  my  gun  leaning  against  my  left  arm, 
where  my  bridle  hung;  my  bowie-knife  was  within  convenient  reach,  and  I 
amused  myself  during  these  instants  of  expectancy  by  abstractly  turning  over 
the  cylinder  of  my  revolver.  'Another  adventure,'  I  thought,  'where  this  com- 
pact machine  will  be  available  to  prevent  or  punish.' 

"Loolowcan  now  stepped  forward,  and  made  me  a  brief,  neat  speech,  full 
of  facts.  Meanwhile,  those  five  copper-heads  watched  me,  as  I  have  seen  a 
coterie  of  wolves,  squatted  just  out  of  reach,  watch  a  wounded  buffalo,  who- 
made  front  to  them.  There  was  not  a  word  in  Loolowcan's  speech  about  the 
Great  Spirit,  or  his  Great  Father,  or  the  ancient  wrong  of  the  red  man,  or  the 
hunting-grounds  of  the  blest,  or  fire-water,  or  the  pipe  of  peace.  Nor  was  the 
manner  of  his  oration  lofty,  proud,  and  chieftainly,  as  might  befit  the  son  of 
Owhhigh.  Loolowcan  spoke  like  an  insolent  varlet,  ready  to  be  worse  thaa 
insolent,  and  this  was  the  burden  of  his  lay. 

"  'Wake  nika  klatawah  copa  Dalles ;  I  won't  go  to  Dalles.  Nike  mitlit^- 
Weenas ;  I  stay  Weenas.  Alta  mika  payee  nika  chickamin  pe  ikta ;  now  you  pay 
me  my  money  and  things.' 

"This  was  the  result  then, — my  plan  shot  dead,  my  confidence  betrayed. 
This  frowzy  liar  asking  me  payment  for  his  treachery,  and  backing  his  demand 
with  knives  and  gims! 

"Wrath  mastered  me.     Prudence  fled. 

"I  made  my  brief  rejoinder  speech,  thrusting  into  it  all  the  billingsgate  I 
knew.  My  philippic  ran  thus :  'Kamooks,  mika  klimminwhet ;  dog,  you  have 
lied.  Cultus  Siwash,  wake  Owhhigh  tenas ;  paltry  savage,  no  son  of  Owhhigh ! 
Kallapooya ;  a  Kallapooya  Indian,  a  groveller.  Skudzilai  moot ;  a  nasty  var- 
mint. Tenas  mika  turn  tum;  cowardly  is  thy  heart.  Quash  klatawah  copa 
Dalles ;  afraid  to  go  to  Dalles.  Nika  mamook  paper  copa  squally  tyee  pe  spose- 
mika  chaco  yaquah  yaka  skookoom  mamook  stick;  I  shall  write  a  paper  to  the 
master  of  Nisqually  (if  I  ever  get  out  of  this),  and  suppose  you  go  there,  he 
will  lustily  apply  the  rod.' 

"Loolowcan  winced  at  portions  of  this  discourse.  He  seemed  ready  to- 
pounce  upon  me  with  the  knife  he  grasped. 

"And  now  as  to  pay,  'Hyas  pultin  mika;  a  great  fool  art  thou,  to  suppose 
that  I  can  be  bullied  into  paying  thee  for  bringing  me  out  of  my  way  to  desert 
me.    No  go,  no  pay.' 

"  'Wake  nika  memloose ;  I  no  die  for  the  lack  of  it,'  said  Loolowcan,  witb 
an  air  of  unapproachable  insolence. 

"Having  uttered  my  farewell,  I  waited  to  see  what  these  filthy  braves 
would  do,  after  their  scowling  looks  and  threatening  gestures.     If  battle  comes,. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  2\T 

thou,  O  Loolowcan,  wilt  surely  go  to  some  hunting-grounds  in  the  other  world,, 
whether  blest  or  curst.  Thou  at  least  never  shalt  ride  Gubbins  as  master;, 
never  wallop  Antipodes  as  brutal  master;  nor  in  murderous  revelry  devour  the 
relics  of  my  pork,  my  hardtack,  and  my  tongues.  It  will  be  hard  if  I,  with. 
eight  shots  and  a  slasher,  cannot  make  sure  of  them  to  dance  before  me,  as 
guide,  down  the  defiles  of  purgatory. 

"There  was  an  awkward  pause.  All  the  apropos  remarks  had  been  made 
The  spokesmen  of  civilization  and  barbarism  had  each  had  their  say.  Action 
rather  halted.  No  one  was  willing  to  take  the  initiative.  Whether  the  Stench- 
willians  proposed  to  attack  or  not,  they  certainly  would  not  do  it  while  I  was 
so  thoroughly  on  my  guard.  Colonel  Colt,  quiet  as  he  looked,  represented  to- 
them  an  indefinite  slaughter  power. 

"I  must  myself  make  the  move.  I  threw  Klale's  bridle  over  his  neck,  and,, 
grasping  the  horn,  swung  myself  into  the  saddle,  as  well  as  I  could  with  gun  in 
one  hand  and  pistol  in  the  other. 

"The  Klickatats  closed  in.  One  laid  hold  of  Antipodes.  The  vicious- 
looking  Mephistopheles  with  the  knife  leaped  to  Klale's  head  and  made  a  clutch 
at  the  rein.  But  Colonel  Colt,  with  Cyclopean  eyeball,  was  looking  him  full  in 
the  face.  He  dropped  the  bridle,  and  fell  back  a  step.  I  dug  both  spurs  into 
Klale  with  a  yell.  Antipodes  whirled  and  lashed  at  his  assailant  with  dangerous 
hoofs.     Gubbins  started.     Klale  reared  and  bolted  forward. 

"We  had  scattered  the  attacking  party,  and  were  off." 

So  much  for  Winthrop  and  the  first  movements  through  Yakima. 

THE   PROVISIONAL   GOVERNMENT. 

There  was  one  great  event  in  connection  with  the  era  of  the  Immigrants 
which  may  fittingly  be  stated  here.  For  it,  together  with  the  incoming  of  mis- 
sionaries and  American  home-builders,  may  be  said  to  have  determined  the 
destiny  of  the  country.  This  event  was  the  establishment  of  the  Provisional 
Government  of  Oregon  in  1843.  This  event  of  capital  importance  occurred  indeed- 
before  the  all-important  immigration  of  that  year  reached  Oregon.  But  it  was 
the  natural  sequence  of  the  sparodic  earlier  incomings  of  Americans,  and  it 
may  correctly  be  estimated  as  part  of  the  same  chain  of  events  of  which  the 
immigration  of  1843  was  most  decisive. 

The  coming  of  population,  even  though  in  driblets,  had  created  enough  of 
a  group  of  people  to  demand  some  sort  of  a  government. 

W.  H.  Gray  made  a  summary  of  population  in  1840  to  consist  of  two 
hundred  persons,  of  whom  a  hundred  and  thirty-seven  were  American  and 
sixty-three  Canadian.  Up  to  1839  the  only  law  was  the  rules  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company.  In  that  year  the  Methodist  missionaries  suggested  that  two 
persons  be  named  as  magistrates  to  administer  justice  according  to  the  ordinary 
rules  of  American  law.  This  was  the  first  move  looking  to  American  political 
organization.  In  1830  and  1840  memorials  were  presented  to  the  Senate  by 
Senator  Linn,  of  Missouri,  at  the  request  of  American  settlers,  praying  for 
the  attention  of  Congress  to  their  needs.  But,  not  content  with  lifting  their 
voices  to  the  home  land,  they  proceeded  to  organize   for  themselves. 


218  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

At  that  time,  Champoeg,  a  few  miles  above  the  falls  of  the  Willamette, 
and  located  pleasantly  on  the  east  bank  of  that  river,  was  the  chief  settlement. 
There,  on  the  7th  of  February,  1841,  a  gathering  of  the  settlers  was  held  "for 
the  purpose  of  consulting  upon  steps  necessary  to  be  taken  for  the  formation 
of  laws,  and  the  election  of  officers  to  execute  them."  Jason  Lee,  the  Methodist 
missionary,  was  chairman  of  the  meeting,  and  he  outhned  what  he  deemed  the 
needed  method  of  establishing  a  reign  of  law  and  order.  The  meeting  proved 
rather  a  conference  than  an  organization  and  the  people  dispersed,  to  meet  again 
at  the  call  of  the  chairman. 

A  week  later  an  event  occurred  which  brought  most  forcibly  to  the  minds 
of  the  settlers  the  need  of  better  organization.  This  was  the  death  of  Ewing 
Young,  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  the  little  community.  He  left  con- 
siderable property,  with  no  known  heirs  and  no  one  to  act  as  administrator.  It 
became  clear  that  some  legal  status  must  be  established  for  the  settlement. 
Another  meeting  was  held,  in  which  it  was  determined  that  a  government  be 
instituted,  having  the  officers  usual  in  an  American  locality.  The  work  of 
framing  a  constitution  was  entrusted  to  a  committee,  in  which  the  five  different 
elements,  the  Methodist  missionaries,  the  Catholics,  the  French-Canadians,  the 
independent  American  settlers,  and  the  English,  had  representation.  The  com- 
mittee was  instructed  to  confer  with  Commodore  Wilkes  of  the  American  Ex- 
ploring Squadron,  just  at  that  time  in  the  River,  and  Doctor  McLoughlin,  the 
Hudson's  Bay  magnate.  Wilkes  advised  the  settlers  to  wait  for  added  strength 
and  for  the  United  States  government  to  throw  its  mantle  over  them.  The 
committee  decided  that  his  advice  was  sound  and  indefinitely  adjourned.  Con- 
stitution building  rested  for  a  time  along  the  shores  of  the  Willamette. 

In  1841  and  1842,  two  hundred  and  twenty  Americans  reached  Oregon, 
doubling  the  population. 

The  Americans  were  ill  at  ease  without  a  government,  and  kept  agitating 
the  question  of  another  meeting.  But  the  English  and  the  Catholic  influences 
opposed  this.  Some  diplomacy  was  needed.  The  irrepressible  Yankees  were 
equal  to  it.  They  determined  to  draw  the  settlers  together  under  the  announce- 
ment of  a  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  means  of  protecting  them- 
selves against  the  ravages  of  the  numerous  wild  beasts  of  the  valley.  W.  H. 
Gray  was  the  leading  spirit  in  this  enterprise.  In  a  most  picturesque  and  valuable 
account  of  it,  John  Minto  has  developed  the  thought  that  the  founding  of  the 
Oregon  State  bore  a  striking  resemblance  to  that  stage  in  the  Roman  State, 
subsequently  celebrated  in  the  festival  of  Lupercalia,  wherein  the  first  organiza- 
tion was  for  defense  against  the  wild  beasts.  So  the  Willamette  witnessed 
again  the  gathering  of  the  clans. 

Americans,  English,  French,  half-breeds.  Catholics,  Protestants,  Independ- 
ents, all  coming  together  to  protect  themselves  against  the  bears,  cougars  and 
wolves.  The  meetings  were  usually  known  thereafter  as  the  "wolf  meetings." 

James  O'Neil  was  made  chairman  of  this  historic  gathering.  With  the 
astuteness  characteristic  of  American  politicians,  a  previous  understanding  had 
been  made  between  Mr.  O'Neil  and  the  little  coterie  of  which  Mr.  Gray  was 
the  manager,  that  everything  should  be  shaped  to  the  ultimate  end  of  raising 
the  question  of  a  government.    As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  ostensible  aim  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  219 

meeting  had  been  attained,  W.  H.  Gray  arose  and  broached  the  all-important 
issue.  After  declaring  that  no  one  could  question  the  wisdom  and  rightfulness 
of  the  measures  looking  to  protecting  their  herds  from  wild  beasts,  he  con- 
tinued : 

How  is  it,  fellow  citizens,  with  you  and  me,  and  our  wives  and  children? 
Have  we  any  organization  on  which  we  can  rely  for  mutual  protection?  Is 
there  any  power  in  the  country  suiificient  to  protect  us  and  all  that  we  hold  dear, 
from  the  worse  than  wild  beasts  that  threaten  and  occasionally  destroy  our 
cattle?  We  have  mutually  and  unitedly  agreed  to  defend  and  protect  our  cattle 
and  domestic  animals ;  now,  therefore,  fellow  citizens,  I  submit  and  move  the 
adoption  of  the  two  following  resolutions,  that  we  may  have  protection  for  our 
lives  and  persons,  as  well  as  our  cattle  and  herds:  Resolved,  That  a  committee 
be  appointed  to  take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  taking  measures  for  the 
civil  and  military  protection  of  this  colony ;  Resolved,  That  this  committee  con- 
sist of  twelve  persons. 

There  spoke  the  true  voice  of  the  American  statebuilder,  the  voice  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  Constitution.  The  resolutions  were  passed 
and  the  committee  of  twelve  appointed,  mainly  American.  The  committee  met 
at  the  falls  of  the  Willamette,  which  by  that  time  was  becoming  known  as 
Oregon  City.  Unable  to  arrive  at  a  definite  decision,  the  committee  issued  a 
call  for  a  general  meeting  at  Champoeg  on  May  2d. 

Pending  the  meeting,  there  was  a  general  policy  of  opposition  developed 
among  the  French-Canadians  in  the  interest  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  and 
England.  This  opposition  threatened  the  overthrow  of  the  entire  plan.  It  was, 
however,  checkmated  in  an  interesting  fashion.  George  W.  Le  Breton  was  one 
of  the  leading  settlers  and  occupied  a  peculiar  position.  He  was  of  French 
origin,  from  Baltimore  to  Oregon,  and  had  been  a  Catholic.  His  existing  affilia- 
tions were  with  the  Americans.  He  was  keen,  facile,  and  well  educated.  He 
discovered  that  the  Canadians  had  been  drilled  to  vote  "No"  on  all  questions, 
irrespective  of  the  bearing  which  such  a  vote  might  have  on  the  leading  issue. 
Le  Breton  accordingly  proposed  that  measures  be  introduced  upon  which  the 
Canadians  ought  to  vote  "Yes."  These  tactics  were  carried  out.  The  Canadians 
were  confused  thereby.  Le  Breton  watched  developments  carefully  and,  becom- 
ing satisfied  that  he  could  command  a  majority,  rose  and  exclaimed,  "I  second 
the  motion !"  Jo  Meek,  famous  as  one  of  the  Mountain  Men,  stepped  out  of 
the  crowd  and  said,  "Who  is  for  a  divide?  All  in  favor  of  an  organization, 
follow  me!"  The  Americans  speedily  gathered  behind  the  tall  form  of  the 
erstwhile  trapper.  A  count  followed.  It  was  a  close  vote.  Fifty-two  voted 
for  and  fifty  against.  The  Americans  would  have  been  outvoted  had  it  not 
been  that  Le  Breton,  with  two  French-Canadians,  Francois  Matthieu  and 
Etienne  Lucier,  voted  with  them.  The  defeated  Canadians  withdrew,  and  the 
Indians,  who  lined  the  banks  of  the  River  to  discover  what  strange  proceedings 
the  white  men  were  engaged  in,  perceived  from  the  loud  shouts  of  triumph 
that  the  "Bostons"  had  won.  Though  the  victory  was  gained  by  so  scanty  a 
margin,  it  was  gained,  and  it  was  decisive.  It  was  one  of  the  most  interesting 
events  in  the  history  of  Oregon  or  the  United  States,  for  it  illustrated  most 
vividly  the  inborn  capacity  of  the  American  for  self-government. 


220  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  new  government  went  at  once  into  effect.  The  constitution  formu- 
lated by  the  committee  and  adopted  by  the  meeting  at  Champoeg  provided  that 
the  people  of  Oregon  should  adopt  laws  and  regulations  until  the  United  States, 
extended  its  jurisdiction  over  them.  Freedom  of  worship,  habeas  corpus,  trial 
by  jury,  proportionate  representation,  and  the  usual  civil  rights  of  Americans 
were  guaranteed.  Education  should  be  encouraged,  lands  and  property  should 
not  be  taken  from  Indians  without  their  consent.  Slavery  or  involuntary  servi- 
tude should  not  exist. 

The  officers  of  government  consisted  of  a  legislative  body  of  nine  persons,, 
an  executive  body  of  three,  and  a  judiciary  of  a  supreme  judge  and  two  justices 
of  the  peace,  with  a  probate  court  and  its  justices,  and  a  recorder  and  treasurer. 
Every  white  man  of  twenty-one  years  or  more  could  vote.  The  laws  of  Iowa 
were  designated  to  be  followed  in  common  practice.  Marriage  was  allowed  to 
males  at  sixteen  and  females  at  fourteen.  One  of  the  most  important  provisions 
was  the  land  law.  This  permitted  any  individual  to  claim  a  mile  square,  pro- 
vided it  be  not  on  a  town  site  or  water  power,  and  that  any  mission  claims 
already  made  be  not  aft'ected,  up  to  the  limit  of  six  miles  square.  This  law 
was  framed  upon  the  general  conception  of  the  proposed  Linn  bill  already 
brought  before  Congress.  The  land  law  allowed  land  to  be  taken  in  any  form,, 
but  since  there  was  no  existing  survey,  each  man  had  to  make  his  own  survey. 

The  first  elected  executive  committee  consisted  of  David  Hill,  Alanson 
Beers,  and  Joseph  Gale.  Within  a  year  an  amendment  was  made  to  the  consti- 
tution providing  for  a  governor.  George  Abernethy,  a  former  member  of  the 
Methodist  Mission,  was  chosen  to  fill  the  place. 

Outer  things  were  pretty  crude  in  the  little  colony  on  the  Willamette,, 
though  brains  and  energy  were  there  in  abundance.  J.  Quinn  Thornton  ex- 
pressed himself  as  follows  on  the  "Oregon  State  House,"  which  he  says  was  in 
several  respects  different  from  that  in  which  laws  are  made  at  Washington  City:. 

"The  Oregon  State  House  was  built  with  posts  set  upright,  one  end  set  in 
the  ground,  grooved  on  two  sides,  and  filled  in  with  poles  and  split  timber,  such- 
as  would  be  suitable  for  fence  rails,  with  plates  and  poles  across  the  top.  Raft- 
ers and  horizontal  poles,  instead  of  iron  ribs,  held  the  cedar  bark  which  was 
used  instead  of  thick  copper  for  roofing.  It  was  twenty  by  forty  feet  and  there- 
fore did'not  cover  three  acres  and  a  half.  At  one  end  some  puncheons  were  put 
up  for  a  platform  for  the  President;  some  poles  and  slabs  were  placed  around' 
for  seats;  three  planks,  about  a  foot  wide  and  twelve  feet  long,  placed  upon  a 
sort  of  stake  platform  for  a  table,  were  all  that  was  believed  necessary  for  the 
use  of  the  legislative  committee  and  the  clerks." 

There  are  several  facts  in  connection  with  the  inauguration  of  this  Pro- 
visional Government  of  Oregon  which  are  almost  equal  to  itself  in  interest. 
One  of  these  is  that  Peter  H.  Burnett,  a  lawyer  and  the  most  notable  member 
of  the  emigration  of  1843,  rendered  the  opinion  that,  by  the  spirit  of  American 
institutions,  the  Provisional  Gov.ernment  might  be  regarded  as  possessing  valid' 
authority.  Going  in  a  few  years  to  California,  Mr.  Burnett  incorporated  the^ 
same  principles  into  the  government  of  that  state  and  became  its  first  governor. 

Another  most  significant  fact  was  the  attitude  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany.    That  great  organization  was  of  course  opposed  to  American  ownership* 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  221 

•and  to  the  Provisional  Government.  At  first,  the  management  under  Sir  James 
Douglas  (Dr.  McLoughlin  had  been  superseded  by  Douglas  because  of  his  sup- 
posed leaning  toward  the  Americans)  affected  to  ignore  the  government  framed 
■at  Champoeg,  declaring  loftily  that  the  company  could  protect  itself.  Doctor 
McLoughlin,  in  his  very  interesting  account  of  this,  says  that  the  Americans 
adopted  in  1845  a  provision  in  the  constitution  that  no  one  should  be  called  to 
do  any  act  contrary  to  his  allegiance.  This  provision  struck  him  as  designed 
to  enable  British  subjects  to  join  the  organization.  Doctor  McLoughlin  was 
so  pleased  with  the  wise  and  liberal  spirit  which  this  evinced  that  he  prevailed 
on  Douglas  to  join  the  Provisional  Government.  The  family  was  now  complete. 
The  American  farmers  and  immigrants  and  missionaries  had  triumphed  over 
the  autocratic  government  of  the  great  fur  company.  The  American  idea — gov- 
ernment of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  people — was  vindicated.  The 
local  battle  was  won  for  the  Yankee. 

Before  leaving  this  great  epoch  of  the  history  of  Oregon,  it  will  interest 
the  reader  to  know  that  Doctor  McLoughlin,  so  conspicuous  in  the  story  thus 
far,  removed  to  Oregon  City,  and  became  an  avowed  American  citizen,  living 
on  the  claim  on  which  he  filed  at  the  Falls.  Much  trouble  subsequently  arose 
between  him  and  the  Methodist  Mission  people  represented  by  Rev.  A.  F. 
Waller.  Harder  yet,  Congress  was  led  by  Delegate  Thurston  of  Oregon,  to 
exclude  him  from  the  benefit  of  the  Donation  Land  Law.  The  final  result  was 
that  the  great-hearted  ex-king  of  the  Columbia  lost  the  most  of  his  claim  on  the 
ground  that  he  was  an  alien  at  the  time  of  taking  it.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany directors  chose  to  disapprove  his  acts  in  bestowing  provisions  upon  the 
weary  and  hungry  and  ragged  American  immigrants,  and  they  charged  him 
personally  with  the  cost.  This,  in  addition  to  the  loss  of  his  claim,  rendered 
him  almost  penniless  and  sadly  embittered  his  old  age.  He  said  that  he  sup- 
posed he  was  becoming  an  American,  but  found  that  he  was  neither  American 
nor  British,  but  was  without  a  country.  It  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to  record 
the  fact  that  the  Oregon  Legislature  restored  his  land  in  so  far  as  the  state 
•controlled  it,  but  this  was  only  just  before  his  death. 


CHAPTER   VIII 


PERIOD  OF  INDIAN  WARS 

MEEKER-STEVENS     CONTROVERSY — WAR     CHIEFS     OF     THE     INDIANS — THE     CAYUSE 

WAR "lawyer" DIAGRAM    OF    RESERVATION    AND    ORDER    OF    WITHDRAWAL 

OUTBREAK  OF  WAR BOLON   MURDER BATTLES  IN   YAKIMA — DISCORD  BETWEEN 

VOLUNTEERS     AND    REGULARS WALLA     WALLA     CAMPAIGN ^VICTORY     OF     THE 

VOLUNTEERS — AFTERMATH    OF    THE    WARS THE    DEATH    OF    LESCHI — A     NEW 

ORDER    OF    THINGS STEPTOE's    DEFEAT — END    OF    THE    WAR — NEZ    PERCE    WAR 

IN    THE   WALLOWA,   IN    1877 THE   PERKINS    MURDER STORY   OF   EARLY    DAYS  I 

CHIEF     MOSES    SHOWN     IN     HIS    TRUE    LIGHT TREATY    WITH     THE    YAKIMAS, 

1855. 

The  coming  of  "superior  races"  among  barbarous  ones, — which  in  case  of 
Oregon,  meant  mainly  the  British  and  Americans — has  been  followed  by  the 
inevitable  tragedy  of  war.  Neither  of  the  two  parties  has  been  able  to  com- 
prehend the  view  point  of  the  other.  To  most  whites,  eager  to  seize  and  de- 
velop land,  and  impatient  of  the  blind  and  childish  incapacity  of  the  natives  to 
understand  the  nature  of  civilization,  those  natives  seem  but  obstructions  to  be 
gotten  rid  of  like  any  other  "varmints."  To  the  native,  accustomed  to  bound- 
less areas  of  pasture  land  and  game  runs  and  fishing  streams  and  seasonal  mi- 
grations, the  whites,  at  first  a  subject  for  wonder  and  superstitious  fear  and 
almost  worship,  became  later  a  pestilence  and  an  all-absorbing  flood  of  tyranny 
and  rapacity,  whose  main  aims  were  to  seize  the  Indian's  land,  grasp  his  be- 
loved game  and  fish  preserves,  outrage  his  women,  and  kill  his  men.  The  most 
tragic  part  of  our  "Century  of  Dishonor,"  as  Helen  Hunt  Jackson  has  it,  has 
been  the  fact  that  the  real  criminals  on  both  sides  were  not  usually  the  ones 
that  suffered  due  punishment  from  the  avenging  hands  of  the  other.  Some 
lawless  bunch  of  white  desperadoes  would  rob  some  Indians  or  run  of?  with 
their  women,  and  then  the  outraged  Indians  would  go  on  the  warpath  and  with 
blind  fury  waylay  some  innocent  train  of  immigrants  or  fire  a  lonely  cabin  and 
scalp  the  helpless  women  and  children  of  some  frontier  settler.  In  turn  a  new 
band  of  white  men,  this  time  probably  the  best  of  the  genuine  American  settlers, 
would  rouse  themselves  to  defend  their  families  and  bring  swift  retribution 
upon  'he  midnight  marauders — and  so  they  in  turn  would  raid  an  Indian  village 
and  shoot  down  a  bunch  of  men,  women,  and  children,  who  had  no  part  in  the 
former  atrocities  and  not  the  slightest  conception  of  what  it  was  all  about.  And 
so  the  blind  and  sorrowful  history  of  "Indian  troubles"  has  see-sawed  back  and 
forth,  the  criminals  on  both  sides  starting  the  ball  rolling  in  order  to  gratify 
their  lust  for  land  or  plunder  or  women,  and  the  innocent  victims  on  both  sides 
paying  the  penalty.  But  what  can  we  do  about  it?  Philosophy  breaks  down 
222 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  223 

in  trying  to  solve  the  problem  on  ethical  grounds.  Obviously  this  splendid  land 
with  its  limitless  resources  could  not  have  been  left  wild  simply  to  accommodate 
a  few  thousand  Cayuse  ponies  and  maintain  hunting  grounds  for  a  few  thousand 
primitive  natives.  It  is  easy  to  say  that  if  men  were  rational  and  patient  and 
philanthropic,  all  could  have  been  peaceably  adjusted.  Undoubtedly.  But  that 
is  just  what  most  men,  even  of  the  American  nation,  are  not.  They  are  not 
rational,  nor  patient,  nor  philanthropic.  And  so  there  you  are!  Without  un- 
dertaking to  express  a  judgment  on  a  subject  of  which  many  greater  philos- 
ophers than  the  writer  have  failed  to  find  any  satisfactory  solution,  we  may 
venture  one  suggestion.  It  is  this: — It  is  a  just  assertion  that  in  the  conflicts 
that  have  tormented  humanity,  the  higher  contestant  should  be  held  to  the 
larger  responsibility,  the  severer  judgment.  That  is  just  the  opposite  of  what 
is  generally  done.  But  we  submit  it  as  an  essential  basis  of  ethics  (if  there  are 
any  ethics  in  this  poor,  blood-soaked  and  outraged  world  of  the  year  1918  of 
the  so-called  Christian  era)  that  the  civilized  man  should  be  held  to  a  higher 
responsibility  than-the  savage.  Generally  speaking,  in  case  of  trouble  between 
capitalist  and  laborer,  the  former  is  to  blame.  As  between  teacher  and  pupil, 
the  teacher  is  usually  to  blame.  As  between  parent  and  child  the  parent  is  usu- 
ally to  blame.  As  between  educated  and  ignorant,  the  former  must  be  held  gen- 
erally responsible.  In  countries  so  much  in  the  dark  ages  as  to  have  kings  and 
lords,  it  may  be  said  that  the  kings  and  lords  are  always  to  blame  for  popular 
troubles. 

MEEKER-STEVENS    CONTROVERSY 

A  good  deal  of  the  literature  of  crimination  and  recrimination  about 
Indians  in  this  state  or  territory  has  raged  around  its  first  governor,  Isaac  I. 
Stevens.  Gen.  Hazard  Stevens,  known  and  honored  by  many  in  Yakima  and 
other  parts  of  this  region,  whose  brave  and  useful  life  ended  while  these  pages 
were  in  preparation,  has  given  in  the  life  of  his  father,  a  masterly  sum- 
mary of  the  policies  and  achievements  of  that  initial  administration.  Ezra 
Meeker,  known  also  and  respected  all  over  the  Northwest  as  one  of  the  great 
pioneers,  has  presented  in  "The  Tragedy  of  Leschi,"  his  reasons  for  severe 
criticism  of  the  Indian  policies  of  Governor  Stevens.  The  great  majority  of 
pioneers  in  discussing  this  controversy  support  the  governor  and  condemn 
Meeker's  criticisms  as  unjust  and  some  even  say  malicious.  Without  under- 
taking to  express  any  opinion  on  this  vexed  question  it  may  be  said  here  that 
the  honored  first  governor  of  Washington  Territory, — with  his  great  ability,  his 
tremendous  energy,  his  far-reaching  vision  as  to  the  future  of  this  region,  and 
his  devoted  patriotism,  which  he  sealed  with  his  blood  on  the  field  of 
Chantilly, — was  a  typical  white  man  in  the  sense  of  which  we  have  spoken. 

That  is,  he,  like  practically  all  the  white  men  in  the  Northwest  at  that  time, 
did  not  get  the  point  of  view  of  the  Indians.  He  and  they  contemplated  this 
country  solely  from  the  standpoint  of  their  own  race  and  civilization  and  took 
into  account  little  or  none  the  problem  of  any  permanent  development  of  the 
Indians.  The  two  views  of  Governor  Stevens  and  his  Indian  policies,  when 
divested  of  prejudice  and  acrimony,  may  be  found  to  coexist  in  a  measure. 
For  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  his  large  and  beneficent  aims,  his  lofty  ambi- 
tions, and  his  unflagging  zeal  in  the  development  of  the  country.     It  is  doubt- 


224  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

.less  equally  true  that  he  was  oblivious  to  the  inner  workings  and  sentiments 
of  the  Indians,  and  thought  of  them  as  merely  incidental  to  the  great  task  of 
making  a  new  commonwealth  of  what  he  saw  truly  was  one  of  the  most  richly 
endowed  of  all  the  new  lands  of  America. 

WAR   CHIEFS   OF  THE    INDIANS 

The  story  of  the  early  Indian  wars  of  the  Inland  Empire  is  divisible  into 
.three  stages :  First,  the  Cayuse  War  following  the  Whitman  Massacre ;  second, 
the  Yakima  and  Walla  Walla  War  of  1855-56;  third,  the  Yakima  and  Spokane 
War  of  1858-59.  These  in  a  way  constituted  one  war.  Moreover,  while  the 
two  latter  were  in  progress,  there  were  Indian  wars  in  southern  Oregon  and  on 
Puget  Sound.  It  would  perhaps  be  an  accurate  summary  to  say  that  the  twelve 
years,  1847  to  1859,  composed  the  great  period  of  Indian  wars  in  the  Northwest. 
As  we  shall  see,  there  were  two  very  considerable  later  wars,  the  Nez  Perce 
War  of  1877  and  the  Bannock  War  of  1878.  The  Yakima  Indians  took  a  lead- 
ing role  in  the  War  of  1855-56,  and  were  connected  with  the  others  to  a  greater 
■or  less  degree.  Among  many  famous  leaders  of  the  natives  several  may  be 
•considered  as  their  most  conspicuous — Kamiakin,  Owhi,  and  Leschi,  the 
Yakimas,  though  Leschi's  field  was  mainly  on  the  Sound, — Peupeumoxmox,  a 
Walla  Walla,  Looking  Glass  and  HalhaUlossot  (Lawyer),  the  Nez  Perces,  and 
■iin  the  wars  of  the  seventies,  Hallakallakeen  or  Joseph  of  the  Nez  Perces,  and 
Sulktalthscosum,  or  Moses,  of  the  Kowahchins.  There  were  many  other  Indian 
■chiefs  worthy  of  mention,  some  admired,  others  hated  by  the  whites,  but  these 
■eight  may  perhaps  be  justly  considered  as  nearest  fulfilling  the  ideal  of  the 
•typical  Indian  chief  both  for  good  and  evil. 

It  is  fitting  that  some  space  be  given  here  to  each  of  these  wars  with  a  view 
•  of  the  results  of  each.     First  we  speak  of 

THE    CAYUSE    WAR 

The  Whitman  Massacre  was  a  prelude  to  the  Cayuse  War.  It  should  be 
-remembered  that,  the  year  before  the  massacre,  the  Oregon  country  had,  by 
treaty  with  Great  Britain,  become  the  property  of  the  United  States.  No  reg- 
ular government  had  yet  been  inaugurated,  but  the  Provisional  Government 
already  instituted  by  the  Americans  met  on  December  9th  and  provided  for 
sending  fourteen  companies  of  volunteers  to  the  Walla  Walla.  These  were  im- 
:migrants  who  had  come  to  seek  homes  and  their  section  of  land,  and  it  was  a 
great  sacrifice  for  them  to  leave  their  families  and  start  in  mid- Winter  for  the 
upper  Columbia.  But  they  bravely  and  cheerfully  obeyed  the  call  of  duty  and 
set  forth,  furnishing  mainly  their  own  equipment,  without  a  thought  of  pecu- 
niary gain  or  even  reimbursement.  Cornelius  Gilliam,  an  immigrant  of  1845 
from  Missouri,  was  chosen  colonel  of  the  regiment.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
energy  and  courage,  and  though  not  a  professional  soldier  (none  of  them  were) 
had  the  frontier  American's  capacity  for  warfare.  The  command  pushed 
rapidly  forward,  their  way  being  disputed  at  various  points.  At  Sand  Hollows 
the  Indians,  led  by  Five  Crows  and  War  Eagle,  made  an  especially  tenacious 
;attempt  to  prevent  the  crossing  of  the  Umatilla  River.     Five  Crows  claimed  to 


-  (  II  \rij:s  M  \\\ 


KEBEL   CHIEFS   OF    THE    YAKIMA.^ 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  225 

have  wizard  powers  by  which  he  could  stop  all  bullets,  and  War  Eagle  declared 
that  he  could  swallow  all  balls  fired  at  him.  But  at  the  first  onset  the  wizard 
was  so  badly  wounded  that  he  had  to  retire  and  "Swallow  Ball"  was  killed. 
Tom  McKay  had  leveled  his  rifle  and  said,  "Let  him  swallow  this." 

The  way  was  now  clear  to  Waiilatpu,  which  the  command  reached  on 
March  4th.  The  mangled  remains  of  the  victims  of  the  massacre  had  been 
hastily  interred  by  the  Ogden  party,  but  coyotes  had  partially  exhumed  them. 
The  remains  were  gathered  by,  the  volunteers  and  reverently,  though  rudely, 
buried  at  a  point  near  the  mission,  a  place  where  a  marble  crypt  now  encloses 
the  commingled  bones  of  the  martyrs.  A  lock  of  long,  fair  hair  was  found  near 
the  ruined  mission  ground  which  was  thought  surely  to  be  from  the  head  of 
Mrs.  Whitman.  It  was  preserved  by  one  of  the  volunteers  and  is  now  one 
of  the  precious  relics  in  the  historical  museum  of  Whitman  College. 

The  Cayuse  War  dragged  along  in  a  desultory  fashion  for  nearly  three 
years.  The  refusal  of  the  Nez  Perces  and  Spokanes  and  the  indiflference  of  the 
Yakimas  to  join  the  Cay  uses  made  their  cause  hopeless,  though  there  were 
several  fierce  fights  with  them  and  much  severe  campaigning.  In  1850  a  band 
of  friendly  Umatilla  Indians  undertook  to  capture  the  chief  band  of  the  Cayuses 
under  Tamsaky,  which  had  taken  a  strong  position  about  the  headwaters  of  the 
John  Day  River.  After  a  savage  battle  Tamsaky  was  killed  and  most  of  the 
warriors  captured.  Of  these,  five,  charged  with  the  leading  part  in  the  Whit- 
man massacre,  were  hanged  at  Oregon  City  on  June  3,  1850.  It  remains  a  ques- 
tion to  this  day,  however,  whether  the  victims  of  the  gallows  were  really  the 
^ilty  ones.  The  Cayuse  Indians  were  quite  firm  in  their  assertion  that  Tam- 
ahas,  who,  by  one  version,  struck  Doctor  Whitman  the  first  blow,  was  the  only 
one  of  the  five  concerned  in  the  murder. 

Thus  ended  the  first  of  the  principal  wars  in  the  Columbia  Basin.  It  was 
quickly  followed  by  another,  which  was  so  extensive  that  it  may  well  be  called 
universal.  This  was  the  War  of  1855-56.  This  was  the  greatest  Indian  war 
in  the  entire  history  of  the  Columbia  River. 

The  first  efforts  of  Governor  Stevens  were  to  secure  treaties  with  the 
Indians.  Having  negotiated  several  treaties  in  1854  with  the  Puget  Sound  In- 
dians, the  governor  passed  over  the  Cascade  Mountains  to  Walla  Walla  in 
May,  1855.  There  during  the  latter  part  of  May  and  first  part  of  June,  he  held 
a  great  council  with  representatives  of  seventeen  tribes.  Lieutenant  Kip, 
U.  S.  A.,  has  preserved  a  vivid  account  of  this  great  gathering,  one  of  the  most 
important  ever  held  in  the  annals  of  Indian  history.  According  to  Lieutenant 
Kip,  there  were  but  about  fifty  men  in  the  escort  of  the  daring  governor,  and  if 
he  had  been  a  man  sensible  to  fear  he  might  well  have  been  startled  when  there 
came  an  army  of  twenty-five  hundred  Nez  Perces  under  Halhaltlossot,  known 
as  Lawyer  by  the  whites.  Two  days  later  three  hundred  Cayuses,  those  worst 
of  the  Columbia  River  Indians,  surly  and  scowling,  led  by  Five  Crows  and 
Young  Chief,  made  their  appearance.  Two  days  later  a  force  of  two  thousand 
Yakimas,  Umatillas,  and  Walla  Wallas  came  in  sight  under  Kamiakin  and  Peu- 
peumoxmox.  The  council  was  soon  organized.  Governor  Stevens  and  General 
Palmer,  the  latter  the  Indian  agent  for  Oregon,  set  forth  their  plan  of  reserva- 
tions, all  these  speeches  being  translated  and  retranslated  until  they  had  filtered 

(15) 


226  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

down  among  the  general  mass  of  the  Indians.  Then  there  must  be  a  great 
"wawa,"  or  discussion  by  the  Indians.  It  soon  became  apparent  that  there 
were  two  bitterly  contesting  parties.  One  was  a  large  faction  of  Nez  Perces 
led  by  Lawyer,  who  favoured  the  whites.  The  other  faction  of  the  Nez  Perces, 
with  all  the  remaining  tribes,  were  set  against  any  treaty.  With  remarkable 
skill  and  patience.  Governor  Stevens,  with  the  powerful  assistance  of  Lawyer, 
had  brought  the  Indians  to  a  point  of  general  agreement  to  the  creation  of  a 
system  of  reservation.  But  suddenly  there  was  a  commotion.  Into  the  midst 
of  the  council  there  burst  the  old  chief  Looking  Glass  (Apashwahayikt),  sec- 
ond only  to  Lawyer  in  influence  among  the  Nez  Perce.  He  had  made  a  des- 
perate ride  of  three  hundred  miles  in  seven  days,  following  a  buffalo  hunt  and  a 
raid  against  the  Blackfeet,  and  as  he  now  burst  into  the  midst,  there  dangled 
from  his  belt  the  scalps  of  several  slaughtered  Blackfeet.  As  quoted  in  Hazard 
Stevens'  life  of  Governor  Stevens,  he  began  his  harangue  thus:  "My  people, 
what  have  you  done?  While  I  was  gone  you  sold  my  country.  I  have  come 
home  and  there  is  not  left  me  a  place  on  which  to  pitch  my  lodge.  Go  home  to 
your  lodges.  I  will  talk  with  you."  Lieutenant  Kip  declares  that  though  he 
could  understand  nothing  of  the  speech  of  Looking  Glass  to  his  own  tribe, 
which  followed,  the  efifect  was  tremendous.  All  the  evidence  showed  that 
Looking  Glass  was  a  veritable  Demosthenes.  The  work  of  Governor  Stevens 
was  all  undone. 

But  later  the  governor  and  Lawyer  succeeded  in  rallying  their  forces  and 
gaining  the  acquiescence  of  the  Indians  to  the  setting  aside  of  three  great  res- 
ervations, one  on  the  Umatilla,  one  on  the  Yakima,  and  the  third  on  the  Clear- 
water and  the  Snake.  These  reservations  still  exist,  imperial  domains  in  them- 
selves, though  now  divided  into  individual  allotments.  The  acquiescence  of  the 
Indians  in  this  treaty,  as  the  sequel  proved,  was  feigned  by  a  number  of  them, 
but  for  the  time  it  seemed  a  great  triumph  for  Governor  Stevens.  From  Walla 
Walla  the  Governor  departed  to  the  Coeur  d'Alene,  the  Pend  Oreille,  and  the 
Missoula  regions  to  continue  his  arduous  task  of  negotiating  treaties. 

This  great  Walla  Walla  Council  cannot  be  dismissed  without  brief  refer- 
ence to  an  event,  not  fully  known  at  the  time,  but  which  subsequent  investi- 
gation made  clear,  and  stamped  as  one  of  the  most  dramatic  in  the  entire  history 
of  Indian  warfare.  This  event  was  the  conspiracy  of  the  Cayuses  and  Yakimas 
to  kill  Governor  Stevens  and  his  entire  band,  and  then  exterminate  the  whites 
throughout  the  country.  While  the  acceptance  of  the  treaty  was  still  pending, 
Kamiakin  and  Peupeumoxmox  were  framing  the  details  of  this  wide-reaching 
plot,  which  was  indeed  but  the  culmination  of  their  great  scheme  of  years. 
Kamiakin  was  the  soul  of  the  conspiracy.  He  was  a  remarkable  Indian.  He 
was  of  superb  stature,  and  proportions,  over  six  feet  high,  sinewy  and  active. 
Governor  Stevens  said  of  him:  "He  is  a  peculiar  man,  reminding  me  of  the 
panther  and  the  grizzly  bear.  His  countenance  has  an  extraordinary  play,  one 
moment  in  frowns,  the  next  in  smiles,  flashing  with  light  and  black  as  Erebus 
the  same  instant.  His  pantomime  is  great,  and  his  gesticulations  many  and 
characteristic.  He  talks  mostly  in  his  face  and  with  his  hands  and  arms."  He 
was  withal  a  typical  Indian  in  treachery  and  secretiveness.  Peupeumoxmox 
was  similar  in  nature,  but  was  older  and  less  capable. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  '  227 

In  addition  to  this  vivid  description  of  the  Yakima  hero  by  Governor 
Stevens,  we  wish  to  insert  here  the  description  of  him  as  given  by  Winthrop  in 
"Canoe  and  Saddle."  In  the  Chapter  on  Missionaries  we  quoted  Winthrop'& 
account  of  the  "Atinam"  Mission  ("Le  Play  House"  of  the  Indians,  near  Kam- 
iakin's  Gardens,  the  present  Tampico),  and  the  Oblate  Fathers.  Winthrop  goes 
on  to  describe  his  efforts  to  secure  guides  and  horses  for  his  journey  from 
"Atinam"  to  The  Dalles  and  the  statement  of  the  Fathers  that  if  he  could  find. 
Kamiakin  all  could  be  arranged.  The  description  of  meeting  the  Yakima  chief 
follows :  "When  I  woke,  late  as  sunrise,  after  the  crowded  fatigues  and  diffin 
culties  of  yesterday,  I  found  that  already  my  hosts  had  despatched  Uplintz  and' 
Kpawintz  to  a  supposed  neighbor  camp  of  their  brethren,  to  seek  me  a  guide. 
Also  the  old  servitor,  a  friendly  grumbler,  was  ofif  to  the  mountains  on  a  similar 
errand.  Patience,  therefore,  and  remember,  hasty  voyager,  that  many  are  the 
chances  of  savage  life. 

"Antipodes  had  shaken  to  pieces  whatever  stitched  bag  he  bore.  I  seized' 
this  moment  to  make  repairs.  Among  my  traps  were  needles  and  thread  of 
the  stoutest,  for  use  and  for  presents.  The  fascinating  squaw  of  Weenas,  if 
she  had  but  known  it,  was  very  near  a  largess  of  such  articles.  But  the  wrong- 
doing of  Sultan  lost  her  the  gift,  and  my  tailor-stock  was  undiminished.  I  made 
a  lucky  thrust  at  the  one  eye  of  a  needle,  and  began  my  work  with  severe  atten- 
tion. 

"While  I  was  mending,  Uplintz,  with  his  admiring  Orson,  Kpawintz,  came- 
galloping  back.  Gone  were  the  Indians  they  had  sought ;  gone — so  said  their 
trail — to  gad  nomadly  anywhere.  And  the  two  comrades,  willing  to  go  withi 
me  to  the  world's  end  for  the  pleasure  of  my  society  and  the  reward  of  my 
shirts,  must  admit  to  Father  Pandosy,  cross-examining,  that  they  had  never 
meandered  along  The  Dalles  hooihut. 

"The  old  lay  brother  also  returned  bringing  bad  luck.  Where  he  had  looked' 
to  find  populous  lodges,  he  met  one  straggling  squaw  left  there  to  potter  alone, 
while  the  Bedouins  were  far  away.  The  many  chances  of  Indian  life  seemed 
chancing  sadly  against  me.  Should  I  despair  of  farther  progress,  and  become 
an  acolyte  of  the  Atinam  Mission? 

"Just  then  I  raised  my  eyes,  and  lo !  a  majestic  Indian  in  Lincoln  green ! 
He  was  dismounting  at  the  corral  from  a  white  pacer.  Who  now?  'Le  bow 
Dieu  I'envoie,'  said  Father  Pandosy;  'cfest  Kamaiakan  mime.' 

"Enter,  then,  upon  this  scene  Kamaiakan,  chiefest  of  Yakima  chiefs.  He- 
was  a  tall,  large  man,  very  dark,  with  a  massive  square  face,  and  grave,  reflec-  , 
tive  look.  Without  the  senatorial  coxcombry  of  Owhhigh,  his  manner  was: 
strikingly  distinguished,  quiet  and  dignified.  He  greeted  the  priests  as  a  Kaiser 
might  a  Papal  legate.  To  me,  as  their  friend,  he  gave  his  hand  with  a  gentle- 
manly word  of  welcome. 

"All  the  nobs  I  have  known  among  Redskins  have  retained  a  certain  dig- 
nity of  manner  even  in  their  beggarly  moods.  Among  the  plebeians,  this  ex- 
cellence degenerates  into  a  gruff  coolness  or  insolent  indifference.  No  one  ever 
saw  a  bustling  or  fussy  Indian.  Even  when  he  begs  of  a  lilanketeer  gifted  with 
chattels,  and  beg  he  does  without  shame  or  shrinking,  he  asks  as  if  he  would  do- 


228  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  possessor  of  so  much  trumpery  an  honor  by  receiving  it  at  his  hands.  The 
nauseous,  brisk,  pen-behind-the-ear  manner  of  the  thriving  tradesman,  compet- 
itor with  everything  and  everybody,  would  disgust  an  Indian  even  to  the  scalp- 
ing point.  Owhhigh,  visiting  my  quarters  at  Squally  with  his  fugue  of  beggars, 
praying  me  to  breech  his  breechless,  shirt  his  shirtless,  shoe  his  shoeless  child, 
treated  me  with  a  calm  loftiness,  as  if  I  were  merely  a  steward  of  his,  or  cer- 
tainly nothing  more  than  a  copotentate  of  the  world's  oligarchy.  He  showed 
no  discomposure  at  my  refusal,  as  unmoved  as  his  request.  Fatalism,  indolence, 
stolidity,  and  self-respect  are  combined  in  this  indifiference.  Most  of  a  savage's 
prayers  for  bounty  are  made  direct  to  Nature ;  when  she  refuses,  she  does  so 
according  to  majestic  laws,  of  which  he,  half  reflectively,  half  instinctively,  is 
conscious.  He  learns  that  there  is  no  use  in  waiting  and  whining  for  salmon 
out  of  season,  or  fresh  grasshoppers  in  March.  According  to  inevitable  laws, 
he  will  have,  or  will  not  have,  salmon  of  the  first  water,  and  aromatic  grass- 
hoppers sweet  as  honeydew.  Caprice  is  out  of  the  question  with  Nature, 
although  her  sex  be  feminine.  Thus  a  savage  learns  to  believe  that  power 
includes  steadiness. 

"Kamaiakan's  costume  was  novel.  Louis  Philippe  dodging  the  police  as 
Mr.  Smith,  and  adorned  with  a  woollen  comforter  and  a  blue  cotton  umbrella, 
was  unkingly  and  a  caricature.  He  must  be  every  inch  a  king  who  can  appear 
in  an  absurd  garb  and  yet  look  full  royal.  Kamiakin  stood  the  test.  He  wore  a 
coat,  a  long  tunic  of  fine  green  cloth.  Like  the  irregular  beds  of  a  kitchen 
garden  were  the  patches,  of  all  shapes  and  sizes,  combined  to  form  this  robe  of 
ceremony.  A  line,  zigzag  as  the  path  over  new-fallen  snow  trodden  by  a  man 
after  toddies  too  many,  such  devious  line  marked  the  waist.  Sleeves,  baggy 
here,  and  there  tight  as  a  bandage,  were  inserted  somewhere,  without  refer- 
ence to  the  anatomical  insertion  of  arms.  Each  verdant  patch  was  separated 
from  its  surrounding  patches  by  a  rampart  or  a  ditch  of  seam,  along  which 
stitches  of  white  threads  strayed  like  vines.  It  as  a  gerrymandered  coat,  gerry- 
mandered according  to  some  system  perhaps  understood  by  the  operator,  but 
to  me  complex,  impolitic,  and  unconstitutional. 

"Yet  Kamaiakan  was  not  a  scarcecrow.  Within  this  garment  of  disjunc- 
tive conjunction  he  stood  a  chieftainly  man.  He  had  the  advantage  of  an  im- 
posing presence  and  bearing,  and  above  all  a  good  face,  a  well-lighted  Pharos 
at  the  top  of  his  colossal  frame.  We  generally  recognize  whether  there  is  a  man 
looking  at  us  from  behind  what  he  chances  to  use  for  eyes,  and  when  we  detect 
the  man,  we  are  cheered  or  bullied  according  to  what  we  are.  It  is  intrinsically 
more  likely  that  the  chieftainly  man  will  be  an  acknowledged  chief  among  simple 
savages,  than  in  any  of  the  transitional  phases  of  civilization  preceding  the  edu- 
cated simplicity  of  social  life,  whither  we  now  tend.  Kamaiakan,  in  order  to 
be  chiefest  chief  of  the  Yakimas,  must  be  clever  enough  to  master  the  dodges 
of  salmon  and  the  will  of  wayward  mustangs;  or  like  Fine-Ear,  he  must  know 
where  kamas  bulbs  are  mining  a  passage  for  their  sprouts;  or  he  must  be  able 
to  tramp  farther  and  fare  better  than  his  fellows;  or,  by  a  certain  tamanous 
that  is  in  him,  he  must  have  power  to  persuade  or  convince,  to  win  or  over- 
bear.    He  must  be  best  as  a  hunter,  a  horseman,  a  warrior,  an  orator.     These 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  229 

are  attributes  not  heritable;  if  Kamaiakan  Junior  is  a  nature's  nobody,  he  takes 
no  permanent  benefit  by  his  parentage." 

Thus  much  for  Winthrop's  view  of  the  "Last  Hero  of  the  Yakimas." 


The  opposite  of  Kamiakin  and  Peupeumoxmox  in  conception  of  the  situa- 
tion was  Halhaltlossot  or  Lawyer,  the  Solon  of  the  Nez  Perces.  When  Lawyer 
became  convinced  that  the  Yakimas  and  Cayuses  were  planning  to  exterminate 
the  Governor  and  his  party  he  went  by  night  to  the  camp  and  revealed  the  con- 
spiracy. 

Hazard  Stevens  gives  a  most  vivid  account  of  this  event.  The  powerful 
opposition  of  Lawyer's  faction  of  the  Nez  Perces  made  it  clear  to  Kamiakin 
and  his  followers  that  they  could  not  count  upon  such  united  support  as  to  put 
through  their  existing  scheme.     The  Nez  Perces  saved  the  day  for  the  whites. 

And  yet  the  sequel  is  one  of  the  most  lamentable  examples  of  the  miscar- 
riage of  justice  in  Indian  alTairs  that  we  have  any  record  of.  The  friendly  Nez 
Perces  saved  the  whites.  The  unfriendly  faction  of  the  Nez  Perces,  led  by 
Joseph  and  Looking  Glass,  finally  yielded  and  accepted  the  treaty.  But  they 
did  this  with  certain  expectations  in  regard  to  their  reservation.  This  was  set 
forth  to  the  author  by  William  McBean,  a  half-breed  Indian,  son  of  the  McBean 
who  was  the  commandant  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  post  at  Wallula.  McBean  the 
younger  was  a  boy  at  the  time  of  the  council  at  Walla  Walla.  He  was  familiar 
with  all  the  Indian  languages  spoken  at  the  council  and  in  appearance  was  so 
much  of  an  Indian  that  he  could  pass  unquestioned  anywhere.  Governor  Stev- 
ens asked  him  to  spy  out  the  situation  and  learn  what  the  Nez  Perce  were  going 
to  decide.  The  result  of  his  investigations  was  to  show  that  the  whole  decision 
hinged  on  the  understanding  by  Joseph's  faction  that,  if  they  acquiesced  in 
the  treaty  they  should  hold  perpetual  possession  of  the  Wallowa  country  in 
Northeastern  Oregon  as  their  special  allotment.  Becoming  finally  satisfied  that 
this  would  be  granted  them,  they  yielded  to  the  Lawyer  faction  and  thus  the 
entire  Nez  Perce  tribe  made  common  cause  with  the  whites,  rendering  the  exe- 
cution of  the  great  plot  of  Kamiakin  and  Peupeumoxmox  a  foredoomed  failure. 
But  now  for  the  sequel.  Though  it  was  thus  clear  in  the  minds  of  Joseph  and 
his  division  of  the  Nez  Perces  that  the  loved  Wallowa  (one  of  the  fairest 
regions  that  ever  the  sun  shone  on  and  a  perfect  land  for  Indians)  was  to  be 
their  permanent  home,  yet  the  stipulation,  if  indeed  it  were  intended  by  Gov- 
ernor Stevens,  never  became  definitely  set  down  in  the  "Great  Father's"  records 
at  Washington.  The  result  was  that  when,  twenty  years  later,  the  manifold  at- 
tractions of  the  Wallowa  country  began  to  draw  white  immigration,  the  Indians, 
now  under  Young  Joseph,  son  of  the  former  chief,  stood  by  their  supposed 
rights  and  the  great  Nez  Perce  War  of  1877  ensued. 

For  a  better  understanding  of  this  singular  situation  we  are  adding  here 
a  valuable  transcription  furnished  to  the  author  by  Major  Jay  Lynch  of  Yakima, 
from  which  it  appears  that  President  Grant  had  formally  withdrawn  the  order 
creating  that  reservation.     The  whole  history  illustrates  the  unfortunate  results 


230  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

of  lack  of  continuity  and  stability  in  Indian  afifairs  and  consequent  misunder- 
standings by  the  Indians. 

The  transcription  referred  to  is  as  follows: 

Wallowa  Valley  Reserve. 

Department  of  the  Interior, 
Office  of  Indian  Affairs,  June  9,  1873. 
The  above  diagram  is  intended  to  show  a  proposed   reservation   for  the 
roaming  Nez  Perce  Indians  in  the  Wallowa  Valley,  in  the  state  of   Oregon. 
Said  proposed  reservation  is  indicated  on  the  diagram  by  red  lines,  and  is  de- 
scribed as  follows,  viz. : 

Commencing  at  the  right  bank  of  the  mouth  of  the  Grande  Ronde  River; 
thence  up  Snake  River  to  a  point  due  east  of  the  southeast  corner  of  township 
No.  1,  south  of  the  base  line  of  the  surveys  in  Oregon,  in  range  No.  46  east  of 
the  Willamette  meridian;  thence  from  said  point  due  west  to  the  West  Fork 
of  the  Wallowa  River ;  thence  down  said  West  Fork  to  its  junction  with  the 
Wallowa  River ;  thence  down  said  river  to  its  confluence  with  the  Grande  Ronde 
River ;  thence  down  the  last  named  .river  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

I  respectfully  recommend  that  the  President  be  requested  to  order  that  the 
lands  comprised  within  the  above  described  limits  be  withheld  from  entry  and 
settlement  as  public  lands,  and  that  the  same  be  set  apart  is  an  Indian  reserva- 
tion, as  indicated  in  my  report  to  the  Department  of  this  date. 

Edward  P.   Smith,   Commissioner. 

Department  of  the  Interior,  June  11,  1873. 
RespecfuUy  presented  to  the  President,  with  the  recommendation  that  he 
make  the  order  above  proposed  by  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs. 
C.   Delano,   Secretary. 

Executive  Mansion,  June  16,  1873. 
It  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  tract  of  country  above  described  be  withheld 
from  entry  and  settlement  as  public  lands,  and  that  the  same  be  set  apart  as  a 
reservation   for  the   roaming  Nez   Perce   Indians,  as  recommended  by  the   Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior  and  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs. 

U.  S.  Grant. 

Executive  Mansion,  June  10,  1875. 
It  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  order  dated  June  16,  1873,  withdrawing  from 
sale  and  from  settlement  and  setting  apart  the  Wallowa  Valley,  in  Oregon,  de- 
scribed as  follows:  Commencing  at  the  right  bank  of  the  mouth  of  the  Grande 
Ronde  River,  thence  up  Snake  River  to  a  point  due  east  of  the  southeast  comer 
of  township  No.  1  south  of  the  base  line  of  the  surveys  in  Oregon,  in  range 
No.  46  east  of  the  Willamette  meridian ;  thence  from  said  point  due  west  to  the 
west  fork  of  the  Wallowa  River;  thence  down  said  west  fork  to  its  junction 
with  the  Wallowa  River;  thence  down  said  river  to  its  confluence  with  the 
Grande  Ronde  River;  thence  down  the  last  named  river  to  the  place  of  begin- 


opjngl  te  1    11   1   1   a    e  1   h      I       \       Mm 

PF  \(  H  Tl-  I  \  I   \    OR       t   \PT  \I\    I  \(  K 


YAKi.MA  \VAi;i;U)i;  scorT>- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  231 

ning,  as  an  Indian  reservation,  is  hereby  revoked  and  annulled;  and  the  said 
described  tract  of  country  is  hereby  restored  to  the  public  domain. 

U.  S.  Grant. 

And  now,  after  this  digression,  we  resume  the  thread  of  our  discourse. 

After  the  supposed  settlement  at  Walla  Walla,  Governor  Stevens  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Coeur  d'Alene  and  Pend  Oreille  lakes  to  negotiate  similar  treaties 
with  the  Flatheads.  After  concluding  a  treaty  there  he  crossed  the  Rockies  to 
Fort  Benton  on  the  Missouri  to  meet  the  Blackfeet. 

But  meanwhile  Kamiakin,  Peupeumoxmox,  Young  Chief,  and  Five  Crows 
had  formed  a  new  league,  the  treaties  were  thrown  away,  and  the  flame  of 
savage  warfare  burst  forth  throughout  the  entire  Columbia  Valley. 

Hazard  Stevens,  in  his  invaluable  history  of  his  father,  gives  a  vivid  pic- 
ture of  how  the  news  reached  them  in  their  camp  thirty-five  miles  up  the  Mis- 
souri from  Fort  Benton.  Summer  had  now  passed  into  Autumn.  A  favorable 
treaty  had  been  made  with  the  Blackfeet.  On  October  29th,  the  little  party 
were  gathered  around  their  campfire  in  the  frosty  air  of  Fall  in  that  high  lati- 
tude, when  they  discerned  a  solitary  rider  making  his  way  slowly  toward  them. 
As  he  drew  near  they  soon  saw  that  it  was  Pearson,  the  express  rider.  Pear- 
son was  one  of  the  best  examples  of  those  scouts  whose  lives  were  spent  in  con- 
veying messages  from  forts  to  parties  in  the  field.  He  usually  travelled  alone, 
and  his  life  was  always  in  his  hand.  He  seemed  to  be  made  of  steel  springs, 
and  it  had  been  thought  that  he  could  endure  anything.  "He  could  ride  any- 
thing that  wore  hair."  He  rode  seventeen  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  twenty- 
eight  days  at  one  time,  one  stage  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  miles  having  been 
made  in  three  days.  But  as  he  slowly  drew  up  to  the  party  in  the  cold  evening 
light,  it  was  seen  that  even  Pearson  was  "done."  His  horse  staggered  and  fell, 
and  he  himself  could  not  speak  for  some  time.  After  he  had  been  revived  he 
told  his  story,  and  a  story  of  disaster  and  foreboding  it  was,  sure  enough. 

All  the  great  tribes  of  the  Columbia  plains  west  of  the  Nez  Perces  had 
troken  out,  the  Cayuses,  Yakimas,  Palouses,  Walla  Wallas,  Umatillas  and 
Klickitats.  They  had  swept  the  country  clean  of  whites.  The  ride  of  Pearson 
from  The  Dalles  to  the  point  where  he  reached  Governor  Stevens  is  one  of  the 
most  thrilling  in  the  annals  of  the  river.  By  riding  all  day  and  night,  he  reached 
a  horse  ranch  on  the  Umatilla  belonging  to  a  noted  half-breed  Indian,  William 
McKay,  but  he  found  the  place  deserted.  Seeing  a  splendid  horse  in  the  bunch 
near  by,  he  lassoed  and  saddled  him.  Though  the  horse  was  as  wild  as  air, 
Pearson  managed  to  mount  and  start  on.  Just  then  there  swept  into  view  a 
force  of  Indians  who,  instantly  divining  what  Pearson  was  trying  to  do,  gave 
■chase.  Up  and  down  hill,  through  vale,  and  across  the  rim  rock,  they  followed, 
sending  frequent  bullets  after  him,  and  yelling  like  demons,  "Whupsiah  si-ah- 
poo,  Whup-si-ah!"  ("Kill  the  white  man!").  But  the  wild  horse  which  the 
intrepid  rider  bestrode  proved  his  salvation,  for  he  gradually  outran  all  his  pur- 
suers. Traveling  through  the  Walla  Walla  at  night  Pearson  reached  the  camp 
of  a  friendly  Nez  Perce,  Red  Wolf,  on  the  Alpowa  the  next  day,  having  ridden 
two  hundred  miles  from  The  Dalles  without  stopping  except  for  the  brief  time 
of  changing  horses.     Snow  and  hunger  now  impeded  his  course.     Part  of  the 


232  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

way  he  had  to  go  on  snowshoes  without  a  horse.  But  with  unflinching  resolu- 
tion he  passed  on,  and  so  now,  here  he  was  with  his  dismal  tidings. 

The  despatches  warned  Governor  Stevens  that  Kamiakin  with  a  thousand 
warriors  was  in  the  Walla  Walla  Valley  and  that  it  would  be  impossible  for 
him  to  get  through  by  that  route,  and  that  he  must  therefore  return  to  the  east 
by  the  Missouri  and  come  back  to  his  Territory  by  the  steamer  route  of  Panama. 
That  meant  six  months'  delay.  With  characteristic  boldness,  Governor  Stevens 
at  once  rejected  the  more  cautious  course  and  went  right  back  to  Spokane  by 
the  Coeur  d'Alene  Pass,  deep  already  with  the  Winter  snows,  suffering  intensely 
with  the  cold  and  hunger,  but  avoiding  by  that  route  the  Indians  sent  out  tO' 
intercept  him.  With  extraordinary  address,  he  succeeded  in  turning  the  Spo- 
kane Indians  to  his  side.  The  Nez  Perces,  thanks  to  Lawyer's  fidelity,  were 
still  friendly,  and  with  these  two  powerful  tribes  arrayed  against  the  Yakimas, 
there  was  still  hope  of  holding  the  Columbia  Valley. 

After  many  adventures,  Governor  Stevens  reached  Olympia  in  safety.  Gov- 
ernor Curry  of  Oregon  had  already  called  a  force  of  volunteers  into  the  field. 
The  Oregon  volunteers  were  divided  into  two  divisions,  one  under  Col.  J.  W. 
Nesmith,  which  went  into  the  Yakima  country,  and  the  other  under  Lieut.-CoL 
J.  K.  Kelley,  which  went  to  Walla  Walla.  The  latter  force  fought  the  decisive 
battle  of  the  campaign  on  the  7th,  8th,  9th  and  10th  of  December,  1855.  It 
was  a  series  of  engagements  occurring  in  the  heart  of  the  Walla  Walla  Valley, 
a  "running  fight"  culminating  at  what  is  now  called  Frenchtown,  ten  miles  west 
of  the  present  city  of  Walla  Walla.  The  most  important  feature  of  it  all  was- 
the  death  of  the  great  Walla  Walla  chieftain,  Peupeumoxmox.  But  though 
defeated  and  losing  so  important  a  chief,  the  Indians  scattered  across  the  rivers 
and  were  still  unsubdued. 

We  have  been  following  to  this  point  the  movements  of  Governor  Stevens 
in  order  to  preserve  the  continuity  of  the  story,  but  in  order  to  be  correct  in 
chronology  we  must  turn  back  a  few  months  and  take  our  station  in  Yakima, 
for  here  actual  hostilities  began.  In  narrating  the  story  of  the  Yakima  War 
the  historian  has  the  privilege  of  following  a  competent  authority. 

For  here  we  may  avail  ourselves  of  the  recently  published  narrative  by 
A.  J.  Splawn,  "Kamiakin,  the  Last  Hero  of  the  Yakimas." 

Many  of  our  readers  will  no  doubt  have  already  read  Mr.  Splawn's  pic- 
turesque and  valuable  book.  If  so  they  will  have  discovered  in  detail  the  essen- 
tial features  of  what  we  must  be  content  to  give  in  bare  outline.  In  order, 
however,  to  exhibit  the  conditions  which  in  Mr.  Splawn's  judgment  created  the 
state  of  mind  which  prepared  the  Indians  for  war,  we  incorporate  at  this- 
point  the  third  chapter  of  the  book.  "In  1853  Lieut.  George  B.  McClellan  ar- 
rived at  Fort  Vancouver  with  a  party  of  men  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  the 
Cascade  Mountains  in  the  interest  of  the  Northern  Pacific  R.  R.  His  main 
object  was  to  find,  if  possible,  a  feasible  pass  through  this  range.  He  was  under 
the  immediate  command  of  I.  I.  Stevens,  who  had  recently  been  appointed  gov- 
ernor for  Washington  Territory  and  who  was  then  on  his  way  overland  from 
the  east  with  a  force  of  men,  viewing  out  a  route  for  this  same  railroad  and 
making  treaties  with  the  dififerent  Indian  tribes  with  which  he  came  in  contact. 

"When  McClellan  left  Fort  Vancouver,  Indian  runners  were  dispatched  to 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  235 

the  Klickitats  and  Yakimas  to  notify  the  tribes  of  his  coming.  The  first  gov- 
ernment equipped  body  of  men  to  reach  the  Yakima  country,  it  was  regarded 
with  suspicion.  Skloom,  a  brother  of  Ka-mi-akin,  was  dispatched  to  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Cascades  to  meet  the  soldiers  and  learn  of  their  intended  movements 
and  purposes.  He  returned  with  the  additional  information  that  Governor 
Stevens  would  be  in  their  country  the  following  year  for  the  purpose  of  making 
a  treaty  with  all  the  tribes;  that  the  Great  White  Father  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
wished  to  buy  their  lands  and  open  them  up  for  white  settlement.  Nothing 
more  startling  or  undesired  from  the  Indian  viewpoint  could  have  been  men- 
tioned. 

"Upon  his  arrival  at  the  Catholic  Mission  on  the  x^htanum,  McClellan  was 
met  by  Ka-mi-akin,  who,  together  with  the  priest.  Father  Pandosy,  interviewed 
him  both  in  regard  to  his  own  intentions  and  those  of  Governor  Stevens. 
Again,  when  McClellan  was  encamped  on  the  Wenas  during  his  exploring- 
trip  through  the  Nah-cheez  Pass,  Ka-mi-akin  visited  him,  and,  imme- 
diately after,  rode  over  to  Ow-hi's  home  in  the  Kittitas  Valley  to  inform  him 
of  what  he  had  learned.  They  made  an  arrangement  that  when  the  'White 
Chief  (McClellan)  reached  Kittitas,  Ow-hi  should  accompany  him  to  Wen- 
at-sha  (Wenatchee),  with  a  view  to  confirming  what  had  already  been  reported 
and  to  gaining  further  information  regarding  the  probable  actions  of  Governor 
Stevens.  Ow-hi,  accompanied  by  Quil-ten-e-nock,  a  brother  of  Sulk-talth- 
scos-um  (Moses),  did  go  on  to  Wenatchee  with  McClellan,  and,  a  few  days 
after  his  return  home,  rode  to  Ka-mi-akin's  village  on  the  Ahtanum  to  talk  over 
the  situation.  The  result  of  the  conference  was  a  decision  to  try  to  defeat  any 
treaty  with  the  Indians  that  Governor  Stevens  might  attempt  to  make. 

"Word  went  out  to  all  the  tribes  of  the  Northwest  that  the  Father  in 
Washington,  D.  C,  wanted  their  lands  for  the  white  men  and  that  a  great  white- 
chief  was  even  now  on  his  way  out  to  buy  them,  and  that,  moreover,  if  they  re- 
fused to  sell,  soldiers  would  be  sent  to  drive  them  of?  and  seize  the  lands.  Such, 
news  naturally  aroused  the  indignation  of  every  tribe  in  Washington  Territory, 
creating  a  strong  prejudice  against  Stevens,  so  that,  upon  his  arrival,  he  was 
regarded  with  the  suspicion  that  would  attach  to  a  man  who  had  come  to  take 
from  them  their  country.     This  was  the  situation  at  the  beginning  of  1854. 

"During  the  Summer  of  that  year  Governor  Stevens  met  several  head  men 
of  the  different  tribes,  including  Ow-hi,  leader  of  what  was  then  known  as  the 
upper  Yakima,  extending  from  Nah-cheez  River  north  to  the  headwaters  of 
the  Yakima.  Stevens  told  him  that  he  wished  to  hold  a  council  with  all  the 
interested  tribes  in  eastern  Washington  and  eastern  Oregon  the  following  year 
to  talk  over  the  purchase  of  Indian  lands.  Ow-hi  replied  that  the  Indians  did 
not  want  to  sell  and  wished  to  be  left  alone.  He  was  assured  that,  if  the  Indians 
would  not  sell,  the  whites  would  take  the  land  any  way  and  the  Indians  get  nO' 
return;  also,  that  if  they  refused  to  make  a  treaty  with  him,  soldiers  would  be 
sent  into  their  country  to  wipe  them  ofif  the  face  of  the  earth.  Stevens  requesed 
Ow-hi  to  communicate  this  fact  to  the  different  chiefs,  which  he  did  without 
delay. 

"When  the  words  of  Stevens  were  repeated  by  Ow-hi  to  Ka-mi-akin,  the 
latter  had  exclaimed :  'At  last  we  are  face  to  face  with  those  dreaded  people,. 


-"234  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  coming  of  whom  was  foretold  by  the  old  medicine  man,  Wa-tum-nah,  long 
■  ago.  Peu-peu-mox-mox,  who  has  been  in  California,  says  that  the  Indians 
•there  are  fast  dying  off.  I  have  traveled  through  the  Willamette  Valley  since 
jts  settlement  by  the  whites  and  found  only  a  sad  remainder  left  of  the  once 
.powerful  Mult-no-mahs  and  Cal-a-poo-yas.  So  it  will  be  with  us,  if  we  allow 
-the  whites  to  settle  in  our  country.  Heretofore  we  have  allowed  them  to  travel 
ithrdugh  unmolested,  and  we  refused  to  help  the  Cay-uses  in  their  war  with 
them,  for  we  wanted  to  live  in  peace  and  be  left  alone;  but  we  have  been  both 
jnistaken  and  deceived.  Now,  when  that  pale-faced  stranger.  Governor  Stevens, 
from  a  distant  land,  sends  to  us  such  words  as  you  have  brought  me,  I  am  for 
war.     If  they  take  our  lands,  their  trails  will  be  marked  with  blood.' 

"Ka-mi-akin  requested  Ow-hi  to  bring  to  his  village  in  two  weeks  Quil- 
len-e-nock  and  Apashwayiikt  (Looking  Glass),  war  chief  of  the  Nez  Perces,  to 
summon  him  to  a  meeting  at  the  village  of  Peu-peu-moxmox,  near  Wallula,  at 
once.  This  done,  he  rode  to  the  Catholic  Mission,  St.  Joseph,  a  few  miles 
below  on  the  Ahtanum  to  tell  Father  Pandosy  of  the  message  sent  by  Governor 
Stevens.  The  priest  replied:  "It  is  as  I  feared.  The  whiles  will  take  your  coun- 
try as  they  have  taken  other  countries  from  the  Indians.  I  come  from  the  land 
of  the  white  man  far  to  the  east,  where  the  people  are  thicker  than  the  grass 
on  the  hills.  While  there  are  only  a  few  here  now,'  others  will  come  with 'each 
year  until  your  country  will  be  overrun  with  them ;  your  land  will  be  taken  and 
your  people  driven  from  their  homes.  It  has  been  so  with  other  tribes ;  it  will 
be  so  with  you.  You  may  fight  and  delay  for  a  time  this  invasion,  but  you 
cannot  avert  it.  I  have  lived  many  Summers  with  you,  and  baptised  a  great 
number  of  your  people  into  the  faith.  I  have  learned  to  love  you.  I  cannot 
advise  or  help  you.     I  wish  I  could.' 

"Mounting  his  horse  the  chief  rode  back  to  the  village.  What  passed 
through  his  mind  at  that  time  can  only  be  surmised.  Was  it  then  that  he  worked 
out  his  plan  for  a  confederacy  of  all  the  red  men  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
for  a  last  stand  against  the  hated  white  race? 

"With  his  brother  Skloom  and  another  trusted  man,  as  well  as  a  few  extra 
horses,  along,  Ka-mi-akin  then  set  out  for  the  home  of  Peu-peu-moxmox, 
where  A-pash-wa-yi-ikt,  the  Nez  Perce  soon  joined  them.  Here  Ka-mi-akin 
repeated  the  words  of  Governor  Stevens,  as  told  him  by  Ow-hi,  and  unfolded 
his  plan  for  a  confederacy  of  all  the  tribes  from  British  Columbia  to  the  south- 
cm  boundary  of  Oregon,  for  the  purpose  of  resisting,  if  it  became  necessary, 
the  occupancy  of  their  lands  by  the  whites.  Both  of  these  influential  chiefs 
;gave  their  approval.  After  a  day  and  night  spent  in  consultation,  a  definite 
plan  was  agreed  upon.  A  council  should  be  called  to  meet  in  a  month.  The 
message  from  Governor  Stevens  was  to  be  spread  broadcast  and  tribal  councils 
called  to  select  head  men  to  attend  the  grand  council.  The  meeting  place  was 
to  be  the  Grande  Ronde  Valley  of  eastern  Oregon,  a  rendezvous  selected  both 
because  of  its  remoteness  and  in  the  hope  that  the  Snake  tribes  might  be  in- 
■duced  to  join.  In  order  to  keep  the  whites  from  learning  of  the  proposed 
gathering,  strict  secrecy  must  be  observed. 

"Couriers  were  sent  speeding  to  the  south  at  once  to  spread  out  among 
Ihe  different  nations,  while  Skloom,  with  another  Yakima,  went  to  the  Warm 


MAID  OF  THE  FALLING  LEAVES        TOKIAKEX  TWI  WA.SU  OR  TO.M  .SMAKT- 

LOWIT 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  235 

.Springs,  Des  Chutes,  Tihghs  and  Was-co-pams,  with  the  intention  also  of 
visiting  the  Klickitats  on  their  return  to  Yakima. 

"Ka-mi-akin  returned  to  the  Ahtanum  alone.  Shortly  after,  Ow-hi,  Quil- 
ten-e-nock,  Sulk-talth-scos-um  and  Qual-chan  arrived  in  response  to  his  sum- 
-mons  and  were  informed  of  the  result  of  his  meeting  with  Peu-peu-moxmox 
and  Looking  Glass.  The  Yakima  chief  urged  them  to  busy  themselves  in  the 
north,  east  and  west,  in  the  work  Skloom  was  doing  in  the  Des  Chutes  country 
and  the  couriers  in  the  south. 

"These  bold  men  were  pleased  with  the  plan  and  eager  for  action.  An 
understanding  was  soon  reached.  Quil-ten-e-nock  and  Sulk-talth-scos-um  were 
to  go  north;  Qual-chan  to  Puget  Sound  to  meet  Leschi  and  others  who  would 
look  after  that  region;  while  Ka-mi-akin  and  Ow-hi  would  go  east. 

"Well  equipped  with  tough  and  wiry  horses,  and  a  few  men  along  to  look 
■  after  them  they  were  soon  on  their  respective  ways,  full  of  hope.  To  the  head 
men  of  each  tribe  they  dwelt  on  the  menace  in  the  words  of  Governor  Stevens 
and  insisted  that  their  only  hope  was  to  stand  together.  If  soldiers  were  sent 
into  any  part  of  the  Indian  country  and  a  battle  fought,  it  should  be  the  signal 
for  a  general  uprising  from  every  quarter. 

"The  council  which  met  in  the  Grande  Ronde  Valley  in  1854  was  the  most 
noted  gathering  of  red  men  that  had  ever  been  seen  in  this  vast  territory.  It 
lasted  five  days,  during  which  speakers  were  heard  from  nearly  every  tribe. 
Only  Hal-halt-los-sot  (Lawyer)  of  the  Nez  Perces,  Stic-cas  of  the  Cay-uses 
and  Garry  of  the  Spokanes  were  in  favor  of  making  a  treaty  with  Governor 
Stevens  and  selling  their  lands.  The  Sho-sho-nees,  as  well  as  other  tribes  not 
directly  interested  in  the  treaty,  said:  'We  have  been  for  many  years  in  almost 
constant  warfare  with  the  whites  and  are  in  a  position  to  begin  hostilities  at 
any  time.  If  you  decide  on  war  and  begin  to  fight,  let  the  signals  flash  from 
the  mountain  tops  and  we  will  do  our  part ;  but  we  will  fight  only  in  our  own 
country.'  The  Flatheads  were  not  represented  in  this  council,  though  many 
of  them  fought  in  the  war  later  on.  Lawyer  and  Stic-cas  hung  out  strong  for  a 
council  with  Stevens,  taking  the  view  that  if  all  were  in  a  position  to  hear 
•directly  what  the  emissary  of  the  whites  had  to  say,  war  might,  perhaps,  be 
avoided ;  but  they  were  much  in  the  minority. 

"All  of  the  interested  chiefs,  except  these  two,  then  met  and  concluded  to 
mark  the  boundaries  of  the  different  tribes  so  that  each  chief  could  rise  in 
council,  claim  his  boundaries  and  ask  that  the  land  be  made  a  reservation  for 
his  people.  Then  there  would  be  no  lands  for  sale,  the  council  would  fail,  and 
the  contention  of  Lawyer  and  Stic-cas,  at  the  same  time,  be  met.  The  bound- 
aries were  agreed  upon  as  follows: 

"Ow-hi,  for  the  Yakimas,  Klickitats,  Wick-rams  and  So-kulks,  should 
have  the  territory  extending  from  the  Cascade  Falls  of  the  Columbia  River 
north  along  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  to  the  head  of  Cle-El-um, 
•east  by  Mount  Stuart  and  the  ridge  of  the  We-nat-sha  Moutnains  north  of 
the  Kittitas  Valley,  to  the  Columbia  River  and  across  to  Moses  Lake,  thence 
:South  to  White  Bluffs,  crossing  to  the  west  side,  and  on  down  the  Columbia  to 
the  point  of  beginning,  including  all  of  Klickitat,  Yakima  and  Kittitas  valleys. 


236  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"To-qual-e-can,  for  the  Wenatshas,  that  country  north  of  Ow-hi's  boun- 
dary to  Lake  Chelan  and  east  as  far  as  Grand  Coulee. 

"In-no-mo-se-cha,  for  the  Chelans,  that  country  north  as  far  as  Methow, 
then  east  to  Grand  Coulee. 

"Se-cept-kain,  for  the  Okanogans,  all  north  of  the  Methow  to  the  boundary 
of  British  Columbia  with  the  Okanogan  River  for  the  east  boundarj'.  All  of 
the  above  boundaries  extended  west  to  the  summit  of  the  Cascades. 

"To-nas-ket  claimed  for  the  Kettle  Falls  tribe  of  the  Okanogans  all  that 
country  between  the  Columbia  River  and  the  east  bank  of  the  Okanogan  north 
to  the  boundary  of  British  Columbia. 

"Chin-chin-no-wab,  for  the  Colvilles,  asked  for  the  land  east  to  To-nas-ket's 
boundary,  including  the  Spokane  and  Colville  valleys. 

"Lot,  for  his  tribe  of  Spokanes,  wanted  the  land  east  of  that  claimed  by 
Chin-chin-no-wah   to   Spokane  Falls. 

"Garry  and  Po-lat-kin,  for  their  following  of  the  same  tribe,  wanted  that 
east  of  Lot's  land  from  Spokane  Falls  to  the  summit  of  the  Cceur  d'Alene  Moun- 
tains and  about  twenty  miles  south  of  Spokane  Falls  and  east  of  the  Palouse 
country. 

"Sal-tes,  for  the  Coeur  d'Alenes,  claimed  that  part  known  as  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  Palouse  country  south  of  Garry's  and  Po-lat-kin's  holdings,  with 
the  Snake  River  at  Pen-e-wa-wa  for  the  southern  boundary. 

"Three  Eagles  asked  for  his  band  of  Nez  Perces  the  land  south  and  east 
of  Sal-tes'  claim  to  the  summit  of  the  Bitter  Root  Mountains  and  the  north  side 
of  the  Clearwater. 

"Looking  Glass'  and  Lawyer's  following  of  the  same  tribe  claimed  all 
lying  south  of  Three  Eagles'  land,  including  Kam-i-ah,  Craig  Mountain  and 
Camas  Prairie. 

"Joseph,  for  the  Salmon  River  Nez  Perces,  spoke  for  the  main  Salmon 
and  Little  Salmon  rivers  and  the  headwaters  of  the  Weiser,  Payette  and 
Wallowa  valleys. 

"Five  Crows,  of  the  Cay-uses,  wanted  the  Grande  Ronde  Valley,  Umatilla 
and  as  far  down  the  Columbia  as  John  Day's  River  in  Oregon. 

"The  Warm  Springs,  Des  Chutes,  Was-co-pams  and  Tighs  asked  for  the 
land  from  John  Day's  River  to  the  Cascade  Falls  of  the  Columbia  and  south 
along  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  to  Mount  Jefferson,  then  east  to 
the  John   Day  River  and  down  that  stream  to  the  Columbia. 

"Thus  a  circle  was  completed,  including  practically  all  of  the  lands  in 
eastern  Washington  and  a  large  portion  of  eastern  Oregon,  thereby  leaving  no 
lands  to  treat  for  with  the  Government.  If  Governor  Stevens  now  asked  for  a 
council  it  was  agreed  that  they  should  consent,  but  should  give  up  no  land. 

"The  spirit  of  war  was  now  thoroughly  aroused;  the  fire  smouldering 
ready  for  the  first  breeze  to  fan  it  into  flame.  During  the  Winter  of  1854, 
many  councils  and  feasts  were  held  among  the  tribes,  at  which  the  talk  was  all 
of  war. 

"The  leading  spirit  and  master  mind  of  this  confederpcy,  Ka-mi-akin,  with 
an  endurance  that  seemed  to  have  no  limit,  flew  from  tribe  to  tribe,  dispensing 
that  fiery  eloquence  so  potent  among  the  red  men. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  237 

"Reviving  the  memory  of  their  wrongs,  he  said:  'We  wish  to  be  left  alone 
in  the  lands  of  our  forefathers,  whose  bones  lie  in  the  sand  hills  and  along  the 
trails,  but  a  paleface  stranger  had  come  from  a  distant  land  and  sends  word  to 
us  that  we  must  give  up  our  country,  as  he  wants  it  for  the  white  man.  Where 
can  we  go?  There  is  no  place  left.  Only  a  single  mountain  now  separates  us 
from  the  big  salt  of  the  setting  sun.  Our  fathers  from  the  hunting 
grounds  of  the  other  world  are  looking  down  on  us  today.  Let  us  not  make 
them  ashamed!  My  people,  the  Great  Spirit  has  his  eyes  upon  us.  He  will 
be  angry  if,  like  cowardly  dogs,  we  give  up  our  lands  to  the  whites.  Better  to 
die  like  brave  warriors  on  the  battlefield,  than  Uve  among  our  vanquishers, 
despised.  Our  young  men  and  women  would  speedily  become  debauched  by 
their  fire  water  and  we  should  perish  as  a  race.' 

"With  such  words  he  had  no  difficulty  in  holding  the  compact  solid. 

"When  the  snow  had  left  the  valleys,  but  was  yet  hanging  low  on  the 
hills,  a  small  party  of  white  men  rode  into  Ka-mi-akin's  camp  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Yakima  River,  a  few  miles  below  the  present  town  of  Zillah.  The 
leader  proved  to  be  James  Doty,  sent  out  by  Governor  Stevens  to  arrange  with 
the  various  tribes  for  a  grand  council  to  be  held  May  20th.  The  Yakima  chief 
gave  his  consent  to  the  plan,  and  named  Pasha,  a  spot  in  the  Walla  Walla 
Valley  where  now  stands  the  city  of  Walla  Walla,  which  was  an  ancient  coun- 
cil ground,  for  the  meeting.  Doty  also  visited  the  Walla  Wallas,  Cay-uses  and 
Nez  Perces,  all  of  whom  agreed  to  hold  the  council  where  Ka-mi-akin  had 
suggested. 

"The  utmost  effort  was  made  by  the  Indians  during  the  Spring  and  Sum- 
mer to  gather  and  store  all  the  food  possible.  Every  woman  and  girl  was 
digging  roots,  while  every  man  and  boy  was  catching  and  drying  salmon,  as 
well  as  killing  and  curing  meat.     This  activity  continued  throughout  the  season. 

"But  from  the  time  of  the  Grande  Ronde  council,  there  had  been  a  subtle 
force  at  work  to  defeat  the  aims  of  the  confederacy.  The  Nez  Perce,  Lawyer, 
had  notified  Indian  Agent  A.  J.  Bolon  of  this  council  and  its  purpose.  Lawyer 
was  a  far-seeing,  cunning  and  ambitious  man.  With  the  education  and  knowl- 
edge gained  in  travel,  he  was  the  best  posted  Indian  in  the  Northwest  in  regard 
to  the  strength  and  power  of  the  whites.  He  knew  that  the  Indians  could  not 
cope  with  them  in  war  and  that  the  inevitable  result  would  be  the  defeat  and 
humiliation  of  the  red  man.  By  showing  his  friendship  for  the  whites  he 
thought  to  gain  advantages  for  his  own  tribe  and  promotion  for  himself.  Poli- 
tician that  he  was,  he  played  into  the  hands  of  the  enemies  of  his  race.  White 
historians  will  applaud  him,  but  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Indian  he  was  as 
much  a  traitor  as  were  the  Tories  in  the  war  for  American  independence.  It 
turned  out  as  he  expected.  By  his  perfidy  he  gained  a  large  reservation  for  his 
tribe  and  advancement  for  himself." — Such  is  Mr.   Splawn's  account. 

Such  was  the  state  of  mind  among  the  Indians  when  Governor  Stevens 
met  them  at  Walla  Walla.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  they  ratified 
the  treaty  with  a  large  mental  reservation.  It  is  suitable  to  record  here,  how- 
ever, that  Mr.  Splawn  repudiates  the  story  of  Lawyer  that  there  was  a  con- 
spiracy   among    the    Yakimas    and    Cayuses    to    exterminate    Stevens    and    his 


238  .  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

soldiers.     He  believes  that  story  to  have  been   invented  by   Lawyer  purely   in, 
his  own  interest. 

About  a  month  after  the  Walla  Walla  council  Kamiakin  had  a  conterence 
of  the  principal  chiefs  at  his  place  near  the  present  Tampico.  At  this  confer- 
ence war  was  practically  agreed  on  and  the  warriors  waited  only  for  an  occa- 
sion. The  aim  was  to  line  up  all  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  and  make  a 
clean  sweep  of  the  "Shweyappos"  (whites).  Qualchan,  who  seems  to  have 
been  the  Achilles  of  the  tribes,  as  Kamiakin  was  their  Agamemnon,  had  been 
to  the  Sound  to  rouse  Leschi,  whose  mother  was  a  Yakima. 

OUTBRE.\K   OF    WAR 

The  occasion  was  soon  ofifered.  Gold  had  been  discovered  near  the  Cana- 
dian boundary  on  the  Columbia.  Indians  or  no  Indians,  eager  adventurers  at 
many  points  were  making  ready  for  a  rush  into  the  "diggings." 

Among  others  a  party  of  six  white  men  from  Seattle  were  making  their 
way  in  spite  of  warnings  through  the  Yakima  Valley.  At  3  point  said  by  Mr. 
Splawn  to  be  near  the  present  dam  of  the  Cascade  mill  company  Qualchan  with 
a  party  of  five  relatives  overtook  the  whites  and  after  a  little  "wawa,"  as  the 
whites  were  just  ready  to  ford  the  Yakima,  fired  upon  them,  killing  four.  The 
others  were  followed  and  soon  dispatched.  Mr.  Splawn  mentions  five  of  the 
slain,  Jamieson,  Walker,  Cummings,  Huffman,  and  Fanjoy.  In  an  address  at 
the  meeting  of  the  Oregon  Historical  Society  at  Portland  December  19,  1914, 
Mr.  Thomas  W.  Prosch  states  the  details  a  little  differently,  to  the  effect  that 
there  were  seven  men  in  the  party,  that  three  escaped  and  reached  their  homes 
and  that  the  four  killed  were  Eaton,  Fanjoy,  Walker,  and  Jamieson. 

It  was  generally  believed  that  other  miners  lost  their  lives.  Whatever  the 
exact  facts,  white  men  were  murdered  and  the  flood  gates  of  a  desolating  Indian 
war  were  open. 

BOLON    MURDER 

A.  J.  Bolon,  Indian  agent  at  The  Dalles,  upon  learning  of  these  bloody 
deeds,  started  for  the  scene.  He  knew  many  of  the  Indians  and  seems  to  have 
been  very  friendly  with  Showaway,  a  brother  of  Kamiakin.  Being  a  brave  and 
resolute  man  and  having  great  confidence  in  his  power  over  the  Indians,  Bolon 
went  alone,  expecting  to  pass  on  from  Yakima  to  Colville  and  thence  to  meet 
Stevens  on  his  return  from  the  Blackfoot  country.  Leaving  The  Dalles,  Sep- 
tember 20,  1855,  Bolon  reached  the  lodge  of  Showaway  on  the  Toppenish,  and 
there  the  chieftain  urged  him  to  return  at  once,  declaring  that  his  life  was  in 
danger.     Bolon   followed  the  advice  and  the  next  day  set  forth  on  his   return. 

While  in  the  Simcoe  hills  at  a  point  about  twenty-five  miles  from  the 
present  Fort  Simcoe,  Bolon  was  overpowered  and  murdered  with  peculiar  atro- 
city, his  head  being  hacked  from  his  body.  There  seems  some  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  the  perpetrators  of  this  dreadful  deed.  Mr.  Splawn  regards  it  as 
the  work  of  Mecheil,  the  son  of  Showaway.  The  author  has  derived  from 
Frank  Olney  of  Toppenish  the  statement  that  five  Indians  attacked  Bolon  while 
one  Indian  fought  for  him.  Bolon  was  a  very  powerful  mamand'made  a  gal-- 
lant  fight  but  he  and  his  Indian  helper  were  finally  overpowered' and  his  headl 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  239^ 

was  severed  from  his  body.  The  place  where  it  occurred  became  known  as 
Twenty-five  Mile  Creek,  on  account  of  being  that  distance  from  the  point 
where  Fort  Simcoe  was  afterwards  located.  Chief  Stwires  (Waters)  gave  a 
vivid  account  of  Bolon  whom  he  knew  well,  though  he  had  no  direct  knowledge 
of  the  murder.  He  said  that  Bolon  was  red-headed,  very  strong  and  could 
outrun  a  horse, — "good  man."  It  must  be  noted  that  the  usual  account,  which 
we  have  been  following,  is  not  sustained  by  the  only  living  witness.  This  wit- 
ness is  an  Indian  and  he  has  declared  to  L.  V.  McWhorter  that  no  Indian  fought 
with  Bolon,  that  Bolon's  head  was  not  severed  from  his  body,  nor  his  body 
burned. 

BATTLES    IN   YAKIMA 

The  necessary  and  immediate  consequence  of  these  murders  was  action  by 
the  military  authorities  at  The  Dalles.  Major  Rains  directed  Major  Haller  to. 
proceed  at  once  to  Yakima  with  eighty-four  men,  and  at  the  same  time  he  pro- 
vided that  Lieutenant  Slaughter  go  from  Steilacoom  with  a  cooperating  force 
of  forty  men.  These  orders  led  to  the  famous  battle  on  the  Toppenish,  on 
October  5,  1855.  Major  Rains  in  a  communication  to  Governor  Curry  speaks 
of  the  battlefield  as  on  the  Pasco  River. 

Mr.  Splawn  gives  a  vivid  account  of  this  battle.  It  lasted  from  3  p.  m. 
on  October  5th  till  the  night  of  the  6th.  Kamiakin  was  tlie  Indian  commander, 
and  urged  on  the  attack  with  great  daring.  But  Haller's  men  held  their  ground - 
doggedly  and  during  the  afternoon  began  to  push  the  Indians  across  the  north 
side  of  the  stream.  Kamiakin,  having  perceived  the  danger  of  a  scattering  of 
his  soldiers  by  the  solid  massed  attack  of  the  civilized  men,  had  sent  a  swift 
messenger  to  urge  the  coming  of  Qualchan  whom  he  knew  to  be  somewhere  in 
the  Selah  region  with  two  hundred  well  mounted  and  well  armed  braves.  The 
messenger  met  Qualchan  at  Pahotecute  (Union  Gap),  and  under  the  impulse 
of  impending  disaster  that  bold  warrior  (the  Indian  Murat,  Mr.  Splawn  calls 
him)  urged  his  command  across  the  plain  with  such  vehemence  that  they  burst 
like  a  thunderbolt  into  the  battle  just  in  the  nick  of  time  to  save  the  day  for 
the  Indians.  Surviving  Indians  contradict  this  and  say  that  Qualchan  was  in  the 
battle  all  the  time.  Night  fell  upon  an  undecided  field,  but  Haller  perceived 
that  the  odds  were  too  great  and  during  the  night  he  sent  "Cut-Mouth"  John 
to  The  Dalles  for  help.  The  messenger  managed  to  elude  observation  and 
reached  Major  Rains  to  report  Haller's  desperate  situation.  Rains  sent  a  mes- 
sage at  once,  October  9th,  to  Governor  Curry  of  Oregon  and  acting  Governor 
Mason  of  Washington  to  hurry  volunteer  reinforcements  to  the  inland  country. 

Meanwhile  on  the  morning  of  the  7th,  Qualchan  began  a  violent  attack 
on  Haller's  little  band.  When  night  came  again  the  Indians,  confident  of  vic- 
tory in  the  morning,  ceased  their  attack.  Haller  stole  a-way  in  the  darkness 
and  by  morning  light  was  far  up  the  sides  of  the  Simcoe  hills.  In  the  Klickitat 
Valley  they  met  reinforcements  sent  on  by  Rains  in  response  to  Cut-Mouth 
John's  message.  But  believing  the  united  force  too  small  to  meet  the  formid- 
able array  of  Kamiakin  and  Qualchan,  Major  Haller  continued  his  retreat  to 
The  Dalles.  He  had  lost  eight  men  killed  and  seventeen  wounded.  Mr.  Prosch 
says  five  killed  and  nineteen  wounded. 


240  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

While  this  repulse  of  Haller  was  in  progress,  Lieutenant  Slaughter  with 
his  cooperating  force  from  Steilacoom  was  overtaken  by  a  message  while  he 
was  on  the  Cascade  Mountains,  that  outbreaks  had  begun  on  the  west  side  and 
that  he  must  return.  Obeying  the  order  he  went  back  to  his  death  at  Auburn  by 
Indians  a  few  weeks  later.  The  author  received  from  Judge  Milroy  of  Yakima 
a  thrilling  story  of  Col.  H.  D.  Cock,  well  known  as  first  marshal  of  Yakima. 
Colonel  Cock  was  in  Slaughter's  command,  and  when  the  order  to  return 
reached  the  command,  he,  with  one  other  man,  was  ordered  to  go  to  the  Klick- 
itat to  warn  settlers.  The  two  men  set  forth  on  their  perilous  journey  down 
the  Naches  and  across  the  Ahtanum  and  Toppenish.  Cock's  companion  was 
killed  by  Indians,  but  he,  having  a  fast  horse  and  marvelous  good  fortune,  as 
well  as  much  address,  managed  to  elude  them.  He  would  alternately  ride  and 
run  beside  his  horse  and  then  hide  in  the  tall  marsh  grass  and  bushes.  By  these 
tactics  he  finally  made  his  way  across  the  hills  of  the  Satus  and  reached  the 
Klickitat  unharmed. 

Needless  to  say  that  when  Haller  reached  The  Dalles  and  reported  the 
strength  of  the  Yakima  Indians,  it  was  seen  that  the  military,  both  Regular 
and  Volunteer,  were  going  to  be  taxed  to  the  utmost.  There  has  been  much 
bitter  criticism  of  the  United  States  Government  by  writers  and  pioneers  for 
alleged  remissness  in  preparation  for  such  a  crisis.  In  the  "History  of  the 
Pacific  Northwest,"  of  which  Elwood  Evans  was  editor-in-chief,  page  535 
and  on,  there  are  quotations  from  the  reports  of  Nathan  Olney,  Governor 
Stevens,  and  General  Wool,  indicating  their  comprehension  of  impending  dan- 
ger. Governor  Stevens  refers  to  the  warning  which  he  received  earlier  from 
Rev.  Father  Ricard,  then  superior  of  missions  in  the  Yakima  and  Cayuse  coun- 
tries, that  the  Indians  meditated  violence  at  the  Walla  Walla  council  in  May. 
The  Governor,  however,  seems  to  have  believed  that  he  had  thoroughly  cowed 
the  Indians  there  and  secured  their  acquiescence  in  the  treaties.  Mr.  Splawn 
quite  severely  criticises  the  Governor  for  his  inability  to  see  from  the  sullen 
and  brooding  silence  of  all  the  Indians,  except  the  Lawyer  faction  of  Nez  Perces, 
that  they  were  dissatisfied  with  the  treaties  and  had  no  intention  of  adhering 
to  them. 

Upon  the  call  of  Major  Rains  to  the  two  governors  for  volunteers,  those 
officials  acted  with  promptness  and  energ}'  and  two  companies  from  Washing- 
ton and  nine  from  Oregon  were  mustered  in. 

The  Oregon  companies  composed  one  regiment  and  J.  W.  Nesmith,  subse- 
quently United  States  senator  from  Oregon,  became  its  Colonel. 

DISCORD    BETWEEN    VOLUNTEERS    AND    REGUL.iiRS 

Throughout  this  war  there  was  an  unfortunate  failure  to  maintain  har- 
mony between  the  United  States  Regulars  and  the  Volunteers  and  state  gov- 
ernments. These  bitter  controversies  would  constitute  a  book  in  themselves 
and  we  can  devote  no  more  time  to  them  than  to  say  that  they  gave  a  certain 
form  and  direction  to  the  events  of  the  entire  period. 

The  two  companies  of  Washington  Volunteers  were  mustered  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  but  the  Oregon  regiment  declined  this  disposition 


photo  by  J.    \V.    Lang-don 

YKS-TO-LAH-LEMY,    WIFE    OF    lAT-PAH  HIX 


STE-CLAH  CHE-FOS-TO-COS:   -OWl 


LUPAHHIN 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  241 

and  maintained  independence  of  action.  Governor  Curry,  indeed,  enjoined 
upon  the  Oregon  force  that  they  should,  "so  far  as  practicable,  act  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Major  Rains,  chief  in  command.Qf  the  United  States  troops,  and,  at 
the  same  time  keeping  your  command  a  distinct  one,  afford  him  a  cordial  coop- 
eration." In  order  to  avoid  the  awkward  situation  from  Major  Rains  having 
a  rank  technically  inferior  to  that  of  Colonel  Nesmith,  acting  Governor  Mason 
commissioned   Major  Rains  as  Brigadier  General  of   Washington  Volunteers. 

On  October  30th,  Major  Rains  set  forth  from  The  Dalles  with  350  men, 
regulars,  among  whom  was  Lieut.  Philip  H.  Sheridan,  and  volunteers,  the  latter 
consisting  of  a  company  from  Vancouver  under  William  Strong  and  a  company 
from  the  Willamette  under  Robert  Newell.  Colonel  Nesmith  with  six  com- 
panies of  volunteers  acted  in  conjunction  with  Major  Rains,  though  maintain- 
ing the  independence  of  the  command.  There  was  a  total  force  variously 
stated  at  from  600  to  700  men. 

The  events  of  this  campaign  are  differently  given  by  Elwood  Evans,  A.  J. 
Splawn  and  T.  W.  Prosch,  our  chief  authorities.  All  agree  that  the  campaign 
was  a  complete  failure.  Evans  indulges  in  bitter  censure  of  the  regular  sol- 
diers, including  General  Wool,  commander-in-chief  of  the  Department  of  the 
Pacific.  Prosch  declares  that  the  expedition  was  a  complete  failure  owing  to 
the  timidity,  slowness,  and  ineffiSciency  of  Major  Rains.  He  says  that  only  one 
Indian  was  killed  and  he  was  a  helpless  old  man.  By  reason  of  getting  the  im- 
pression that  the  Catholic  missionaries  were  aiding  the  Indians  the  volunteers 
burned  the  Mission  house  on  the  Ahtanum.  To  quote  from  Prosch:  "Rains 
wrote  a  bombastic  letter  to  Chief  Kamiakin  November  13th,  which,  if  received, 
must  have  astonished  and  puzzled  him.  The  authorities  were  also  astonished 
and  annoyed  by  this  military  fiasco.  Capt.  E.  O.  C.  Ord,  a  few  years  later  a 
successful  and  distinguished  general  in  the  army  of  the  Union,  but  in  this  ex- 
pedition having  three  howitzers  to  look  after,  at  once  filed  charges  against 
Major  Rains  and  demanded  that  he  be  tried  by  an  army  court.  Rains  was 
immediately  transferred  to  Fort  Humboldt,  CaUfomia,  by  General  Wool,  who 
recognized  his  incapacity  and  placed  him  where  he  at  least  would  do  no  harm. 
In  1861  Rains  resgined  and  entered  the  Confederate  service,  where  he  served 
during  the  four  following  years  as  a  Brigadier  General." 

Splawn  does  not  give  quite  so  ignominious  a  view  of  the  campaign  as  does 
Prosch.  He  gives  interesting  details  of  the  battle  of  Pahotacute  or  Pahquyti- 
koot  (Union  Gap),  the  field  of  which  extended  from  the  vicinity  of  the  present 
Wapato  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ahtanum.  Two  monuments  in  Union  Gap  com- 
memorate this  battle,  one  erected  by  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
the  other  by  Yakimas  and  friends. 

The  Indians  seem  to  have  been  much  demoralized  by  the  howitzers,  which 
they  considered  a  "bad  tomanowas."  They  found,  too,  that  the  volunteers 
were  bold  and  enterprising  and  fully  up  to  Indian  methods  of  warfare.  As  a 
result  they  withdrew  in  more  or  less  confusion  up  the  Ahtanum  and  across  the 
present  site  of  Yakima  and  up  the  Naches.  Kamiakin  retreated  to  the  Colum- 
bia and  crossed  over  at  White  Bluffs,  while  Owhi  and  others  went  through  the 

(16) 


242  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Selah  region  to  a  point  on  the  Columbia  at  the  mouth  of  Crab  Creek,  where 
they  lost  many  horses  swimming  the  swift  current. 

But  though  Splawn  makes  a  larger  aiifair  of  this  campaign  than  Prosch 
does,  he  says  that  many  Indians  have  told  him  that  only  one  Indian  was  killed 
and  that  was  at  a  little  pond  just  above  the  old  Chambers  place,  and  that  Cut- 
Mouth  John  was  the  one  who  accomplished  this  solitary  feat.  The  monument 
inscription  does  not  indicate  that  Cut-Mouth  John  killed  that  Indian.  Sluiskin 
is  quoted  as  stating  that  the  killing  occurred  just  east  of  present  Fair  Grounds,. 
on  left  side  of  road  leading  to  the  Moxee. 

WALLA    WALLA   CAMPAIGN 

With  this  inglorious  end  the  whole  command  returned  southward,  going 
into  camp  on  November  17th,  at  a  point  in  the  Klickitat  Valley,  twenty-five 
miles  from  The  Dalles.  Colonel  Nesmith  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  T.  R. 
Cornelius  in  command  of  the  volunteers. 

While  the  Yakima  campaign  was  thus  coming  to  a  feeble  and  inconclusive 
end,  the  second  division  of  Oregon  volunteers  in  cominand  of  Lieut. -Col.  J. 
K.  Kelley  was  engaged  in  a  campaign  in  Walla  Walla  against  Peupeumoxmox, 
the  counterpart  of  Kamiakin  in  Yakima. 

In  the  year  1855,  December  7th,  8th,  9th  and  10th,  a  series  of  decisive 
operations  took  place  in  the  Walla  Walla  Valley,  beginning  in  the  Touchet  and 
thence  onward  through  what  is  now  called  Frenchtown,  about  ten  miles  from 
Walla  Walla,  and  culminating  at  a  smooth  hill  near  the  present  Blalock  fruit 
ranch,  about  four  miles  from  the  city.  The  Indians  were  defeated  in  this 
series  of  battles  and  their  chieftain  Peupeumoxmox  was  slain.  The  manner 
of  his  death  was  singular  and  has  become  one  of  the  most  bitterly  disputed 
subjects  in  our  history.  The  old  chief  had  surrendered  under  a  flag  of  truce 
while  on  the  Touchet.  He  professed  to  wish  to  make  peace,  and  had  been  made 
a  hostage  by  the  soldiers  while  on  their  march  up  the  Walla  Walla. 

When  the  battle  broke  out  Peupeumoxmox  with  several  other  Indians  was 
under  guard.  In  the  height  of  the  conflict  the  cry  went  up  from  some  source : 
"The  Indians  are  trying  to  escape!"  Others  shouted  "Shoot  them!"  Before 
any  one  could  hardly  get  a  clear  idea  of  what  was  happening,  volleys  of  musketry 
were  heard,  a  mad  scramble  took  place,  and  in  a  few  seconds  the  old  Walla 
Walla  chief  with  all  the  Indians  except  one  (and  he  was  a  Nez  Perce)  were 
dead.  Some  of  the  best  and  most  reliable  of  the  witnesses,  as  G.  W.  Miller 
of  Dayton,  have  testified  that  there  was  every  indication  that  the  Indians  were 
tryin  gto  break  away  and  that  the  only  resource  of  the  guard  was  to  fire. 

Col.  F.  E.  Gilbert,  author  of  a  pioneer  history  of  Walla  Walla,  took  the 
position  in  his  book  that  the  affair  was  an  atrocious  murder,  the  work  of 
"ghouls  rather  than  men."  He  was  not  present,  but  drew  his  conclusions  from 
the  testimony. 

The  late  Lewis  McMorris,  one  of  the  most  honored  pioneers  of  Walla  Walla, 
was  close  by,  though  not  an  eye-witness  of  the  beginnings  of  the  struggle.  He 
related  to  the  author  a  grotesque  and  horrible  sequence  of  the  death  of  Peupeu- 
moxmox, which  any  one  who  knew  him  must  accept  as  true,  to  the  effect  that 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  243 

the  body  of  the  old  chief  was  mutilated  and  that  his  ears  were  cut  off  and  put 
in  a  jar  of  brandy.  The  brandy  disappeared.  It  became  a  common  thing  to 
hear  men  about  the  camp  bawling  out,  "Who  drank  the  whisky  off  Peupeumox- 
mox'  ears?" 

It  was  the  common  opinion  that  a  certain  lieutenant  of  the  command  had 
done  the  ghastly  deed.  The  ears  were  taken  and  tacked  to  a  public  building  at 
Salem. 

Probably  no  one  can  confidently  adjudge  the  right  or  wrong  of  the  death 
of  the  Walla  Walla  chief.  But  when  we  remember  the  atrocious  murder  of  hi? 
son,  Elijah,  in  California  and  that  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  sought  imme- 
diate revenge,  and  when  we  call  up  the  testimony  of  David  Longmire  of  the 
great  kindness  and  helpfulness  of  the  chief  to  the  immigrants  of  '53,  we  can 
not  quell  the  suspicion  that  perhaps  the  Indian  was  not  the  only  sinner  at  the 
time  of  the  Walla  Walla  battle. 

In  March,  1856,  a  band  of  Klickitats  swooped  down  upon  the  settlernentg 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Columbia  between  The  Dalles  and  Cascades  and 
nearly  exterminated  them.  The  same  young  lieutenant  who  had  been  in 
Haller's  Battle  was  in  command  of  a  blockhouse  on  the  north  side  of  the  river 
at  the  upper  Cascades.  This  was  Phil  Sheridan,  and  the  blockhouse  has  often 
been  referred  to  as  the  scene  of  "Sheridan's  first  battle."  As  a  matter  of  fact 
it  was  not  strictly  speaking  his  first.  Old  settlers  claim  that  this  Klickitat  attack 
was  the  most  atrocious  act  of  the  whole  war.  The  author  has  been  assured  that 
when  the  volunteers  reached  the  scene  they  found  dead  stock  thrown  into  the 
springs  and  wells,  the  bodies  of  men  horribly  mutilated  and  the  naked  bodies 
of  girls  and  women  with  stakes  driven  through.  On  the  other  hand  old  Chief 
Stwires,  in  whom  both  white  and  red  have  confidence,  assures  us  that  the 
Klickitats  were  always  friendly.  The  only  solution,  if  we  accept  the  two  testis 
monies,  is  that  the  attacks  were  made  by  Yakimas  or  by  broken  bands  of  rene- 
gades, and  not  by  Klickitats  at  all. 

Almost  contemporary  with  the  massacres  at  the  Cascades  were  another  en- 
counter in  the  Yakima  Valley.  Colonel  Nesmith  had  been  succeeded,  as  will  be 
remembered,  by  Col.  T.  R.  Cornelius.  The  new  commander  had  been  making 
quite  a  campaign  through  the  Palouse  and  then  to  White  Bluffs  on  the  Colum- 
bia, whence  he  proceeded  to  a  point  opposite  the  entrance  of  the  Yakima  into 
the  Columbia.  Crossing  the  river  at  that  point,  he  went  with  five  companies 
of  241  men  up  the  Yakima,  reaching  a  point  on  the  Satus  not  far  from  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Alfalfa.  A  report  that  a  large  band  of  Indians  had  been  seen 
induced  the  colonel  to  order  a  reconnaissance  early  the  next  morning.  A  small 
party,  of  whom  Capt.  A.  J.  Hembree  was  one,  volunteered  for  this  service. 
Captain  Hembree  seems  to  have  been  skeptical  of  the  presence  of  the  enemy 
and  exposed  himself  to  attack,  with  the  result  that  he  was  mortally  wounded 
by  a  volley  from  ambush.  A  scattering  battle  ensued.  Kamiakin  seems  to 
have  been  the  Indian  leader.  Indeed  he  was  apparently  omnipresent  and  was 
the  soul  of  Indian  warfare  in  all  directions.  In  all  that  day,  though  there 
seemed  to  be  hot  fighting.  Captain  Hembree  was  the  only  white  man  killed,  and 
only  one  was  wounded.     Several  Indians  were  killed  and  wounded,  though  in 


244  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

this  instance,  as  usual,  it  was  impossible  to  state  the  real  Indian  loss.  Old 
Indians  have  asserted  to  L.  V.  McWhorter  that  there  was  no  fight  at  the  time 
of  Hembree's  death.     Indian  scouts  on  Satus  Mountain  killed  him. 

The  death  of  Captain  Hembree  was  deeply  deplored,  as  he  was  a  man 
highly  respected  both  in  the  volunteer  service  and  in  his  home  in  Oregon. 

VICTORY   OF   THE   VOLUNTEERS 

As  the  year  1856  went  on  it  became  clear  that  the  growing  strife  between 
Regulars  and  Volunteers,  and  between  General  Wool  and  the  State  authorities 
of  Oregon  and  Washington,  would,  if  continued,  go  on  to  fatal  weakness. 
Nevertheless  Governors  Stevens  and  Curry  kept  urging  on  their  backwoods 
soldiers  with  untiring  zeal.  They  were  rewarded  with  a  decisive  victory.  For 
Col.  B.  F.  Shaw  in  command  of  160  officers  and  men  of  the  Washington  Vol- 
unteers, leaving  Walla  Walla  on  July  14th,  made  a  rapid  march  into  the  Grande 
Ronde,  where  they  had  learned  that  the  enemy  was  concentrating,  and  struck 
an  overwhelming  blow. 

This  seemed  to  end  organized  resistance  in  that  part  of  the  field,  although 
atfer  the  usual  fashion  of  Indian  wars,  the  defeated  enemy  had  fallen  into 
prowling  bands  even  more  inimical  to  settlement  than'  the  organized  forces. 
With  the  successful  battle  on  the  Grande  Ronde,  it  seemed  that  the  work  of 
the  volunteers  had  been  accomplished  and  on  October  3,  1856,  they  were  dis- 
banded. 

Meanwhile  a  most  acrimonious  conflict  raged  between  General  Wool  and 
Governor  Stevens.  Historians  as  well  as  participants  have  seldom  had  a  good 
word  for  General  Wool,  and  though  some  have  maintained  that  he  was  a 
brave  and  capable  commander,  his  record  in  Oregon,  as  well  as  in  the  Civil 
War  later,  seems  to  justify  the  conclusion  that  he  was  a  stupid  and  opinionated 
martinet,  not  capable  of  large  and  vital  views.  On  the  other  hand  the  general 
sentiment  of  settlers  and  volunteers  was  so  entirely  one-sided  in  all  Indian 
troubles  as  to  render  them. unable  to  do  justice  to  one  who,  like  Wool,  was 
inclined  to  favor  the  Indian  side  of  the  case. 

Another  offiicer,  destined  to  play  a  very  important  part  in  this  Indian  War 
was  located  in  the  Yakima  Valley  in  1856.  This  was  Col.  George  Wright. 
With  eleven  companies  he  was  camped  on  the  Naches  in  the  Spring  and  Sum- 
mer of  the  year.  Some  of  Colonel  Wright's  correspondence  of  that  period  is 
so  interesting  that  we  again  use  a  chapter  in  Mr.  Splawn's  book  containing 
some  of  Wright's  letters  and  other  valuable  matter. 

"The  Regulars  and  Volunteers  did  not  work  in  harmony  during  the  Indian 
uprisings.  Governor  Stevens  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the  failure  of  the 
Federal  troops  to  cooperate  with  him  unnecessarily  lengthened  the  war.  The 
opposite  point  of  view  is  expressed  in  a  letter  dated  June  6,  1856,  from  General 
Wool,  commander  of  the  Federal  troops  for  the  Pacific  Coast  in  this  part  of 
the  country,  to  Assistant  Adjutant-General  Thomas  at  New  York  City,  in  which 
he  says:  'Colonel  Wright  is  now  in  the  Yakima  country  with  eleven  companies 
well  appointed  and  prepared,  a  force  sufficient  to  crush  these  Indians  at  once, 
if  I  can  only  bring  them  to  battle.    I  shall  pursue  them  and  they  must  fight  or 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  245 

leave  the  country-.  He  has  had  several  interviews  with  a  number  of  the  chiefs 
who  appear  to  want  peace,  and  remarks,  "I  believe  these  Indians  desire  peace 
and  I  must  find  out  what  outside  influence  is  operating  to  keep  them  from  com- 
ing in."  It  is  reported  to  me  that  Governor  Stevens  has  ordered  two  hundred 
Volunteers  to  the  Yakima  country,  and  that  they  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of 
Colonel  Wright's  camp  on  the  Natches  River  about  17th  of  May.  If  this  should, 
be  true,  I  should  consider  it  very  unfortunate,  for  they  are  not  wanted  in  that 
region,  as  there  is  not  a  settler  or  white  man  in  the  Yakima  country  to  pro- 
tect or  defend.  Colonel  Wright  required  no  Volunteers  to  bring  the  Indians, 
to  terms  and  he  so  informed  Governor  Stevens.  The  latter,  however,  as  I 
believe,  is  determined  if  possible,  to  prevent  the  Regulars  from  terminating  the 
war.     Nevertheless,  I  think  it  will  be  accomplished  soon.'  " 

Colonel  Wright,  reporting  to  his  superior  officer.  Assistant  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral D.  R.  Jones,  at  Benicia,  California,  under  date  of  May  30th,  states  that 
his  camp  is  still  on  the  Natches,  and  that  the  river  is  still  impassable,  the  Indians- 
crossing  by  swimming  their  horses. 

"The  salmon  have  not  commenced  running  in  any  great  numbers,"  he 
writes,  "and  hence  the  Indians  are  compelled  to  go  to  the  mountains,  to  seek 
subsistence.  It  is  reported  that  Ka-mi-akin  has  gone  over  to  see  some  of  the 
Nez  Perce  chiefs  who  were  engaged  at  this  time.  I  believe  most  of  these 
chiefs  desire  peace,  but  some  of  them  hold  back  in  fear  of  the  demands  that  may 
be  made  upon  them  for  their  murders  and  thefts.  They  seem  to  think  and  say 
they  had  strong  reasons,  for  the  outrages  of  the  former  and  the  injudicious  and 
intemperate  threats  of  the  latter,  if  true,  as  they  say,  I  doubt  not  maddened 
the  Indians  to  murder  them." 

He  notes  that  Colonel  Steptoe  joined  him  the  day  before  with  four  com- 
panies, his  pack  train  returning  immediately  to  Fort  Dalles  to  bring  up  supplies. 
Inclusive  of  detachments  with  pack  trains,  Colonel  Wright  states  that  he  has- 
about  500  men  with  him  and  that  as  soon  as  the  river  can  be  crossed,  he  will 
advance  to  the  Wenas  and  the  fisheries  and  "if  I  do  not  bring  the  Indians  tO' 
terms,  either  by  battle  or  desire  for  peace  on  their  part,  I  shall  endeavor  tO' 
harass  them  to  such  an  extent  that  they  will  find  it  impossible  to  live  in  the 
country.  I  am  now  throwing  up  a  field  work  and  gabion?  of  dimensions  suffi- 
cient to  contain  a  company  or  two  and  all  our  stores.  This  depot  will  enable 
us  to  move  unencumbered  by  a  large  pack  train." 

Writing  to  General  Jones,  June  11th,  still  from  the  camp  on  the  Natches, 
Colonel  Wright  says:  "On  the  8th  inst.,  a  party  of  Indians  numbering  thirty- 
five  men  with  a  chief  at  their  head  paid  a  visit  to  my  camp.  These  Indians 
live  up  in  the  moutains  on  the  branches  of  the  Natches  River.  They  do  not 
consider  themselves  under  the  authority  of  any  of  the  great  chiefs  of  the 
Yakima  nation,  and  not  being  engaged  in  any  hostilities,  and  evidenced  a 
friendly  disposition.  On  the  following  day  a  party  of  fifteen  Priest  Rapids 
Indians  with  a  chief  came  to  see  me.  The  chief  presented  me  a  letter  from 
Father  Pandosy.  It  appears  that  these  Indians  at  the  commencement  of  the 
war  were  living  on  the  Ahtanum  near  the  mission,  but  fled  to  the  north;  the 
chief  has  many  testimonials  of  good   feeling   for  the  whites.     I  have  also  re- 


246  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

ceived  a  visit  from  other  delegations  headed  by  smaller  chiefs.  They  all  want 
peace  for  they  doubtless  see  the  probability,  if  the  war  continues,  that  their 
own  conntry  will  be  invaded.  On  the  evening  of  the  8th  of  June,  two  men 
came  to  me  from  Chief  Ow-hi,  saying  himself  and  other  chiefs  would  come  in 
next  day.  These  men  brought  in  two  horses  belonging  to  the  volunteer  ex- 
press recently  sent  over  to  the  Sound.  The  men  remained  with  us  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  9th,  Ow-hi,  Ka-mi-akin  and  Te-i-as  encamped  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Natches  River.  The  chiefs  all  sent  friendly  messages,  declaring  they 
would  fight  no  more,  and  were  all  of  one  mind  for  peace.  I  answered  them  if 
such  was  the  case,  they  must  come  and  see  me.  After  a  while  Ow-hi  and 
Te-i-as  came  over  and  we  had  a  long  talk  about  the  war  and  its  origin.  Ow-hi 
related  the  whole  story  of  the  Walla  Walla  treaty,  and  concluded  by  saying  that 
the  war  commenced  from  that  moment  and  the  treaty  was  the  cause  of  all  the 
deaths  by  fighting  since  that  time. 

"Ow-hi  is  a  very  intelligent  man  and  speaks  with  great  energy ;  and  is  well 
acquainted  with  his  subject,  and  his  words  carry  conviction  of  truth  to  his 
hearers.  I  spoke  to  these  chiefs  and  asked  them  what  they  had  to  gain  by  war 
and  answered  them  by  enumerating  the  disasters  which  must  befall  them — their 
warriors  all  killed,  or  driven  from  their  country  never  to  return;  their  women 
and  children  starving  to  death.  But  if  peace  were  restored,  they  could  live 
happily  in  their  own  country  where  the  rivers  and  earth  offered  ample  food  for 
their  subsistence. 

"I  gave  them  to  understand  in  no  uncertain  tones  if  they  wanted  peace  they 
must  come  to  me  and  do  all  I  required  of  them ;  that  I  had  a  force  large  enough 
to  wipe  them  off  the  earth,  but  I  pitied  their  condition  and  was  willing  to  spare 
thern,  and  help  make  them  happy  if  they  complied  with  my  demands.  I  have 
never  seen  Indians  more  delighted  than  these  were.  Five  days  were  allowed 
for  them  to  assemble  here;  to  surrender  everything  they  had  captured  or  stolen 
frcum  the  white  people  and  to  comply  with  all  my  demands. 

"Ka-mi-akin  did  not  come  over  to  see  me,  but  remained  during  the  con- 
ference on  the  opposite  bank.  I  sent  word  to  Ka-mi-akin  if  he  did  not  come 
over  and  join  in  the  treaty,  I  would  pursue  him  with  my  troops,  as  no  Indian 
can  remain  a  chief  here  in  this  land  that  does  not  make  his  peace  with  me. 
Skloom  and  Show-a-way,  two  chiefs  belonging  here,  have  crossed  the  Columbia 
River  east  of  here.  They  are  properly  Palouse  Indians,  but  their  people  are 
incorporated  in  Ow-hi's  band.  Leschi  was  here.  He  came  with  Ow-hi  and 
Te-i-as,  as  he  is  a  relative  of  those  chiefs  and  believes  he  would  prefer  to  re- 
main with  them  than  to  return  to  the  Sound." 

Colonel  Wright  tells  of  completing  a  bridge  "across  the  Natches  after 
great  labor,"  and  June  11th  eight  companies  went  over  it  and  marched  nine 
miles  to  Wenas  Creek.  Leaving  the  Wenas  at  sunrise  June  17th,  they  moved 
north,  crossing  the  deep  canyon  of  Ump-tan-um,  where  the  howitzer  had  to  be 
dismounted  and  packed  on  mules,  reaching  the  Kittitas  Valley  the  afternoon  of 
the  19th.  Colonel  Steptoe  with  three  companies  of  the  Ninth  Infantry  and  a 
mounted  howitzer  with  artillerymen  were  left  to  occupy  Fort  Natches.   Wright 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  247 

spent  several  days  in  the  Kittitas  country,  setting  out  July  4th  up  the  "Swuck," 
the  march  next  day  being  very  difficult,  "over  steep  mountains  and  obstructed 
trails  where  were  many  fallen  trees." 

"On  the  6th,"  he  writes,  "we  came  to  Pish-Pish-aston,  a  small  stream  flow- 
ing into  Wenatchee  River;  arriving  on  that  stream  we  were  met  by  the  Indians 
■who  had  visited  me  at  Natches  and  with  them  was  Father  Pandosy.  They  are 
willing  to  go  at  once  to  the  Toppenish,  or  any  place  I  suggest,  but  express  fear 
as  to  their  subsistence,  which  I  believe  is  well  taken,  as  they  can  procure  food 
much  easier  and  surer  when  they  are  scattered.  This  is  beyond  question  the 
greatest  fishery  that  I  have  seen.  I  have  consented  for  those  Indians  to  remain 
here  and  fish,  and  later  move  into  Yakima.  Te-i-as,  Ow-hi's  brother  and 
father-in-law  of  Ka-mi-akin,  is  here. 

"They  followed  the  Wenatchee  River  to  its  junction  with  the  Columbia,  and 
then  returned  in  three  days  to  Kittitas  where  he  reports  he  has  about  500  In- 
dians, men,  women  and  children,  and  a  much  larger  number  of  horses  and 
•cattle. 

"The  Indians  brought  in,"  he  notes,  "about  twenty  horses  that  had  been 
-Stolen  or  captured  from  the  Government.  Left  in  my  camp  at  Kittitas,  Leschi, 
Nelson  and  Kitsap." 

Colonel  Wright  located  Fort  Simcoe  in  August,  1856,  gathering  all  the 
•captured  Indians  at  this  point.  He  says  of  the  Yakima  Valley:  "The  whole 
country  between  the  Cascade  Mountains  and  Columbia  River  should  be  given 
over  to  the  Indians,  as  it  is  not  necessary  to  the  whites."  He  was  a  fine  soldier, 
but  a  poor  agriculturist  and  not  much  of  a  prophet. 

"Major  Haller  with  one  company  of  the  Fourth  Infantry  and  two  of  the 
Ninth  Infantry  was  camped  in  the  Kittitas  at  this  time,  while  Major  Gamett 
was  at  Simcoe  with  two  companies  erecting  temporary  quarters  for  twice  that 
number.  Captain  Dent  was  in  charge  of  the  construction  of  a  military  road 
from  The  Dalles  to  Fort  Simcoe,  a  distance  of  sixty-five  miles." — Thus  ends 
the  chapter  from  Mr.  Splawn. 

AFTERMATH    OF    THE    WARS 

After  the  battles  in  Grande  Ronde  and  Walla  Walla  there  was  a  period 
of  indecision  and  uncertainty  in  the  eastern  section.  During  the  Fall  and  Winter 
of  1855  and  the  beginning  of  1856  the  Indians  were  prosecuting  their  attacks 
on  settlers  around  Puget  Sound. 

On  January  26,  1856,  they  attacked  the  little  settlement  at  Seattle  and  at 
first  gained  considerable  success.  But  this  was  only  transient.  Failure  was  in- 
evitable and  soon  came.  One  striking  feature  of  this  war  was  the  prominent 
part  taken  by  Yakima  warriors  on  both  sides  of  the  mountains.  Owhi  and 
Qualchan  seem  to  have  gone  to  and  fro  with  wonderful  celerity.  Kamiakin, 
the  generalissimo  on  all  the  "fronts,"  travelled  with  restless  energy  from 
Yakima  in  all  directions,  organizing,  encouraging,  inciting,  threatening,  and 
at  critical  points  taking  personal  charge.  He  was  in  truth  a  remarkable  Indian, 
a  veritable  Hannibal  on  a  small  scale,  and  like  the  great   Puni.c  genius,   his 


248  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

downfall  was  largely  the  result  of  non-support  and  collapse  of  his  own  people. 
While  chivalrous  for  a  wild  man  and  not  guilty  of  atrocities  he  had  sworn  un- 
dying hatred  to  the  white  man. 

Leschi  and  his  brother  Quiemuth  were  the  chief  leaders  on  the  west  side, 
though  Kanasket,  Nelson,  Stahi  and  Kitsap  played  important  parts.  Leschi 
spent  much  time  on  the  east  side,  and  in  fact  this  entire  war  might  well  be  con- 
sidered as  engineered  from  Yakima.  After  the  failure  at  Seattle  the  hostiles 
scattered,  and  there  was  but  one  more  encounter  of  any  moment.  This  was  at 
Connell's  Prairie  on  the  10th  of  March,  and  resulted  in  an  "Appomattox"  for 
the  Indians.  The  war  on  the  west  side  was  practically  ended.  Finding  his  cause 
lost  Leschi  crossed  the  Cascade  Mountains  immediately  after  the  battle  of  Con- 
nell's Prairie  and  joined  Kamiakin.  But  the  cause  of  the  Indians  was  lost 
there  also.  Owhi  was  willing  to  surrender,  and  Leschi  seeing  the  hopelessness 
of  their  cause  surrendered  to  Colonel  Wright  in  his  camp  on  the  Naches  on 
June  8th.  Colonel  Wright  in  a  report  of  June  11th,  as  quoted  in  Meeker's 
"Tragedy  of  Leschi,"  gives  a  very  interesting  view  of  both  Owhi  and  Leschi. 
In  a  letter  of  June  25th  from  Ahtanum  Wright  says  that  he  had  left  in  his  camp 
on  the  Kittitas  Nelson,  Leschi,  and  Kitsap,  with  a  small  party  of  Nisquallies. 
He  says  that  Leschi  was  the  recognized  chief  of  all  those  people,  including 
those  on  the  Naches,  and  that  they  desired  to  return  lo  the  Sound,  provided 
they  could  do  so  with  safety. 

Into  this  bitterly  disputed  question  of  Leschi  we  cannot  enter  in  detail. 
Readers  desirous  of  full  statements  of  the  case  may  find  them  in  Hazard 
Stevens'  "Life  of  General  Isaac  I.  Stevens,"  and  in  Ezra  Meeker's  "Tragedy  of 
Leschi."  Other  works  of  Washington  writers  deal  with  the  subject  at  length, 
and  the  reader  will  be  bewildered  rather  than  otherwise  by  the  seemingly  good 
evidence  for  the  conflicting  claims  as  to  the  guilt  of  Leschi.  At  all  events  after 
a  most  extraordinary  series  of  legal  and  military  moves  and  countermoves  by 
Governor  Stevens  seeking  to  convict,  and  others  seeking  to  acquit,  the  sentence 
of  death  was  imposed  and  executed  on  February  19,  1858.  Quiemuth,  Leschi's 
brother,  had  been  murdered  in  November,  1856,  by  some  one  unknown  who 
entered  the  Governor's  office  where  he  was  confined  under  guard.  There  must 
certainly  have  been  most  vigilant  guard  to  have  allowed  such  a  deed  without 
knowing  anything  about  it.  We  follow  the  account  here  as  given  by  Hazard 
Stevens. 

We  have  no  desire  to  pass  judgment  on  this  vexed  question  of  Leschi.  As 
a  matter  of  historical  interest,  it  may  be  said  that  the  author  has  been  told  by 
an  Indian  living  near  Tacoma,  one  of  the  most  wealthy,  reliable,  and  intelligent 
Indians  in  the  state,  that  the  Indians  have  always  regarded  Leschi  as  a  victim 
of  perjury  and  hatred,  and  as  in  reality  one  of  the  most  just  and  merciful  of 
their  race.  As  giving  certain  views  of  the  case  which  the  author  does  not  re- 
member to  have  seen  in  full  in  any  one  of  the  books,  we  are  giving  here  a  state- 
ment by  Lieut,  (afterwards  General)  A.  V.  Kautz,  well-known  in  military  and 
civil  circles  for  many  years  in  this  state.  This  is  from  an  interview  in  the 
Tacoma  Ledger  of  April  14,  1893. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  249" 

THE  DEATH  OF  LESCHI 

General  Kautz  Throws  Some  Additional  Light  on  His  Execution. 

There  has  been  considerable  discussion  through  the  columns  of  the 
"Ledger,"  from  time  to  time,  especially  in  the  old  settlers'  stories,  regarding 
the  execution  of  the  Indian  Chief  Leschi.  To  throw  additional  light  on  the 
matter  of  Leschi's  guilt,  if  not  to  settle  it  beyond  question,  Gen.  A.  V.  Kautz 
yesterday  gave  a  Ledger  reporter  a  detailed  account  of  his  knowledge  of  the 
affair.  As  a  preamble  to  General  Kautz's  narration,  it  may  be  said  that  he  con- 
ducted the  final  campaign  against  Leschi  and  his  followers,  and  after  Leschi's 
arrest  had  charge  of  him  through  both  trials  and  until  he  was  finally  executed. 
Said  General  Kautz: 

"Leschi  was  the  chief  of  the  Nisquallies  and  the  leader  of  the  dissatisfied. 
Indians  of  that  tribe,  in  the  uprising  of  '55  and  '56.  When  I  came  back  to  the 
Sound,  after  an  absence  of  two  years  to  southern  Oregon,  the  war  was  half  over.. 
This  was  in  the  latter  part  of  February,  '56.  A  day  or  two  after  my  arrival  at 
Fort  Steilacoom,  we  started  out  on  a  campaign  against  them.  Our  objective  point 
was  Muckleshoot  Prairie,  which  is  now  an  Indian  reservation,  between  White 
and  Cedar  rivers.  It  was  regarded  as  the  heart  of  the  country  occupied  by  the 
hostiles.  The  troops  separated  at  the  Puyallup  blockhouse  near  where  Sumner 
is  now.  From  there  I  marched  on  with  that  portion  of  the  command  which 
went  direct  to  Muckleshoot  Prairie.  Colonel  Casey,  who  was  in  command  of 
the  other  detachment,  went  by  the  Lemon  Prairie  route  (o  Muckleshoot.  My 
command  reached  the  prairie  about  the  last  day  of  February.  On  that  day  I 
received  a  dispatch  from  Colonel  Casey  requesting  me  to  send  a  detachment  to 
the  crossing  of  White  River  to  meet  him.  On  the  next  day,  the  1st  of  March, 
I  started  out  with  a  command  of  fifty  men.  When  we  arrived  at  the  ford  of 
White  River  the  Indians  appeared  in  our  rear  and  threatened  an  attack.  I  at 
once  sent  a  dispatch  to  Colonel  Casey,  telling  him  that  the  Indians  had  made  their 
appearance  and  that  I  would  endeavor  to  hold  the  ford  until  he  arrived.  I  made 
disposition  of  the  men  on  a  bar  of  the  river,  among  some  driftwood,  to  await  the 
coming  of  the  troops.  The  Indians  worked  their  way  around  us  on  both  sides 
of  the  river,  but  were  not  able  to  make  any  impression  on  the  troops  lodged,  as 
they  were,  behind  logs  and  driftwood. 

"At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Captain  Keys  arrived  at  the  ford  with 
about  100  men.  We  then  moved  against  the  Indians  and  they  retreated.  Later, 
as  we  were  marching  to  Muckleshoot  Prairie,  they  gave  us  a  volley  from  a 
bluff  where  they  were  stationed.  They  then  disappeared  and  we  went  into  camp. 
One  man  had  been  killed  and  nine  men,  including  myself,  wounded.  This  was 
the  last  fight  the  regulars  had  with  the  hostiles.  Soon  after  this  they  scattered 
and  went  off  into  the  mountains  and  foothills.  About  the  1st  of  April  I  was 
sent  out  with  fifty  men  into  the  foothills  east  of  Steilacoom.  We  returned  after 
an  absence  of  two  weeks  with  about  thirty  prisoners — men,  women  and  children. 
We  treated  the  captives  kindly  and  sent  some  of  them  out  after  the  rest  of  the 
hostiles.  These  brought  all  the  other  hostile  Indians  in  except  Leschi.  He  went 
over  into  the  Yakima  and  Klickitat  country  and  remained  there  until  Fall. 


250  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"Leschi  had  a  wife  who  was  around  about  the  post  at  Fort  Steilacoom  and 
to  whom  he  was  very  much  attached.  He  came  to  see  her,  and  while  there  made 
himself  known  to  Doctor  Tolmie  of  Fort  Nisqually.  The  Doctor  advised  him  to 
surrender  himself,  which  he  did.  He  was  then  arraigned  by  the  civil  authori- 
ties for  the  murder  of  Miller,  Moses  and  others  the  year  before,  the  Fall  of 
'55.  He  was  tried  at  Steilacoom,  soon  after  his  arrest,  and  the  jury  failed  to 
agree.  Subsequently  he  was  tried  again  at  Olympia  and  was  there  convicted 
and  sentenced  to  be  hung. 

"I  had  Leschi  in  charge  during  all  the  time  of  his  confinement.  He  was 
imprisoned  in  the  guardhouse  at  Fort  Steilacoom.  I  commanded  the  guard  and 
took  him  up  to  Olympia,  and  was  obliged  to  be  present  during  the  trial.  So  I 
was  in  a  position  to  know  all  the  facts  and  details  of  the  case.  He  was  con- 
victed principally  on  the  testimony  of  A.  B.  Robinson,  who  testified  that  while 
coming  toward  Steilacoom  from  the  Naches  Pass  he  met  Leschi  and  some  of 
his  people  on  the  edge  of  Connell's  Prairie.  Leschi  was  friendly,  and  did  not 
make  any  hostile  demonstration.  They  separated  after  a  short  distance,  so  the 
testimony  ran,  Leschi  going  into  the  woods  and  Robinson  and  his  party  con- 
tinuing on  the  road.  At  a  swamp,  about  one  mile  beyond  their  separation, 
Leschi  and  others  suddenly  arose  from  ambush  and  fired  upon  them. 

"This  statement  could  not  have  been  true  because  the  party  traveled  on  the 
road  and  Leschi  would  have  had  to  have  traveled  through  the  woods,  besides 
making  a  detour  to  have  reached  the  swamp  before  Robinson  and  his  party, 
who  were  on  horseback.  Robinson  claimed  there  was  a  shorter  trail,  which  the 
Indians  took,  which  there  was  to  another  point  of  the  prairie,  but  not  to  the 
point  where  he  averred  Leschi  fired  on  them.  The  shortest  route  was  traveled 
by  Robinson  and  his  party,  and  Leschi  could  not  possibly  have  arrived  at  the 
place  mentioned  before  they  did. 

"Frank  Clark  was  Leschi's  counsel,  and  when  I  called  his  attention  to  this 
point  he  recognized  the  fact  that  Robinson's  testimony  was  not  correct,  but  it 
was  too  late  to  help  Leschi  at  that  time.  However,  he  made  an  efifort  to  get  the 
sentence  suspended,  but  the  prejudice  against  Leschi  among  the  people  was 
such  that  the  governor  would  not  take  any  action,  and  it  became  necessary  to 
carry  out  the  sentence.  The  time  was  too  short  to  communicate  with  Wash- 
ington and  have  the  president  interfere,  so  Clark  stayed  the  execution  by  getting 
out  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  the  sheriflf  before  the  LInited  States  commissioner 
on  an  accusation  of  having  sold  liquor  to  Indians.  His  arrest  followed,  and  he 
was  in  prison  at  the  time  Leschi  should  have  been  hung.  For  this  reason  it 
became  necessarj'  to  resentence  Leschi.  It  was  the  Spring  of  the  year  at  that 
time,  and  the  court  was  not  to  meet  again  until  December.  The  Legislature  was 
in  session,  however,  and  they  passed  a  law,  authorizing  the  court  to  convene. 
Within  a  few  days  the  court  met  and  again  sentenced  him  to  be  hung  by  the 
sheriff  of  Thurston  County.     He  was  hung  near  Fort  Steilacoom. 

"On  the  date  of  the  first  hanging  a  great  many  people  came  down  from 
Olympia  to  witness  the  execution,  and  there  was  considerable  indignation  ex- 
pressed by  them  when  the  sentence  was  not  carried  out.  The  military  at  Fort 
Steilacoom  were  accused  of  being  implicated  in  preventing  the  execution,  and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  251 

indignation  meetings  were  held  there  and  at  Olympia  by  the  people,  expressing 
their  disapprobation. 

"Quiemuth,  Leschi's  brother,  came  in  before  Leschi  and  gave  himself  up 
to  the  governor.  Subsequently  he  was  assassinated  in  the  governor's  office  at 
Olympia.  This  had  the  effect  of  keeping  Leschi  out  longer  than  he  would  have 
remained  unexecuted  under  other  circumstances." 

There  was  one  more  act  in  the  drama  of  this  year  1856.  On  September 
llth.  Governor  Stevens  met  another  council  of  Indians  at  Walla  Walla. 

The  influence  of  Kamiakin  was  so  great  that  most  of  the  chiefs,  with  the 
exception  of  the  friendly  faction  of  Nez  Perces,  remained  hostile.  Stevens' 
little  force  was  attacked  by  a  strong  force  led  by  Qualchan.  Stevens  was  sup- 
ported by  the  Regulars  under  Col.  E.  J.  Steptoe  and  the  Indians  were  repulsed 
with  loss  and  Stevens  proceeded  to  The  Dalles. 

Thus  the  Indian  War  of  1855-56  closed  with  the  virtual  defeat  of  the  great 
schemes  of  Kamiakin  and  his  followers. 

But  now  there  followed  a  most  singular  outcome.  General  Wool  seems 
to  have  predetermined  that  the  country  east  of  the  Cascades  should  not  come 
into  possession  of  the  Whites.  His  conception  of  the  country  is  well  shown  by 
his  approval  of  a  memoir  of  Capt.  T.  J.  Cram,  a  United  States  engineer  who 
professed  to  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  Northwest.  We  quote  here  from 
T.  W.  Prosch  some  extracts  from  Captain  Cram's  views  (_ which  were  practi- 
cally Wool's)    with  his  own  comments. 

"The  Captain  covered  all  the  ground  in  Washington  and  Oregon  and  all 
the  subjects.  He  was  unfavorably  impressed  with  both  country  and  people. 
Beyond  a  few  Regular  army  officers  and  their  doings  nothing  was  very  good. 
In  view  of  what  has  since  been  done  in  these  two  states,  what  they  are  now,  and 
what  they  are  going  to  be  and  do,  he  could  be  glad,  if  alive,  to  suppress  by  fire 
every  copy  of  his  Memoir  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  printed  pages. 
He  said,  for  instance,  that  "there  never  will  be  anything  in  the  interior  of  this 
forbidding  stretch  of  country  to  induce  the  movement  of  such  a  force  into  the 
interior  should  a  reasonable  show  of  defense  be  exhibited  by  a  field  force.'  It 
was  impossible  'to  defend  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River  with  any  known 
practical  system  of  fixed  batteries.'  Besides,  fortifications  were  not  really 
necessary,  as  the  river  'mouth  is  always  blocked  by  a  mass  of  oscillating  sand,' 
and  'at  high  tide  a  vessel  drawing  eighteen  feet  can  seldom  pass  the  bar.'  So 
also  on  Puget  Sound  land  fortifications  would  be  useless,  steam  floating  bat- 
teries necessarily  being  the  weapons  there.  'Sea  steamers  of  ten  feet  draft,' 
he  said,  'ascend  the  river  to  the  city  of  Portland.'  Willamette  Valley  would 
sustain  a  population  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  Portland  would  con- 
tinue to  be  the  commercial  center  of  that  district,  unless  it  were  found  that 
sea  steamers  could  'at  all  times  ascend  to  the  foot  of  the  Cascades.'  The  vast 
region  drained  by  the  Columbia  River  was  one  which  impressed  the  observer 
as  incapable  of  sustaining  a  flourishing  civilization.  This,  said  he,  'is  the 
general  view  to  be  taken  of  Oregon  from  the  Pacific  to  the  summit  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Range,  a  region  only  fit,  as  a  general  rule,  for  the  occupancy 
of  the  nomadic  tribes  who  now  roam  over  it,  and  who  should  be  allowed  peace- 


252  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

fully  to  remain  in  its  possession.'  Speaking  more  particularly  of  Washington; 
this  sagacious  military  engineer,  historian,  and  author  declared  that  'the  whole 
Yakima  country  should  be  left  to  the  quiet  possession  of  the  Yakima  and 
Klickitat  Indians.'  Also  this:  'In  the  acquisition  of  this  strip  of  territory  it  is 
certainly  not  to  be  denied  by  any  sensible  man  who  has  examined  it  carefully 
that  the  United  States  realized  from  Great  Britian  but  very  little  that  is  at  all 
valuable  or  useful  to  civilized  man.  For  the  Indians,  but  for  the  presence  of 
the  Whites,  it  would  ever  have  remained  well  adapted.'  The  document  was 
replete  with  utterances  of  a  disparaging,  belittling,  slanderous,  false  and  absurd 
character,  concerning  the  people,  officials,  soil,  timber,  waters  and  future  possi- 
bilities, of  the  Oregon  countrj'  given  out  with  high  military  approval,  published 
by  the  Government,  circulated  broadcast,  accepted  in  many  places  as  fair  and 
right,  and  with  no  redress  to  the  country  and  people  maligned,  except  that 
afforded  in  the  lapse  of  time,  long  time,  and  the  unconcern  and  forgetfulness 
of  the  great  general  public.  Fortunately  all  the  army  officers  were  not  like 
Wool  and  Cram.  Many  of  them  saw  things  here  under  more  pleasant  lights, 
and  they  bore  to  the  end  of  their  lives  recollections  of  grateful  character  con- 
cerning the  days  they  spent  and  the  people  they  met  in  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton territories." 

With  such  a  conception  of  the  situation  and  the  country  the  reader  may  not 
be  surprised  to  learn  that  in  October  Wood  issued  orders  to  Colonel  Wright 
and  Colonel  Steptoe  (the  latter  commanding  at  Walla  Walla),  that  Whites^ 
with  the  exception  of  missionaries  and  Hudson's  Bay  Company  employes, 
should  be  forbidden  to  enter  the  country  east  of  the  Cascade  Mountains.  In 
other  words,  the  war  now  having  been  won,  mainly  by  the  Volunteer  forces,. 
General  Wool  proposed  to  surrender  the  entire  country  to  the  defeated  party 
and  deny  the  settlers  and  Volunteers  the  fruits  of  their  hard-won  victory. 
Governor  Stevens  protested  vigorously  against  so  imbecile  an  outcome.  He 
pointed  out  the  fact  that  while  the  Catholic  missionaries  had  beneficent  aims 
they  were  attempting  an  impossible  task  and  their  influence  in  the  upper  country 
had  "latterly  been  most  baneful  and  pernicious."  He  further  pointed  out  that 
the  whole  interest  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  was  necessarily  to  join  with 
the  Indians  in  causing  the  abandonment  of  the  country. 

A   NEW    ORDER    OF  THINGS 

During  the  year  1857  the  condition  of  quasi-peace  continued,  Indians  in; 
possession,  settlers  excluded,  and  Regulars  inactive  at  the   forts. 

But  the  War  Department  and  the  Government  at  Washington  had  analyzed 
the  situation  with  the  result  that  Wool's  policy  was  tried  and  found  wanting. 
He  was  removed  and  Gen.  N.  S.  Clarke  was  appointed  in  his  stead. 

The  new  commander  reversed  the  former  policy,  the  gates  were  thrown 
open,  and  the  impatient  army  of  explorers,  prospectors,  cattlemen,  and  settlers 
began  to  pour  in.  This  state  of  affairs  precipitated  the  campaigns  of  1858. 
Colonel  Wright  at  Vancouver  and  Colonel  Steptoe  at  Walla  Walla,  though 
having  formerly  adhered  to  Wool's  policy,  had  experienced  a  change  of  heart. 
Kamiakin   meanwhile   was   reorganizing   in   preparation   of    renewed    hostilities. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  253 

Going  to  the  Spokane  and  Couer  d'  Alene  tribes  he  urged  that  the  recent  peace 
between  Colonel  Wright  and  certain  Indians  was  not  binding  on  them  and  that 
they  should  keep  the  country  closed  to  Whites. 

As  a  result,  probably,  of  these  machinations  on  Kamiakin's  part,  miners 
on  the  way  to  Colville  were  waylaid  and  murdered.  Also  a  large  amount  of 
stock  was  driven  from  Fort  Walla  Walla. 

steptoe's  defeat 

As  a  result  Colonel  Steptoe  entered  upon  his  disastrous  expedition  against 
the  Colvilles.  Although  Steptoe  seems  to  have  been  an  accomplished  officer,  he 
appears  to  have  had  no  conception  of  the  power  of  these  Indians  or  of  the  gen- 
•eral  ability  of  their  commanders.  He  had  a  small  force,  only  136  mounted 
dragoons,  besides  packers  and  officers.  The  fatal  mistake  was  made,  however, 
by  leaving  out  a  large  part  of  the  ammunition  for  the  sake  of  lightening  the 
packs!  This,  as  the  author  has  been  told  by  those  present  at  the  time,  was 
done  by  an  inebriated  quartermaster. 

Meanwhile  the  Indians  were  marshalling  their  forces  under  the  leadership 
of  the  most  capable  and  valorous  chieftains.  This  was  destined  to  be  their 
j^reatest  victory,  but  their  last.  This  was  emphattcally -Kamiakin's  battle.  The 
time  was  May  18th  and  the  place  the  present  location  of  Rosalia,  though  like 
most  Indian  battlefields  it  was  strung  out  over  a  number  of  miles.  The  com- 
mand suffered  severely  and  among  the  lost  were  the  gallant  Gaston  and  Taylor, 
whose  heroic  defense  in  command  of  the  rear  guard  saved  the  retreating  com- 
mand from  utter  destruction.  Those  two  brave  men  are  said  to  have  been 
singled  out  for  death  by  Kamiakin's  special  orders  when  he  saw  their  efficiency 
in  the  rear  guard  action.  The  broken  command  halted  with  nightfall  near  the 
foot  of  Steptoe  Butte,  known  to  the  Indians  as  Tehotami  (and  it  is  a  great 
pity  that  the  name  was  changed).  Kamiakin  made  every  eflfort  to  induce  his 
Indians  to  be  ready  for  an  instant  attack,  for  he  realized  that  the  Whites  would 
attempt  a  night  retreat.  But  sustained  effort  is  irksome  to  an  Indian,  and  the 
warriors  wanted  to  lie  down  and  rest.  Their  chance  for  a  sweeping  victory 
-was  gone,  never  to  return.  For  Timothy,  the  Nez  Perce  chief,  was  with  Step- 
toe and  he  knew  a  trail  down  a  canyon  on  Tehotami.  Taking  advantage  of  a 
■dark  and  drizzly  night  he  led  the  command  out  of  its  deadly  position,  and  by 
morning  light  they  were  half  way  to  Snake  River. 

A  number  were  lost  on  the  way,  but  the  main  command,  with  the  aid  of 
Timothy  and  his  squaws,  got  safely  across  Snake  River,  then  running  high 
with  the  Spring  flood.  Had  it  not  been  for  Timothy  the  towering  height  of 
Tehotami  would  without  doubt  have  witnessed  a  Custer  massacre.  As  it  was 
it  was  the  greatest  Indian  victory  in  the  Northwest. 

END   OF   THE    WAR 

When  Steptoe's  broken  army  reached  Walla  Walla  and  the  crestfallen 
commander  reported  the  results  to  Colonel  Wright  the  latter  perceived  that 
the  time  for  "fooling"  had  passed,  and  that  they  must  now  act  with  promptness 
and  energy  sufficient  to  make  an  end  of  the  whole  matter.    Accordingly  Wright 


254  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

organized  two  expeditions.  One  under  command  of  Maj.  R.  S.  Gamett,  com- 
mandant at  Fort  Simcoe,  made  an  expedition  through  the  Yakima  Valley,  as  a 
result  of  which,  though  with  no  definite  encounters,  the  strength  of  the  Indians 
was  dissipated  and  several  alleged  murderers  captured  and  hung.  Lieut.  J.  K. 
Allen  was  killed  upon  the  Teanaway,  much  lamented  for  his  admirable  quali- 
ties. One  point  of  special  note  is  that  in  Garnett's  command  was  Lieutenant 
Cook,  later  a  general  in  the  Civil  war,  and  still  later  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished Indian  fighters  in  eastern  Oregon,  Arizona,  and  Montana. 

From  the  upper  Yakima  Garnett  went  to  the  Okanogan.  A  few  days  after 
Garnett  started  on  his  Yakima  expedition,  Wright  set  forth  for  Spokane  with 
a  well  equipped  and  determined  force.  At  the  battle  of  Four  Lakes  on  Sep- 
tember 1st,  the  Indians  were  routed.  On  September  9th,  at  a  point  a  few 
miles  east  of  the  present  city  of  Spokane  Wright  captured  800  horses,  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  war  supply  of  the  Indians. 

Realizing  that  the  loss  of  these  horses  would  paralyze  further  operations 
by  the  Indians,  Wright  ordered  the  wholesale  destruction  of  the  horses.  He 
was  correct.     The  natives  were  now  powerless  and  made  an  abject  surrender. 

From  this  decisive  victory  at  Spokane  Wright  went  westward.  Owhi, 
having  learned  of  the  collapse  of  the  Spokane  allies,  determined  to  throw  him- 
self upon  the  mercy  of  the  conquerors.  Wright  was  then  camped  at  the  mouth 
of  Hangman  Creek  in  the  present  city  of  Spokane.  Mr.  Splawn  gives  a  spir- 
ited account  of  the  events  which  followed.  Qualchan  and  Owhi  both  perished 
as  a  result.  Kamiakin,  finding  that  all  was  lost,  went  to  British  Columbia,  and 
thence  made  his  way  to  the  country  of  the  Crows.  In  1861  he  appeared  unher- 
alded at  the  Coeur  d'  Alene  Mission.  Subsequently  he  settled  at  Rock  Lake, 
and  there  the  remainder  of  his  life  was  spent.  Mr.  Splawn  gives  a  graphic  ac- 
count of  seeing  the  Yakima  Hannibal  in  1865.  He  lived  fifteen  years  longer, 
thus  reaching  a  good  old  age. 

Almost  all  the  great  chiefs  who  participated  in  thai  series  of  wars  died 
or  were  killed  during  the  period.  Three  of  the  most  notable,  however,  outlived 
their  comrades  many  years.  These  were  Kamiakin,  Sulktalthscosum  (Moses), 
and  Halhaltlossot  (Lawyer). 

With  the  announcement  by  General  Clarke  that  the  long  struggle  was 
over,  the  long  arrested  tide  of  population  poured  in.  Mines  were  opened, 
droves  of  cattle  were  driven  in,  towns  began  to  bud  and  blossom,  and  all  the 
phenomena  of  state  building,  so  familiar  to  successive  generations  of  Ameri- 
cans, began  at  the  strategic  points  of  the  Columbia  Basin. 

For  twenty  years  peace  was  the  accepted  order  in  the  Inland  Empire,  and 
no  thought  of  Indian  warfare  disturbed  the  minds  of  the  builders  of  the  new 
communities.    Suddenly  like  a  clap  out  of  a  clear  sky  came  the  Nez  Perce  War. 

NEZ   PERCE   WAR   IN   THE   WALLOWA    IN    1877 

This  was  the  aftermath  of  conditions  growing  out  of  understandings  which 
the  Joseph  branch  of  the  Nez  Perces  seemed  to  have  formed  at  the  Walla  Walla 
treaty  in  1855.  We  have  already  spoken  of  the  formation  of  those  impressions. 
The  hero  of  this  Wallowa  War  was  Young  Joseph,  Hallakallakeen  (Eagle 
Wing).     General  Howard  pays  a  great  tribute  to  the  skill  and  nobility  of  his 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  25-5 

foe.  Defeat  was  inevitable  and  with  it  warfare  ceased  so  far  as  any  of  the 
great  tribes  of  well  known  Indians  were  concerned.  But  the  very  next  year 
came  the  Bannock  War,  the  scene  of  which  was  mainly  Umatilla  County  in 
Oregon  and  the  region  of  the  Columbia  River,  north.  This  war  brought  another 
echo  to  the  Yakima  Valley,  then  just  in  the  first  beginnings  of  development. 
Mr.  Splawn  gives  a  very  clear  account  of  the  genesis  of  this  war  in  the  mind 
of  ButYalo  Horn,  the  Bannock  chief,  upon  whose  untimely  (from  the  Indian 
viewpoint)  death  the  leadership  fell  to  Eagan  of  the  Piutes.  He  proved  to  be 
an  incapable  leader  and  the  whole  great  undertaking  fizzled  out  within  a  few 
months.  It  produced  intense  excitement,  especially  at  Pendleton.  At  the 
moment  of  greatest  apparent  force  the  Indians  undertook  to  cross  the  Columbia 
at  Blalock   Island,  then  called  Long  Island. 

A  steamboat  patrolling  the  river  fired  on  them  and  kept  the  majority  from 
crossing.  A  considerable  number,  however,  effected  the  crossing  of  the  river 
and  among  them  some  of  the  worst  desperadoes  in  the  whole  Indian  country. 
Going  north  across  what  is  now  known  as  the  Horse  Heaven  country,  this  band 
crossed  the  Yakima  River  near  the  site  of  Prosser  and  struck  across  the  Rattle- 
snake hills  to  the  northward.  On  their  way  they  perpetrated  the  atrocious- 
Perkins  murder. 

THE  PERKINS    MURDER 

This  was  one  of  the  crudest  events  in  all  the  long  and  cruel  history  of 
Indian  warfare.  It  produced  a  profound  horror  in  the  minds  of  people  living 
in  Yakima  at  the  time,  for  both  Mr.  Perkins  and  his  wife  (Blanche  Bunting) 
were  well  known  and  greatly  loved  by  the  people  of  pioneer  Yakima.  They 
were  murdered  at  a  point  called  Rattlesnake  Springs  without  the  slightest  prov- 
ocation and  in  a  manner  that  illustrated  those  traits  of  Indian  character  which: 
seem  to  justify  the  intense  hatred  felt  by  frontiersmen  for  the  "red  devils."" 
This  murder  occurred  on  July  9,  1878. 

In  an  article  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ann  Coone  in  the  "Washington  Historical 
Quarterly"  for  January,  1917,  there  is  a  statement  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perkins 
were  living  in  the  Coone  house  at  Ringold  bar  and  that  they  had  been  to  Yakima 
City  and  were  on  their  return.  It  appears,  however,  from  other  statements  that 
they  were  on  the  way  to  Yakima  when  they  met  their  distressing  fate. 

In  Chapter  XXXIX  of  Mr.  Splawn's  book  there  is  a  detailed  account  of 
this  atrocity  and  of  numerous  encounters  with  the  same  band  of  Indians.  We 
have  space  to  refer  to  only  two  events  connected  with  it.  One  is  the  question 
of  the  complicity  of  Moses,  the  big  chief  of  the  tribes  from  Wenatsha  and  up 
the  Columbia  from  that  point.  Many  held  and  still  believe  that  Moses  was  the 
animating  agency  in  that  whole  series  of  troubles,  after  the  crossing  of  the 
Columbia.  There  was  one  very  singular  event  in  connection  with  Moses.  The 
agent  at  Fort  Simcoe  at  the  time  was  James  H.  Wilbur,  a  truly  great  man.  True 
to  his  usual  methods,  Agent  Wilbur  desired  to  get  and  to  exhibit  the  facts  first 
hand  and  hence  he  requested  Moses  to  go  to  the  fort  and  see  him. 

Rather  strange  to  say,  the  chief  complied  with  the  request.  As  a  result 
both  the  agent  and  the  chief  went  to  Yakima  City  and  held  a  council  with  the 
citizens. 


2S6  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Moses  disclaimed  all  complicity  in  the  crime  or  in  shielding  or  conceaHng 
.the  murderers.  He  declared  that  he  believed  the  murderers  were  hiding  in  the 
.lava  beds  of  Crab  Creek,  and  he  offered  to  assist  in  locating  them.  As  a  result, 
a  force  of  twenty-two  volunteers,  most  of  them  well-known  in  Yakima,  with 
William  Splawn  as  captain,  together  with  ten  Indian  policemen  detailed  by 
J\gent  Wilbur  and  Head  Chief  Eneas,  set  forth  to  chase  down  the  miscreants. 
The  singular  details  of  their  experience  and  the  enigmatical  conduct  of  Moses, 
as  detailed  by  Mr.  Splawn,  transcend  our  limits  and  we  must  refer  our  readers 
to  Mr.  Splawn's  book.  Mr.  Splawn  was  in  a  position  to  know  the  facts,  as  well 
as  any  one  could,  and  his  final  judgment  was  that  Moses  was  not  guilty  of  any 
•  connection  with  the  crime  or  of  shielding  the  criminals. 

The  murderers,  or  some  of  them,  were  captured  at  various  times  and  duly 
tried  and  five  were  found  guilty  and  sentenced  to  be  hung.  Mr.  Splawn  was 
interpreter  at  the  trial  and  says  that  they  confessed  the  murder.  By  a  most 
•extraordinary  succession  of  escapes,  the  sentence  was  deferred.  There  were 
three  escapes,  a  most  extraordinary  commentary  on  the  guards  or  guardhouses 
•of  Yakima  City  at  that  time.  As  a  result  two  only  of  the  murderers  expiated 
their  crime  on  the  gallows.  Two  were  killed  in  attempting  to  escape.  The  fifth 
is  said  to  have  been  killed  two  years  later  by  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Perkins.  There 
is  some  evidence  that  it  was  not  the  Indian  wanted,  but  a  woman,  his  sister, 
who  received  the  bullet.  This  statement  is  that  she  was  severely  wounded  but 
a-ecovered. 

A  magazine  article  by  Mrs.  Louise  Heiler  Cary  gives  a  vivid  view  of  the 
Perkins  murder. 

STORY  OF  EARLY  DAYS 


_A.    TALE    OF    THE    TERRIBLE    TIMES    OF    LONG    AGO,    SHOWJNG    CHIEF    MOSES 
TRUE  LIGHT 


Mrs.  Louise  Heiler  Cary 

Just  twenty  years  ago  the  peacefuL Yakima  Valley  was  thrown  into  a  state 
•of  uneasiness  by  rumors  of  Indian  depredations  and  murders  committed  all 
around  us.  One  day  in  the  early  Spring  of  1878  the  mail  carrier  brought  word 
to  the  little  town  of  Yakima  that  the  hostile  Indians  were  trying  to  cross  the 
'Columbia  River  over  to  the  Yakima  side.  This  greatly  increased  the  anxiety, 
for  it  was  generally  believed  that  if  they  succeeded  the  little  handful  of  settlers 
would  be  wiped  out. 

At  that  time  our  only  mail  service  was  a  weekly  stage  which  ran  between 
"Yakima  and  Umatilla.  There  was  no  railway,  no  telegraph  line,  absolutely  no 
means  of  communicating  with  the  outside  world  except  by  the  weekly  stage, 
whose  driver,  L.  H.  Adkins,  literally  took  his  life  in  his  hard  when  he  made  the 
trip. 

In  July  the  soldiers  commanded  by  Gen.  O.  O.  Howard  were  waging  some 
fierce  battles  at  Umatilla.  The  general,  anticipating  the  desires  of  the  Indians 
to  cross  the  Columbia  and  raid  the  Yakima  countr}%  ordered  patrol  boats 
manned  by  well  armed  soldiers  to  be  placed  on  the  river  at  points  where  the 


BILLIE    STAHAT,    SUB-CHIEF    AND    COUXCILMAN 
From    McWhorter's    "The    Crime    AKaiiist    the    Yakimas" 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  257 

Indians  would  cross,  with  orders  to  fire  on  any  hostiles  seen  crossing  the  river. 
The  Indians,  not  knowing  the  mission  of  the  boats,  soon  made  an  attempt  to 
cross  in  full  view.  They  were  promptly  fired  upon,  and  several  were  killed; 
only  a  few  were  successful  in  landing  on  the  Yakima  side  and  they  left  at  once 
for  Priest  Rapids.  At  Rattlesnake  Springs,  twenty-five  miles  from  Yakima,  a 
general  camping  place  for  all  stock  men,  they  found  Lorenzo  Perkins  and  wife, 
who  had  stopped  there  for  their  noonday  lunch  on  their  v/ay  to  Yakima.  They 
had  heard  of  the  Indian  troubles  along  the  Columbia,  and  concluded  it  would 
be  safer  for  them  among  friends  than  at  their  home  at  White  Bluf?s. 

Mr.  Perkins  was  a  brother  of  Mrs.  L.  J.  May,  well  known  in  Yakima,  and 
Mrs.  Perkins  was  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Cheney,  who  resides  in  Moxee.  The 
savages,  being  greatly  angered  by  having  been  fired  upon  from  the  boats  that 
morning,  were  ready  to  take  revenge  by  torturing  any  white  person  they  might 
meet.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perkins  noticed  the  strange  actions  of  the  Indians,  became 
alarmed,  and  began  preparations  at  once  for  leaving  camp.  The  Indians,  how- 
ever, had  no  intention  of  permitting  this,  and  no  sooner  had  they  mounted  their 
horses  than  the  firing  commenced. 

Mr.  Perkins  was  first  to  fall  from  his  horse.  His  v/ife  by  this  time  was 
riding  at  full  speed ;  the  savages  followed  in  hot  pursuit,  firing  incessantly.  She, 
too,  soon  fell,  wounded,  and  begged  piteously  for  them  to  spare  her  life,  but 
her  cries  were  unheeded.  They  were  both  dragged  a  short  distance  and  there 
made  fast  to  the  ground  by  huge  stones  thrown  upon  them  until  they  were 
buried  beneath  the  mass.  Mrs.  Perkins  was  yet  alive,  but  death  soon  delivered 
her  from  this  awful  torture. 

Friends  grew  very  anxious  when  they  did  not  arrive  at  the  appointed  time, 
and  a  searching  party  of  five  men,  headed  by  A.  J.  Chambers,  a  cousin  of  Mrs. 
Perkins,  was  sent  to  ascertain  their  whereabouts.  It  was  nine  days  before  their 
bodies  were  recovered  and  brought  to  Yakima  City  for  burial.  Excitement 
ran  high.  Every  one  was  aroused.  A  meeting  was  hurriedly  called  to  take 
some  active  steps  for  the  protection  of  the  settlers.  Everj*  gun  was  brightened 
up  and  every  man  was  buying  ammunition.  One  night,  at  12  o'clock,  there  was 
a  general  stampede  caused  by  the  appearance  of  Thomas  Kelley,  who  rode 
rapidly  into  town,  saying  that  "the  Indians  had  broke  out  sure."  Excited  men 
ran  in  every  direction,  some  preparing  to  fight,  others  getting  their  families  into 
safer  quarters.  The  Guilland  hotel  was  considered  the  safest  place,  and  women 
and  children  were  packed  in  there  like  bees  in  a  hive.  Men  were  placed  on 
guard  at  different  places  on  the  outskirts  of  town.  Armed  men  paraded  the 
streets  all  night,  and  some  of  the  braver  women  buckled  on  revolvers  and 
walked  at  the  side  of  their  husbands. 

The  Indians  had  stolen  a  number  of  horses  from  settlers  along  the  Wenas 
and  other  streams.  Two  young  men  by  the  name  of  Burbank,  while  out  hunt- 
ing stock  in  the  Selah  Valley,  saw  at  a  distance  what  appeared  to  be  their 
horses.  On  approaching  they  found  that  the  horses  v/ere  being  herded  by 
Indians.  The  savages  started  in  pursuit  of  the  men,  firing  rapidly;  the  men 
quickly  retreated,  returning  the  firing  over  their  shoulders  until  they  reached 
the  settlement  in  safety. 

(17) 


258  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  settlers  by  this  time  were  so  terrified  that  they  left  their  homes  and 
fled  to  places  of  safety,  leaving  their  fields  of  ripe  grain  uncut  and  turning  the 
stock  into  gardens  and  fields  to  do  the  harvesting. 

Stockades  were  made  in  different  parts  of  the  settlement  for  the  safety  of 
families.  On  the  Ahtanum,  near  the  residence  now  owned  by  Cyrus  Walker,  a 
large  embankment  was  thrown  up  made  of  sods  piled  several  feet  high,  with  a 
deep  trench  on  the  outside.  This  was  for  the  protection  of  all  the  residents 
of  the  valley. 

The  government  soon  came  to  the  rescue  by  placing  cavalry  troops  at  Fort 
Simcoe  and  by  sending  needle  guns  to  Yakima  City.  This  caused  a  feeling  of 
relief.  All  breathed  easier;  and  when  news  came  that  the  Indians  had  sur- 
rendered to  General  Howard,  where  they  were  fighting  along  the  Columbia 
River,  there  was  great  rejoicing. 

In  December  of  the  same  year.  Father  Wilbur,  who  was  at  that  time 
Indian  agent  at  Fort  Simcoe,  sent  an  invitation  to  Chief  Moses  to  meet  him  in 
Yakima  City  for  the  purpose  of  having  a  friendly  council.  Moses  accepted  the 
invitation  and  was  present  at  the  appointed  time.  The  Centennial  hall  was 
packed  with  eager  spectators  to  hear  what  the  dreaded  chief  would  have  to  say. 
Father  Wilbur  made  the  opening  address,  in  which  he  said  that  we  all  are 
children  of  the  Great  Father,  all  of  one  family,  and  that  it  is  wrong  for  one 
man  to  take  the  life  of  another.  In  this  way  he  approached  the  subject  of  the 
murder  of  the  Perkins  family.  Moses  was  chief  over  the  Indians  who  had 
committed  the  deed,  and  it  was  well  known  that  he  was  in  sympathy  with  the 
hostiles.  Moses  believed  that  the  little  band  of  which  he  was  chief  and  the 
Whites  and  Indians  of  the  Yakima  Valley  composed  the  nation  and  that  the 
world  extended  just  beyond  the  Columbia  River.  True,  he  had  heard  of  a 
Washington  tyee,  president  of  the  United  States,  but  Moses  considered  him  an 
insignificant  being  compared  with  himself. 

On  this  occasion  Moses  was  a  striking  picture.  He  was  dressed  in  a  long 
coat,  Prince  Albert  style,  black  trousers,  buckskin  leggings,  wore  a  white  hand- 
kerchief about  his  neck  and  a  wide-brimmed  Spanish  hat.  When  called  upon 
to  make  a  speech,  he  slowly  stepped  forward.  The  audience  waited,  almosi 
breathless.  After  standing  perfectly  quiet  for  some  time,  he  bent  forward  with 
great  deliberation,  and  blew  a  mighty  bugle  blast  with  his  nasal  appendage, 
making  use  of  his  leggings  for  a  handkerchief.  Then  straightening  himself  to 
his  fullest  height,  he  pompously  said,  "Nika  Moses"  (I  am  Moses).  After 
dwelling  upon  his  own  greatness,  he  finally  consented  to  assist  in  capturing  the 
murderers.  He  proposed  that  the  Whites  should  join  him  on  the  Columbia 
twenty-five  miles  from  Yakima,  and  promised  to  go  with  them  to  the  spot  where 
the  murderers  were  camped.  His  plan  was  agreed  to,  and  sixteen  men,  with 
seventeen  Indian  police,  were  prepared  for  the  expedition.  They  soon  set  out, 
with  special  orders  from  the  sheriflf,  and  with  W.  L.  Splawn  as  captain. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  point  designated,  they  discovered  that  Moses  was 
a  traitor.  He  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  They  crossed  the  river  and  started  in 
the  directon  of  Crab  Creek,  and  were  soon  startled  by  the  approach  of  the 
chief  with  sixty  braves  in  war  paint.    The  White  heroes  stood  finn  as  statues. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  259 

waiting  orders  from  their  commander.  Captain  Splawn  railed  to  Moses,  asking 
him  what  he  meant  by  meeting  them  in  this  manner.  Moses  replied  that  his  talk 
in  Yakima  was  cultus  (no  good),  and  that  he  had  no  intention  of  fulfilling  his 
agreement.     After  exchanging  a  few  words,  all  dispersed  without  bloodshed. 

Captain  Splawn  immediately  dispatched  a  courier  to  Yakima  for  assistance. 
Sixty  volunteers,  under  Capt.  James  Simmons,  immediately  left  for  the  scene, 
with  orders  to  arrest  Moses  and  bring  him  to  Yakima.  They  were  also  rein- 
forced by  Dors  Schnebly  and  party  from  Ellensburg.  They  were  not  long  in 
capturing  the  chief  and  nine  warriors.     These  they  handcuffed  and  tied. 

Those  who  saw  Moses  at  this  time  do  not  look  upon  him  as  a  brave  man 
but  think  him  very  much  of  a  coward.  When  he  saw  the  handcuffs  he  wept 
like  a  baby. 

He  was  told  that  he  would  be  held  a  prisoner  until  his  men  produced  the 
murderers  as  he  had  agreed,  and  if  they  failed  to  do  that  his  own  life  would 
pay  the  penalty.  Moses  agreed  that  if  they  would  liberate  three  of  his  men 
they  should  bring  in  the  murderers.  The  three  were  liberated  and,  after  re- 
ceiving orders  from  their  chief,  disappeared.  The  other  prisoners,  including 
Moses,  were  taken  to  Yakima  and  placed  in  jail.  Captain  Splawn  .continued 
to  search  for  the  guilty  parties,  who  were  finally  captured,  though  not  without 
resistance.  The  struggle  was  a  fierce  one,  other  Indians  coming  upon  them 
and  trying  to  rescue  the  prisoners.  One  man,  by  the  name  of  Rozell,  was  shot 
through  the  arm  and  badly  wounded ;  others  came  near  losing  their  lives.  The 
murderers  were  placed  in  jail,  after  which  Moses  was  liberated. 

Several  weeks  later  the  town  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  excitement  by  the 
rapid  firing  of  guns  in  the  vicinity  of  the  jail,  and  it  was  learned  that  the  mur- 
derers had  broken  jail,  had  attempted  to  kill  W.  Z.  York,  the  jailer,  and,  having 
left  him  for  dead,  were  rapidly  disappearing,  when  overtaken  by  the  sherifif 
and  deputies.  The  savages  fought  like  tigers,  preferring  to  die  by  the  bullet 
rather  than  by  the  rope. 

One  Indian  was  killed  and  two  were  wounded,  one  of  them  dying  soon 
after.     Two  others  were  hanged  in  the  courthouse  yard  at  Yakima  City. 

Later  Moses  was  given  a  free  ride  over  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  to 
Washington  that  he  might  see  how  large  the  world  really  is ;  also,  that  he  might 
see  the  President  and  confer  with  other  officials  in  regard  to  a  reservation. 
The  old  chief  evidently  thinks  that  at  that  interview  he  took  the  President  into 
partnership,  for  he  now  boasts  that  "Me  and  the  President  keep  the  peace." 

Of  late  years,  when  Chief  Moses  visits  North  Yakima,  he  is  treated  as  a 
distinguished  guest,  and  even  received  in  the  club  rooms. 

Surely,  our  readers  cannot  wonder  that  to  the  old  settlers  who  suiifered  so 
much  from  his  influence,  this  seems  inappropriate.  We  try  to  exercise  Chris- 
tian forgiveness,  but  we  remember  him  too  well  as  a  high-handed  murderer  to 
think  of  him  now  as  a  hero. 


It  is  of  interest  to  add  in  connection  with  the  final  scenes  of  the  Perkins 
murder  and  the  expiation   for    the    crime  by  the  murderers  that    we    are    in- 


260  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

formed  by  Mrs.  John  B.  Davidson  of  Ellensburg,  one  of  the  most  accurate  stu- 
dents of  history  in  the  Valley,  that  the  published  accounts  are  incorrect  in  the 
name  of  the  sheriff  who  brought  the  murderers  to  death.  F.  D.  Schnebly  was 
the  sheriff  in  Yakima  at  that  time. 

The  connection  of  Moses  with  these  events  as  well  as  the  war  twenty-two 
years  before  has  never  been  fully  explained  or  understood.  In  the  general 
judgment  of  pioneers  he  was  a  "bad  Injun"  and  deserving  of  more  severe  treat- 
ment than  some  of  those  who  received  the  limit,  as  Leschi  and  Owhi. 

At  any  rate  Moses  "got  away  with  it,"  and  if  he  were  a  criminal  escaped 
the  due  penalty,  and  soon  after  the  Perkins  murder  went  to  Washington  City, 
and  as  a  result  of  his  conference  with  the  Government  received  for  his  people 
the  valuable  Colville  Reservation  on  the  west  side  of  the  Okanogan  River. 

With  this  stage  of  our  story  the  Indian  wars  may  be  said  to  end. 

Although  this  chapter  is  already  unduly  lojig,  this  is  the  suitable  place  to 
include,  as  a  document  of  permanent  interest  and  value  to  Yakima  readers,  the 
order  setting  aside  the  Yakima  Reservation  and  the  boundaries  of  that  great 
body  of  land. 

TREATY    WITH    THE    Y.XKIMAS,    1855 

June  9,  1855. 
12  Stat.  951. 
Ratified  Mar.  8,  1859. 
Proclaimed  Apr.  18. 

Articles  of  agreement  and  convention  made  and  concluded  at  the  treaty- 
ground,  Camp  Stevens,  Walla  Walla  Valley,  this  ninth  day  of  June,  in  the  year 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-five,  by  and  between  Isaac  I.  Stevens, 
governor  and  superintendent  of  Indian  aiifairs,  for  the  Territory  of  Washing- 
ton, on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  and  the  undersigned  head  chiefs,  chiefs, 
head-men,  and  delegates  of  the  Yakama,  Palouse,  Pisquouse,  Wenatshapam, 
Klitkatat,  Klinquit,  Kow-was-say-ee,  Li-ay-was,  Skin-pah,  Wish-ham,  Shyiks, 
Ochechotes,  Kah-milt-pah,  and  Se-ap-cat,  confederated  tribes,  and  bands  of 
Indians,  occupying  lands  hereinafter  bounded  and  described  and  lying  in  Wash- 
ington Territory,  who  for  the  purposes  of  this  treaty  are  to  be  considered  as 
one  nation,  under  the  name  of  "Yakama"  with  Kamaiakun  as  tis  head  chief, 
on  behalf  of  and  acting  for  said  tribes  and  bands,  and  being  duly  authorized 
thereto  by  them. 

Article  1.  The  aforesaid  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians  hereby 
cede,  relinquish,  and  convey  to  the  United  States  all  their  right,  title,  and  inter- 
est in  and  to  the  lands  and  country  occupied  and  claimed  by  them,  and  bounded 
and  described  as  follows,  to  wit :  Boundaries :  Commencing  at  Mount  Ranier, 
thence  northerly  along  the  main  ridge  of  the  Cascade  Alountains  to  the  point 
wliere  the  northern  tributaries  of  Lake  Che-Ian  and  the  =outhern  tributaries  of 
the  Methow  River  have  their  rise ;  thence  southeasterly  on  the  divide  between 
the  waters  of  Lake  Che-Ian  and  the  Methow  River  to  the  Columbia  River; 
thence,  crossing  the  Columbia  on  a  true  east  course,  to  a  point  whose  longitude 
is  one  hundred  and  nineteen  degrees  and  ten  minutes    (119°    10'),  which  two 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  261 

latter  lines  separate  the  above  confederated  tribes  and  bands  from  the  Oakina- 
kane  tribe  of  Indians;  thence  in  a  true  south  course  to  the  forty-seventh 
(47  deg.)  parallel  of  latitude;  thence  east  on  said  parallel  to  the  main  Palouse 
River,  which  two  latter  lines  of  boundary  separate  the  above  confederated 
tribes  and  bands  from  the  Spokanes;  thence  down  the  Palouse  River  to  its 
junction  with  the  Mohhah-ne-she,  or  southern  tributary  of  the  same;  thence  in 
a  southeasterly  direction,  to  the  Snake  River,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tucannon 
River,  separating  the  above  confederated  tribes  from  the  Nez  Perce  tribe  of 
Indians;  thence  down  the  Snake  River  to  its  junction  with  the  Columbia  River; 
thence  up  the  Columbia  River  to  the  "White  Banks"  below  the  Priest's  Rapids ; 
thence  westerly  to  a  lake  called  "Le  Lac,"  thence  southerly  to  a  point  on  the 
Yakima  River  called  Toh-mah-luke ;  thence,  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  to  the 
Columbia  River,  at  the  western  extremity  of  the  "Big  Island,"  between  the 
mouths  of  the  Umatilla  River  and  Butler  Creek ;  all  which  latter  boundaries 
separate  the  above  confederated  tribes  and  bands  from  the  Walla  Walla,  Cayuse, 
and  Umatilla  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians;  thence  down  the  Columbia  River  to 
midway  between  the  mouths  of  White  Salmon  and  Wind  rivers ;  thence  along 
the  divide  between  said  rivers  to  the  main  ridge  of  the  Cascade  Mountains ; 
and  thence  along  said  ridge  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Article  2.  There  is,  however,  reserved,  from  the  lands  above  ceded  for 
the  use  and  occupation  of  the  aforesaid  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of 
Indians,  the  tract  of  land  included  within  the  following  boundaries,  to  wit: 
Commencing  on  the  Yakama  River,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Attah-nam  River; 
thence  westerly  along  said  Attah-nam  River  to  the  Forks :  thence  along  the 
southern  tributary  to  the  Cascade  Mountains ;  thence  southerly  along  the  main 
ridge  of  said  mountains,  passing  south  and  east  of  Mount  Adams,  to  the  spur 
whence  flow  the  waters  of  the  Klickatat  and  Pisco  rivers;  thence  down  said 
spur  to  the  divide  between  the  waters  of  said  rivers ;  thence  along  said  divide 
to  the  divide  separating  the  waters  of  the  Satass  River  from  those  flowing  into 
the  Columbia  River;  thence  along  said  divide  to  the  main  Yakama,  eight  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Satass  River ;  and  thence  up  the  Yakama  River  to  the 
place  of  beginning. 

All  which  tract  shall  be  set  apart  and,  so  far  as  necessary,  surveyed  and 
marked  out,  for  the  exclusive  use  and  benefit  of  said  confederated  tribes  and 
bands  of  Indians,  as  an  Indian  reservation;  nor  shall  any  white  man,  excepting 
those  in  the  employment  of  the  Indian  Department,  be  permitted  to  reside  upon 
the  said  reservation  without  permission  of  the  tribe  and  the  superintendent  and 
agent.  And  the  said  confederated  tribes  and  bands  agree  to  remove  to,  and 
settle  upon,  the  same,  within  one  year  after  the  ratification  of  this  treaty.  In 
the  meantime  it  shall  be  lawful  for  them  to  reside  upon  any  ground  not  in  the 
actual  claim  and  occupation  of  citizens  of  the  United  States;  and  upon  any 
ground  claimed  or  occupied,  if  with  the  permission  of  the  owner  or  claimant. 

Guaranteeing,  however,  the  right  to  all  citizens  of  the  United  States  to 
enter  upon  and  occupy  as  settlers  any  lands  not  actually  occupied  and  culti- 
vated by  said  Indians  at  this  time,  and  not  included  in  the  reservation  above 
named. 


262  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

And  provided,  That  any  substantial  improvements  heretofore  made  by  any 
Indian,  such  as  fields  enclosed  and  cultivated,  and  houses  erected  upon  the  lands 
hereby  ceded  and  which  he  may  be  compelled  to  abandon  in  consequence  of  this 
treaty,  shall  be  valued,  under  the  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  payment  made  therefor  in  money;  or  improvements  of  an  equal 
value  made  for  said  Indian  upon  the  reser\'ation.  And  no  Indian  will  be  re- 
quired to  abandon  the  improvements  aforesaid,  now  occupied  by  him,  until 
their  value  in  money,  or  improvements  of  an  equal  value  shall  be  furnished  him 
as  aforesaid. 

Article  3.  And  provided.  That,  if  necessary  for  the  public  convenience, 
roads  may  be  run  through  the  said  reservation;  and  on  the  other  hand,  the 
right  of  way,  with  free  access  from  the  same  to  the  nearest  public  highway,  is 
secured  to  them;  as  also  the  right,  in  common  with  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  to  travel  upon  all  public  highways. 

The  exclusive  right  of  taking  fish  in  all  the  streams,  where  running 
through  or  bordering  said  reservation,  is  further  secured  to  said  confederated 
tribes  and  bands  of  Indians,  as  also  the  right  of  taking  fish  at  all  usual  and 
accustomed  places,  in  common  with  the  citizens  of  the  Territory,  and  of  erect- 
ing temporary  buildings  for  curing  them ;  together  with  the  privilege  of  hunt- 
ing, gathering  roots  and  berries,  and  pasturing  their  horses  and  cattle  upon 
open  and  unclaimed  land. 

Article  4.  In  consideration  of  the  above  cession,  the  United  States  agree 
to  pay  to  the  said  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians,  in  addition  to  the 
goods  and  provisions  distributed  to  them  at  the  time  of  signing  this  treaty,  the 
sum  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  in  the  following  m.anner,  that  is  to  say: 
Sixty  thousand  dollars,  to  be  expended  under  the  direction  of  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  the  first  year  after  the  ratification  of  this  treaty,  in  pro- 
viding for  their  removal  to  the  reservation,  breaking  up  and  fencing  farms, 
building  houses  for  them,  supplying  them  with  provisions  and  a  suitable  out- 
fit, and  for  such  other  objects  as  he  may  deem  necessary,  and  the  remainder 
in  annuities,  as  follows :  For  the  first  five  years  after  the  ratification  of  the 
treaty,  ten  thousand  dollars  each  year,  commencing  September  first,  1856:  for 
the  next  five  years,  eight  thousand  dollars  each  year ;  and  for  the  next  five 
years,  six  thousand  dollars  per  year;  and  for  the  next  five  years,  four  thousand 
dollars  per  year. 

All  which  sums  of  money  shall  be  applied  to  the  use  and  benefit  of  said 
Indians,  under  the  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  who  may 
from  time  to  time  determine,  at  his  discretion,  upon  what  beneficial  objects 
to  expend  the  same  for  tliem.  And  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  or 
other  proper  officer,  shall  each  year  inform  the  President  of  the  wishes  of  the 
Indians  in  relation  thereto. 

Article  5.  The  United  States  further  agree  to  establish  at  suitable  points 
within  said  reservation,  within  one  year  after  the  ratification  hereof,  two 
schools,  erecting  the  necessary  buildings,  keeping  them  in  repair,  and  providing 
them  with  furniture,  books  and  stationery,  one  of  which  shall  be  an  agricultural 
and  industrial  school,  to  be  located  at  the  agency,  and  to  be  free  to  the  children 
of  the  said  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians,  and  to  employ  one  super- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  263 

intendent  of  teaching  and  two  teachers;  to  build  two  blacksmiths'  shops,  to  one 
of  which  shall  be  attached  a  tin-shop,  and  to  the  other  a  gunsmith's  shop, 
one  carpenter's  shop,  one  wagon  and  plough-maker's  shop,  and  to  keep  the 
same  in  repair  and  furnished  with  the  necessary  tools;  to  employ  one  super- 
intendent of  farming  and  two  farmers,  two  blacksmiths,  one  tinner,  one  gun- 
smith, one  carpenter,  one  wagon  and  plough  maker,  for  the  instruction  of  the 
Indians  in  trades  and  to  assist  them  in  the  same;  to  erect  one  saw-mill  and  one 
flouring-mill,  keeping  the  same  in  repair  and  furnished  with  the  necessary  tools 
and  fixtures ;  to  erect  a  hospital,  keeping  the  same  in  repair  and  provided  with 
the  necessary  medicines  and  furniture,  and  to  employ  a  physician;  and  to  erect, 
keep  in  repair,  and  provided  with  the  necessary  furniture,  the  building  re- 
quired for  the  accommodation  of  the  said  employes.  The  said  buildings  and 
establishments  to  be  maintained  and  kept  in  repair  as  aforesaid,  and  the  em- 
ployes to  be  kept  in  service  for  the  period  of  twenty  years. 

And  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  head  chief  of  the  said  confederated  tribes 
and  bands  of  Indians  is  expected,  and  will  be  called  upon  to  perform  many 
services  of  a  public  character,  occupying  much  of  his  time,  the  United  States 
further  agree  to  pay  to  the  said  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians  five 
hundred  dollars  per  year,  for  the  term  of  twenty  years  after  the  ratification 
hereof,  as  a  salary  for  such  person  as  the  said  confederated  tribes  and  bands 
of  Indians  may  select  to  be  their  head  chief,  to  build  for  him  at  a  suitable 
point  on  the  reservation  a  comfortable  house,  and  properly  furnish  the  same, 
and  to  plough  and  fence  ten  acres  of  land.  The  said  salary  to  be  paid  to,  and 
the  said  house  to  be  occupied  by,  such  head  chief  so  long  as  he  may  continue 
to  hold  that  office. 

And  it  is  distinctly  understood  and  agreed  that  at  the  time  of  the  conclu- 
sion of  this  treaty  Kamaiakun  is  the  duly  elected  and  authorized  head  chief  of 
the  confederated  tribes  and  bands  aforesaid,  styled  the  Yakama  Nation,  and  is 
recognized  as  such  by  them  and  by  the  commissioners  on  Ihe  part  of  the  United 
States  holding  this  treaty ;  and  all  the  expenditures  and  expenses  contemplated 
in  this  article  of  this  treaty  shall  be  defrayed  by  the  United  States,  and  shall  not 
be  deducted  from  the  annuities  agreed  to  be  paid  to  said  confederated  tribes  and 
bands  of  Indians.  Nor  shall  the  cost  of  transporting  the  goods  for  the  annuity 
payments  be  a  charge  upon  the  annuities,  but  shall  be  defrayed  by  the  United 
States. 

Article  6.  The  President  may,  from  time  to  time,  at  his  discretion  cause 
the  whole  or  such  portions  of  such  reservation  as  he  may  think  proper,  to  be 
surveyed  into  lots,  and  assign  the  same  to  such  individuals  or  families  of  the 
said  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians  as  are  willing  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  privilege,  and  will  locate  on  the  same  as  a  permanent  home,  on  the  same 
terms  and  subject  to  the  same  regulations  as  are  provided  in  the  sixth  articU 
of  the  treaty  with  the  Omahas,  so  far  as  the  same  may  be  applicable. 

Article  7.  The  annuities  of  the  aforesaid  confederated  tribes  and  bands 
of  Indians  shall  not  be  taken  to  pay  the  debts  of  individuals. 

Article  8.  The  aforesaid  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians  ac- 
knowledge their  dependence  upon   the  Government  of   the   United   States   and 


264  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

promise  to  be  friendly  with  all  citizens  thereof,  and  pledge  themselves  to  com- 
mit no  depredations  upon  the  property  of  such  citizens. 

And  should  any  one  or  more  of  them  violate  this  pledge,  and  the  fact  be 
satisfactorily  proved  before  the  agent,  the  property  taken  shall  be  returned, 
or  in  default  thereof,  or  if  injured  or  destroyed,  compensation  may  be  made 
by  the  Government  out  of  the  annuities. 

Nor  will  they  make  war  upon  any  other  tribe,  except  in  self-defense,  but 
will  submit  all  mafter  of  difference  between  them  and  other  Indians  to  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  or  its  agent  for  decision,  and  abide  thereby. 
And  if  any  of  the  said  Indians  commit  depredations  on  any  other  Indians 
within  the  Territory  of  Washington  or  Oregon,  the  same  rule  shall  prevail  as 
that  provided  in  this  article  in  case  of  depredations  against  citizens.  And  the 
said  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians  agree  not  to  shelter  or  conceal 
offenders  against  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  but  to  deliver  them  up  to  the 
authorities  for  trial. 

Article  9.  The  said  confederated  tribes  and  bands  of  Indians  desire  to 
exclude  from  their  reservation  the  use  of  ardent  spirits,  and  to  prevent  their 
people  from  drinking  the  same,  and,  therefore,  it  is  provided  that  any  Indian 
belonging  to  said  confederated  tribe  and  bands  of  Indians,  who  is  guilty  of 
bringing  liquor  into  said  reservation,  or  who  drinks  liquor,  may  have  his  or  her 
annuities  withheld  from  him  or  her  for  such  time  as  the  President  may  deter- 
mine. 

Article  10.  And  provided,  That  there  is  also  reserved  and  set  apart  from 
the  lands  ceded  by  this  treaty,  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  aforesaid  confed- 
erated tribes  and  bands,  a  tract  of  land  not  exceeding  in  ([uantity  one  township 
of  six  miles  square,  situated  at  the  forks  of  the  Pisquonse  or  Wenatshapam 
River,  and  known  as  the  "Wenatshapam  Fishery,"  which  said  reservation  shall 
be  surveyed  and  marked  out  whenever  the  President  may  direct,  and  be  subject 
to  the  same  provisions  and  restrictions  as  other  Indian  reserv-ations. 

Article  11.  This  treaty  shall  be  obligatory  upon  the  contracting  parties 
as  soon  as  the  same  shall  be  ratified  by  the  President  and  Senate  of  the  United 
States. 

In  testimony  whereof,  the  said  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  ."governor  and  superin- 
tendent of  Indian  affairs  for  the  Territory  of  Washington,  and  the  under- 
signed head  chief,  chiefs,  headmen,  and  delegates  of  the  aforesaid  confederated 
tribes  and  bands  of  Indians,  have  hereunto  set  their  hands  and  seals,  at  the 
place  and  on  the  day  and  year  hereinbefore  written. 

Is.-\AC  I.  Stevens, 
Governor  and  Superintendent.     (L.  S.) 

Kamaiakun,  his  x  mark  (L.  S.)  Wish-och-kmpits,  his  x  mark  (L.  S.) 

Skloom,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.)  Koo-lat-toose,  his  x  mark       (L.  S.) 

OwHi,  his  x  mark  (L.  S.)  Shee-ah-cotte,  his  x  mark       (L.  S.) 

Te-cole-kun,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.)  Tuck-quille,  his  x  mark         (L.  S.) 

La-hoom,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.)  K.\-loo-as,  his  x  mark  (L.  S.) 


HISTORY  OF  YAKDIA  VALLEY  265 

Me-ni-nock,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.)     Scha-noo-a,  his  x  mark  (L.  S.) 

Elit  Palmer,  his  x  mark  (L.  S.)     Sla-kish,  his  x  mark  (L.  S.) 

Signed  and  sealed  in  the  presence  of — 
James  Doty,  secretary  of  treaties, 
Mie.  Cles.  Pandosy,  6.  'M.  T., 
A\'m.  C.  McKay, 

W.  H.  Tappan,  sub  Indian  agent,  \V.  T. 
C.  Chirouse,  O.  'SI.  T. 
Patrick  McKenzie.  interpreter. 
A.  D.  Pambrun,  interpreter, 

Joel  Palmer,  superintendent,  Indian  affairs,  O.  T. 
W.  D.  BiHow. 


PART   II 

ERA  OF  EARLY  GROWTH  AXD  THE  .MOTHER  COUNTY 

CHAPTER  I 

first  settlements — first  real  settler — dealing  with  thieving  indians 

growing  settlement mining  in  yakima  valley some  characteristic 

stories  of  old  times. 

First  Settlements 

We  have  seen  in  the  preceding  chapter  that  after  a  dozen  years  of  broken 
and  desultory  warfare,  together  with  a  plentiful  lack  of  definiteness  and  con- 
tinuity of  aim,  by  reason  of  lack  of  hannony  between  the  national  and  state 
troops, — the  Indians  were  reduced  to  helplessness,  the  chief  organizers,  as 
Leschi,  Qualchan,  Peupeumoxmox,  Owhi,  and  Kamiakin,  were  killed  or  ban- 
ished, and  the  tomahawk  and  rifle,  and  firebrand  and  scalping  knife  gave  way 
to  the  beginnings  of  civilized  occupation.  It  was  a  great  era  in  this  country 
when  the  long-closed  gates  of  the  Inland  Empire  were  thrown  open  and  immi- 
gration poured  in.  The  bulk  of  first  comers  came  from  the  Willamette  \"alley. 
The  larger  tide  turned  to  the  Walla  Walla  country.  This  was  very  natural. 
The  'A'alley  of  Waters"  had  been  seen  by  many  immigrants  of  the  forties  and 
fifties.  They  had  been  favorably  impressed  with  its  beauty  and  evident  fer- 
tility. Some  indeed  had  located  there  prior  to  the  Indian  wars.  The  discovery 
of  the  Idaho  goldfields  in  1860-61  had  caused  a  stampede  of  which  the  natural 
outfitting  point  was  Walla  Walla.  As  a  result  of  these  conditions  and  of  the 
added  fact  that  the  chief  military  post-  was  located  at  that  point,  Walla  Walla 
became  the  principal  early  settlement  and  the  mother  county  of  the  Inland  Em- 
pire. In  fact  the  first  Walla  Walla  County  included  all  of  eastern  Washington, 
over  half  of  Idaho,  and  about  a  fourth  of  ^Montana.  Xo  organization,  how- 
ever, was  effected,  and  a  new  alignment  a  little  later  gave  the  mother  county 
somewhat  less  colossal  dimensions. 

The  Yakima  A'alley  was  relatively  late  in  entering  the  field.  The  reasons 
are  obvious.  It  was  off  the  main  course  of  imoiigrant  travel  and  hence  was 
less  known.  Although  the  famous  Naches  Road  was  laid  out  in  1833  and  a 
notable  immigration  to  Puget  Sound  occurred  in  that  year,  and  there  was  later 
a  considerable  movement  by  that  route,  yet  the  great  tide  of  travel  was  by  the 
Oregon  Trail  to  the  Willamette  Valley.  ^loreover  the  evident  aridity  of 
climate,  the  vast  sagebrush  deserts  of  the  lower  valley  with  poor  grazing  sup- 
plies, even  though  along  the  water  courses  and  in  the  upper  valleys  the  Indian 
herds  congregated  in  great  numbers,  discouraged  settlement.  Hence  there  was 
266 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  267 

hardly  a  real  immigration  till  the  decade  of  the  seventies,  and  not  till  the  eigh- 
ties, with  the  beginnings  of  regular  irrigation  and  coming  of  railroads  was  there 
a  development  comparable  with  that  which  had  taken  place  in  Walla  Walla 
twenty  years  earlier.  The  decade  of  the  eighties,  including  one  or  two  years 
of  the  seventies,  was  the  great  foundation  period  of  most  of  eastern  Washing- 
ton. The  Palouse  country,  the  Spokane  and  Big  Bend,  the  Asotin  and  Pataha 
regions,  the  Wenatchee  and  Yakima,— all  may  be  said  to  have  had  their  real 
birth  in  the  early  eighties,  while  Walla  Walla  was  already  a  blooming  maiden 
of  twenty  summers.  There  was,  however,  a  kind  of  prenatal  existence  for  the 
other  regions  which  makes  a  most  significant  and  entertaining  story,  and  to 
that  period  of  history  in  Yakima  we  now  address  ourselves.  We  draw  our 
data  considerably  from  the  book  by  A.  J.  Splawn,  already  referred  to  so  many 
times.  "The  History  of  Klickitat,  Yakima,  and  Kittitas  Counties,"  published 
in  1904,  by  the  Interstate  Publishing  Company,  is  also  a  valuable  source  of 
information.  Miscellaneous  writings,  culled  from  magazines  and  newspapers, 
and  regular  newspaper  files,  have  been  used  so  far  as  possible.  Still  more 
important  and  vital  is  the  testimony  of  living  participants  in  the  history.  The 
historian  is  very  fortunate  to  find  in  Yakima,  still  in  the  best  of  health  and 
spirits,  a  member  of  the  first  pioneer  family  of  the  Yakima  Valley.  This  is 
Leonard  Thorp,  known  and  honored  by  his  fellow  townsmen,  a  man  who  has 
seen  the  sagebrush  plains  transformed  into  one  of  the  garden  spots  of  the 
earth.  Mrs.  Thorp  (Philena  Henson)  also  belonged  to  a  pioneer  family,  coming 
but  a  little  later. 

A  good  many  of  the  first  comers  to  Yakima  were  "Squaw  men."  Some  of 
them  were  transient  wanderers,  while  others  became  permanent  and  influential 
in  laying  first  foundations.  It  is  difficult  to  say  with  certainty  how  early  these 
men  began  coming.  As  we  have  seen  in  an  earlier  chapter,  David  Longmire 
looked  upon  the  Yakima  Valley  first  of  any  one  now  living  in  Yakima.  That 
was  in  1853,  the  year  of  the  first  wagon  train  to  Puget  Sound.  Mr.  Longmire 
says  that  there  were  no  white  men  here  at  that  time  except  two  Catholic  priests, 
one  at  Tampico  and  the  other  near  Selah  at  the  subsequent  homestead  of 
George  Taylor,  still  later  acquired  by  George  Hall.  It  is  quite  probable  that 
other  Whites  had  made  sporadic  locations  at  various  places  in  the  vast  expanse 
of  the  valley  with  its  many  arms.  The  first  names,  however,  that  appear  are 
those  of  certain  cattlemen,  who  became  well-known  in  later  history.  They 
came  in  1859,  but  made  no  permanent  location.  These  men  were  Ben  Snipes, 
William  Murphy,  Fred  Allen,  Jacob  Allen,  Bert  Allen,  and  John  B.  Nelson.  A 
little  later  came  James  Murphy,  John  Murphy,  William  Henderson,  William 
Connell,  and  John  Jeffrey.  These  latter  men  were  located  in  the  Klickitat,  but 
drove  their  cattle  across  the  Simcoe  Mountains  to  the  Yakima.  None  of  these 
cattlemen  made  any  definite  location  till  several  years  later. 

FIRST    REAL    SETTLER 

The  first  real  settler  was  F.  Mortimer  Thorp.  His  coming  was  a  notable 
event  worthy  of  all  commemoration.  Moreover,  his  descendants,  now  in  the 
fourth  generation,  have  continued  to  play  a  noble  part  in  the  development  of 


268  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Yakima,  and  hence  we  may  well  take  the  coming  of  Mortimer  Thorp  and  fam- 
ily as  the  initial  date  of  beginnings.  Mr.  Thorp  was  one  of  the  genuine  type  of 
American  frontiersmen,  a  type  passing  away  rapidly,  but  one  which  has  left  its 
impress  on  American  and  even  world  history  beyond  any  other  type.  While 
conditions  no  longer  make  possible  the  existence  of  that  type  in  the  outer 
semblance  of  the  old  pioneer  days,  yet  it  is  due  to  their  transmitted  qualities  of 
mind  and  body  that  their  sons  have  been  going  by  the  million  to  France  to  play 
a  decisive  part  in  executing  sentence  of  death  on  that  hoary-headed  iniquity  of 
monarchical  militarism  which  was  threatening  to  enslave  Europe  and  ultimately 
to  destroy  that  greatest  product  of  the  ages,  which  we  are  proud  to  call  Ameri- 
canism, which  Lincoln  himself,  one  of  the  best  examples  of  the  Ameri- 
can pioneer,  called  "the  last  best  hope  of  earth."  Daring,  generous,  hospitable, 
ambitious,  liberty-loving,  regardless  of  the  old  and  looking  toward  the  new, 
freehanded,  oftentimes  high-tempered  and  quick  with  a  "gun"  or  a  fist,  but 
not  mean  or  sneaking  or  hypocritical,  intolerant  toward  Indians,  yet  quickly 
sympathetic  under  all  his  sternness,  in  deadly  earnest  about  the  essentials  of 
life  but  with  great  facility  in  adaptation  of  means  to  ends,  thinking  for  him- 
self and  perfectly  indifferent  to  any  supposed  "authority"  of  church  or  state 
or  society,  inclined  to  melancholy,  and  yet  with  a  dry  nonchalant  humor,  with 
enough  wholesome  human  nature  and  original  sin  to  give  a  rich  flavor  to  his 
other  qualities — the  western  pioneer  is  one  of  the  choicest  products  of  human 
evolution.  He  is  the  true  maker  of  the  modern  world.  And  "by  this  sign  we 
shall  conquer"  in  the  present  great  crisis  of  the  world's  history,  and  make  the 
world   "safe   for  Democracy." 

Mr.  Thorp  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  his  wife,  Margaret  Bounds,  was  bom 
in  Tennessee.  In  1844  they  came  to  Oregon  and  settled  in  Polk  County.  But 
as  settlements  thickened,  the  restless  pioneer  craving  to  move  on  and  lay  new 
foundations  possessed  them,  and  in  1858  the  family,  then  including  nine  chil- 
dren (after  the  good  old  Oregon  fashion  of  big  families,  while  in  these  degen- 
erate days  it  is  hard  to  contribute  even  one  or  two  to  the  race  stock  of  the  world), 
left  the  Oregon  home  and  located  in  the  Klickitat  Valley  at  the  subsequent  site 
of  Goldendale.  But  apparently  fearing  that  somebody  else  might  come  to  the 
same  spot,  Mr.  Thorp,  having  played  an  influential  part  in  founding  the  county 
of  Klickitat,  being  first  probate  judge,  again  pulled  up  stakes  and  moved  on. 
In  the  latter  part  of  1860  he  drove  a  herd  of  cattle  into  the  Moxee.  The  herd 
consisted  of  fine  Durham  cattle,  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  in  number.  He 
had  also  a  number  of  horses.  He  employed  Benjamin  Sneiling,  John  Zumwalt, 
and  A.  C.  Myers,  as  herders,  and  built  for  them  a  little  log  cabin,  the  first 
house  built  in  Yakima  Valley,  except  those  of  the  militan,-  forces  and  the  Cath- 
olic fathers.  In  February,  1861,  Mr.  Thorp  moved  with  his  family  from 
Klickitat  to  the  new  home  on  the  Moxee.  The  location  is  known  of  course,  to 
all  old-timers,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Moxee  Valley,  by  the  "big  spring," 
near  the  bluff,  across  the  Yakima  River  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ahtanum.  To 
that  sightly  spot  the  first  family  of  Yakima  made  their  way,  father,  mother, 
and  nine  children,  four  boys  and  five  girls,  on  horseback,  and  with  their  house- 
hold goods  on  pack-horses.     Living  first  in  the  log  cabin   built   for  the  cattle 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  269 

herders,  they  soon  constructed  a  better  cabin,  twenty-five  by  sixteen  feet  in 
size,  and  were  ready  to  hve  in  the  generous  frontier  style.  No  one  thought 
then  of  the  Yakima  Valley  being  anything  more  than  a  stock  country  on  any 
large  scale,  but  the  Thorps  cleared  off  and  planted  a  tract  of  several  acres  on 
the  bottom  land  and  were  rewarded  with  an  abundance  of  garden  products  in 
the  Fall.  In  the  Fall  also  Mr.  Thorp  succeeded  in  making  his  way  from  Klick- 
itat with  a  wagon.  He  brought  in  a  cook  stove,  some  furniture  and  other  fun- 
damental conveniences,  thus  lightening  the  household  duties  of  his  wife  and 
daughters  to  a  great  degree. 

DEALING    WITH    THIEVING    INDIANS 

Although  the  Indian  wars  were  over  the  Yakima  Valley  was  then  a  genu- 
ine Indian  country  and  at  times  that  first  family  on  the  Moxee  were  in  no  little 
peril.  Mr.  Thorp  was  one  of  the  boldest  of  men  and  he  met  all  dangers  with 
such  unflinching  courage  as  to  quench  them  at  the  very  outset.  This  is  well 
illustrated  by  two  incidents  related  to  the  author  by  Mr.  Leonard  Thorp,  who 
at  the  time  of  settlement  in  Moxee  was  a  sixteen-year-old  boy,  but  like  other 
pioneer  boys,  accustomed  to  the  work  and  responsibilities  of  a  man.  In  the 
Summer  of  1862  a  fine  gray  horse,  Mr.  Thorp's  favorite  riding  animal,  disap- 
peared. Feeling  sure  that  it  was  stolen  by  Indians  Mr.  Thorp  demanded  its 
return  of  the  chief,  declaring  that  if  it  were  not  brought  back  he  would  punish 
the  thief  when  he  found  him  in  a  way  that  would  be  remembered.  The  horse 
was  not  returned  and  finding  the  thief  in  course  of  time  the  frontiersman  exe- 
cuted his  threat  by  tying  him  to  a  tree  and  giving  him  such  a  merciless  flogging 
that  he  never  recovered,  dying  in  a  few  mouths.  As  a  result  the  Indians  had 
such  wholesome  respect  for  the  one  man  on  the  Moxee  that  his  stock  were 
seldom  molested.  Leonard  Thorp  in  narrating  this  in.stance  of  his  father's 
energetic  and  decisive  methods,  remarked  rather  apologetically  that  his  father 
was  pretty  high-tempered  and  very  strong,  and  moreover  had  always  been 
accustomed  to  a  frontiersman's  way  of  dealing  with  Indians.  The  other  inci- 
dent concerned  a  meeting  with  Smohalla  the  "dreamer."  One  day  in  1863,  Mr. 
Thorp  and  Leonard  were  riding  in  the  middle  of  the  Moxee  when  they  discov- 
ered a  band  of  Indians  approaching  rapidly  from  the  north.  As  the  dust  flew 
away  from  the  galloping  band  it  was  evident  that  they  v.'ere  in  full  war  rig. 
Going  to  the  house  hastily  and  directing  the  family  to  hunt  places  of  hiding 
as  well  as  possible,  Mr.  Thorp  and  Leonard  went  out  boldly  to  meet  the  array 
of  warriors.  Mr.  Thorp  was  well  armed,  and  when  the  Indians  drew  near  and 
saw  who  it  was  they  halted.  After  his  usual  manner  Thorp  took  the  initiative 
and  with  cocked  revolver  in  one  hand  he  seized  Smohalla's  bridle  reins  with  the 
other  and  demanded  his  reasons  for  coming  down  on  them  in  war  paint  and 
weapons  in  that  style.  Though  only  two  men  against  eighty  Indians,  nerve  was 
the  winning  card  as  usual.  The  cocked  revolver  was  a  very  strong  line  of  argu- 
ment. Smohalla  laughed,  offered  his  hand  in  a  friendly  manner  and  explained 
that  the  report  had  been  circulated  that  a  thousand  Indians  were  coming  to  raid 
the  settlement.  He  had  therefore  come  with  his  little  band  of  eighty  warriors — 
all  he  had — to  show  the  settlers  the  smallness  of  his  force  and  to  assure  them 


270  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

of  his  friendship.  After  a  little  further  exchange  of  compliments  the  band 
of  warriors  turned  and  went  back  as  swiftly  as  they  had  come.  The  Thorps 
always  believed  that  the  Indians  had  come  for  mischief,  but  that  the  unexpected 
boldness  of  the  settler,  with  the  eloquent  look  of  the  revolver,  had  nipped  the 
plan  in  the  bud. 

If  we  may  digress  for  a  paragraph  at  this  point,  it  may  prove  of  interest  to 
the  reader  to  know  that  this  Smohalla  the  "dreamer"  was  chief  of  a  tribe  of 
Indians  at  Priest  Rapids.  He  had  had  some  most  remarkable  experiences.  He 
was  a  great  "tomanowas"  man  and  ruled  his  tribe  and  even  the  adjoining  tribes 
through  fear  of  his  evil  spell.  It  having  been  noised  around  that  he  was  making 
"bad  medicine"  in  order  to  kill  Moses,  the  latter  met  him  one  day  on  the  bank 
of  the  Columbia  and  beat  him  almost  to  death.  Smohalla  recovered  sufficiently 
to  hunt  a  canoe,  in  which  he  went  down  the  river,  and  with  some  assistance 
from  sympathetic  Whites  at  Umatilla  he  continued  on  to  Portland.  He  finally 
made  an  extended  tour  of  Oregon,  California,  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  Utah, 
returning  home  by  a  northeastern  route.  He  was  gone  two  years  and  upon  his 
return  he  regained  his  former  influence,  and  more,  over  his  people.  His  great 
aim  was  to  combat  in  every  possible  way  the  adoption  by  the  Indians  of  civilized 
manners,  dress,  food  and  religion.  He  taught  the  old  salmon  dances,  snake 
dances,  and  other  old  rites  and  ceremonies,  and  professed  to  have  special  rev- 
elations from  the  Great  Spirit.  A.  J.  Splawn  says  that  Smohalla  was  the 
greatest  hypocrite  that  he  ever  knew,  but  that  he  was  also  the  greatest  Indian 
orator  that  he  ever  heard.  He  especially  describes  his  speech  in  favor  of  peace 
in  1877.  Joseph,  the  Nez  Perce  Napoleon,  had  sent  emissaries  to  a  council  at 
Wenatchee  to  urge  that  Moses  and  the  bands  on  the  Columbia  start  a  foray 
upon  Yakima  in  order  to  draw  off  Howard  and  his  forces  from  the  pursuit  of 
Joseph's  band.  Smohalla  opposed  this  proposal  successfully  in  what  Splawn 
says  was  an  extraordinary  speech. 

One  custom  was  almost  universal  among  the  pioneers,  which  has  a  good 
deal  to  commend  it,  though  it  has  become  a  back  number  in  our  day,  and  that 
was  early  marriages.  The  corollary  of  that  usage  was  large  families.  So, 
hardly  were  the  Thorps  settled  in  their  new  home  before  marriages  began  to 
take  place.  The  first  was  that  of  Charles  A.  Splawn  and  Dulcena  Helen  Thorp, 
presumably  the  first  wedding  in  Yakima.  This  occurred  in  the  Fall  of  1861  at 
Fort  Simcoe,  Father  Wilbur  performing  the  ceremony. 

Next  to  the  Thorps,  the  Hensons  and  Splawns  may  be  considered  as  the 
first  permanent  settlers  who  became  identified  with  the  history  of  Yakima. 
Alfred  Henson  with  his  family  had  been  a  neighbor  of  the  Thorps  in  Klickitat 
on  the  present  site  of  Goldendale.  In  1861,  only  two  weeks  after  the  departure 
of  the  Thorps,  Henson  and  his  family  under  the  guidance  of  a  friendly  Indian 
named  Howmilt  crossed  the  Simcoe  hills,  went  through  the  Yakima  and  onward 
to  the  Kittitas  and  hence  to  a  tributary  of  the  Wenatchee.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  this  was  the  first  white  family  to  see  those  two  valleys,  now  so  fruitful  and 
well  settled,  then  in  all  their  wild  beauty  and  filled  with  native  tribes.  Mr.  Hen- 
son had  heard  of  gold  discoveries  in  the  Wenatchee  and  conjectured  that  a 
supply   of   miners'   equipment   would  be   a   profitable   venture.      He  had   fifteen 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  271 

horses  loaded  with  such  supplies  and  also  drove  a  fev-  milch  cows.  John 
Gubser  and  George  Rearfield  went  to  assist  in  packing  and  driving.  But  dis- 
appointment awaited  him  in  the  Wenatchee.  The  miners  had  moved  on.  See- 
ing no  outlook  in  that  direction  Mr.  Henson  sold  his  supplies  to  the  Indians 
and  made  his  way  to  Moxee  where  he  made  a  location  adjoining  his  old  neigh- 
bors, the  Thorps.  In  the  course  of  the  Fall  the  Indians  liecame  so  threatening 
that  Mr.  Henson  lost  faith  in  the  new  location  and  returned  with  his  family  to 
Klickitat.  Three  years  later  he  moved  again  and  made  a  permanent  location 
in  the  Moxee.  The  Splawns,  whose  part  in  Yakima  history  is  equalled  by  few 
and  surpassed  by  none,  consisted  of  five  brothers,  Charles,  William,  George, 
Moses,  and  Andrew  J.  Their  father,  John  Splawn,  was  a  pioneer  of  Missouri, 
dying  in  1845  at  an  early  age.  Their  mother,  Nancy  McHaney  Splawn,  with  the 
bravery  and  enterprise  characteristic  of  those  pioneer  mothers,  went  in  an  im- 
migrant train  to  Oregon  in  1852.  The  mother  with  her  five  boys  settled  in 
Linn  County.  The  book  by  A.  J.  Splawn  gives  so  vivid  a  picture  of  his  heroic 
mother  as  to  make  her  a  most  attractive  personality  even  to  those  who  never 
knew  her.  She  was  one  of  the  genuine  frontier  women  of  the  Northwest.  It 
is  a  pleasure  to  record  that  she  later  became  established  in  the  Kittitas  Valley 
and  lived  many  years  at  Ellensburg  where  she  reached  a  very  advanced  age, 
surrounded  by  the  comforts  of  life  after  all  the  strenuous  experiences  of  her 
earlier  years.  Charles  Splawn,  as  related,  came  with  the  Thorps  to  Klickitat, 
having  cattle  also  on  the  site  of  Goldendale,  and  in  1861  he  accompanied  the 
Thorps  to  Moxee  and  soon  after  he  and  the  oldest  girl  were  married.  A  son 
was  born  to  them  in  1863,  the  first  in  Yakima,  but  he  died  within  a  year.  In 
1868  Charles  Splawn  and  his  wife  moved  to  the  Taneum  Creek  in  the  upper 
Yakima  near  the  present  Ellensburg.  Mrs.  Charles  Splawn  was  the  first  white 
woman  in  what  later  became  Kittitas  County.  Her  daughter  Viola,  born  in 
1869,  was  one  of  the  first  white  children  born  in  Kittitas.  William  Splawm, 
with  his  wife,  Margaret  Jacobs,  came  to  Moxee  in  186^,  and  their  daughter 
Nettie,  born  in  that  year,  subsequently  Mrs.  Richmond,  was  the  first  white  girl 
born  in  Yakima  County.  A.  J.  Splawn  went  in  1860,  a  boy  of  sixteen,  to  the 
Klickitat  to  join  his  brother  Charles.  He  entered  then  upon  his  career  as  a 
cattleman,  becoming  one  of  the  best  known  in  the  Northwest.  His  book,  the 
most  notable  in  Yakima  history,  contains  a  multitude  of  valuable  details  of  the 
events  with  which  he  was  so  familiar.  His  subsequent  important  part  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  county  will  appear  in  the  further  progress  of  this  work.  In 
1861  he  made  his  first  trip  into  the  Yakima  Valley.  In  company  with  Jack  Ker 
he  helped  Noble  Saxon  drive  a  herd  of  cattle  into  Yakima.  They  drove  the 
herd  to  the  Moxee  where  they  found  the  Thorps  holding  solitary  possession. 
On  account  of  an  Indian  scare  the  Saxon  herd  was  driven  back  in  the  Fall  to 
Klickitat.  In  May  of  that  same  year  Major  John  Thorp,  father  of  Mortimer, 
drove  into  Moxee  a  band  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  steers.  For  many  years  fol- 
lowing "Jack"  Splawn  ranged  back  and  forth  through  the  Yakima,  Wenatchee, 
Cariboo,  Boise,  Montana,  Kamloops,  Okanogan,  and  all  places  between,  having 
adventures  enough  for  a  volume,  many  of  which  he  happily  preserved  in  the 
valuable  and  entertaining  book  to  which  we  have  so  often  referred.     In  1870  he. 


272  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

in  company  with  Ben  Burch,  started  a  store  in  Kittitas  Valley,  with  the  rather 
anti-inviting  title  of  "Robbers'  Roost."  He  also  filed  a  squatter's  right  to  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  Such  a  life  was,  however,  ill-suited  to  the 
active,  adventurous  disposition  of  the  cowboy,  and  in  1872  he  sold  out  to  John 
A.  Shoudy,  giving  him  also  a  present  of  his  squatter's  right.  That  was  as  good 
a  claim  as  lay  out  doors  and  upon  it  Mr.  Shoudy  founded  a  town.  He  named 
it  in  honor  of  his  wife  Ellen,  and  thus  the  second  largest  city  in  central  Wash- 
ington, Ellensburg,  had  its  beginning.  Moses  Splawn,  another  brother,  had  as 
many  adventures  in  the  mines  and  elsewhere  as  fell  to  the  general  lot  of  the 
family,  but  was  not  steadily  a  resident  of  the  Yakima  country.  In  1870  he  was 
with  A.  J.  in  the  store  on  the  site  of  the  coming  Ellensburg. 

Leonard  Thorp  has  described  for  us  the  cattleman's  paradise  which  lay  at 
Moxee  when  they  first  settled  in  1861.  There  was  rj'e  grass  in  the  bottom  as 
high  as  a  man's  shoulders  on  horseback,  so  that  the  stock  were  fairly  swallowed 
up  in  it.  Though  the  plains  were  mainly  covered  with  sagebrush  there  was 
mixed  with  it,  and  yet  more  in  the  hills,  the  most  luxurious  bunch  grass.  This 
limitless  supply  of  feed,  together  with  the  pure  cold  waters  of  the  Yakima 
rushing  by,  made  a  little  world  of  themselves  for  the  stock.  Though  the  lonely 
family  by  the  "big  spring"  in  the  Moxee  had  no  neighbors  nearer  than  Klicki- 
tat, about  sixty  miles  distant,  and  had  no  money,  nor  felt  the  need  of  any,  they 
had  a  rude  plenty,  with  their  cattle,  game,  fish,  and  the  products  of  their  garden. 
In  the  midst  of  their  satisfaction  came  that  "hard  Winter"  cf  1861-62,  the  worst 
ever  known,  unless  the  recent  one  of  1915-16  be  accounted  a  rival.  But  in 
these  times  the  facilities  of  life  are  so  much  more  numerous  that  a  comparison 
is  not  possible.  In  some  regions  the  cattle  industry  was  practically  wiped  out 
in  1861-62.  Heavy  snows  began  in  November  of  that  year.  One  followed  an- 
other to  be  succeeded  at  intervals  with  heavy  rain,  freezing  on  top,  with  an 
occasional  partial  thaw,  after  which  would  come  another  freeze.  There  was 
over  two  feet  of  snow  on  the  whole  valley,  with  so  hard  a  crust  that  not  even  a 
horse  could  easily  break  it.  But  Mr.  Thorp  did  not  propose  to  bring  all  that 
band  of  cattle  into  the  Moxee  to  let  them  perish,  and  he  and  his  sons  waged  a 
desperate  and  successful  fight  with  the  Winter.  They  got  out  every  day  to 
break  the  crusted  snow  in  order  that  the  cattle  and  horses  might  reach  the 
great  stores  of  dry^  grass  beneath.  Their  efforts  were  rewarded,  for  out  of  three 
hundred  cattle  they  lost  only  seven,  and  none  of  their  sixty  horses  perished. 

GROWING    SETTLEMENT 

The  three  families.  Thorps,  Hensons,  and  Splawns,  may  be  considered  as 
contributing  the  nucleus  of  the  settlement  of  the  Yakima  Valley.  There  were, 
however,  a  number  of  others  who  came  more  transiently,  most  of  them  with 
Indian  wives,  during  the  years  immediately  following.  In  1862,  Albert  Haines 
with  his  wife  Letitia  Flett.  came  to  Moxee  and  settled  near  the  Thorps.  This 
marked  a  very  interesting  event;  that  is,  the  first  school  in  Yakima.  Mrs. 
Haines  was  the  teacher,  the  scholars  were  the  Thorp  children,  and  the  school 
room  was  the  upstairs  of  the  new  Thorp  house,  a  two  story  log  structure  much 
larger  than  the  first.     In  1863  three  French  squawmen,  Doshea,  Broshea,  and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  273 

Nason,  located  near  the  Thorps.  One  of  them,  Nason,  took  a  place  in  the  Moxee 
near  the  present  location  of  the  Riverside  schoolhouse.  Broshea  established 
himself  on  the  river  bottom  in  the  place  now  reached  by  East  Yakima  Avenue. 
He  was  thus  the  first  settler  on  land  now  actually  in  the  city  of  Yakima. 
Doshea  was  also  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  just  below  Broshea.  Nason  sold 
out  to  McAllister  in  1865.  He  went  to  the  Kittitas  in  1869,  becoming  one  of 
the  first  settlers  in  that  part  of  the  Yakima.  In  November,  1863,  William 
Parker  and  Fred  White  established  themselves  with  a  large  band  of  cattle  on 
the  upper  Satus  Creek.  In  the  next  year  Mr.  Parker  and  John  Allen  drove 
their  cattle  into  the  fertile  flats  on  the  north  side  of  the  Yakima  south  of  the 
ridge,  and  it  is  known  as  Parker  bottom  to  this  day,  one  of  the  most  productive 
regions  of  the  whole  fertile  valley.  In  the  same  year  came  Gilbert  Pell,  who 
settled  on  the  north  side  of  the  Yakima  River  near  the  mouth  of  the  Satus.  He 
afterwards  became  the  first  settler  in  Fruitvale.  In  the  Spring  of  the  same  year 
of  1864  the  first  settler  on  the  Ahtanum  made  a  permanent  location.  This  was 
Andrew  Gervais,  permanently  and  honorably  identified  with  the  growth  of 
Yakima.  At  the  same  time  came  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  makers  of 
early  Yakima,  J.  B.  Nelson.  He  with  his  family  first  located  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Yakima,  the  first  family  in  all  that  region.  He  had  come  to  be  there  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  horse  thieves  had  run  off  horses  from  his  herds  and  in 
following  them  he  had  become  temporarily  the  first  settler  on  the  lower  Yakima. 
During  the  following  Winter  he  went  to  a  point  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Yakima  a  little  ways  south  of  the  present  Sunnyside,  later  the  Jock  Morgan 
ranch.  The  next  year  the  Nelsons  went  to  a  point  near  the  mouth  of  the  Naches, 
now  the  Lesh  orchard.  Having  been  flooded  out  in  1867,  the  family  moved 
again,  this  time  to  what  became  the  first  claim  on  the  Naches.  In  the  Fall  of 
1864  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the  country  at  that  time  came  to 
Yakima,  Nathan  Olney.  He  was  the  second  settler  on  the  Ahtanum.  His  loca- 
tion was  near  the  present  Wiley  City.  He  was  a  member  of  the  immigration 
of  1843,  had  taken  a  prominent  part  in  all  the  Indian  wars,  was  an  Indian  sub- 
agent  for  a  number  of  years  and  as  such  had  exercised  ;i  large  influence  in  the 
settlement  of  Indian  troubles.  His  wife  was  an  Indian  woman,  and  his  children 
and  grandchildren,  living  mainly  at  Toppenish,  Wapato,  and  the  regions  ad- 
joining, are  known  throughout  Yakima  as  possessed  of  vvealth,  intelligence,  and 
force  of  character.  Mr.  Olney  died  the  very  next  year  after  locating  on  the 
Ahtanum. 

In  the  fall  of  1864  there  arrived  also  a  notable  group  of  cattlemen,  L.  F. 
Mosier,  Captain  James  Barnes,  and  Mr.  Warbass.  They  had  driven  a  herd  of 
cattle  from  southern  Oregon  past  Klamath  Lake  and  The  Dalles,  and  thence 
across  the  Klickitat  and  Simcoe  to  the  Selah  and  Wenas.  These  cattle  were  the 
first  on  that  range. 

The  year  1865  was  notable  for  incoming  settlers.  The  first  location  on 
the  Wenas  was  made  that  year  by  Augustan  Cleman.  His  location  was  that 
subsequently  acquired  by  David  Longmire.  It  is  stated  that  the  first  sheep  in 
Yakima  were  driven  in  by  Mr.  Cleman.  From  him  the  high  mountain  between 
the  Naches  and  Wenas  received  its  name.  His  descendants  have  taken  a  prom- 
CIS) 


274  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

inent  part  in  the  development  of  both  the  Yakima  and  Kittitas  regions.  This 
same  year  saw  the  entrance  of  the  largest  drove  of  cattle  yet  coming  to  Yakima, 
nine  hundred  head,  driven  in  by  the  McDaniels,  Elisha  and  Andy.  Their  loca- 
tion was  on  the  Yakima  River  at  the  west  end  of  Snipes  Mountain.  Their 
cattle  were  ultimately  acquired  by  Ben  Snipes.  As  already  noted,  Mr.  Snipes 
began  driving  stock  into  the  Yakima  as  early  as  1859,  but  he  did  not  take  up  a 
residence  till  a  number  of  years  later.  In  1865  came  another  notable  addition 
to  the  growing  community.  This  was  an  immigration  led  by  Dr.  L.  H.  Good- 
win, whose  first  design  was  to  go  to  Puget  Sound.  They  decided  to  locate 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Cowiche,  and  became  the  first  settlers  in  that  region. 
With  this  company,  in  addition  to  the  Goodwins,  there  were  Walter  Lindsay  and 
family  and  John  Rozelle  and  family  and  William  Harrington,  whose  wife  was 
a  daughter  of  Rozelle.  These  families  had  a  number  of  sons  and  daughters 
and  constituted  the  largest  addition  yet  made  to  the  different  Yakima  settle- 
ments. L.  H.  Goodwin  finally  took  a  place  just  above  the  subsequent  Yakima 
City.  Thomas  Goodwin  located  in  the  river  bottom  aboui  a  mile  above  the 
present  Moxee  bridge.  W'alter  Lindsay  made  his  house  yet  a  little  higher  up, 
John  Lindsay  and  William  Harrington  located  on  the  Ahtanum.  The  Rozelles 
went  to  the  Kittitas  and  thus  became  the  first  settlers  in  that  part  of  Yakima. 
But  they  were  not  permanent  settlers.  For  during  their  first  Winter  they  fell 
into  such  distress  that  Mortimer  Thorp,  learning  of  their  condition,  sent  Andy 
Gervais  to  bring  them  down  to  Moxee.  This  he  did  and  as  a  result  Mr.  Rozelle 
took  up  a  place  which  became  the  site  of  the  north  part  of  the  city  of  Yakima. 
These  claims,  with  those  earlier  taken  by  Doshea  and  Broshea  embraced  most 
of  what  is  now  the  city,  east  of  the  railroad.  In  1863  Mr.  Moore  and  William 
Connell  built  a  cabin  in  Parker  bottom,  now  on  the  Sawyer  place,  the  oldest 
house  in  Yakima,  of  which  a  picture  appears  in  this  volume. 

The  year  1866  saw  a  steady,  though  not  a  large  increase  in  the  little  settle- 
ment. James  W.  Allen  located  on  the  Ahtanum  about  two  miles  below  the  sub- 
sequent Woodcock  Academy,  and  a  few  years  later  his  son-in-law,  H.  M.  Ben- 
ton, became  established  adjoining.  David  Heaton  settled  on  the  Ahtanum  a 
little  above  the  Allen  place  in  the  same  year  of  1866.  In  the  same  year  the  first 
settler  located  in  the  Selah  Valley  on  the  east  side  of  the  Yakima  River.  This 
was  George  Taylor.  In  that  year  came  E.  Bird,  with  cattle  which  he  turned 
out  on  the  plains  just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Satus.  A  few  years  later  he  drove 
his  stock  into  the  lower  Yakima  between  "the  Horn"  and  the  present  Richland. 
Apparently  he  was  the  first  in  that  region  for  anything  more  than  a  transient 
stay,  and  even  he  made  no  permanent  residence  there.  William  Hickenbottom 
and  Thomas  Connell  acquired  the  Moore  interests  in  Parker  Bottom  and  became 
residents  in  the  Moore  cabin  already  referred  to  as  the  oldest  existing  house  in 
Yakima  Valley.  This  same  year  also  was  marked  by  the  erection  of  the  first 
cabin  on  the  site  of  Ellensburg,  by  William  Wilson. 

A  number  of  permanent  additions  were  made  in  1867.  Egbert  French  went 
to  Parker  Bottom,  having  a  very  bright  Indian  wife,  and  started  the  first  store. 
He  was  on  the  place  now  owned  by  Dan  McDonald.  Purdy  Flint  and  wife,  Lucy 
Burch,  settled  in  Moxee,  and  began  their  influential  part  in  laying  foundations 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  275 

in  the  valley.  They  are  still  living  in  a  beautiful  home  in  Yakima.  A  begin- 
ning was  made  this  year  in  the  region  on  the  north  side  of  the  Yakima  along 
the  foot  of  Snipes  Mountains.  This  location  was  made  by  Samuel  Chappelle. 
Within  a  few  years  he  moved  to  the  subsequent  site  of  Zillah,  the  first  in  that 
place.  C.  P.  Cooke  came  to  Moxee  in  1867,  and  three  years  later  went  to  the 
Kittitas,  where  he  and  his  family  bore  an  honorable  part  in  the  upbuildings  of 
that  section.  The  Lyen  family  followed  almost  the  same  course  as  the  Cookes, 
going  to  Kittitas  in  1871.  In  1867  also  came  one  of  the  noteworthy  char- 
acters of  Yakima  history.  This  was  Col.  H.  D.  Cock.  In  the  Chapter  on  Indian 
Wars  we  have  related  an  instance  of  his  nerve.  He  first  settled  on  the  river  a 
little  below  the  present  Mabton,  and  there  he  established  the  first  ferry  in  that 
section.  Later  he  became  the  first  to  take  up  land  on  the  dry  hill  west  of  Yakima, 
then  usually  thought  worthless,  now  the  Nob  Hill  section.  Colonel  Cock  became 
the  first  marshal  of  North  Yakima.  Several  important  ?dditions  were  made 
to  the  Ahtanum  settlement  in  1867.  Among  these  may  be  named  Thomas 
Chambers,  Charles  Stewart,  and  Joseph  Bunting.  According  to  A.  J.  Splawn, 
Bunting  was  the  man  who  murdered  Quiemuth  the  Indian  in  Olympia  under 
the  impression  that  it  was  Quiemuth  who  killed  the  McAllisters  on  the  White 
River  in  1855.  Bunting  was  a  son-in-law  of  McAllister.  Thomas  Pierce  settled 
in  the  Selah  Valley  in  1867.  In  the  same  year  there  was  another  valuable  addi- 
tion to  the  Ahtanum  in  the  person  of  Hugh  Wiley  and  family,  who  have  been 
among  the  largest  contributors  to  the  substantial  moral  and  business  growth  of 
the  Ahtanum  section.  Their  location  was  at  the  place  where  Wiley  City  now 
stands.  J.  W.  Coplen  settled  adjoining  Wiley,  but  in  1870  sold  out  to  Alonzo 
Durgon  and  moved  to  Walla  Walla,  subsequently  becommg  one  of  the  first 
settlers  in  the  Hangman  Creek  country.  J.  W.  Goodwin  located  on  the  Cowiche 
in  that  year,  selling  in  1870  to  J.  W.  Stevenson  who  still  lives  at  the  place.  The 
same  year  of  1867  marked  the  first  actual  settlers  in  the  Kittitas,  though,  as 
already  seen  there  were  sporadic  locations  there  at  an  earHer  date.  A  Switzer 
named  Frederick  Ludi,  and  a  German,  John  Goller,  commonly  called  "Dutch 
John."  located  that  year  in  Kittitas.  They  were  advised  to  seek  that  spot  by 
Mortimer  Thorp  to  whom  they  had  gone  for  advice.  The  splendid  beauty  of 
the  valley  visible  from  the  Umptanum  ridge  so  appealed  to  them  that  they  made 
a  location  a  mile  above  the  mouth  of  the  Manashtash.  The  Indians  said,  "Snow 
fall  Injun  deep ;  awful  cold ;  white  man  can't  stand  it."  And  in  fact  they  had  a 
severe  Winter  and  the  next  Spring  went  eastward  and  took  a  claim  on  what  is 
now  the  southern  part  of  Ellensburg.  They  found  William  Wilson  living-  there 
with  the  Indians,  the  same  who  is  said  to  have  put  up  the  first  cabin  on  the  site 
of  Ellensburg.  It  appears  that  Wilson  was  drowned  in  Snake  River  the  next 
year  while  trying  to  run  ofif  some  stolen  horses. 

In  1868  several  of  the  best  known  families  of  the  Yakima  Valley  became 
permanently  located.  Among  them  may  be  mentioned  William  and  Edward 
Henderson  and  Charles  Carpenter  who  settled  on  the  Ahtanum.  Above  the 
Wileys,  Daniel  Lynch  made  a  location.  Alfred  Miller  located  in  the  Wenas.  In 
1868  the  scanty  settlement  in  Kittitas  was  augmented  by  two  notable  arrivals. 
Tilman  Houser  from  Renton,  Washington,  took  up  a  preemption  claim  on  Cole- 


276  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

man  Creek  ten  miles  northeast  of  Ellensburg.  In  the  same  year  Charles  Splawn, 
as  already  narrated,  settled  on  the  Taneum  Creek  on  what  later  became  known 
as  the  Thorp  ranch.  With  1868  there  were  therefore  iwo  families  and  three 
bachelors  in  the  Kittitas.  Mrs.  Splawn  and  Mrs.  Houser  were  the  first  white 
women  living  in  that  region. 

The  year  1869  was  a  great  year  in  the  beginnings  of  settlement.  In  that 
year  the  father  of  Yakima,  Mortimer  Thorp,  made  yet  another  move.  To  the 
historian  it  would  seem  as  though  he  would  be  content  to  stay  settled  and  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  his  energy  on  the  spot  which  will  always  be  known  as  the  nucleus 
of  Yakima  settlements.  But  no!  He  was  a  genuine  frontiersman,  and  such  he 
remained  till  the  last.  So  he  forsook  tlie  Moxee  and  moved  to  the  Taneum 
Creek  in  the  upper  Kittitas,  near  the  present  town  of  Thorp.  There  he  lived 
out  the  remainder  of  his  restless,  ambitious  and  useful  life.  One  of  the  noblest 
contributions  to  the  Ahtanum  of  1869  was  Elisha  Tanner.  Having  known  him 
from  childhood  the  author  can  testify  to  the  affectionate  regard  in  which  he  and 
his  family  were  held  by  all  who  knew  them  in  their  former  homes  in  Oregon  and 
at  White  Salmon,  and  later  in  Yakima.  Like  all  the  early  settlers  he  engaged 
in  the  stock  business,  but  was  one  of  those  who  foresaw  the  capability  of  the 
Yakima  Valley  to  sustain  a  large  population  with  varied  industries.  In  1870 
Mr.  Tanner  moved  his  family  to  the  place  which  he  had  taken  on  the  Ahtanum, 
and  for  ten  years  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  every  good  word  and  work.  In 
1880  his  life  was  prematurely  ended  by  a  distressing  accident  on  the  Naches 
River.  He  was  crossing  the  river  on  the  ferry,  and  through  the  almost  crim- 
inal carelessness  of  the  ferryman  in  having  no  rear  guard,  the  team  becoming 
frightened,  backed  off  the  boat  into  the  water.  In  the  struggle  in  the  water 
Mr.  Tanner  was  struck  by  the  horses  and  drowned.  To  the  Ahtanum  in  1869 
also  came  W.  P.  Crosno  and  his  family,  and  they  must  be  counted  among  the 
leaders  to  this  day  in  laying  the  foundations.  The  Flynns,  the  Blands,  the 
Tigards,  and  the  La  Chappelles  also  came  in  that  year.  Yet  another  arrival  of 
high  standing  was  James  W.  Beek.  Perhaps  the  most  notable  event  of  1869 
was  the  establishment  of  a  store  at  what  soon  became  Yakima  City  by  Sumner 
Barker,  joined  a  year  later  by  his  brother,  O.  D.  Barker.  Another  event  worthy 
to  be  chronicled  was  the  marriage  in  that  year  of  Leonard  Thorp  and  Philena 
Henson.  Soon  after  their  marriage  they  took  up  a  homestead  in  Selah  Valley 
and  there  they  lived  many  years.  The  first  settlement  in  tiie  region  of  the  pres- 
ent Granger  was  made  in  1869  by  Martin  Holbrook. 

After  1869  settlers  came  so  thick  and  fast  that  it  will  exceed  our  limits  to 
tabulate  them.  We  may  perhaps  consider  the  year  1870  as  the  dividing  line 
between  the  beginnings  of  settlement  and  the  larger  growth.  Several  events 
of  special  importance  may  be  named  as  marking  the  transition.  In  1870  George 
Goodwin,  one  of  the  settlers  of  1865,  opened  a  store  near  that  of  Barker  Broth- 
ers. With  a  second  store  the  name  of  Yakima  City  began  to  be  used  for  the 
little  cluster  of  houses.  At  about  the  same  time  Charles  Schanno  and  his 
brother  Joseph  took  up  claims  on  the  sagebrush  flat,  and  the  main  part  of 
Yakima  City  grew  up  on  those  claims.  The  Schanno  brothers  established  the 
third  store,  a  good  deal  more  extensive  than  either  of  the  others,  and  began  to 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  277 

do  business  in  almost  the  modern  manner.  More  signincant  even  than  the 
stores  was  the  fact  of  the  beginnings  of  irrigation.  For  the  destiny  of  Yakima 
is  practically  interwoven  with  the  irrigating  systems.  To  Thomas  and  Benton 
Goodwin  must  be  accorded  the  honor  of  the  first  irrigating  canal.  It  was  laid 
out  in  1866,  and  conducted  water  to  land  about  a  mile  south  of  the  present  city 
of  Yakima.  By  means  of  this  the  Goodwins  raised  a  small  crop  of  wheat,  the 
first  in  the  Valley,  forty  bushels  to  the  acre.  In  1869  Captain  Simmons  and  Mr. 
Vaughn  with  others  made  a  short  canal  under  a  sort  of  cooperative  system,  con- 
veying water  from  the  Naches  River  to  lands  below  the  junction  of  the  rivers. 
It  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Union  Canal.  The  Schannos  undertook  a  much  more 
extensive  enterprise  in  1870.  They  dug  a  canal  from  a  point  on  the  Ahtanum 
near  the  Carpenter  place  to  Yakima  City.  That  is  often  supposed  to  be  the 
first  real  ditch  for  irrigating  purposes  in  the  Yakima,  but  it  was  antedated  by 
the  two  described.  Even  their  canals,  it  should  be  remembered,  were  preceded 
by  one  dug  by  Indians.  That  Indian  ditch  was  on  the  place  near  Tampico,  now 
owned  by  Wallace  Wiley,  and  conveyed  water  for  "Kamiakin's  Gardens."  It 
was  made  as  early,  probably,  as  1852  or  1853.  Among  many  matters  of  general 
interest  in  that  period  of  the  sixties,  we  should  mention  the  beginning  of 
schools.  We  have  already  named  Mrs.  Letitia  Flett  Haines  as  the  first  teacher 
and  the  date  as  1862.  But  that  school  was  a  private  one  for  the  children  of 
]\Iortimer  Thorp.  The  first  county  commissioners  appointed  in  February,  1868, 
the  first  county  superintendent  of  schools.  We  shall  have  much  more  to  say 
of  this  in  the  chapter  dealing  with  schools,  but  suffice  it  to  say  here  that  the 
settlers  on  the  Yakima,  true  to  American  ideals,  saw  to  it  that  schools  were 
started  at  once.  A  schoolhouse  was  built  between  Yakima  City  and  the  present 
Yakima.  The  pioneer  teachers  in  that  building,  according  to  the  recollections 
of  Mr.  Thorp  and  other  old-timers,  were  Joe  Lawrence,  Martha  Beck  and 
Doctor  Clark. 

As  will  readily  be  seen  by  the  reader,  we  have  not  undertaken  to  give  a 
complete  list  of  settlers  in  those  earliest  years.  We  have  undertaken  to  name 
those  who  were  first  in  the  leading  regions,  and  especially  those  who  by  reason 
of  permanent  residence  and  subsequent  connection  with  the  growth  of  their 
respective  localities  may  be  said  to  have  had  the  closest  connection  with  the 
histor)'.  In  later  chapters  we  shall  have  occasion  to  bring'  out  further  facts  in 
regard  to  some  of  the  pioneers  named,  as  well  as  other  facts  about  other 
pioneers. 

It  may  be  noted  that  while  we  have  named  first  locations  in  the  vicinity 
of  Yakima,  and  other  points  in  the  upper  and  central  valleys,  we  have  given 
practically  nothing  of  the  beginnings  in  the  lower  Valley.  From  Mabton  down 
there  was  no  permanent  settlement  till  many  years  later.  The  first  settlers  of 
Prosser,  Kiona,  Kennewick,  and  Richland,  belonged  to  a  later  vintage.  It  was 
not  till  about  1879  and  two  or  three  years  later  that  C.  J.  Beach  at  Kennewick, 
Ben  Rosencrantz,  Jack  Roberts,  and  Joe  Baxter  at  Richland,  and  Nelson  Rich, 
W.  F.  Prosser  and  the  Taylors  near  Prosser,  began  to  lay  the  first  foundations. 
The  above  statement  should  be  qualified  by  adding  that  Smith  Barnum  was 
living  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima  River  in  1875,  and  that  by  a  memorial  of  the 


278  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

Territorial  Legislature,  the  postmaster-general  was  requested  to  establish  a  mail 
route  through  the  Yakima  Valley,  with  Smith  Bamum  as  postmaster  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  Yet  the  general  body  of  the  lower  Valley  settlers  and  their 
followers  belong  properly  to  the  period  coming  in  with  the  railroad  in  the  eigh- 
ties.    We  are  here  giving  rather  a  panoramic  than  an  encyclopedic  view. 

MINING    IN    YAKIMA  VALLEY 

During  the  period  of  beginnings  at  those  pivotal  points  of  the  valley  which 
at  first  were  stock  ranges  but  were  destined  to  become  gardens,  orchards,  and 
cities,  there  was  running  along  parallel  with  them  another  sort  of  a  period, 
equally  inevitable  with  that  of  the  cowboy.  This  was  the  era  of  the  prospector 
and  the  miner.  The  pick  and  the  gold  pan  were  as  active  as  the  shaps  and  the 
quirt.  Every  new  opening  in  the  west  had  a  rainbow  hanging  somewhere  on  a 
gold  mine,  and  the  Yakima  Valley  was  no  exception.  And  it  was  no  wonder. 
Take  into  account  the  California  goldfields,  Idaho,  British  Columbia,  Colville, 
and  he  would  have  been  a  slow  immigrant  indeed  who  did  not  have  dazzling 
visions  of  floods  of  yellow  dust  at  every  turn  of  the  landscape.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  as  we  have  learned  by  quotations  from  Government  reports  in  our  first 
chapter,  portions  of  the  mountains  in  which  the  Yakima  and  itse  tributaries  rise 
have  the  geological  formation  and  history  from  which  the  precious  metals  are 
to  be  expected.  Confidence  was  not  entirely  misplaced,  then,  by  those  eager 
prospectors  who  in  the  fifties  and  sixties  took  their  lives  in  their  hands  and 
threaded  the  defiles  and  burrowed  in  the  canon  walls  and  lost  themselves  in  the 
declivities  with  which  the  great  wall  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  fronts  the  sun- 
rise. Nor  were  they  entirely  unsuccessful.  Considerable  gold  has  actually  been 
found  in  central  Washington,  and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  there  may  yet 
be  paying  mines.  But  largely  the  prospector  and  miner  have  faded  away  into 
the  mists  of  the  earlier  age. 

There  are  two  fine  stories  so  characteristic  of  that  time  of  feverish  expec- 
tations that  we  deem  it  worth  while  to  relate  them  here.  They  are  given  in 
the  "History  of  Central  Washington"  as  received  by  the  author  of  that  work 
from  Charles  Splawn.  It  seems  that  a  certain  Captain  lugalls,  who  had  dis- 
covered gold  in  the  Coos  Bay  section,  came  to  the  Columbia  River  in  the  time 
of  the  Indian  wars  of  1855-56,  and  served  as  a  scout.  In  company  with  a 
friendly  Indian  named  Colowash  he  found  upon  the  Wenatchee  River  several 
nuggets  and  an  appearance  that  denoted  good  placer  diggings.  Fearful  of  being 
discovered  by  the  hostiles  they  did  not  linger,  but  left,  with  all  plans  of  return- 
ing at  a  more  favorable  time.  When  the  war  was  over  Ingalls  hastened  back 
to  the  "lost  mine."  It  was  lost,  sure  enough.  He  found  never  a  trace  of  the 
nugget  bearing  drift.  He  then  went  to  Klickitat  where  Colowash  lived,  to  re- 
enlist  him.  But  no!  Nothing  would  induce  Colowash  to  go  again.  Ingalls 
made  another  effort.  He  organized  a  small  party  to  make  a  thorough  search. 
But  misfortune  seemed  to  dog  their  steps.  One  of  the  party  accidentally  shot 
and  killed  the  one  on  whom  they  were  chiefly  depending  for  guidance.  The 
next  efifort  to  find  the  lost  mine  was  made  by  Charles  Splawn.  In  1860  he 
planned  a  trip  to  the  Similkanieen  mines.     Before  going  he  sought  information 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  279 

from  Colowash  about  the  "lost  mine."  While  the  Indian  refused  to  go,  he  was 
willing  to  describe  the  place  and  made  a  map  of  it.  He  stated  that  it  was  on 
the  Peshastin  Creek  and  this  is  in  the  group  of  mountains  of  which  Mount 
Stuart  is  the  dominating  summit,  so  magnificant  from  the  Kittitas  Valley.  On 
his  return  from  Similkameen  Mr.  Splawn  induced  four  other  returning  miners 
to  join  him  in  the  search  for  the  Ingalls  discovery.  With  an  Indian  guide  they 
made  their  way  up  the  Peshastin,  and  in  a  narrow  canon  Mr.  Splawn  found 
a  good  prospect.  Meeting  still  another  prospector  named  Russell  they  showed 
him  the  gold  and  allowed  him  to  take  it  to  Seattle.  As  a  result  of  his  exhibition 
of  the  treasure,  quite  an  excitement  arose  and  a  number  of  miners  hastened  to 
Peshastin.  Though  a  number  of  nuggets,  some  of  the  value  of  twelve  dollars, 
were  found,  those  Peshastin  mines  did  not  prove  of  great  extent,  and  the  dizzy 
expectations  set  afloat  by  Ingalls  and  Colowash  are  still  in  the  air. 

In  1862  an  old  Indian  named  Zokeseye  took  some  silver-bearing  ore  to  Fort 
Simcoe.  The  secretary  at  the  agency,  whose  name  was  Walker,  took  the  speci- 
men with  him  to  The  Dalles.  Having  become  overly  confidential  while  under 
the  influence  of  some  of  the  stalwart  liquids  which  r.bounded  at  that  city. 
Walker  exhibited  the  ore  freely.  An  experienced  California  miner  named 
Blachley,  seeing  the  ore  and  realizing  its  value,  assayed  it,  and  found  it  nearly 
two-thirds  silver.  Being  eager  to  hunt  the  source  of  the  wondrously  rich  rock, 
Blachley  sought  information  of  Walker,  by  whom  he  was  referred  to  Mortimer 
Thorp,  already  so  prominent  in  our  history.  Meanwhile  old  Zokeseye  had  been 
so  disobliging  as  to  die,  so  that  Mr.  Thorp  was  compelled  to  secure  other  Indian 
guides.  But  for  that  trip  the  quest  was  hopeless.  Blachley  made  another  effort 
the  next  year.  In  company  with  Charles  Splawn,  he  went  al!  through  the  upper 
Yakima,  the  Wenatchee,  and  the  Mount  Baker  regions.  But  all  in  vain.  The 
"lost  mine"  remained  lost,  and  has  not  been  found  to  this  day. 

Quite  a  gold  discovery  was  made  in  1864  at  Ringold  bar  on  the  Columbia. 
Leonard  Thorp  among  others,  went  from  Moxee  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  sands 
of  the  river.  Though  he  found  nothing  of  value,  quite  a  good  deal  of  gold 
was  found  there  by  others.  The  white  miners  cleaned  up  $30,000  or  $40,000 
while  Chinese  took  out  an  amount  not  known.  The  Chinese  have  always  been 
fond  of  mining  on  the  bars  of  the  Columbia  and  Snake  rivers.  It  is  well  known 
that  there  is  almost  boundless  wealth  in  gold  dust  on  those  bars,  but  it  is  so  fine 
that  no  profitable  method  of  mining  has  yet  been  discovered.  The  existence  of 
such  quantities  of  gold  dust  along  the  big  rivers  denotes,  in  the  minds  of  some 
miners,  the  location  at  the  sources  of  those  rivers  of  some  vast  "mother  lodes," 
which,  if  found,  may  yield  the  fabulous  returns  of  treasure  once  imagined. 

SOME    CHAR.\CTERISTIC    STORIES    OF    OLD    TIMES 

In  concluding  this  chapter  we  will  give  two  stories  from  A.  J.  Splawn's 
"Kamiakin,  the  Last  Hero  of  the  Yakimas,"  which  will  illustrate  the  serio- 
comic character  of  some  of  the  events  in  "the  brave  days  of  old."  Readers  from 
the  older  states  may  ask  us  just  how  old  those  brave  days  are,  when  middle  aged 
people  now  living  can  remember  them.  We  are  obliged  to  confess  that  it  is 
rather  stretching  a  point  to  call  them  old.  But  it  is  the  best  we  can  do.  Nothing 
and  nobody  is  really  old  in  Yakima. 


280  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  first  of  these  entertaining  tales  is  about  the  administration  of  justice  at 
a  certain  time  in  Yakima  City : 

"In  those  early  days  there  wandered  into  Yakima  City  one  J.  W.  Hamble- 
ton,  a  man  far  above  the  average  in  brains  and  education,  but  who,  like  many 
of  his  kind,  had  only  two  useful  organs  in  his  body — his  mouth  and  his  throat. 
He  had  the  gift  of  gab,  and  his  throat  was  the  canal  for  conveying  the  large 
quantities  of  firewater  necessary  to  keep  his  stomach  going.  He  claimed  to  be 
a  lawyer.  At  any  rate,  he  was  prosecuting  attorney  for  Yakima  County  for  one 
term. 

"At  the  time,  two  border  ruffians,  Ingraham  and  McBride,  kept  an  Indian 
trading  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wenatchee,  where  a  Mr.  Warren  was  em- 
ployed as  the  handy  man,  an  important  position  in  the  line  of  business  con- 
ducted by  Ingraham  and  McBride.  In  traveling  through  that  country  I  often 
found  in  the  Indian  villages,  kegs  of  whisky  with  tin  cups  near  by  where  all, 
big,  little,  old  and  young,  could  help  themselves.  I  was  told  the  Indians  bought 
it  of  this  firm. 

"In  November,  early  in  the  70s,  Mr.  Warren  appeared  in  Yakima  City.  I 
chanced  to  meet  him  and  he  told  me  he  had  come  to  swear  out  a  warrant  for 
the  arrest  of  Ingraham  and  McBride  for  selling  liquor  to  the  Indians.  They 
had  had  a  row  among  themselves,  it  seems,  and  Warren  was  going  to  get  even. 
I  told  him  he  was  taking  chances,  since  he  was  equally  guilty  with  the  other  two, 
but  he  swore  to  the  information  and  the  warrant  was  put  in  the  hands  of  the 
deputy  sheriff  who  with  a  small  posse  soon  brought  in  Ingraham  and  McBride. 
E.  P.  Boyle,  a  weak  man  as  well  as  a  poor  lawyer,  was  engaged  to  defend  these 
two  scoundrels  who,  for  pure  cussedness,  could  not  be  excelled  anywhere  on  the 
border. 

"When  Hambleton,  the  prosecuting  attorney,  read  the  complaint  to  the 
court,  as  there  was  no  jury,  and  stated  that  he  could  prove  all  the  allegations 
and  plenty  besides,  with  some  other  remarks  not  complimentary  to  the  pris- 
oners, the  judge,  looking  over  his  spectacles  at  the  two  men  searchingly,  remarked 
that  he  believed  all  the  prosecuting  attorney  said  and  thought  moreover  that  it 
was  high  time  to  suppress  the  lawlessness  running  rampant  on  the  frontier, 
and  adjourned  the  court  till  two  P.  M. 

"During  all  this  time,  E.  P.  Boyle,  the  defendants'  attorney,  was  sitting 
dazed.     The  pace  had  become  too  swift  for  his  feeble  mind. 

"Meeting  me  outside  of  the  courthouse,  Mr.  Ingraham  said,  'J^ck,  do  you 
believe   I  could  buy  off  the  prosecuting  attorney?' 

"I  told  him  that  I  was  no  go-between,  but  that  the  prosecuting  attorney 
was  in  bad  with  the  saloon,  neither  having  paid  a  cent  nor  missed  a  drink  since 
Adam's  time.  A  little  later  Ingraham  and  Hambleton  came  into  Schanno's 
store,  where  I  happened  to  be.  The  latter  stepped  up  to  Jo  Schanno  and  asked 
if  he  had  gold  scales.  The  scales  were  brought  and  Hambleton  gave  orders 
that  Jo  should  weigh  out  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  Ingraham  then  took 
from  his  pocket  a  buckskin  purse  and  poured  the  dust  into  the  scales  until  it 
balanced  the  weight  Jo  had  fixed.  Hambleton  poured  the  gold  from  the  scale 
into  his  own  purse  and  the  two  left  the  store. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  281 

"Having  witnessed  that  transaction,  Jo  and  I  thought  it  would  be  inter- 
esting to  see  how  he  disposed  of  the  case  and  we  were  in  the  courtroom  promptly 
on  the  hour.  Hambleton  arose  and  with  a  grave  and  solemn  look  addressed  the 
court  thus : 

"  'Your  Honor,  while  I  am  a  firm  believer  in  law  enforcement,  yet  as  prose- 
cutor we  oft  go  too  far.  In  our  eagerness  to  convict,  we  too  often  overlook 
justice.  I  sincerely  hope  that  it  will  never  fall  to  my  lot  to  convict  innocent 
men.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  ruin  any  one.  Since  the  ad- 
journment of  this  court  for  the  noon  hour,  I  have  learned  the  true  facts  in  this 
case.  It  is  appalling  to  think  how  near  we  came  to  convicting  two  innocent  men. 
This  culprit,  Mr.  Warren,  should  not  be  allowed  to  remain  longer  in  our  midst. 
The  base  ingrate  has  been  fed  and  clothed  by  these  defendants  and  like  the 
viper  he  is,  seeks  to  destroy  his  benefactors.  I  refuse  to  be  the  means  of  helping 
this  cowering  cur  in  his  hellish  plot  and  wish  to  dismiss  the  case.' 

"The  judge,  believing  the  prosecutor,  became  aroused  and  calling  upon 
Warren  to  stand  up  before  the  court  said:  'By  all  justice  you  ought  to  be  hung. 
Go  hence  from  here  and  as  quickly  as  possible  shake  the  dust  of  Yakima  from 
your  contaminated  feet.  Go  now  and  keep  going.  See  to  it  that  you  never 
return,  lest  this  court  lose  its  patience  and  give  you  what  is  coming.' 

"Ingram  and  McBride  went  back  to  their  trading  post  and  continued  to 
sell  liquor  to  the  Indians.  Hambleton,  a  few  years  later,  was  lecturing  on  tem- 
pearance  in  Iowa.  Warren  went  over  to  Walla  Walla  and  there  got  Ingraham 
and  McBride  convicted  and  sentenced  to  a  year  each  in  the  penitentiary." 

The  second  narrative  is  of  the  first  wedding  in  Kittitas. 

"Fred  Bennett,  an  old  German  who  lived  on  the  other  side  of  Wilson 
Creek,  used  to  come  in  pretty  often  and  sample  the  free  bottle  that  sat 
on  the  shelf.  I  suggested  one  day  that  he  better  go  slow  or  he  would  not  be 
able  to  get  over  the  foot  log  across  the  creek.  'I  chust  bet  you  fife  toller,'  he 
said,  'I  can  trink  all  in  dot  bottle  and  den  valk  ofer  dot  log.'  It  seemed  to  me  a 
good  gamble,  for  if  I  won,  I  would  be  reimbursed  for  all  the  free  whiskey  he 
had  drunk.  He  finished  the  bottle  and  struck  out  for  home,  I  following  close 
behind.  He  was  so  sure  of  himself  and  so  happy  that  he  was  holding  conver- 
sation with  himself  thus :  'I  haf  got  Jack  dis  time ;  I  yust  get  his  visky  and  his 
fife  toller  for  noddings.'  He  came  to  the  log.  Straightening  up,  he  set  his 
eyes  on  the  opposite  shore  and  started  over.  A  little  way  out  on  the  log,  he 
began  to  reel.  A  single  cry,  'O  Gott,'  and  the  sound  of  splashing  water  told  of 
Bennett's  bath — no  doubt  his  first  for  many  years.  I  pulled  him  out  on  his 
own  side  of  the  creek  and  sent  him  home. 

"On  the  way  from  Yakima  to  Kittitas  lived  Matthias  Becker  and  his  jewel 
of  a  wife.  Mrs.  Becker  had  a  heart  full  of  goodness  and  an  ability  as  cook 
which  could  not  be  equalled  in  that  neck  of  the  woods.  I  flattered  myself  that 
there  always  awaited  me  a  welcome  there,  but  what  was  my  surprise,  one  day 
in  November,  1870,  to  be  greeted  at  the  Becker  place  by  a  cold  stare.  In  the 
house  sat  my  friend,  John  Gillispie  and  Mrs.  Becker's  sister,  Caroline  Gerlick, 
whom  we  all  called  Linnie.  I  wondered  what  I  had  done  to  lose  their  friend- 
ship, but  without  inquiring,  beat  a  hasty  retreat  to  my  horse,  where  stood  my 
friend  Willie,  patting  him. 


282  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"  'Don't  go,  Mr.  Splawn,'  said  Willie,  'John  and  Linnie  are  going  to  get 
married  and  don't  want  any  one  to  know.' 

"That  being  the  case,  I  returned  to  the  house  and  sat  down,  remarking 
that  the  unusually  chilly  atmosphere  certainly  boded  ill  for  some  one;  if  a  catas- 
trophe were  hanging  over  the  premises,  I  hoped  to  be  near  to  avert  it.  Mrs. 
Becker  laughed  then  and  said,  'We  can't  fool  Jack  and  might  just  as  well  tell 
him.  We  are  waiting  for  the  justice  (my  friend  of  the  log-walking  episode) 
to  marry  this  couple,'  and  she  pointed  to  the  bashful  lovers  sitting  apart. 

"A  few  moments  later  the  Hon.  Frederick  Bennett  arrived.  He  had  rigged 
up  for  the  occasion  in  Ben  Burch's  old  pants,  a  mite  too  short,  and  my  best  coat, 
which  fitted  him  likewise,  but  my  shirt  with  a  large  striped  collar  set  him  off 
for  any  social  emergency.  The  ceremony  was  brief — 'Shoin  your  right  hands. 
By  this  you  signify  that  you  lofe  one  anuder.  Py  de  laws  of  our  country  and 
de  bower  in  me,  I  bronounce  you  vife  and  vife.'  I  caught  his  eye  and  shook 
my  head.  He  hastened  to  correct  the  mistake  with,  'I  don"t  mean  dot :  I  means 
husband  and  vife.' 
"Thus  was  performed  the  first  marriage  ceremony  in  the  Kittitas  Valley." 

With  these  experiences,  tragic  and  humorous,  strenuous  and  easy,  accord- 
ing to  the  times  and  seasons,  with  the  lights  and  shadow's  of  pioneer  life,  the 
communities  of  Yakima  emerged  from  the  chrysalis  stage  and  appeared  as  a 
full-grown  county,  and  of  that  part  of  the  life  we  speak  in  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER  II 

COUNTY    MAKIMG   AND    OFFICIAL   RECORDS    OF    THE    MOTHER 
COUNTY  OF  YAKIMA 


AN    ACT    ESTABLISHING    AND    ORGANIZING    YAKIMA    COUNTY — ELECTION    OF    1876 

ELECTION    OF    188^^ ELECTION    OF    1888 FIRST    ELECTION    OF    UNITED    STATES 

SENATOR — ELECTION     OF      1892 ELECTION      OF      1912 ELECTION      OF      1916 

GOVERNORS     OF     TERRITORY — TERRITORIAL     DELEGATES      IN      CONGRESS OTHER 

OFFICIALS     UNDER     TERRITORIAL     GOVERNMENT ADDRESSES     BY     EX-GOVERNOR 

MOORE     AND     GOVERNOR      FERRY — FINANCIAL      STATEMENT YAKIMA      EXPORT 

PRODUCTION SOME    CONCLUDING    STATISTICS 

On  March  3,  1853,  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  created  the  Territory 
of  Washington,  and  soon  following  the  President  appointed  Isaac  I.  Stevens 
governor.  A  Territorial  Legislature  met  promptly  and  look  the  steps  neces- 
sary to  set  the  governmental  machinery  in  motion.  Sixteen  counties  were  laid 
out,  fifteen  of  them  west  of  the  Cascade  Mountains.  The  sixteenth  was  Walla 
Walla  and  it  was  defined  as  follows :  "Commencing  its  line  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  Columbia  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Des  Chutes  River,  and  rtm- 
ning  thence  north  to  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of  Washington  Territory  between 
this  line  and  the  Rocky  Mountains."'  That  original  Walla  Walla  County  never 
qualified,  and  since  the  Indian  wars  came  on  the  next  year,  everything  was  sus- 
pended, awaiting  settled  conditions. 

In  1858  the  Territorial  Legislature  laid  out  Spokane  County,  and  that  em- 
braced the  larger  part  of  the  first  Walla  Walla  County.  But  that  first  Spokane 
County  also  died  "a-bornin,"  and  in  1859,  the  Legislature  brought  into  existence 
another  county  in  this  uneasy  and  war- racked  territory  east  of  the  mountains. 
This  was  Klickitat,  spelled  in  the  legislative  act  Clikatat.  The  county  included 
the  entire  area  between  the  Columbia  River  and  Cascade  Mountains.  So  mat- 
ters rested  for  a  time.  In  1863  Congress  laid  out  the  new  Territory  of  Idaho, 
thus  cutting  ofif  a  large  part  of  Washington  on  the  east.  In  that  same  year  the 
county  of  Stevens  was  established  to  include  the  remaining  area  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  Washington  east  of  the  Columbia  and  north  of  the  Snake.  In  the  same 
act  one  more  county  come  into  being,  which  has  been  lost  in  the  mutations  of 
time  and  fate,  so  that  not  many  know  that  it  ever  existed.  That  lost  county 
was  Ferguson.  By  act  of  the  legislature  on  January  12,  1863,  a  county  with 
that  name  was  outlined  with  these  boundaries:  Simcoe  Mountains  on  the  south, 
Cascade  Mountains  on  the  West,  Walla  Walla  and  Stevens  counties  on  the  east, 
and  the  Wenatchee  River  on  the  north.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Ferguson 
County  covered  practically  the  area  of  this  history.  Klickitat  was  reduced  to 
its  present  limits. 

283 


284  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  legislative  act  named  a  set  of  officials  for  Ferguson  County,  only  one 
of  whom,  F.  Mortimer  Thorp,  was  an  actual  settler.  At  that  time  there  were 
not  a  hundred  people  living  in  the  whole  vast  area,  and  they  felt  no  need  of  the 
incumbrance  of  a  county  government.  Hence  the  appointees  never  qualified 
and  Ferguson,  too,  died  "a-bornin." 

Just  two  years  after  the  creation  of  Ferguson  County,  another  act  was 
passed  repealing  the  first  and  establishing  another  to  be  known  as  Yakima 
County.  This  was  practically  the  same  as  Ferguson  County,  but  the  eastern 
boundary  was  defined  differently.  The  act  named  Charles  Splawn,  J.  H. 
Wilbur  and  William  Parker  as  commissioners,  Gilbert  Pell  as  sheriff,  William 
Wright  as  auditor,  and  F.  M.  Thorp  as  treasurer.  The  house  of  William  Wright 
at  Fort  Simcoe  was  designated  as  the  official  seat.  J.  H.  Wilbur  at  that  time 
had  begun  his  long  and  useful  career  as  Indian  agent  for  the  Yakima  Reserva- 
tion. The  general  inclination  of  the  settlers  was  averse  to  a  county  organiza- 
tion even  yet,  and  especially  were  they  disinclined  to  have  the  county  head- 
quarters tied  up  to  the  reservation.  Hence  the  county  program  languished  an- 
other two  years.  In  1867  Governor  Marshall  F.  Moore  became  insistent  that 
an  organization  be  effected.  He  designated  as  the  official  headquarters  the  home 
of  F.  M.  Thorp  in  Moxee  and  appointed  the  following  list  of  officers :  C.  P. 
Cooke,  F.  M.  Thorp  and  Alfred  Henson  for  commissioners;  Charles  A.  Splawn 
for  sheriff,  J.  W.  Grant  for  auditor,  and  E.  W.  Lyen  tor  treasurer.  Thus 
Yakima  County  came  into  official  existence. 

For  permanent  reference  the  act  of  January  21,  186.S,  creating  the  county 
should  appear  in  full,  and  we  insert  it  at  this  point. 

An  Act 
Establishing  and  Organizing  the  County  of  Yakima. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Washington: 
Section  I.  That  the  territory  heretofore  embraced  in  the  county  of  Ferguson, 
lying  and  being  south  of  a  line  running  due  west  from  a  point  two  miles  above 
the  lower  steamboat  landing  at  Priest's  Rapids,  on  the  Columbia  River,  to  the 
summit  of  the  Cascade  J^Iountains,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby,  constituted  and 
organized  into  a  separate  county,  to  be  known  as  and  called  Yakima  County. 

Section  2.  That  said  territory  shall  compose  a  county  for  civil  and  military 
purposes,  and  be  subject  to  all  the  laws  relating  to  counties,  and  be  entitled  to 
elect  the  same  officers  as  other  counties  are  entitled  to  elect. 

Section  3.  That,  until  the  next  general  election,  William  Parker,  J.  H. 
Wilbur  and  Charles  Splawn  be  and  are  hereby  appointed  county  commissioners ; 
that  William  Wright  be  and  is  hereby  appointed  county  auditor;  that  [F.  M.] 
Thorp  be  and  is  hereby  appointed  county  treasurer,  and  Gilbert  Pell  be  and  is 
hereby  appointed  sheriff,  who  shall,  before  entering  upon  the  discharge  of  the 
duties  of  their  respective  offices,  qualify  in  the  manner  as  is  now  required  by  law 
for  county  officers. 

Section  4.  The  county  seat  of  said  county  of  Yakima  is  temporarily 
located  at  the  house  of  William  Wright. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  285 

Section  5.  That  the  said  county  of  Yakima  is  attached  for  judicial  pur- 
poses and  for  the  election  of  members  of  the  Legislative  Assembly,  to  the  county 
of  Stevens. 

Section  6.  This  act  to  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its 
passage. 

Approved  January  21,  1865. 

A.  J.  Splawn  was  deputized  to  assess  the  property  of  the  new  county  in  1868. 
In  his  own  account  of  it  he  says  that  he  had  no  disputes  with  the  people.  "If 
they  were  poor,  I  passed  them  up;  if  well-to-do,  they  set  their  own  valuation. 
We  needed  but  little  and  wanted  no  surplus."  The  resuK  of  the  election  of 
1868,  the  first  in  Yakima,  was  as  follows:  Alfred  Henson,  G.  W.  Allen  and 
Thomas  Goodwin,  commissioners;  Charles  A.  Splawn,  sheriff;  John  Lindsey, 
assessor;  E.  W.  Lyen,  treasurer;  S.  C.  Taylor,  school  superintendent;  Henry 
Davis,  coroner. 

The  county  seat  was  maintained  at  Mr.  Thorp's  house  till  his  departure 
for  Kittitas  in  1869.  After  having  been  at  C.  P.  Cooke's  house  a  short  time, 
the  county  seat  became  located  at  a  building  on  a  block  given  by  Barker  Broth- 
ers, the  first  storekeepers  at  Yakima  City.  That  first  courthouse  was  a  story 
and  a  half  structure,  the  upstairs  being  used  for  a  courtroom  and  recorder's 
office,  while  the  sheriff's  office  and  the  jail  were  located  below.  In  1880  the 
second  "old  courthouse"  was  built,  but  it  was  burned  on  March  31,  1882.  Then 
the  third  "old  courthouse"  came  into  being,  and  was  moved  to  North  Yakima  in 
1887. 

At  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  county  there  had  been  no  survey, 
and  the  settlers  were  obliged  to  stake  out  their  own  claims.  In  1864  Charles  A. 
White  had  run  out  the  third  standard  parallel,  but  there  were  no  subdivisions 
surveyed.  That  work  was  undertaken  in  1866  by  L.  P.  Beach.  He  is  said  by 
A.  J.  Splawn  to  have  been  an  Olympia  politician  with  all  the  qualifications  of 
that  tribe.  A  few  townships  which  he  surveyed  in  Selah,  Cowiche,  Naches  and 
Ahtanum  were  found  incorrectly  laid  out. 

The  mail  service  began  in  the  primitive  manner  usual  in  the  frontier.  In 
1867  the  settlers  arranged  to  take  turns  in  going  to  Umatilla  for  mail.  A  year 
later  a  bargain  was  made  with  a  man  named  Parson  to  carry  mail  for  the  set- 
tlers. Not  till  1870  was  there  any  government  service.  In  1875  a  memorial 
was  addressed  to  the  postmaster-general  by  the  legislature  of  the  Territory 
asking  for  improved  service.  That  memorial  bears  in  an  interesting  way  on  the 
conditions  in  Yakima  in  1875.  It  sets  forth  that  there  were  over  2,000  people 
in  the  Yakima  Valley  and  that  the  population  was  increasing  very  rapidly  by 
reason  of  gold  discoveries,  as  well  as  by  the  rich  agricultural  and  grazing  lands, 
that  a  large  part  of  the  inhabitants  were  destitute  of  any  mail  facilities  and  that 
whatever  sen'ice  there  was  took  very  circuitous  routes ;  viz.,  by  way  of  Wallula 
and  Umatilla  over  the  foot  hills  of  the  Blue  Mountains  and  via  the  Columbia 
River  to  Puget  Sound.  The  legislature  therefore  prayed  that  a  route  be  estab- 
lished from  Seattle  via  the  Snoqualmie  Pass  to  EUensburgh,  thence  to  Yakima 
City,  thence  to  Smith  Bamum's  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima,  and  thence  to 
Wallula. 


286  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

In  connection  with  this  enlarged  mail  service  it  is  worthy  of  record  that 
in  that  same  year  of  1875  the  settlers  in  the  Yakima  got  together  and  made  a 
road  over  the  Simcoe  Mountains  by  way  of  Satus  Creek,  which  met  on  the  sum- 
mit another  road  constructed  from  Goldendale  by  the  Klickitat  people.  The 
meeting  of  these  two  roads  was  almost  as  big  an  event  to  the  settlers  as  the 
meeting  of  the  Union  Pacific  and  Central  Pacific  with  the  driving  of  the  golden 
spike.  A.  J.  Splawn  speaks  in  picturesque  language  of  the  romantic  history  of 
that  road.  Over  it  passed  the  first  stage  coaches  and  mails.  Along  its  course 
were  strung  the  freight  wagons  and  thousands  of  cattle.  At  the  summit 
Al  Lillie  kept  a  station  where  the  best  of  meals  were  served,  and  where  the 
"angel  face  of  Mrs.  Lillie,"  as  Mr.  Splawn  says,  gave  a  beaming  welcome  to  the 
hungry  traveller.  The  writer  of  this  can  testify  to  both  meals  and  angel  face 
from  the  experience  of  a  solitary  journey  of  his  own  in  1880.  The  keen  appe- 
tite of  a  healthy  youth  found  ample  satisfaction  in  the  abundant  viands  at  the 
Lillie  roadhouse  on  the  airy  heights  of  the  Simcoes.  That  famous  road  almost 
fell  into  disuse  for  some  time  after  the  railroad  came  to  Y'akima,  but  it  is  inter- 
esting to  note  that  it  is,  in  some  of  its  extent,  born  again  for  automobile  traffic 
in  the  present  new  era  of  transportation. 

The  political  history  of  Yakima  County  has  been,  like  that  of  the  other 
counties  of  the  Territory  and  State,  colored  by  the  general  questions  of  national 
and  state  politics,  with  local  considerations  of  its  own.  As  the  county  was 
founded  during  the  period  of  the  Civil  War,  there  was  naturally  intense  feeling 
on  that  subject.  It  is  rather  curious  that  in  Yakima,  as  also  in  Walla  Walla, 
the  early  settlers  were  mainly  democrats,  and  there  were  a  good  many  actual 
southern  sympathizers.  We  say  curious,  for  the  reason  that  both  Yakima  and 
Walla  Walla  became  later  on  overwhelmingly  republican.  Yet  there  was  noth- 
ing curious  about  it,  after  all.  The  early  population  of  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton came  largely  from  Missouri.  While  that  great  state  remained  with  the 
Union,  and  the  fact  that  it  did  was  one  of  the  great  factors  in  saving  the  Union, 
yet  Missouri  had  been  a  slave  state  and  the  people  had  largely  the  prejudices 
against  negroes  engendered  by  the  era  of  slavery.  They  were  disposed  there- 
fore to  look  askance  at  "abolitionists  and  Black  republicans,"  and  during  the 
era  just  before  the  war  were  more  inclined  to  follow  Douglas  than  Lincoln  as 
a  political  guide.  But  as  the  war  went  on  the  great  issues  became  more  clear. 
One  of  the  most  significant  developments  of  American  history  is  that  the  great 
rank  and  file  of  the  pioneer  stock  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Missouri  and  of  the 
free  states  adjoining  them  on  the  north,  have  been  democratic  in  all  the  social 
relations  of  life,  and  nationalist  in  politics.  It  could  not  in  fact  be  otherwise. 
The  so-called  Democracy  of  the  Old  South  was  not  Democracy.  Calhoun  and 
Davis  never  were  real  democrats  at  all.  The  name  Democracy  applied  to  the 
element  which  led  the  South  into  secession  was  the  greatest  misnomer  in  our 
national  history.  The  South  was  an  aristocracy,  a  feudalism,  based  on  slavery 
and  social  and  political  inequality.  As  the  war  progressed,  the  eyes  of  the 
Western  and  Southwestern  people,  largely  the  offspring  of  the  "Poor  White" 
class  of  the  older  South,  became  opened.  They  began  to  see  the  shallow  oppor- 
tunism of  Douglas  and  the  lofty  nationalism  and  humanity  of  Lincoln.  Prob- 
ably the  most  effective  stroke  of  statesmanship  of  all  those  great  strokes  which 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  287 

have  placed  Lincoln  in  the  forefront  of  the  world's  statesmen,  was  that  series 
of  statements  in  his  messages  in  1861  and  1862,  by  which  he  convinced  the  great 
body  of  the  "plain  people,"  as  he  liked  to  call  them,  that  the  attempt  to  disrupt 
the  Union  was  an  attack  on  free  labor,  that  slavery  and  disunion  were  based  on 
the  postulate  that  labor  was  inferior  to  capital,  that  black  slavery  involved 
white  slavery  also,  that  the  whole  animus  of  the  Secession  movement  was  to  sus- 
tain the  old  dogma  of  "the  divine  right  of  kings  against  the  common  rights  of 
humanity."  The  Missourians  and  other  western  immigrants  to  Oregon  and 
Washington  were,  unlike  the  slave-holders  and  secessionists  of  the  old  South, 
real  democrats.  When  they  got  a  really  distinct  view  of  that  bogus  Democracy 
of  the  secession  movement  and  of  the  servitors  among  the  "dough-face"  northern 
politicians,  their  transition  to  the  support  of  Lincoln's  nationalistic  and  emanci- 
pation policies  became  rapid  and  decisive.  It  was  that  class  of  people  that 
helped  the  great  President  save  the  Union.  Instead  of  being  Douglas  democrats 
they  became  Lincoln  republicans.  That  last  category  contained,  be  it  observed, 
the  genuine  democrats ;  i.  e.,  those  who  believed  in  "Government  of  the  people, 
by  the  people,  and  for  the  people." 

It  is  again  one  of  the  most  significant  movements  in  our  political  history 
that  when  in  the  judgment  of  that  same  class  of  people,  those  who  think  for 
themselves,  the  republican  party  of  twenty  or  thirty  years  later  became  the  tool 
of  monopolistic  interests  in  tariff  and  monetary  measures,  much  as  the  old 
democratic  party  had  been  the  tool  of  slavery,  they  repudiated  it  also,  and  became 
progressives  and  democrats,  new  democrats,  and  elected  Woodrow  Wilson  pres- 
ident. Wilson  and  Lincoln,  with  simple  changes  of  party  names,  have  had  a 
marvelous  similarity  of  support,  and  to  a  marvelous  degree  have  been  the  re- 
vealers  of  similar  stages  of  political  evolution. 

The  settlers  of  Yakima  and  Walla  Walla,  like  those  or  other  parts  of  the 
Northwest,  went  through  those  stages  of  political  evolution  ;  democrats,  repub- 
licans, and  democrats  again ;  all  the  time  genuine  Americans,  liberty-loving, 
free-souled,  independent,  thinking  for  themselves,  not  likely  to  be  the  cat's-paws 
of  political  shysters,  and  hence  offering  poor  material  for  the  manipulations  of 
party  bosses.  Yaliima  County  and  the  counties  carved  from  it  have  been  active 
in  supporting  those  measures,  initiative,  referendum  and  recall,  which  have 
liberated  the  people  from  the  wire-pullers,  as  well  as  woman  suffrage  and  pro- 
hibition and  allied  measures,  which  have  liberated  the  people  from  the  preda- 
tory classes.     Of  some  of  these  movements  we  shall  speak  later. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  local  questions  in  the  political  field  have  been  poli- 
cies pertaining  to  irrigation,  to  railroads  and  to  county  division.  To  these  topics 
we  shall  give  space  in  later  chapters. 

We  have  named  in  preceding  pages  the  official  appointees  in  1867.  and  the 
results  of  the  first  election  held  in  1868.  It  may  be  noted  here  that  all  of  those 
first  county  officers  were  democrats.  The  vote  in  that  election  was  very  small. 
For  delegate  to  Congress,  Frank  Clark,  democrat,  received  25,  to  19  for  Alvin 
Flanders,  republican. 

It  is  of  interest  to  note  the  vote  cast  in  1870  for  county  seat.  The  results 
were :  Yakima  City  or  "Mount  Ottawa,"  89  votes ;  Flint's  Store,  20  votes ;  Selah, 
18;  Kittitas  Valley,  3.     A  vote  of  the  same  time  is  recorded  on  the  question  of 


288  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

a  constitutional  convention  for  a  new  state.  The  vote  was  overwhelmingly 
negative,  being  97  to  5.  It  is  curious  in  looking  over  early  political  records  to 
see  how  persistently  a  certain  small  number  of  restless  politicians  kept  agitating 
the  question  of  statehood,  and  how  emphatically  they  were  turned  down 
for  so  long  a  period.  For  twenty  years  that  agitation  was  carried  on. 
The  election  of  1870  resulted  thus :  Delegate  to  Congress,  James  D.  Mix,  demo- 
crat, 71,  Selucius  Garfielde,  republican,  60;  attorney,  N.  T.  Caton,  democrat,  69; 
joint  councilman  with  Skamania,  Clark  and  Klickitat,  S.  B.  Curtis,  repubHcan, 
64,  E.  S.  Joslyn,  democrat,  56:  joint  representative  with  Klickitat,  H.  V.  Harper, 
democrat,  69,  H.  D.  Cock,  republican,  55;  probate  judge,  Alfred  Henson,  demo- 
crat, 65,  A.  M.  Miller,  republican,  57 ;  commissioners,  John  Beck,  George  Tay- 
lor and  C.  P.  Cooke,  democrats,  chosen  over  Purdy  Flint,  A.  W.  Bull  and  J.  B. 
Nelson,  republicans ;  auditor  H.  M.  Benton,  republican,  chosen  over  G.  W. 
Parrish,  democrat ;  sheriff,  Thomas  Pierce,  repubHcan,  chosen  over  G.  W. 
Goodwin,  democrat ;  treasurer,  E.  W.  Lyen,  democrat,  chosen  over  J.  P. 
Mattoon,  republican ;  assessor,  William  Lindsey,  democrat,  chosen  over  Charles 
Harper,  republican;  surveyor,  C.  S.  Irby;  school  superintendent,  C.  P.  Cooke, 
democrat,  over  Charles  Reed,  republican;  coroner,  W.  P.  Crosno,  democrat,  over 
David  Heaton,  republican. 

The  election  returns  of  1872  are  not  found  in  full.  The  vote  for  delegate 
to  Congress  was  129  for  Selucius  Garfielde,  republican,  to  122  for  O.  B.  McFad- 
den,  democrat.  R.  O.  Dunbar,  republican,  was  chosen  joint  councilman  over 
B.  F.  Shaw,  democrat,  by  154  to  74.  C.  P.  Cooke,  democrat,  was  chosen  joint 
representative  over  R.  Whitney,  republican,  by  170  to  7Z.  T.  J.  Anders,  repub- 
lican, for  joint  attorney  with  Walla  Walla  received  139  to  108  for  J.  D.  Mix. 
It  should  be  observed  that  there  were  three  joint  officers.  Councilman  in  the  leg- 
islature was  joint  with  Klickitat,  Skamania  and  Clarke  coimties.  Representa- 
tive was  joint  with  Klickitat.  Attorney  was  joint  with  Walla  Walla  and 
Klickitat. 

The  election  of  1874  was  signalized  by  a  "bolt"  and  hence  possessed  more 
than  ordinary  interest.  The  bolt  was  in  the  republican  ranks  in  respect  to  the 
office  of  auditor.  H.  M.  Benton  was  the  "regular"  nominee,  and  Edward  Whit- 
son  became  an  opposition  candidate  under  a  party  called  the  "people's  party." 
This  was  the  first  entrance  into  politics  of  Edward  Whitson,  who  then  began 
his  long  and  distinguished  career  as  a  lawyer  and  jurist,  culminating  in  the 
Federal  judgeship  for  the  Eastern  district  of  Washington. 

The  results  of  the  election  of  1874  were  as  follows :  Delegate  to  Congress, 
Orange  Jacobs,  republican,  203,  to  82  for  B.  L.  Sharpstein,  democrat;  joint 
councilman,  B.  F.  Shaw,  democrat,  127,  to  84  for  S.  McDonald;  joint  represen- 
tative, C.  P.  Cooke,  democrat,  186,  to  100  for  D.  J.  Schnebly,  republican;  attor- 
ney, J.  V.  Odell,  democrat,  129,  to  109  for  T.  J.  Anders,  republican ;  commis- 
sioners, Charles  Walker  and  P.  J-  Flint,  democrats,  and  J.  B.  Dickerson,  repub- 
lican, elected;  sheriff,  William  Lewis,  republican,  chosen  over  L.  L.  Thorp, 
democrat ;  assessor,  J.  J.  Burch,  democrat ;  treasurer,  E.  P.  Boyls,  democrat, 
over  T.  McAusland,  republican;  auditor  (and  here  was  the  crucial  point  of  the 
election),  Edward  Whitson  of  the  people's  party,  179,  to  109  for  H.  M.  Ben- 


^K--^ 


FIU'IT    TREES    OF    THE    YAKIMA     N' ALLEY 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  289 

ton,  republican ;  school  superintendent,  J.  O.  Clark,  republican,  chosen  over 
T.  S.  Meade,  democrat;  J.  R.  Filkin  for  probate  judge  on  the  democratic  ticket 
was  chosen  over  J.  W.  Stevenson  of  the  people's  party  and  J.  B.  Nelson  of  the 
republicans ;  coroner  J.  W.  Allen,  republican ;  surveyor,  C.  A.  Wilcox,  demo- 
crat ;  both  the  last  without  opposition.  The  inevitable  vote  on  constitutional 
convention  was  taken,  with  a  scanty  number,  22  for  and  -1-1  against. 

ELECTION    OF    1876. 

The  election  of  1876  showed  the  following  results :  For  delegate  to  Con- 
gress, Orange  Jacobs,  republican,  received  169  to  109  for  his  democratic  oppo- 
nent, J.  P.  Judson;  for  joint  councilman,  Levi  Farnsworth,  republican,  re- 
ceived an  overwhelming  majority ;  for  joint  representative,  Edward  Whitson, 
republican,  had  133  to  114  for  S.  T.  Sterling,  democrat,  and  22  for  T.  B. 
Barnes ;  for  commissioners,  J.  P.  Sharp,  Samuel  Chappell,  J.  J.  Lewis,  repub- 
licans, and  David  Longmire,  democrat,  were  chosen;  sheriff,  J.  K.  Milligan, 
independent,  was  chosen  over  J.  J.  Burch,  democrat,  and  George  Carpenter, 
republican;  for  auditor,  J.  W.  Masters,  republican,  was  chosen;  treasurer,  A.  J. 
Pratt  was  the  successful  candidate ;  James  Kesling,  republican,  chosen  for  pro- 
bate judge;  for  school  superintendent,  J.  P.  Marks,  republican;  surveyor,  C.  A. 
Wilcox,  democrat ;  coroner,  J.  W.  Allen,  republican.  There  was  a  remarkable 
change  in  the  vote  for  constitutional  convention  this  year,  being  44  yes,   1   no. 

The  election  of  1878  might  be  considered  a  quiet  one.  There  was  a  steady 
growth  and  no  "burning"  local  issue. 

The  results  of  the  election  were  these :  Delegate  to  Congress,  Thomas  H. 
Brents,  republican,  212,  N.  T.  Caton,  democrat,  208;  joint  councilman,  R.  O. 
Dunbar,  republican,  209,  to  201  for  Hiram  Dustin,  democrat ;  joint  representa- 
tive, Levi  Farnsworth,  republican,  222,  to  183  for  C.  P.  Cooke,  democrat;  attor- 
ney, W.  G.  Langford,  republican,  220.  to  192  for  R.  F.  Sturdevant,  democrat; 
other  successful  candidates  were :  L.  H.  Brooks,  probate  judge ;  J.  W.  Masters, 
auditor;  sheriff  and  assessor  (one  offTJcer  performing  both  duties),  F.  D. 
Schnebly;  David  Longmire,  A.  A.  Meade  and  A.  J.  McDaniel  for  commission- 
ers ;  treasurer,  A.  J.  Pratt ;  G.  W.  Parrish,  school  superintendent ;  A.  J.  McKin- 
ney  for  coroner;  Levi  Farnsworth,  surveyor;  on  constitutional  convention,  210 
for  and  90  against. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  valley  showed  itself  in  the  election  of  1880.  The 
vote  for  Congressional  delegates  showed  an  increase  over  1878  from  420  to  595. 
For  delegate,  Thomas  H.  Brents  was  reelected  by  311  to  284  for  Thomas  Burke, 
his  democratic  opponent.  The  results  of  the  election  to  other  positions  were  as 
follows :  For  joint  councilman,  J.  W.  Greden,  republican,  308,  to  270  for  William 
Bigham,  democrat;  representative,  George  S.  Taylor,  democrat,  315,  to  259  for 
J.  A.  Shoudy,  republican:  attorney,  D.  P.  Ballard,  republican,  332,  to  234 
for  E.  P.  Boyls,  democrat ;  local  candidates  chosen  :  L.  H.  Brooks,  probate  judge  ; 
S.  T.  Munson,  auditor;  F.  D.  Schnebly,  sheriff  and  assessor;  G.  J.  Gervais, 
treasurer;  W.  G.  Douglass,  Robert  Dunn,  and  A.  J.  McDaniel  for  commission- 
ers ;  W.  H.  Peterson,  school  superintendent ;  I.  A.  Navarre,  surveyor ;  M. 
Beeker,  sheep  commissioner;  and  C.  J.  Taft,  coroner.  Of  the  above  local  offi- 
cers, Messrs.  Brooks,  Schnebly,  Gervais,  McDaniel  and  Peterson  were  demo- 

(19) 


290  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

crats,  while  Messrs.  Munson,  Douglass,  Dunn,  Navarre,  Beeker,  and  Taft  were 
republicans. 

At  their  meeting  of  August  9,  1882,  the  commissioners  laid  out  three  com- 
missioner districts,  of  which  the  first  embraced  the  central  and  older  portion 
from  Union  Gap  and  including  the  Ahtanum,  Cowiche,  Naches  and  Wenas 
valleys  to  its  eastern  boundary  on  the  Yakima  River,  the  second  included  the 
Umptanum  and  Kittitas  regions  and  eastward  to  the  Columbia  River,  while  the 
third  embraced  the  remaining  sections ;  i.  e.,  the  southern  and  southeastern 
parts.  In  1882  also,  the  county  was  divided  into  twelve  precincts  with  voting 
places  as  follows:  The  Horn  at  James  Baxter's  residence,  Parker  at  the  school- 
house,  Yakima  City  at  the  courthouse,  Cowiche  at  the  schoolhouse,  Ahtanum  at 
the  Marks  schoolhouse,  Wenas  at  the  schoolhouse.  West  Kittitas  at  the  Pack- 
wood  schoolhouse.  East  Kittitas  at  Ellensburg,  Peshastin  at  Lockwood  and 
Cooper's,  Simcoe  at  the  agency.  Alder  Creek  at  the  Beckner  schoolhouse,  Moxee 
at  Charles  Splawn's  house. 

In  the  election  of  1882  the  inevitable  question  of  county  division  came  to 
the  front.  It  is  a  little  singular  that  any  of  the  residents  of  so  huge  a  county  as 
Yakima  before  division  could  have  expected  to  defer  division  for  any  length 
of  time.  But  apparently  the  prospect  of  division  is  always  distasteful  to 
the  older  sections  of  a  county  and  especially  to  the  county  seat.  The  struggle 
for  the  division  of  Yakima  came  in  such  a  form  as  to  make  opposition  at  the 
county  seat  inevitable.  A  movement  arose  at  Ellensburg  and  in  the  Kittitas 
Valley  to  move  the  county  seat  to  that  place  or  else  to  force  a  division  of  the 
county.  In  fact  the  election  of  1880  had  turned  largely  on  that  issue  and  the 
vote,  315,  by  which  Taylor,  a  democrat,  for  the  legislature,  had  defeated  Shoudy, 
a  republican,  with  259,  represented  about  the  relative  strength  of  the  two  sec- 
tions on  the  county  question.  Shoudy  was  the  father  of  Ellensburg,  and  the 
fear  that,  if  he  were  in  the  legislature,  he  would  put  through  an  act  providing 
for  removal  of  the  county  seat,  caused  a  good  many  republicans  in  the  Yakima 
City  section  to  vote  for  the  democratic  candidate.  Their  fears  were  well 
founded,  for  in  the  election  of  1882,  Shoudy  and  Taylor  ran  for  the  legislature 
again  on  the  same  issue,  and  this  time  all  the  democrats  in  the  Kittitas  voted 
for  Shoudy,  with  the  result  that  he  was  elected,  and  by  a  curious  coincidence 
he  had  precisely  the  same  majority,  fifty-six,  which  Taylor  had  in  1880.  Shoudy 
put  into  immediate  execution  the  purpose  for  which  he  was  supposed  to  be 
running,  and  in  1883,  Kittitas  County  was  cut  ofif  from  Yakima.  We  shall  give 
further  details  of  this  event  in  the  chapter  on  Kittitas  County.  The  delegate 
chosen  to  Congress  in  1882  was  the  republican,  Thomas  H.  Brents,  by  a  vote  of 
478  to  301  for  Thomas  Burke,  the  democrat.  The  county  officers  chosen  were 
J.  W.  Masters,  David  Murray,  and  S.  R.  Geddis,  all  republicans,  for  commis- 
sioners ;  J.  J.  Taylor,  sheriff  and  assessor;  J.  A.  Splawn,  treasurer;  I.  A.  Navarre, 
probate  judge;  S.  T.  Munson,  auditor;  T.  H.  Look,  surveyor;  A.  D.  Eglin,  sheep 
commissioner.     All  were  republicans  except  Mr.  Splawn. 

ELECTION    OF    1884. 

The  election  of  1884  was  a  strenuous  one.  That  was  the  year  of  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  to  Yakima.     The  railroad  was  many 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  291 

years  behind  the  time  aUotted  for  earning  the  immense  land  grant  extending 
from  St.  Paul  to  Taconia.  Agitation  for  cancellation  of  that  vast  land  subsidy 
had  spread  across  the  entire  line  of  road.  Furthermore  there  arose  a  burning 
question  of  local  interest.  That  was  the  question  of  moving  Yakima  City  to  a 
new  site  a  few  miles  north.  This  last  question  was  not  fully  uncovered  till  the 
next  year,  but  it  was  on  the  boards.  These  questions  made  a  hot  election  in  the 
fall  of  1884.  An  anti-monopoly  party  sprung  into  being,  led  by  one  of  the 
brightest  men  ever  known  in  Yakima,  J.  M.  Adams,  editor  of  the  Yakima 
Signal.  The  anti-monopoly  republicans  and  democrats  joined  in  the  nomination 
of  Charles  Voorhees  as  candidate  for  Congress  on  a  platform  demanding  can- 
cellation of  the  unearned  portion  of  the  railroad  land  grant.  There  was  a  vote 
of  41,858  for  delegate  in  the  Territory,  but  nearly  a  fourth  were  supposed  to 
be  cast  by  women,  for  the  temporary  Woman  Suffrage  law  of  the  Territory  had 
gone  into  effect.  Voorhees  received  a  majority  in  the  Territory  of  248  over 
Armstrong,  the  republican  candidate.  This  result  may  be  considered  as  in  some 
degree  marking  the  beginning  of  that  great  wave  of  anti-railroad  legislation 
which  was  destined  to  sweep  the  country  in  subsequent  years  and  materially 
affect  our  entire  economic  policies.  The  Territory  was  normally  strongly  repub- 
lican, and  the  election  of  a  democrat  was  a  plain  notice  to  the  republicans  that 
they  were  catering  too  much  to  corporate  interests.  There  are  those  at  the 
present  day  who  think  that  this  popular  movement  against  railroads  has  gone 
altogether  too  far.  When,  however,  the  student  of  history  surveys  the  shame- 
less lobbying  of  the  railway  managers,  the  stupendous  legislative  favors  and 
subsidies  secured  by  them,  and  the  yet  vaster  ones  sought,  he  is  constrained  to 
decide  that  if  the  railroads  have  had  a  hard  deal  they  brought  it  on  themselves 
and  deserved  it  all. 

In  Yakima  County  Voorhees  received  582  votes  to  448  for  Armstrong. 
J.  B.  Reavis  of  Yakima  was  chosen  joint  councilman,  C.  P.  Cooke  of  Kittitas 
was  chosen  joint  representative.  Both  were  democrats.  The  local  officers 
chosen  were  as  follows :  Hiram  Dustin  attorney,  J.  J.  Tyler  sheriff,  S.  T. 
Munson  auditor,  J.  A.  Splavvn  treasurer,  L.  H.  Brooks  probate  judge,  W.  F. 
Jones  school  superintendent,  C.  F.  Reardon  surveyor,  J.  M.  Young,  P.  J.  Flint 
and  L.  N.  Rice,  commissioners.  John  Cowan  was  appointed  sheep  commis- 
sioner, in  the  absence  of  an  elected  incumbent. 

The  year  1886  saw  the  settlement  of  the  bitterly  contested  question  of  the 
removal  of  the  county  seat  from  Yakima  City  to  North  Yakima.  The  legisla- 
ture of  January  of  that  year  passed  an  act  providing  for  the  removal.  This 
question  of  removal,  involving  so  much  strife,  and  having  legal  as  well  as  busi- 
ness and  political  complications,  belongs  rather  to  the  history  of  the  city,  and 
the  topic  will  be  considered  in  the  chapter  on  city  history. 

The  election  of  1886  resulted  in  the  reelection  of  Charles  Voorhees  to  Con- 
gress by  an  increased  vote.  His  vote  in  Yakima  county  was  667  to  359  for  C. 
M.  Bradshaw,  the  republican  candidate.  C.  P.  Cooke,  democrat,  was  chosen 
joint  councilman  over  S.  A.  Wells,  republican,  by  633  to  386.  G.  W.  Goodwin, 
democrat,  was  chosen  representative  by  590  to  405  for  T.  J.  Clarke,  but  Mr. 
Clarke  had  the  majority  in  the  district.  One  of  the  most  prominent  of  Yakima's 
citizens  in  law  and  politics  began  his  official  career  in  that  election  by  choice  to 


292  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         v 

the  position  of  attorney.  This  was  H.  J.  Snively,  a  democrat.  Another  of  the 
leaders  of  enterprise  appears  for  the  first  time  on  the  otiicial  roll.  This  was 
Daniel  Lesh,  republican,  chosen  for  sheriff.  Yet  another  of  the  builders  makes 
his  entry  here.  This  was  W.  F.  Prosser  for  auditor.  The  other  local  officers 
chosen  were:  J.  A.  Splawn  treasurer,  S.  C.  Morford  probate  judge,  Mrs.  M.  B. 
Curtis  school  superintendent,  J.  A.  Leach  surveyor,  Thomas  McAusland  coro- 
ner, W.  H.  Lipstrap,  J.  A.  Stephenson  and  F.  K.  Beard,  commissioners.  A 
special  election  held  in  June,  1886,  to  vote  on  the  question  of  local  prohibition 
of  the  liquor  traffic  resulted  in  a  large  affirmative  vote  in  Yakima  County. 

ELECTION    OF    1888. 

The  election  of  1888  was  marked  by  something  of  a  reaction  in  both  na- 
tional and  local  affairs.  The  "protection"  interests  came  back  and  elected  a 
high  tariff'  group  as  a  protest  against  the  supposed  free  trade  tendencies  of 
Cleveland's  first  administration.  As  part  of  the  same  movement  the  strenuous 
anti-monopoly  delegate  to  Congress  from  this  state,  Charles  Voorhees,  was 
defeated  by  John  B.  Allen,  republican,  by  a  vote  in  Yakima  County  of  461  to 
398.  Mr.  Allen  was  a  resident  of  Yakima  City  for  a  snort  time,  being  in  the 
law  firm  of  Whitson,  Allen  and  Parker,  whose  office  was  in  the  First  National 
Bank  Building  in  North  Yakima.  Mr.  Allen  had  removed  to  Walla  Walla 
though  still  a  member  of  the  firm  and  was  a  resident  of  that  city  at  the  time 
of  his  first  election  as  delegate.  With  that  election  he  began  his  distinguished 
career  which  went  on  from  that  of  delegate  to  senator.  The  joint  councilman 
(joint  with  Klickitat  County)  was  J.  M.  Snow,  republican,  chosen  by  439  votes 
over  Clay  Fruit,  democrat,  with  408.  Representative  was  I.  N.  Power,  repub- 
lican, with  398  against  Daniel  Gaby,  democrat,  with  352,  and  John  W.  Brice, 
independent,  with  158.  There  were  prohibitionist  and  independent  candidates 
throughout  both  state  and  county  tickets.  The  local  choices  in  1888  were  as 
follows:  H.  J.  Snively  attorney,  D.  W.  Stair  probate  judge,  D.  E.  Lesh  sheriff', 
Matthew  Bartholet  auditor,  G.  W.  Gary  treasurer,  James  Hall  surveyor,  Hilda 
Engdahl  school  superintendent,  Walter  Griffith  sheep  commissioner,  J.  O.  Clark 
coroner,  John  Cleman,  H.  D.  Winchester  and  J.  M.  Brown  commissioners.  Of 
the  above  Messrs.  Snively,  Bartholet,  Gary  and  Miss  Engdahl  were  democrats, 
the  others  were  republicans. 

And  now  comes  the  great  year  of  1889,  the  year  of  statehood.  All  the 
counties  and  communities  of  the  Territory  were  agog  with  excitement  over  the 
great  change  of  political  status.  After  the  persistent  eft'orts  of  twenty  years  the 
slow-focusing  attention  of  Congress  had  been  fixed  on  this  and  several  other 
Territories  as  ripe  for  mature  political  life.  There  had  been  sundry  earlier 
attempts  to  induct  Washington  into  the  Union  with  some  changes  of  boundary. 
One  favorite  idea,  which  has  been  agitated  from  time  to  time  since,  was  to  join 
northern  Idaho  to  Washington,  or  to  make  a  new  state  cf  eastern  Washington 
and  northern  Idaho,  or  still  again  to  effect  some  new  groupings  of  eastern  Ore- 
gon, eastern  Washington  and  different  sections  of  Idaho.  The  "Spokesman- 
Review"  of  Spokane  made  quite  an  agitation  in  that  line  in  about  1905  and  1906. 
But  all  such  schemes  have  been  quiescent  for  more  than  ;i  decade. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  293 

To  turn  back  in  time  again  we  notice  that  in  the  congressional  session  of 
1877-78,  Delegate  Orange  Jacobs  presented  a  bill  for  introducing  Washington 
to  statehood  with  the  three  counties  of  northern  Idaho  added.  But  no  action 
was  taken  by  Congress.  In  spite  of  that  the  Territorial  Legislature  in  Novem- 
ber, 1877,  passed  a  law  providing  for  an  election  to  be  held  April  9,  1878,  to 
choose  delegates  to  a  convention  to  meet  at  Walla  Walla  on  June  11,  1878.  Up 
to  that  time,  as  we  have  seen,  repeated  attempts  to  secure  a  vote  for  a  conven- 
tion had  failed  in  Walla  Walla.  The  act  of  the  legislature  provided  that  the 
convention  should  consist  of  fifteen  members  from  Washington  with  one,  hav- 
ing no  vote,  from  Idaho. 

In  pursuance  of  the  announcement  the  election  was  duly  held,  though  with 
the  scanty  vote  of  4,223,  not  half  the  number  of  voters  in  the  Territory.  The 
convention  duly  met  at  Science  Hall  in  Walla  Walla,  and  W.  A.  George  of  that 
city,  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  unique  characters  of 
the  Inland  Empire,  acted  as  temporary  chairman. 

The  permanent  organization  consisted  of  A.  S.  Abemethy  of  Cowlitz 
County  as  president,  W.  B.  Daniels  and  William  Clark  as  secretaries,  and  H.  D. 
Cook  as  sergeant-at-arms.  After  a  lengthy  session  the  convention  submitted  a 
constitution  which  was  voted  upon  at  the  next  general  election  in  November. 
Though  a  considerable  majority  was  secured,  exactly  two-thirds,  the  total  vote 
of  9,693  fell  considerably  short  of  the  vote  cast  for  delegate,  and  it  seems  to 
have  been  generally  interpreted  in  Congress  as  evidence  that  the  people  of  the 
Territory  did  not  consider  the  time  ripe  for  statehood.  The  whole  matter  was 
therefore  indefinitely  postponed.  But  the  immense  growth  of  the  Territory  in 
the  decade  of  the  eighties  made  it  clear  that  the  time  for  admission  had  arrived. 

The  Enabling  Act  of  Congress,  approved  by  President  Harrison  on  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1889,  had  the  unique  distinction  of  being  the  only  one  providing  for 
the  erection  of  four  states  at  once.  These  were  Washington,  South  Dakota, : 
North  Dakota  and  Montana.  As  indicating  the  fundamental  basis  on  which  the 
four  states  rest,  the  reader  will  be  interested  in  the  following  provisions  of  the 
enabling  act : 

"And  said  conventions  shall  provide  by  ordinances  irrevocable  without  the 
consent  of  the  United  States  and  the  people  of  said  states; 

"FIRST.  That  perfect  toleration  of  religious  sentiment  shall  be  secured, 
and  that  no  inhabitant  of  said  states  shall  ever  be  molested  in  person  or  prop- 
erty on  account  of  his  or  her  mode  of  religious  worship. 

"SECOND.  That  the  people  inhabiting  said  proposed  states  do  agree  and 
declare  that  they  forever  disclaim  all  right  and  title  to  the  unappropriated  public 
lands  lying  within  the  boundaries  thereof,  and  to  all  lands  lying  within  said 
limits  owned  or  held  by  any  Indian  or  Indian  tribes;  and  that  until  the  title 
thereto  shall  have  been  extinguished  by  the  United  States,  the  same  shall  be 
and  remain  subject  to  the  disposition  of  the  United  States,  and  said  Indian 
lands  shall  remain  under  the  absolute  jurisdiction  and  control  of  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States ;  that  the  lands  belonging  to  citizens  of  the  United  States 
residing  without  the  said  state  shall  never  be  taxed  at  a  higher  rate  than  the 
lands  belonging  to  residents  thereof:  that  no  taxes  shall  be  imiwsed  by  the  states 


294-  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        ( 

on  lands  or  property  therein  belonging  to  or  which  may  hereafter  be  purchased 
by  the  United  States  or  reserved  for  its  use.  But  nothing  herein,  or  in  the  ordi- 
nances herein  provided  for,  shall  preclude  the  said  states  from  taxing  as  other 
lands  are  taxed,  any  lands  owned  or  held  by  any  Indian  who  has  severed  his 
tribal  relations,  and  has  obtained  from  the  United  States  or  from  any  person  a 
title  thereto  by  patent  or  other  grant,  save  and  except  such  lands  as  have  been 
or  may  be  granted  to  any  Indian  or  Indians  under  any  act  of  Congress  contain- 
ing a  provision  exempting  the  lands  thus  granted  from  taxation ;  but  said  ordi- 
nances shall  provide  that  all  such  lands  shall  be  exempt  from  taxation  by  said 
states  so  long  and  to  such  extent  as  such  act  of  Congress  may  prescribe. 

"THIRD.  That  the  debts  and  liabilities  of  said  territories  shall  be  assumed 
and  paid  by  said  states  respectively. 

"FOURTH.  That  provision  shall  be  made  for  the  establishment  and 
maintenance  of  systems  of  public  schools,  which  shall  be  open  to  all  the  children 
of  said  states  and  free  from  sectarian  control." 

In  accordance  with  the  enabling  act,  the  constitutional  convention  of  Wash- 
ington Territory  met  at  Olympia,  July  4,  1889.  The  constitution  prepared  dur- 
ing the  fifty-day  session  was  ratified  at  the  polls  on  October  1,  1889.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  constitutional  convention  from  the  Yakima  Valley  were  as  follows: 
From  Kittitas,  J.  A.  Shoudy  and  Austin  Mires  of  Ellensburg,  republicans,  and 
J.  T.  McDonald,  democrat ;  from  Yakima,  J.  T.  Eshelman,  democrat,  and  W.  F. 
Prosser,  republican. 

The  proclamation  of  President  Harrison  making  known  the  formal  en- 
trance of  Washington  into  statehood  possesses  permanent  mterest  and  we  in- 
clude it  here : 

"Whereas,  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  did  by  an  act  approved  on 
the  twenty-second  day  of  February,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine,  provide  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  territory  of  Washington  might,  upon 
the  conditions  prescribed  in  said  act,  become  the  state  of  Washington ; 

"And  whereas,  it  was  provided  by  said  act  that  delegates  elected  as  therein 
provided,  to  a  constitutional  convention  in  the  territory  of  Washington,  should 
meet  at  the  seat  of  government  of  said  territory;  and  that,  after  they  had  met 
and  organized  they  should  declare  on  behalf  of  the  people  of  Washington  that 
they  adopt  the  constitution  of  the  United  States :  whereupon  the  said  conven- 
tion should  be  authorized  to  form  a  state  government  for  the  proposed  state  of 
Washington ; 

"And  whereas,  it  was  provided  by  said  act  that  the  constitution  so  adopted 
should  be  republican  in  form  and  make  no  distinction  in  c'vil  or  political  rights 
on  account  of  race  or  color,  except  as  to  Indians  not  taxed,  and  not  be  repug- 
nant to  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  and  the  principles  of  the  declara- 
tion of  independence ;  and  that  the  convention  should  by  an  ordinance  irre- 
vocable without  the  consent  of  the  United  States  and  the  people  of  said  state 
make  certain  provisions  prescribed  in  said  act; 

"And  whereas,  it  was  provided  by  said  act  that  the  constitution  thus  formed 
for  the  people  of  Washington  should,  by  an  ordinance  of  the  convention  form- 
ing the  same,  be  submitted  to  the  people  of  Washington  at  an  election  to  be 
held  therein  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  October,  eighteen  hundred  and  eighty-nine. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  295 

for  ratification  or  rejection  by  the  qualified  voters  of  said  proposed  state;  and 
that  the  returns  of  said  election  should  be  made  to  the  secretary  of  said  terri- 
tory, who,  with  the  governor  and  chief  justice  thereof,  cr  any  two  of  them, 
should  canvass  the  same ;  and  if  a  majority  of  the  legal  votes  cast  should  be  for 
the  constitution,  the  governor  should  certify  the  result  to  the  president  of  the 
United  States,  together  with  a  statement  of  the  votes  cast  thereon,  and  upon 
separate  articles  or  propositions,  and  a  copy  of  said  constitution,  articles,  propo- 
sitions and  ordinances ; 

"And  whereas,  it  has  been  certified  to  me  by  the  governor  of  said  territory 
that  within  the  time  prescribed  by  said  act  of  Congress  a  constitution  for  the 
proposed  state  of  Washington  has  been  adopted  and  that  the  same  has  been 
ratified  by  a  majority  of  the  qualified  voters  of  said  proposed  state  in  accord- 
ance with  the  conditions  prescribed  in  said  act; 

"And  whereas,  it  is  also  certified  to  me  by  the  said  governor  that  at  the 
same  time  the  body  of  said  constitution  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people 
two  separate  articles  entitled  'Woman  Suffrage'  and  'Prohibition'  were  likewise 
submitted,  which  said  separate  articles  did  not  receive  a  majority  of  the  votes 
cast  thereon  or  upon  the  constitution  and  were  rejected ;  also  that  at  the  same 
election  the  question  of  the  location  of  a  permanent  seat  of  government  was  so 
submitted  and  that  no  place  received  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  upon  said 
question ; 

"And  whereas,  a  duly  authenticated  copy  of  said  constitution  and  articles, 
as  required  by  said  act,  has  been  received  by  me ; 

"Now,  therefore,  I,  Benjamin  Harrison,  president  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  do,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  act  of  Congress  afore- 
said, declare  and  proclaim  the  fact  that  the  conditions  imposed  by  Congress  on 
the  state  of  Washington  to  entitle  that  state  to  admission  to  the  union  have  been 
ratified  and  accepted  and  that  the  admission  of  the  said  state  into  the  union  is 
now  complete. 

"In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused  the  seal 
of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 

"Done  at  the  city  of  Washington  this  eleventh  (11th)  day  of  November, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty-nine,  and  of  the 
independence  of  the  United  States  of  America  the  one  hundred  and  fourteenth. 

[seal]  Benj.  Harrison. 

By  the  president : 

James  G.  Blaine,  Secretary  of  State." 

The  constitution  provided  that  a  special  election  be  held  on  the  first  Tues- 
day of  October,  1889,  to  vote  upon  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  and  also 
to  choose  the  officers  provided  for  under  it.  The  legislative  apportionment  for 
that  election  assigned  one  representative  to  Yakima  County  and  one  senator  to 
the  ninth  district  composed  of  Yakima  and  Douglas  counties.  Kittitas  County 
had  two  representatives  and  one  senator.  It  will  surprise  some  of  our  readers 
to  know  that  Kittitas  County  had  a  larger  population  than  Yakima.  The  census 
of  1890  gives  4,429  in  Yakima  County,  and  8,777  in  Kittitas.  Some  territory 
belonged  to  Kittitas  in  1889  and  1890  which  was  in  Okanogan  County  in  1892, 


296  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY        ( 

in  which  year  Kittitas  shows  a  decrease.  Still  later  the  Wenatchee  became  part 
of  Chelan  County.  However,  Ellensburgh  had  a  larger  population  than  North 
Yakima  in  1889. 

In  the  special  election  of  1889  Yakima  County  cast  its  first  vote  for  a  con- 
gressman, 581  for  John  L.  Wilson  to  494  for  Thomas  Gritfits.  The  vote  for  the 
first  governor  was  537  for  E.  P.  Ferry,  republican,  to  519  for  Eugene  Semple, 
democrat.  The  other  state  offices  show  about  the  same  results,  republicans  re- 
ceiving some  majority  in  each  case,  with  the  exception  tliat  H.  J.  Snively,  one 
of  Yakima's  prominent  and  favorite  sons,  had  a  vote  for  attorney-general  of 
547  to  518  for  W.  C.  Jones,  a  liberal  republican.  Mr.  Jones  ("Wheat  Chart" 
Jones)  was  elected  in  the  state.  The  first  representative  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture was  John  Cleman,  republican,  chosen  over  David  Longmire,  democrat,  by 
544  to  523.  The  joint  senator  was  J.  M.  Snow,  republican,  538,  to  523  for  R. 
M.  Starr,  democrat.  C.  B.  Graves,  republican,  was  chosen  superior  judge,  by 
620  to  425  for  Hiram  Dustin.  The  constitution  provided  for  a  clerk  of  the 
court,  and  Dudley  Eshelman  was  chosen  to  this  position  by  562  to  491  for  Rich- 
ard Strobach,  a  republican  victory.  As  will  be  seen  the  republicans  carried 
everything  with  the  exception  of  the  vote  for  attorney-general.  The  result  was 
not,  however,  by  decided  majorities,  and  it  denoted  a  well-balanced  political 
situation.  The  constitution  provided  a  special  vote  on  three  important  matters. 
One  was  the  location  of  the  capital,  another  was  a  woman  suffrage  article  and 
a  third  was  a  prohibition  article.  In  view  of  later  results  the  vote  on  woman 
sufifrage  and  prohibition  furnish  food  for  reflection.  The  vote  in  the  state  for 
the  adoption  of  the  constitution  was  38,394  to  11,895.  The  woman  suffrage 
article  was  defeated  34,342  to  16,855.  The  prohibition  article  was  defeated 
31,881  to  19,241.  The  three  candidates  for  state  capital  were  North  Yakima, 
Ellensburgh,  and  Olympia.  A  strong  sentiment  had  developed  east-of-the- 
mountains,  and  even  in  places  on  the  west  side,  that  the  capital  should  be  moved. 
If  the  opposition  to  Olympia  had  centered  on  one  of  the  two  Yakima  points  the 
change  would  have  carried.  But  Ellensburgh  and  North  Yakima  defeated  each 
other.  North  Yakima  received  14,707  votes ;  Ellensburgh,  12,833 ;  and  Olympia, 
25,488.  Since  Olympia  failed  of  a  majority  of  all  votes  the  question  remained 
open    for   another   election. 

The  good  state  of  Washington  was  now  in  official  existence.  The  material 
growth  during  the  decade  of  the  eighties  had  been  prodigious.  A  few  figures 
will  illustrate  the  change.  In  1880  the  state  had  75,116  people;  in  1890,  349,390. 
In  1880  Walla  Walla  was  the  largest  town  in  the  Territor\-,  with  3,588.  Seattle 
had  3,533;  Spokane,  350;  Tacoma,  1,098;  North  Yakima,  0.  In  1890,  Seattle 
had  42,837;  Tacoma,  36,006;  Spokane,  19,922;  Walla  Walla,  4,709:  Ellensburgh, 
2,768;  North  Yakima,  1,535.  The  assessed  valuation  in  1880  was  $134,342,162. 
In  1890  the  valuation  was  $314,247,419. 

With  so  great  a  material  development  it  naturally  followed  that  ambitious 
politicians,  grafters  and  lobbyists  rushed  in  alongside  of  the  genuinely  enter- 
prising, honest  and  patriotic.  The  new  state  therefore  became  the  battle  ground 
of  all  sorts  of  factions,  "pros  and  antis"  of  all  orders.  Moreover,  the  "great 
depression,"  the  reaction  from  the  overly  active  speculation  of  the  previous 
decade,  was  at  hand.     In  both  national  and  state  matters  the  harvest  of  wild  oats. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  297 

sowed  by  the  lobbies,  syndicates,  trusts  and  monopolies  sprouting  out  of  the 
railroad  complications  of  an  era  of  speculation,  was  ready  for  cutting,  and  it 
was  plain  to  discerning  men  that  the  wheat  was  going  to  have  a  hard  time  among 
the  noxious  growths.  The  elections  of  1892,  1894  and  1896  showed  the  tremen- 
dous growth  of  populism  with  its  allied  agencies  as  the  proper  reaction  against 
the  era  of  graft.    But  the  election  of  1890  led  by  natural  degrees  to  it. 

That  election  in  Yakima  County  resulted  in  a  small  majority  for  John  L. 
Wilson  for  Congress.  The  legislature  chosen  in  1889  had  provided  a  new 
apportionment  by  which  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  constituted  the  twelfth 
district,  entitled  to. one  senator,  and  Yakima  County  was  to  be  the  nineteenth 
representative  district,  entitled  to  one  representative.  In  pursuance  of  this  ap- 
portionment J-  T.  Eshelman,  democrat,  became  senator  by  574  votes  to  468  for 
D.  \V.  Pierce,  his  republican  opponent.  H.  J.  Snively,  democrat,  was  chosen 
representative  by  544  votes  to  515  for  B.  F.  Young,  republican.  The  local 
ofTficers  chosen  were  these :  Myron  H.  Ellis  for  auditor,  D.  W.  Simmons  sheriff, 
F.  D.  Eshelman  clerk,  G.  O.  Nevin  treasurer,  E.  A.  Sh.nnnafelt  assessor,  J.  A. 
Rockford  attorney,  J.  G.  Lawrence  superintendent  of  schools,  W.  H.  Redman 
surveyor.  Jay  Chambers  coroner,  F.  Kandle,  John  Reed,  and  Joseph  Stephenson, 
commissioners,  and  S.  J.  Cameron  sheep  commissioner.  Every  one  of  the  local 
ofificers  above  was  a  republican  except  Mr.  Stephenson,  commissioner  for  the 
third  district.  The  vote  on  the  state  capital  was  for  North  Yakima  949;  for 
Olympia,  30;  for  Ellensburgh,  14.  The  result  in  the  state  for  the  capital  was 
37,413  for  Olympia,  7,722  for  Ellensburgh  and  6,276  for  North  Yakima.  The 
"Oyster  center"  became  therefore  permanently  the  capital  of   Washington. 

As  we  pass  on  to  the  election  of  1892,  the  first  in  which  Washington  partic- 
ipated in  a  presidential  election,  we  find  the  great  Populist  movement  gathering 
its  forces  from  varied  sources,  all  animated  by  a  common  sense  of  hostility  to 
the  group  of  policies  which  seemed  to  center  in  the  "money  interests"  and  cor- 
poration lobbies.  As  might  be  expected  from  the  type  of  people  and  occupa- 
tions— almost  entirely  pastoral  and  agricultural — which  made  up  the  population 
of  Yakima,  that  county  was  a  powerful  center  of  independent  and  populistic 
thought.  The  Knights  of  Labor  took  the  initiative  in  the  direction  of  a  union 
of  forces  for  a  new  party  by  a  meeting  in  North  Yakima  on  July  17,  1891.  Rep- 
resentatives of  the  Farmers'  Alliance,  Good  Templars,  and  Trades  Unions 
joined  in  the  movement.  Meanwhile  a  formal  organization  of  the  "people's 
party"  had  been  effected  on  July  13.  The  two  organizations  acted  substantially 
together  in  the  next  three  elections,  and  in  1894  and  1896,  the  general  body  of 
democrats,  as  well  as  the  very  active  wing  of  republicans  known  as  Silver  repub- 
licans, threw  their  energies  into  the  same  channel.  The  result  was  that  the 
republicans  in  Yakima,  republican  as  it  usually  had  been,  though  not  by  great 
majorities,  were  entirely  overwhelmed,  and  in  this  county,  as  in  the  state,  the 
"three-ring  circus"  of  populists,  democrats  and  silver  republicans,  carried  every- 
thing in   sight. 

Before  proceeding  to  a  view  of  the  election  returns  of  Yakima  County  from 
1892  to  the  date  of  this  work,  there  is  one  event  in  state  politics  so  interesting  in 
its  constitutional  bearings  as  to  make  it  worthy  of  special  note.  Moreover,  it 
brings  up  to  mind  the  name  o  fa  man  whose  career  began  in  Yakima,  and  who 


298  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         v 

became  known  and  honored  throughout  the  state.     We  refer  to  the  senatorial 
situation  and  to  John  B.  Allen. 

FIRST   ELECTION   OF   UNITED  STATES   SENATOR 

In  the  first  election  of  United  States  senator,  November,  1889,  John  B. 
Allen  of  Walla  Walla  and  Watson  C.  Squire  were  chosen,  the  former  drawing 
the  four-year-term  which  entitled  him  to  the  place  until  March  4,  1893.  The 
senatorial  election  of  1893  was  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  in  the  history  of 
such  elections  and  involved  a  number  of  distinguished  men  in  this  section  of  the 
state.  The  fundamental  struggle  was  between  the  adherents,  of  John  B.  Allen 
of  Walla  Walla  and  George  Turner  of  Spokane,  both  republicans.  It  became  a 
factional  fight  of  the  bitterest  type.  One  hundred  and  one  ballots  were  taken 
unavailingly  and  then  the  legislature  adjourned  sine  die,  with  no  choice. 

Upon  the  failure  of  the  legislature  to  elect.  Governor  McGraw  appointed 
John  B.  Allen  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Proceeding  to  Washington  Mr.  Allen  pre- 
sented his  case  to  the  senate,  but  in  that  case,  as  in  others,  that  body  decided, 
and  very  properly,  that  the  state  must  go  unrepresented  until  the  legislature 
could  perform  its  constitutional  duties.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  that  experience 
with  similar  ones  in  other  states,  was  one  of  the  great  influences  in  causing  the 
amendment  to  the  constitution  providing  for  direct  electiori  by  the  people.  The 
spectacle  of  the  legislature  neglecting  its  law-making  functions  to  wrangle  over 
the  opposing  ambitions  of  senatorial  aspirants,  fatally  impaired  the  confidence 
of  the  people  in  the  wisdom  of  the  old  method  of  choice.  That  amendment  may 
be  regarded  also  as  one  of  the  striking  manifestations  of  American  political 
evolution,  in  which  there  has  come  a  recognition  of  the  danger  of  legislative 
bodies,  chosen  by  popular  suflfrage,  becoming  the  tools  of  personal  or  corporate 
interests  instead  of  the  servants  of  the  people  who  chose  them,  and  by  which, 
in  consequence,  the  evils  of  popular  government  are  being  remedied  by  being 
made  more  popular. 

ELECTION    OF    1892 

And  now  we  reach  the  interesting  election  of  1892,  the  first  in  which  Wash- 
ington voted  for  president. 

It  is  valuable  to  note  here  the  precincts  as  they  existed  in  the  year  1892. 
They  are  as  follows:  Kennewick,  Kiona,  Alder  Creek,  Red  Rock,  Lone  Tree, 
Parker,  Moxee,  Yakima  City,  Ahtanum,  Tampico,  Wide  Hollow,  North 
Yakima  No.  1,  North  Yakima  No.  2,  Cowiche,  Naches,  Wenas,  Simcoe. 

In  1892,  beginning  with  President,  we  find  the  foUov/ing  results: 

PRESIDENTIAL    ELECTORS. 

Republican  Democrat  Populist  Prohibitionist 

Geo.  V.  Calhoun        John  M.  Stearns        Wm.  Lee,  Sr.  H.  X.  Belt 

John  S.  McMillan     Louis  H.  Platter        Jas.  Bassett  J.W.Peter 

Ignatius  A.  Navarre Franklyn  D.  Arnold  T.  T.  Barrows  D.  R.  Bigelow 

Chester  F.  White      Louis  K.  Church        Wm.  J.  Caldwell  A.  McReady 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  299 

CONGRESSMEN 

Republican  Democrat  Populist  Prohibitionist 

W.  M.  Doolittle         James  A.  Mundy       J.  C.  VanPatten         C.  E.  Newberry 
John  L.  Wilson         Thos.  Carroll  M.  F.  Knox  A.  C.  Dickinson 

The  highest  vote  for  presidential  elector  of  the  republicans  was  630,  of 
the  democrats  502,  of  the  populists  375,  and  of  the  prohibitionists  14,  giving 
the  republicans  a  majority  over  the  democrats,  although  much  less  than  a  ma- 
jority over  all.  Of  the  congressional  candidates,  John  L.  Wilson  with  602  votes 
and  W.  M.  Doolittle  with  601,  were  elected  over  their  democratic  opponents, 
of  whom  Mr.  Carroll  received  539  and  Mr.  Mundy  518,  while  the  populists 
received  368  and  361  respectively,  with  the  prohibitionists  in  the  rear  with  a 
number  of  14  and  12  respectively. 

Of  the  state  candidates  we  find  the  following  reports:  For  supreme  judge 
the  republican  candidates  were  Thomas  J.  Anders  and  Elmon  Scott,  of  the 
democrats  Eugene  K.  Hanna  and  William  H.  Brinker,  and  of  the  populists 
Frank  T.  Reid  and  E.  W.  Gardener.  Their  votes  in  the  order  given  were  as 
follows:  619,  593,  494,  472,  349,  341.  From  the  above  it  appears  that  the  re- 
publicans were  also  successful  in  their  candidates  in  the  election  for  Supreme 
Court. 

The  nominees  for  governor  were  the  following:  John  H.  McGraw,  re- 
publican, Henry  J.  Snively  democrat,  C.  W.  Young  populist,  Roger  S.  Greene 
prohibitionist.  It  is  a  tribute  to  Mr.  Snively  as  a  citizen  of  Yakima  County 
that  he  received  a  majority  of  100  over  Mr.  McGraw  in  the  county,  although 
Mr.  McGraw  was  elected  in  the  state,  the  votes  in  Yakima  County  being  respec- 
tively 604  and  504. 

The  republican  candidate  for  lieutenant-governor,  Frank  H.  Luce,  was 
chosen  in  the  county  by  a  vote  of  571  to  513  for  his  democratic  competitor. 
The  same  general  result  obtained  in  the  other  state  offices.  For  secretary  of 
state  James  H.  Price,  republican,  had  605  to  489  for  his  democratic  opponent. 
The  state  treasurer,  Ozro  A.  Bowen,  had  605  votes  to  485  for  the  democratic 
candidate.  For  state  auditor  Laban  R.  Grimes  had  606  votes  to  482  for  the 
democratic  candidate.  For  attorney-general,  one  of  the  brilliant  political  fig- 
ures of  the  state  of  Washington,  "Wheat  Chart"  Jones,  who  afterwards  became 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  silver  republicans,  was  chosen  by  a  vote  of  563  to  524 
for  his  democratic  competitor.  For  superintendent  of  public  instruction  Charles 
W.  Bean,  republican,  received  592  to  495  for  his  democratic  opponent.  For 
commissioner  of  public  lands,  William  T.  Forrest  with  595  votes  carried  off  the 
honors  from  his  democratic  opponent  by  over  100  votes,  and  by  almost  the 
same  vote,  Oliver  C.  White  was  chosen  state  printer. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  this  election  of  1892  the  populists  had  an 
average  vote  of  about  360,  while  the  prohibitionists  had  a  trifling  vote  of  10 
to  18.  This  fact  is  the  more  interesting  in  view  of  the  subsequent  disappearance 
of  the  populist  party  and  the  state-wide  triumph  at  a  later  date  of  the  prohibi- 
tionists in  the  cause  which  they  advocated. 


300  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY         , 

Of  the  Yakima  County  officials  chosen  in  the  election  of  1892,  the  repub- 
licans were  entirely  in  the  lead.  The  average  vote  is  well  indicated  from  the 
votes  given  for  the  judge  of  the  Superior  Court,  as  follows:  Republican,  Carroll 
B.  Graves,  683;  Frank  H.  Rudkin,  democrat,  448;  Lawrence  A.  Vincent,  popu- 
ist,  327,  making  a  total  vote  of  1,458.  In  this  election  A.  B.  Weed  became  rep- 
resentative from  the  nineteenth  district,  J.  A.  Rochford  county  attorney,  J.  M. 
Brown  county  clerk,  Myron  H.  Ellis  county  auditor,  G.  O.  Nevin  county  treas- 
urer, E.  W.  Simmons  sheriff,  O.  V.  Carpenter  assessor,  J.  G.  Lawrence  super- 
intendent of  schools,  William  H.  Redman  surveyor,  Richard  Sisk  sheep  com- 
missioner, for  county  commissioners,  Frank  J.  Kandle,  John  H.  Hubbard  and 
W.  A.  Kelso,  and  for  county  coroner  J.  O.  Clark. 

For  the  prohibition  amendment  there  were  234,  and  745  against,  an  inter- 
esting item  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Yakima  County  became  later  the  banner 
prohibitionist  county. 

We  have  given  in  the  preceding  election  the  figures  with  more  fullness  than 
we  shall  give  in  the  subsequent  ones  on  account  of  its  being  the  first  state  elec- 
tion on  record  and  in  order  to  give  a  proper  view  of  the  general  line-up  of  the 
parties  at  that  time. 

In  the  election  of  1894,  the  republican  candidates  for  Congress,  William 
A.  Doolittle,  with  860  votes,  a  lead  of  11  over  his  running  mate,  Samuel  C. 
Hyde,  had  good  majorities,  while  the  populist  candidates  surpassed  the  demo- 
crats by  heavy  majorities.  R.  O.  Dunbar  and  M.  J.  Gordon,  republicans,  had  a 
majority  of  over  300  over  their  populist  competitors  and  ever  400  over  the  dem- 
ocrats, for  Supreme  Court  judges. 

Of  the  county  candidates  for  this  election  we  find  Daniel  E.  Lesh,  repub- 
lican, leading  the  democratic  candidate  George  S.  Taylor  by  a  majority  of  5, 
having  918  votes.  As  indicating  the  growth  of  the  county  it  is  interesting  to 
observe  that  the  vote  for  joint  senator  totals  1,83L  R.  B.  Milroy  was  chosen 
representative  for  the  legislature  by  a  majority  of  92  over  his  democratic  com- 
petitor and  of  99  over  the  populist  candidate.  In  this  election  the  following 
were  chosen  to  the  regular  county  offices:  Sheriff',  A.  L.  Dilley ;  auditor.  F.  C. 
Hall;  treasurer,  Matthew  Bartholet ;  clerk,  J.  M.  Brown;  attorney,  Glen  G. 
Dudley;  assessor,  O.  V.  Carpenter;  school  superintendent,  J.  F.  Brown;  sheep 
commissioner,  R.  Sisk;  coroner,  E.  E.  Heg;  commissioners,  Joseph  Stephenson 
and  Nelson  Rich. 

Of  the  above  all  were  republicans  except  Mr.  Bartholet  as  treasurer  and 
Mr.  Stephenson  as  commissioner. 

With  1896  we  come  to  one  of  the  most  exciting  and  significant  elections 
in  the  history  of  the  nation.  This  was  the  year  of  the  "Cross  of  Gold"  presi- 
dential election,  and  the  populist  movement  swept  Yakima  County  along  with 
most  of  the  Western  portion  of  the  United  States.  Of  the  presidential  electors 
for  the  state,  the  highest  populist  vote  in  the  county  was  1,219,  the  highest  re- 
publican was  948,  while  the  highest  democratic.  Judge  Burke,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  of  all  citizens  of  the  state,  received  only  the  pitiful  little  vote  of  47. 
The  successful  congressional  candidates  both  in  the  state  and  in  the  county, 
were  those  two   spectacular    figures  of   Washington    politics,    James   Hamilton 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  301 

Lewis  and  William  C.  Jones.  The  former  had  a  vote  of  1,236  and  the  latter 
1,226  in  the  county,  to  925  and  928  for  their  republican  opponents,  while  the 
democratic  vote  was  hardly  large  enough  to  count.  The  county  gave  a  vote  of 
1,246  to  that  great  statesmen  of  the  populist  party,  John  R.  Rogers,  for  gover- 
nor.    The  other  state  offices  present  about  the  same  general  results. 

The  county  offices  for  the  election  of  1896  show  a  similar  populist  triumph. 
The  democratic  party  practically  disappeared  and  the  combination  defeated  the 
republican  candidates  by  majorities  averaging  about  300.  The  successful  can- 
didates were  as  follows :  Sheriff,  A.  J.  Shaw ;  clerk,  J.  R.  Coe ;  auditor,  A.  B. 
Flint;  treasurer,  Matthew  Bartholet ;  attorney.  Vestal  Snyder;  assessor,  T.  A. 
Lasswell ;  superintendent,  F.  H.  Plumb ;  surveyor,  H.  F.  Marble ;  coroner, 
Lewis  Ker;  sheep  commissioner,  R.  Mans;  commissioners,  Charles  Carpenter 
and  W.  B.  Mathews. 

The  election  of  1898  shows  a  return  to  the  more  normal  political  conditions, 
since  the  republican  party  began  to  come  back  again  and  we  find  one  of  the 
distinguished  citizens  of  Yakima  County  in  that  year  entering  upon  his  politi- 
cal career,  which  has  continued  to  the  present  date.  We  refer  to  Wesley  L. 
Jones.  With  him  was  chosen  to  Congress,  Francis  W.  Cushman,  each  having 
a  decided  though  not  large  lead  over  the  democratic  or  the  populist  candidates, 
Lewis  and  Jones. 

In  this  election  of  1898  T.  J.  Anders  and  Mark  A.  Fullerton,  republicans, 
were  chosen  by  strong  majorities  over  the  populist  candidates.  For  state  sen- 
ator, George  H.  Baker,  republican,  was  chosen,  and  for  representative,  Ira  P. 
Englehart,  republican,  was  the  choice. 

The  county  officers  were  as  follows :  H.  L.  Tucker  for  sheriff,  George  Allen 
for  clerk.  E.  E.  Kelso  for  auditor,  W.  B.  Dudley  for  treasurer,  John  J.  Rudkin 
for  prosecuting  attorney:  Robert  Scott  for  assessor,  F.  11.  Plumb  for  superin- 
tendent, Sydney  Arnold  for  surveyor,  David  Rosser  for  coroner,  Frank  Horsley 
and  A.  D.  Eglin  for  commissioners.  All  of  the  above  were  republicans  with 
the  single  exception  of  Mr.  Plumb  for  superintendent. 

The  election  of  1900  indicates  a  still  larger  reaction  from  populism  back 
to  the  normal  republicanism  of  the  state  of  Washington.  For  presidential  elec- 
tors. Samuel  G.  Cosgrove,  republican,  the  highest  on  the  list,  received  1,507  to 
1,066  for  N.  G.  Blalock,  highest  on  the  democratic  list. 

For  congressman  Francis  W.  Cushman  and  Wesley  L.  Jones  again  received 
large  majorities.  The  same  was  true  of  the  candidates  for  the  Supreme  Court 
and  the  other  state  officers.  Henry  McBride  for  governor  received  1,436  votes 
to  1,100  for  William  E.  McCroskey,  the  democratic  candidate.  The  total  vote 
for  governor,  it  is  interesting  to  notice,  was  2,659.  The  other  state  officers 
showed  a  universal  republican  triumph.  For  state  representative  from  the 
nineteenth  district,  Nelson  Rich  was  the  choice.  For  Superior  judge,  Frank 
H.  Rudkin  was  reelected.  County  officers  were  chosen  as  follows:  Auditor, 
E.  E.  Kelso;  .sherifif,  H.  L.  Tucker;  clerk,  G.  L.  Allen;  treasurer,  W.  B.  Dudley; 
attorney,  W.  P.  Guthrie;  assessor,  Robert  Scott;  superintendent,  S.  A.  Dickey; 
surveyor,  W.  F.  Melloy ;  coroner,  E.  P.  Milliken  ;  commissioners.  F.  J.  Kandle 
W.  L.  Dimmick. 


302  HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  \-ALLEY 

With  the  year  1902  we  come  to  a  new  order  of  things  by  having  three  mem- 
bers of  Congress  and  we  find  the  republicans  still  in  the  ascendant.  Yakima 
County  cast  an  overwhelming  vote  for  Wesley  L.  Jones,  Francis  W.  Cushman 
and  William  E.  Humphrey.  The  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  receiving  the 
majority  in  this  election  was  Hiram  E.  Hadley,  with  a  vote  of  1,705  to  1,010  for 
his  democratic  opponent.  For  state  senator  from  Yakima  the  democrats  scored 
one  of  their  very  few  victories  by  the  election  of  one  of  the  most  interesting 
and  conspicuous  citizens  of  the  county,  A.  J.  Splawn.  For  representatives, 
Robert  Drum,  republican,  and  F.  A.  Hedger,  democrat,  were  chosen.  Of  the 
local  officers  we  find  the  following  results :  For  sheriff,  R.  A.  Grant ;  clerk,  J. 
W.  Day;  auditor,  W.  B.  Newcomb;  treasurer,  E.  G.  Beck;  attorney,  W.  P. 
Guthrie ;  assessor,  Harry  Coonse ;  superintendent  of  schools,  S.  A.  Dickey ; 
surveyor,  W.  F.  Melloy ;  coroner,  E.  P.  Milliken ;  commissioners,  F.  J.  Kandle 
and  W.  B.  Mathews. 

We  come  now  to  the  election  of  1904.  With  this  year  we  come  again  to  a 
presidential  election  with  all  of  its  nation-wide  excitement.  We  find  the  number 
of  votes  cast  in  Yakima  County  to  have  greatly  increased,  the  number  in  this 
year  being  5,054.  The  republican  candidates  for  presidential  electors  had  an 
enormous  majority,  being  3,484  for  the  highest  republican  nominee,  to  930  for 
the  highest  democratic,  36  for  the  highest  socialist  labor  candidate,  360.  for  the 
highest  socialist,  133  for  the  highest  prohibitionist  and  13  for  the  highest  pop- 
ulist. The  three  existing  Congressmen,  Wesley  L.  Jones,  William  E.  Humphrey 
and  Francis  L.  Cushman,  were  reelected  by  immense  majoiities  over  their  dem- 
ocratic opponents,  Mr.  Jones  having  3,297  to  1,128  for  his  democratic  competi- 
tor. Frank  H.  Rudkin  and  Mark  A.  Fullerton  had  similar  majorities  for  Su- 
preme judge.  Albert  E.  Mead  for  governor  received  a  majority  of  637  over 
George  Turner,  democratic  candidate.  The  other  state  offices  show  similar  re- 
sults. The  legislative  ticket  shows  the  election  of  Walter  J.  Reed,  republican, 
as  senator,  over  A.  J.  Splawn,  democrat,  by  a  majority  of  417.  For  representa- 
tives William  H.  Hare  and  Lee  A.  Johnson  were  chosen  by  large  majorities. 
Of  the  county  offices  we  find  the  following  results:  For  sheriff,  Ronald  A. 
Grant,  democrat,  a  remarkable  distinction  for  that  election.  Of  the  other  offices 
we  find  for  clerk,  Jasper  W.  Day,  for  auditor  William  B.  Newcomb,  for  treas- 
urer Lee  Tittle,  for  prosecuting  attorney  Ira  M.  Krutz,  for  assessor  Harry 
Coonse,  for  school  superintendent  Jacob  A.  Jacobson,  for  surveyor  W.  F.  ]\Ielloy, 
for  coroner  David  Rosser,  for  commissioners  Daniel  Sinclair,  Daniel  McDonald, 
and  Carl  A.  Jensen,  all  republicans. 

The  election  of  1906  is  signalized  in  national  afi^airs  by  the  reelection  of  the 
same  three  congressmen,  William  E.  Humphrey,  Wesle\-  L.  Jones  and  Francis 
L.  Cushman.  The  reaction  in  National  afifairs  that  set  in  with  1898  still  con- 
tinued with  unabated  energy,  and  even  the  shrewdest  politicians  did  not  seem 
to  realize  that  another  great  reaction  was  in  process  of  incubation,  which  was 
destined  to  show  its  effect  nationally  in  a  half  dozen  years.  Yakima  County 
gave  the  customary  republican  majorities  for  all  state  officers  in  the  election  of 
1906.  For  the  state  representatives,  Samuel  J.  Cameron  and  Lee  A.  Johnson, 
both  republicans,  appear  on  the  list  of  successful  candidates.     The  local  candi- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  AWLLEY  303 

dates  chosen  were  these :  For  sheriff,  John  M.  Edwards,  a  democrat ;  for  clerk, 
R.  K.  Nichols;  for  auditor,  Wilbur  Crocker;  for  treasurer,  Lee  Tittle;  for 
prosecuting  attorney,  Henry  H.  Wende,  democrat;  for  assessor,  J.  W.  Sindall; 
superintendent  of  schools,  J.  A.  Jacobson;  surveyor,  W.  J.  Mclntyre ;  for  coro- 
ner, P.  Frank;  for  commissioners,  D.  A.  McDonald,  William  LeMay. 

The  year  1908  brings  us  to  another  presidential  election.  Of  the  five  re- 
publican candidates  for  presidential  electors  the  highest  is  2,998,  while  the 
highest  of  the  democrats  is  1,645.  The  lesser  parties  have  an  inconspicuous 
number  of  votes.  For  congressmen  we  come  to  a  new  and,  at  the  present  time, 
one  of  the  most  conspicuous  politicians  of  the  United  States,  as  republican  can- 
didate. This  is  Miles  Poindexter  of  Spokane.  He  received  a  vote  of  4,017  in 
Yakima  County  to  1,546  for  William  Goodyear,  the  democratic  candidate. 
Before  this  time  the  Supreme  Court  judgeship  had  been  made  non-partisan  and 
the  three  nominated  candidates.  Judges  Crow,  Root  and  Chadwick,  received  the 
entire  vote  of  the  county.  For  governor  one  of  the  best  citizens  of  the  state, 
whose  career  was  so  unfortunately  terminated  by  an  untimely  death,  Samuel  G. 
Cosgrove,  received  a  vote  of  4,032  to  1,615  for  John  Pattison,  the  democratic 
candidate.  The  other  state  offices  showed  a  similar  republican  majority.  The 
legislative  candidates  show  the  election  of  Samuel  J.  Cameron  as  senator  from 
the  fifteenth  district  and  William  H.  Cline  and  Leo  O.  Meigs  as  representatives 
from  the  twentieth  district.  E.  B.  Preble  was  chosen  Superior  judge.  For  the 
local  officers  we  find  for  sheriff,  Joe  H.  Lancaster;  for  clerk,  A.  W.  Barr;  for 
auditor,  Wilbur  Crocker ;  for  treasurer,  Frank  Bond ;  for  prosecuting  attorney, 
J.  Lenox  Ward;  for  assessor,  John  W.  Sindall;  for  superintendent,  F.  S.  Busch; 
for  engineer,  William  J.  Alclntyre;  for  coroner,  David  Rosser;  for  commis- 
sioners, W.  F.  Melloy  and  William  LeMay,  all  republicans. 

The  election  of  1910.  In  this  election  we  find  Yakima  County  still  true  to 
her  republican  predilections.  William  L.  LaFollette  was  chosen  congressman 
by  3,535  to  946  for  Harry  D.  Merrit,  the  democrat.  For  the  legislative  ticket 
we  find  Frank  J.  Allen  for  state  senator  and  Walker  Moren  and  C.  W.  Cham- 
berlain for  representatives.  For  the  local  officers  we  find  for  sheriff,  J.  W. 
Day;  for  county  clerk,  A.  W.  Barr;  auditor,  W.  B.  Newcomb ;  for  treasurer, 
Frank  Bond;  attorney,  J.  Lenox  Ward;  assessor,  B.  F.  r.lcCurdy ;  superintend- 
ent, F.  S.  Busch;  for  engineer,  H.  F.  Marble;  for  coroner,  Fred  Shaw;  for 
commissioners,  Jim  Lancaster  and  Martin  Olsen.  By  act  of  legislature  in  1911, 
two  Superior  judges  were  assigned  to  Yakima  County.  E.  B.  Preble  was  chosen 
to  one  judgeship  and  Thomas  M.  Grady  was  appointed  to  the  other  by  Governor 
M.  E.  Hay. 

With  the  year  1912  we  find  ourselves  again  in  a  presidential  election  and 
one  of  the  most  momentous  of  the  entire  series.  In  this  election  Washington 
was  entitled  to  five  electors.  Contrary  to  the  result  in  the  nation,  Yakima 
County  cast  her  vote  for  the  republican  nominees,  but  by  a  very  scanty  majority 
compared  with  the  previous  majorities,  being  3,304  to  3,209.  One  of  the  most 
important  votes  of  this  election  was  that  on  the  adoption  of  the  Initiative  and 
Recall  amendments  to  the  constitution.  These  had  a  majority  of  nearly  3,000 
out  of  a  vote  of  something  over  6,000.     The  representatives  to  Congress  at  large 


304  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

chosen  in  the  county  (though  not  in  the  state)  were  J.  E.  Frost  and  Henry  B. 
Dewey,  both  repubhcans,  while  W.  L.  LaFoHette  was  reelected  from  the  third 
district  by  a  majority  of  nearly  2,000.  M.  E.  Hay  received  a  vote  of  4,569  for 
governor,  but  was  defeated  in  the  state  at  large  by  the  present  governor,  Ernest 
Lister.  The  successful  candidate  for  state  senator  from  the  fifteenth  district 
was  Henry  H.  Wende,  the  democratic  candidate.  The  successful  candidates 
for  state  representative  were  C.  E.  Lum  and  Walker  Moren,  both  republicans. 
Of  the  local  candidates  we  find  J.  Metzger,  a  democrat,  chosen  sheriff;  for 
clerk,  C.  Roy  King;  for  auditor,  W.  B.  Newcomb;  for  treasurer,  James  F. 
Wood ;  for  attorney,  Harold  B.  Gilbert ;  for  assessor,  B.  F.  ^NlcCurdy ;  for 
superintendent  of  schools,  Rodney  Ackley ;  for  engineer,  H.  F.  Marble ;  for 
coroner,  Fred  E.  Shaw ;  for  commissioners,  James  Stewart  and  William  Stahl- 
hut.  E.  B.  Preble  and  T.  M.  Grady  were  elected  to  fill  the  Superior  judgeships 
for  the  full  four-year  term. 

The  election  of  1914  presents  some  especially  interesting  features.  Per- 
haps the  most  so  of  all  was  the  vote  of  the  state  upon  the  prohibition  amend- 
ment. Yakima  County  gave  an  overwhelming  vote  in  favor  of  this  amendment, 
being  10,192  to  5,086.  There  were  a  number  of  other  interesting  amendments 
proposed  but  the  vote  in  case  of  all  of  them  was  adverse,  showing  a  generally 
conservative  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  voters  of  the  county.  In  this  elec- 
tion, William  L.  LaFollette  was  reelected  representative  to  Congress  by  an  in- 
creased majority  over  Roscoe  M.  Drumheller,  the  demccratic  candidate.  For 
representatives  to  the  State  Legislature  from  the  twentieth  district.,  W.  P. 
Sawyer  and  C.  E.  Lum  were  chosen.  The  successful  local  candidates  were  as 
follows:  For  sherifif,  W.  P.  IMurphy ;  for  clerk,  C.  Roy  King;  for  auditor, 
Charles  E.  Barrett;  for  treasurer,  James  F.  Wood;  for  prosecuting  attorney, 
Harold  B.  Gilbert;  for  assessor,  W.  D.  McNair;  for  superintendent,  Rodney 
Ackley;  for  engineer,  O.  E.  Brashears ;  for  commissioners,  Jim  Lancaster  and 
W^illiam  Stahlhut,  all  republicans. 

ELECTION    OF    1916. 

The  election  of  1916  was  signalized  by  a  number  of  eiiforts  on  the  part  of 
the  liquor  interests  to  evade  the  results  of  the  prohibition  amendment.  This 
was  done  by  several  initiative  and  referendum  measures.  Yakima  County 
became  the  banner  county  of  the  state  in  turning  down  these  attempts  to 
defeat  the  pre-recorded  wish  of  the  people.  One  of  these  measures  showed  a 
vote  against  of  7,973  to  1.350  for.  From  the  presidential  standpoint,  this  was 
one  of  the  most  exciting  elections  ever  held  and  the  state  of  Washington,  with 
other  western  states,  seems  to  have  determined  the  balance  of  the  results. 
Yakima  County,  however,  was  still  true  to  her  first  love  and  cast  a  republican 
majority,  although  a  scanty  one,  being  7,188  republican  to  6,136  democratic.  In 
this  election  the  senator,  chosen  by  popular  vote,  was  Miles  Poindexter  by  a 
vote  of  8,560  to  4,485  for  George  Turner,  the  democratic  candidate.  William 
LaFollette  received  the  majority  vote  for  congressman.  Ernest  Lister  received 
a  vote  in  the  county  for  governor  of  7,625  to  6,661  for  Henry  McBride,  the  re- 
publican candidate,  but  aside  from  the  governor,  almost  all  the  republican  state 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  305 

candidates  were  elected.  For  state  senator  D.  V.  Morthland  was  chosen  by  a 
large  majority.  For  the  state  representatives,  William  P.  Sawyer  was  reelected 
and  Ina  Phillips  Williams  was  chosen.  Of  the  local  candidates  we  find  the 
following:  W.  P.  Murphy  for  sheriff,  Frank  D.  Clemmer  for  clerk,  Charles  E. 
Barrett  for  auditor,  J.  F.  Peters  for  treasurer,  O.  R.  Shuman  for  prosecuting 
attorney,  W.  D.  McNair  for  assessor,  Anna  R.  Nichols  for  superintendent,  O. 

E.  Brashears  for  engineer.  Dr.  H.  R.  Wells  for  coroner,  A.  Lundstrum,  W.  L. 
Dimmick  and  A.  E.  Turner  for  commissioners.  In  this  election  George  B. 
Holden  and  H.  M.  Taylor  were  chosen  Superior  judges. 

The  election  of  1918  was  marked  by  the  rather  singular  feature  of  calling 
out  but  forty-two  per  cent,  of  the  estimated  registration  of  14,400,  as  stated  by 
Auditor  C.  E.  Barrett.  The  result  in  Yakima,  as  in  most  parts  of  the  country, 
was  a  republican  triumph. 

The  following  are  the  returns: 

For  convention  2,169,  against  convention  1,297;  for  referendum  3,256, 
against  referendum  1008;  Congress — ^John  W.  Summers  3,561,  W.  E. 
McCroskey  2,277,  Walter  Price  119;  legislature— W.  P.  Sawyer  4,285,  H.  C. 
Lucas  4,201,  Lucy  M.  Cooper  264;  sheriff — Samuel  Hutchinson  4,116,  Ward 
W.  King  1,931;  clerk — Frank  Clemmer  4,574 ;  auditor — Ruth  Hutchinson  4,893; 
treasurer — J.  F.  Peters  4,732 ;  prosecutor — O.  R.  Schumann  3,036,  Guy  O. 
Shumate  2,966 ;  assessor — L.  D.  Luce  4,421  ;  school  superintendent — Anna  R. 
Nichols  4,890;  engineer— W.  C.  Marion  4,548;  coroner— H.  R.  Wells  4,593; 
commissioner,  2d — W.  L.  Dimmick  4,541 ;  commissioner,  3d — A.  C.  Turner 
4,522;  judge,  six  years— John  R.  Mitchell  3,130,  Wallace  Mount  2,527,  John 

F.  Main  2,470,  W.  H.  Pemberton  1,359,  W.  O.  Chapman  1,327,  Edgar  G.  Mills 
1,190;  judge,  four  years — Kenneth  Mackintosh  2,636;  judge,  two  years — War- 
ren W.  Tollman  2,307. 

It  may  be  noted  that  the  referendum  measure  was  the  question  of  the 
"bone-dry"  prohibition  law,  passed  by  the  legislature  of  1917.  In  the  state,  as 
in  Yakima  County,  the  law  was  overwhelmingly  sustained. 

Yakima  has  had  its  full  share  in  the  politics  of  the  state  and  nation.  The 
most  conspicuous  contribution  to  national  politics  has  been  Senator  Wesley  L. 
Jones.  Coming  to  Yakima  from  Illinois  in  1889,  Mr.  Jones  devoted  his  first 
years  to  the  upbuilding  of  a  large  law  practice,  and  in  1898  was  chosen  repre- 
sentative to  Congress.  Four  successive  elections  as  representative  followed.  In 
1908  he  was  designated  by  popular  vote  and  therefore  chosen  to  the  Senate.  In 
the  election  of  1914,  he  was  reelected  to  the  Senate  by  popular  vote. 

One  of  the  very  interesting  historical  points  in  the  political  historj'  of 
Senator  Jones  was  his  famous  encounter  on  the  platform  at  Walla  Walla  with 
"Dude"  Lewis.  This  occurred  on  October  22,  1898,  and  was  practically  Mr. 
Jones'  introduction  to  the  political  world.  He  was  relatively  unknown  at  that 
time,  while  Congressman  Lewis  was  the  most  noted  as  well  as  most  picturesque 
figure  in  Washington  politics.  Moreover,  Mr.  Lewis,  in  spite  of  his  "pink 
whiskers"  and  incredible  number  of  flaming  neckties  and  vari-colored  pairs  of 
trousers,  was  a  man  of  great  ability  and  had  a  reputation  as  a  brilliant  orator 
and  effective  debater  which  made  him  hard  to  beat  in  any  political  arena.    While 

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306  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

opinions  differed  as  to  the  honors  in  this  famous  contest,  the  wit,  good  nature 
and  argumentative  skill  of  Mr.  Jones  against  his  wary  and  skillful  opponent 
were  such  as  to  carry  him  at  a  jump  to  the  front  rank  of  political  orators  and 
to  give  him  a  standing  which  played  no  small  part  in  his  election  two  weeks 
later. 

Yakima  County,  like  most  irrigated  regions,  with  its  predominance  of  small 
land  holdings  and  intensive  farming,  and  generally  high-class  rural  life,  and  the 
accompaniment  of  good  schools,  churches  and  general  diffusion  of  intelligence, 
has  always  been  progressive  on  moral  and  reformatory  measures.  We  are  not 
surprised,  therefore,  that  in  spite  of  some  strong  centering  of  predatory  inter- 
ests in  the  city,  the  power  of  the  outlying  precincts  was  so  great  as  to  secure 
an  overwhelming  support  for  the  three  great  sets  of  amendments  to  the  con- 
stitution; woman  suffrage  in  1908,  initiative,  recall,  direct  primary  and  refer- 
endum in  1912,  and  prohibition  in  1914.  While  professional  politicians  have 
sneered  and  railed  at  these  measures,  there  can  be  no  nutstion  that  from  the 
viewpoint  of  the  genuine  permanent  interests  of  the  people,  these  and  their 
correlative  measures  outweigh  infinitely  the  little  squirming  jobs  hatched  out  by 
peanut  politicians  in  legislative  lobbies  and  in  the  back  rooms  of  gambling  dens, 
and  which  necessarily  make  up  the  staple  of  politics  unles.^  the  real  producers 
of  a  country  assume  their  rightful  responsibilities  and  take  possession  of  their 
rightful  heritage,  and,  in  short,  run  their  own  government.  Communities  such 
as  are  generated  by  the  conditions  of  life  in  Yakima,  and  indeed  mainly  in  the 
state  of  Washington  and  the  Northwest,  are  sure  to  do  this  in  the  long  run. 
They  are,  therefore,  the  ver>'  bedrock  of  those  principles  which  will  "make  the 
world  safe  for  democracy." 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  historian,  the  record  of  ilie  territorial  officers 
from  1853  to  1889  possesses  permanent  value,  and  we  accordingly  incorporate 
it  at  this  point. 

GOVERNORS   OF   THE   TERRITORY 

Isaac  I.  Stevens— 1853  to  1857.  Edward    S.    Salomon— 1870  to  1872. 
J.    Patton    Anderson— 1857.     Did    not     James     F.     Legate— 1872.     Did     not 

qualify.  qualify. 

Fayette  McMullen— 1857  to  1859.  Elisha  P.  Ferry-— 1872  to  1880. 

R.  D.  Gholson— 1859  to  1861.  W.  A.  Newell— 1880  to  1884. 

W.  H.  Wallace— 1861.  Watson  C.  Squire— 1884  to  1887. 

William  Pickering— 1862  to  1866.  Eugene  Semple— 1887  to  1889. 

George  E.  Cole— 1866  to  1867.  Miles  C.  Moore  (seven  months)— 1889 
Marshal  F.  Moore — 1867  to  1869.  to  statehood. 

Alvin  Flanders— 1869  to  1870. 

TERRITORIAL   DELEGATES   IN    CONGRESS 

1853 — Columbia  Lancaster,  dem.  1861 — William  H.  Wallace,  whig 

1854— William  H.  Wallace,  whig  1863— George  E.  Cole,  dem. 

1855 — J.  Patton  Anderson,  dem.  1865 — A.  A.  Denny,  rep. 

1857 — Isaac  I.  Stevens,  dem.  1867 — Alvin  Flanders,  rep. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  307 

TERRITORIAL  DELEGATES  IN   CONGRESS — Continued 

1869— S.  Garfielde,  rep.  1880— Thomas  PI.  Brents,  rep. 

1870— S.  Garfielde,  rep.  1882— Thomas  H.  Brents,  rep. 

1872— O.  B.  McFadden,  dem.  1884— C.  S.  Voorhees,  dem. 

1874 — Orange  Jacobs,  rep.  1886 — C.  S.  Voorhees,  dem. 

1878— Thomas  B.  Brents,  rep.  1888— John  B.  Allen,  rep. 

UNITED    STATES    SURVEYORS    GENERAL    IN    THE    TERRITORY 

James  Tilton— 1853  to  1860.  L.  B.  Beach— 187:.. 

A.  G.  Henry— 1864  to  1866.  Wilham  McMicken— 1873  to  1886. 
Sehicius  Garfielde— 1866  to  1869.  J.  C.  Breckinridge— 1886  to  1889. 
E.  P.  Ferry— 1870  to  1872.  T.  H.  Cavanaugh— 1889  to  statehood. 

UNITED  STATES  ATTORNEYS   IN   THE  TERRITORY 

J.  S.  Clendenin— 1853  to  1856.  J.  J.  McGilvra— 1861  to  1867. 

H.  R.  Crosbie— 1856  to .  Leander  Holmes— 1867  to  1873. 

J.  S.  Smith— 1857  to  1859.  Samuel  C.  Wingard— 1873  to  1874. 

B.  P.  Anderson— 1859  to  1861.  John  B.  Allen— 1875  to  1886. 
William  H.  White— 1886  to  statehood. 

UNITED  STATES   MARSHALS   IN   THE   TERRITORY 

J.  P.  Anderson— 1853  to  1855.  Philip  Ritz— 1869  to . 

G.  W.  Corliss— 1856  to  1858.  E.  S.  Kearney— 1870  to  1874. 

Charles  E.  Weed— 1859  to  1862.  Charles  Hopkins— 1875  to  1886. 

William  Huntington— 1863  to  1868.  T.  J.  Hamilton— 1886  to  statehood. 

SECRETARIES   OF   THE    TERRITORY 

Charles  H.  Mason— 1853  to  1857.  James  Scott— 1870  to  1872. 

H.  M.  McGill— 1857  to  1860.  J.  C.  Clements— 1872  to . 

L.  J.  S.  Turney— 1861  to  1862.  Henry  G.  Struve— 1873  to  1879. 

Elwood  Evans— 1862  to  1867.  N.  H.  Owings— 1879  to  1889. 

E.  L.  Smith— 1867  to  1870.  O.  C.  White— 1889  to  statehood. 


TERRITORIAL   TREASURERS 

William  Cock— 1854  to  1861.  J.  H.  Munson— 1872. 

D.  Phillips— 1862  to  1863.  E.  T.  Gunn— 1873  to  1874. 

William  Cock— 1864.  Francis  Tarbell— 1875  to  1880. 

Benjamin  Harned— 1865.  Thomas  N.  Ford— 1881  to  1886. 

James  Tilton— 1866.  William  McMicken— 1886  to  1888. 

Benjamin  Harned— 1867  to  1870.  Frank  I.   Blodgett— 1888  to  statehood. 


Hill  Haimon— 1871. 


308 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


TERRITORIAL    AUDITORS 


Urban  E.  Hicks— 1858  to  1859. 
A.  J.  Moses— 1859  to  1860. 
J.  C.  Head— 1860  to  1862. 
R.  M.  Walker— 1862  to  1864. 
Urban  E.  Hicks— 1865  to  1867. 
John  M.  Murphy— 1867  to  1870. 


J.  G.  Sparks— 1871. 

N.  S.  Porter— 1872. 

John  M.  Murphy— 1873  to  1874. 

John  R.  Wheat— 1875  to  1876. 

Thomas  M.  Reed— 1877  to  1888. 

J.  M.  Murphy— 1888  to  statehood. 


TERRITORIAL    CHIEF   JUSTICES 


Edward  Lander— 1853  to  1858. 
O.  B.  McFadden— 1858  to  1861. 
C.  C.  Hewitt— 1861  to  1869. 
B.  F.  Dennison— 1869. 
William  L.  Hill— 1870. 
Orange  Jacobs— 1871  to  1875. 


J.  R.  Lewis— 1875  to  1879. 
Roger  S.  Greene— 1879  to  1887. 
Richard  A.  Jones— 1887  to  1888. 
C.  E.  Boyle— 1888,  died  December. 
Thomas  Burke— 1888  to  1889. 
C.  H.  Hanford— 1889  to  statehood. 


TERRITORIAL    ASSOCIATE    JUSTICES 


Victor  "Monroe — 1853. 
F.  A.  Chenoweth— 1853  to  1858. 
O.  B.  McFadden— 1853  to  1858. 
William  Strong— 1858  to  1861. 
E.  C.  Fitzhugh— 1858  to  1861. 
J.  E.  Wyche— 1861  to  1870. 
E.  P.  Oliphant— 1861  to  1870. 
C.  B.  Darwin— 1867. 
B.  F.  Dennison— 1868. 
Orange  Jacobs— 1869  to  1870. 


James  K.  Kennedy — 1870  to  1873. 
J.  R.  Lewis— 1873  to  1875. 
Roger  S.  Greene— 1871  to  1879. 
S.  C.  Wingard— 1875  to  1879. 
John  P.  Hoyt— 1879  to  1887. 
George  Turner— 1884  to  1888. 
L.  B.  Nash— 1888  to  1889. 
W.  G.  Langford— 1886  to  statehood. 
Frank  Allyn — 1887  to  statehood. 
W.  H.  Calkins— 1S89  to  statehood. 


TERRITORIAL  ATTORNEY  GENERAL 

J.  B.  Metcalfe— 1888  to  statehood. 

As  giving  a  view  of  the  conditions  of  this  good  land  in  which  we  live  at 
the  great  turning  point  of  induction  into  statehood,  the  addresses  of  the  last 
territorial  governor,  Miles  C.  Moore,  and  the  first  state  governor,  Elisha  P. 
Ferry,  cannot  fail  to  interest  our  readers  of  Yakima,  Kittitas  and  Benton 
counties,  along  with  those  of  all  other  sections,  and  we  accordingly  include  them 
in  this  chapter. 

"Lest  We  Forget" 
Notable  Addresses  on  Washington  State  Admission  Day,  November   11,   1889 


EX-GOVERNOR    MOORE  S    ADDRESS 


Ladies  and  Gentlemen :     A  custom  has  grown  up  here  at  the  capital  city 
and  crystalHzed  into  unwritten  law,  which  requires  the  retiring  governor  to  de- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  309 

liver  his  own  valedictory,  and  also  to  salute  the  incomiiio'  administration.  In 
accordance  with  that  custom  I  am  here  as  the  last  of  the  race  of  territorial  gov- 
ernors to  say  "Hail  and  farewell."  Hail  to  the  lusty  young  state  of  Washington, 
rising  like  a  giant  in  its  strength ;  farewell  to  old  territorial  days.  It  is  an  occa- 
sion for  reminiscence,  for  retrospection.  To  those  of  us  who  have  watched  at 
the  cradle  of  Washington's  political  childhood,  this  transition  to  statehood  has 
its  pathetic  side.  It  stirs  within  us  memories  of  the  "brave  days  of  old."  The 
past  rises  before  us.     . 

We  see  again  the  long  line  of  white  canvas-covered  wagons  leaving  the 
fringe  of  settlements  of  the  then  western  frontier,  through  tear-dimmed  eyes 
we  see  them  disappear  down  behind  the  western  horizon,  entered  upon  that  vast 
terra  incognita,  the  great  American  desert  of  our  school  days.  At  last  we  see 
them  emerge,  after  months  of  weary  travel  upon  the  plains  of  eastern  Washing- 
ton, or,  later,  hewing  out  paths  in  the  wilderness,  striving  to  reach  that  "Eden 
they  call  Puget  Sound."  Hither  year  after  year  came  the  pioneers  and  builded 
their  homes  and  planted  the  symbols  of  their  faith  upon  the  -ban-k-s  of  your  rivers, 
in  the  sun-kissed  valleys  of  your  Inland  Empire,  under  the  shadows  of  your 
grand  mountains,  and  upon  the  shores  of  this  vast  inland  sea. 

Very  gradually  we  grew.  The  donation  act  passed  by  Congress,  in  1^50, 
giving  to  each  man  and  his  wife  who  would  settle  thereon  a  square  mile  of  land 
in  this  fertile  region,  attracted  the  first  considerable  immigration.  It  also  prob- 
ably saved  to  the  United  States  this  Northwest  territory.  The  entire  popula- 
tion, which  at  the  date  of  organization  as  a  separate  territory,  in  1853,  was. 
5,500,  had  grown  to  only  24,000  in  1870,  and  to  67,000  in  1880. 

Still  with  an  abiding  faith  in  the  ultimate  greatness  of  Washington,  and 
the  attractions  of  her  climate,  when  her  wealth  of  resources  should  become 
known,  the  old  settler  watched  through  the  long  years  the  gradual  unfolding 
of  these  resources,  the  slow  increase  in  population.  At  last  the  railroad  came, 
linking  us  with  the  populous  centers  of  civilization.  They  poured  upon  us  a 
restless  stream  of  immigration.  A  change  came  over  the  sleepy  old  territory. 
These  active,  pushing  emigrants,  the  best  blood  of  the  older  states,  are  leveling 
the  forests,  they  are  delving  in  the  mines,  they  are  tunneling  the  mountains, 
they  are  toiling  in  the  grain  fields,  they  are  building  cities,  towns  and  villages, 
filling  the  heavens  with  the  shining  towers  of  religion  and  civilization. 

The  old  settler  finds  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  strange  new  age  and  almost 
uncomprehended  scenes.  The  old  order  of  things  has  passed  away  but  your 
sturdy,  self-reliant  pioneer  looks  not  mournfully  into  the  past.  He  is  with  you 
in  the  living  present,  with  you  here  today,  rejoicing  in  the  marvelous  prosperity 
visible  everywhere  around  him,  rejoicing  to  see  the  empire  which  he  wrested 
from  savage  foes  become  the  home  of  a  happy  people,  rejoicing  to  see  that 
empire,  emerged  from  the  condition  of  territorial  vassalage,  put  on  the  robes  of 
sovereignty. 

We  are  assembled  here  to  celebrate  this  event,  the  most  important  in  the 
history  of  Washington,  and  to  put  in  motion  the  wheels  of  the  state  government. 
Through  many  slow  revolving  years  the  people  of  Washington  have  waited  for 
their  exalted  privileges.     So  quietly  have  they  come  at  last,  so  quietly  have  we 


310  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

passed  from  political  infancy  to  the  manly  strength  and  independence  of  state- 
hood, that  we  scarce  can  realize  that  we  have  attained  the  fruition  of  our  hopes. 

Let  us  not  forget  in  this  hour  of  rejoicing  the  responsibility  that  comes 
with  autonomy.  Let  us  not  forget  that  under  statehood  life  will  still  have  woes, 
that  there  will  still  be  want  and  misery  in  this  fair  land  of  ours.  To  reduce 
these  to  the  minimum  is  the  problem  of  statesmanship.  The  responsibility  rests 
largely  with  our  lawmakers  now  assembled  here.  A  good  foundation  has  been 
laid  in  the  adoption  of  an  admirable  constitution  pronounced  by  an  eminent 
authority  "as  good  as  any  state  now  has  and  probably  as  good  as  any  will  ever 
get."  Upon  this  you  are  to  build  the  superstructure  of  the  commonwealth  by 
enacting  laws  for  the  millions  who  are  to  dwell  therein. 

You  have  the  storehouse  of  the  centuries  from  which  to  draw,  the  crystal- 
lized experience  of  lawmakers  from  the  days  of  Justinian  down  to  present  times. 
To  fail  to  give  us  good  laws  will  be  to  "sin  against  light."  "Unto  whomsoever 
much  is  given  of  him  shall  be  much  required."  The  eyes  of  all  the  people  are 
upon  you.  It  is  hoped  and  confidently  expected  you  will  bring  to  the  discharge 
of  your  duties  wisdom,  industry  and  lofty  patriotism ;  that  when  your  work  is 
done  it  will  be  found  to  have  been  well  done ;  that  capital  and  labor  will  here 
have  equal  recognition  and  absolute  protection :  that  here  will  arise  an  ideal 
commonwealth,  the  home  of  a  race  to  match  our  mountains,  worthy  to  wear 
the  name  of  Washington. 

Now  that  I  am  about  to  surrender  my  trust  and  return  to  private  life,  I 
desire  to  testify  to  my  grateful  appreciation  of  the  uniform  kindness,  forbear- 
ance and  courtesy  accorded  me  by  the  people  of  Olympia,  j.nd  by  all  the  citizens 
of  Washington,  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  meet  during  my  brief  term  of 
office.  I  shall  always  cherish  among  the  pleasant  experiences  of  my  life  the 
seven  months  passed  here  as  Washington's  last  territorial  governor. 

To  your  governor-elect  you  need  no  introduction;  if  not  a  pioneer,  he  is 
at  least  an  old  settler.  It  is  a  graceful  tribute  to  this  class  that  one  of  their 
number  was  selected  to  be  the  first  governor  of  the  state.  It  affords  me  pleasure 
to  testify  to  his  thorough  and  absolute  devotion  to  its  interests.  His  every 
thought  is  instinct  with  love  for  the  fair  young  state.  I  bespeak  for  him  vour 
generous  cooperation  and  assistance. 

GOVERNOR    ferry's    ADDRESS 

Fellow  citizens  of  the  state  of  Washington:  The  11th  day  of  November, 
1889,  will  be  a  memorial  epoch  in  our  history.  It  will  be  known  and  designated 
as  "Admission  Day."  Its  anniversary  will  be  celebrated  and  it  may  very  prop- 
erly be  placed  among  our  legal  holidays.  On  that  day  the  territory-  of  Wash- 
ington, after  an  existence  of  more  than  thirty-six  years,  ceased  to  be,  and  in 
its  place  the  state  of  Washington,  the  forty-second  star  in  the  national  constella- 
tion, was  called  into  being.  Our  minority  and  our  deprivation  of  our  most 
cherished  and  important  rights  and  privileges  of  American  citizens  continued 
longer  than  we  desired  or  was  necessary.  Many  of  those  around  me  have 
looked  forward  to  statehood  through  years  added  to  years  until  they  almost 
despaired  of  the  realization  of  their  hopes. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  311 

To  those  whose  residence  in  our  commonvveahh  has  exi ended  only  through 
a  short  period,  the  inauguration  of  the  first  state  government  may  not  appear 
to  be  of  great  importance,  but  to  those  whose  hair  has  grown  white  beneath 
this  sky,  to  those  who  in  early  days  crossed  a  continent  by  long  and  weary- 
marches  ;  to  those  who  planted  the  standard  of  civilization  and  Christianity 
within  its  borders ;  to  those,  the  ever-to-be-remembered  pioneers,  it  is  an  event 
of  transcendent  interest;  to  those  it  is  the  consummation  of  hopes  long  deferred 
yet  ever  renewed.  It  is  the  accomplishment  of  a  result  for  which  they  have 
waited  with  anxious  solicitude  and  which  they  now  welcome  with  joy  and  satis- 
faction. 

The  inauguration  of  the  state  government  which  occurs  today  is  also  a 
most  important  event  in  the  history  of  the  commonwealth.  It  marks  the  end  of 
one  form  of  government  and  the  beginning  of  another.  So  plain  is  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  present  hour  and  so  evident  is  its  import  that  those  present,  young 
and  old  alike,  feel  the  weight  of  the  great  event  and  will  in  future  years 
proudly  refer  to  the  fact  that  they  saw  the  wheels  of  government  of  the  state 
of  Washington  put  in  action  for  the  first  time  and  that  they  marked  the  moment 
the  last  act  was  performed  by  which  the  territory  of  Washington  passed  into 
history  and  the  state  of  Washington  entered  upon  its  active  governmental 
career. 

The  territory  of  Washington  was  established  March  2,  1853.  Its  bound- 
aries then  were :  The  British  possessions  on  the  north ;  the  Rocky  Mountains 
on  the  east ;  the  Columbia  River  and  the  forty-sixth  parallel  of  north  latitude 
on  the  south  and  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  west.  It  was  then  almost  an  empire 
in  extent.  Those  boundaries  remained  until  the  formation  of  the  territory  of 
Idaho,  March  3,  1863,  when  our  eastern  boundary  was  changed  to  the  118th 
meridian,  where  it  now  remains. 

It  is  impossible  at  this  time  to  give  even  a  synopsis  of  the  events  which 
have  occurred  during  our  territorial  life.  The  history  of  the  territory  remains 
to  be  written.  To  that  we  must  look  for  an  account  of  the  dangers  and  hard- 
ships encountered  by  the  early  settlers;  of  the  political  events  that  transpired 
during  the  territorial  period  and  of  the  gradual  change  of  a  wilderness  inhab- 
ited by  savages  into  a  commonwealth  possessing  all  the  advantages  of  the  high- 
est civilization. 

The  years  which  have  passed  under  the  territorial  government  have  been 
profitably  employed.  Washington  has,  during  all  this  time,  been  growing 
stronger  financially,  commercially  and  politically.  It  has  gained  an  enviable 
reputation.  Its  resources  have  been  exhibited  and  its  capabilities  have  been 
made  known.  Its  ability  to  assume  the  responsibilities  and  bear  the  burdens 
of  statehood  are  far  greater  than  at  any  time  in  the  past.  Already  it  outranks 
several  other  states  of  the  Union  in  population  and  wealth  and  is  pressing  for- 
ward with  giant  strides  to  that  high  position  which  it  is  destined  to  occupy.  Our 
commonwealth  enters  upon  statehood  under  circumstances  that  are  most  favor- 
able; under  auspices  which  assure  a  prosperous  future.  Even,'  branch  of  busi- 
ness is  flourishing.  For  several  years  the  tide  of  fortune  has  been  with  our 
citizens,  and  they  have  taken  the  treasure  which  has  floated  upon  its  bosom. 


312  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  attention  of  the  world  has  been  attracted  by  our  commercial  facilities, 
by  our  agricultural  and  manufacturing  advantages;  by  our  resources  of  timber, 
coal,  iron  and  the  precious  metals,  and  by  our  phenomenally  pleasant  climate. 
Capital  and  population  are  flowing  in  upon  us  in  an  apparently  endless  stream. 
Commerce,  manufacturing  and  agriculture,  the  three  great  elements  of  a  na- 
tion's prosperity,  are  on  a  firm  basis,  and  the  possibilities  of  their  future  devel- 
opment are  boundless. 

Young  and  comparatively  undeveloped  as  it  is,  Washington  enters  the 
Union  the  peer  of  any  state  and  the  superior  of  many.  Only  a  few  years  of  this 
century  remain,  but  before  they  are  gone  Washington  will  be  universally  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  American  states. 

It  attains  its  majority  and  enters  the  Union  well  endowed.  Owing  to  the 
generosity  of  its  sister  states,  through  their  representatives  in  Congress,  it  has 
received  more  than  half  a  million  acres  of  land  of  the  present  value  of  more 
than  five  millions  of  dollars,  in  addition  to  the  magnificent  grant  for  the  support 
of  common  schools.  Washington  is,  therefore,  not  only  wealthy  in  its  resources 
and  capabilities  but  in  fact.  The  present,  indeed,  gives  promise  of  a  glorious 
future,  and  the  past,  too,  adds  its  evidence  to  strengthen  our  hopes.  The  recent 
progress  of  Washington  has  been  truly  marvelous.  Less  than  a  decade  since, 
its  population  was  75,000;  now  it  is  more  than  300,000. 

The  assessed  value  of  its  property  was  then  $22,000,000;  now  it  is  $125,- 
000,000.  Then  only  a  few  miles  of  railroad  had  been  constructed  within  its. 
borders;  now  they  penetrate  to  nearly  every  part  of  the  state,  and  one  trans- 
continental road  extends  from  its  eastern  almost  to  its  western  boundary.  Then. 
its  largest  city  had  less  than  5,000  inhabitants ;  now  it  has  three  cities  each  of 
which  has  more  than  25,000.  Truly  the  recent  past  gives  promise  of  a  future- 
which  will  realize  our  most  sanguine  anticipations. 

The  state  is  now,  practically,  connected  with  the  south  and  east  by  three 
transcontinental  railroads,  and  there  is  every  reason  for  hope  that  this  nuinber 
will  be  increased,  perhaps  doubled,  within  a  few  years.  With  this  increase  will 
come  manifest  advantages.  Freight  and  passenger  rates  between  Wasliington: 
and  the  east  will  be  materially  decreased.  New  markets  for  our  products  will 
thus  be  opened,  and  the  price  of  necessities  of  eastern  manufacture  will  be  re- 
duced. 

With  this  increase  of  commercial  advantages  will  come  an  increase  in  man^ 
ufactures  and  an  increased  remuneration  for  industry  in  the  line  of  agriculture,, 
which  always  follows  the  growth  of  manufactures.     Truly  the  prospect  is  en- 
couraging.    It  is  such  that  the  citizen  of  Washington  can  look  upon  his  state. 
with  pride  and  anticipation  which  can  not  be  too  great. 

But  a  forecast  of  the  future  of  Washington  which  did  not  take  into  con- 
sideration the  possibilities  of  its  foreign  commerce  would  be  superficial  and 
very  incomplete.  Already  this  is  a  source  of  revenue  to  its  citizerrs,  the  im- 
portance of  which  can  not  be  overestimated.  Exports  from  Puget  Sound  are 
now  carried  to  ports  of  all  continents — North  America,  South  America,  Africa,. 
Asia,  Europe  and  Australia — and  to  many  of  the  islands  of  the  Pacific 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  313 

The  trade  of  Europe  with  the  Orient,  a  trade  which  enriched  every  country 
that  has  engaged  in  it,  is  now  insignificant  in  comparison  with  what  it  will  be- 
come in  the  near  future.  The  uncounted  mihions  of  China  and  North  Asia  are 
beginning  to  awaken  to  the  advantages  of  our  civihzation.  Year  by  year  they 
accept  more  and  more  of  the  manufactured  goods  of  Europe  and  America. 
Wheat  is  supplanting  rice  as  a  staple  article  of  food.  The  Orient  is  looking  to 
the  Occident  for  its  supplies. 

Here  will  spring  up  a  trade  which  will  vastly  outmeasure  the  old  Oriental 
trade  (and  it  is  fair  to  suppose  that  a  reasonable  proportion  of  this  mighty 
stream  of  commerce  will  flow  through  Paget  Sound,  which  is  nearer  by  many 
thousand  miles  to  the  commercial  cities  of  Asia  than  are  the  competing  ports  of 
Europe).  The  manufactured  products  of  eastern  America  and  the  products  of 
our  own  state  will  be  exchanged  here  for  the  products  of  Asia.  As  a  conse- 
quence of  this  trade,  there  will  arise  upon  the  waters  of  Paget  Sound  several 
commercial  cities,  one  at  least  of  which  will  rank  with  the  great  commercial 
cities  of  the  world. 

The  eastern  portion  of  the  state  is  unrivalled  in  the  production  of  all  the 
cereals  and  fruits  indigenous  to  the  temperate  zones,  and  its  productive  capacity 
is  almost  incalculable. 

Are  not  these  considerations  sufficient  to  justify  the  citizens  of  Washing- 
ton in  their  firmly  rooted  belief  that  their  state  will  ultimately  be  one  of  the 
foremost  in  the  Union? 

The  substitution  of  a  state  government  for  that  of  the  territory  imposes 
upon  the  citizens  of  Washington  more  solemn  duties  and  graver  responsibilities 
than  those  to  which  they  have  been  accustomed.  Hitherto  the  power  of  our 
legislature  to  enact  laws  has  been  limited  and  restricted  by  the  organic  act  and 
the  amendments  thereto,  and  by  the  various  laws  that  have  been  passed  by  Con- 
gress relating  to  the  territories. 

Further  than  this.  Congress  reserved  the  right  to  annul  any  law  passed  by 
the  territorial  legislature  which  seemed  to  be  unwise  and  injudicious.  We  had 
no  voice  in  the  selecting  of  our  executive  and  judicial  officers,  and  none  in 
directing  the  course  of  the  national  government.  Hereafter  all  will  be  changed. 
The  powers  of  our  legislature  will  be  limited  only  by  the  constitution  of  the 
United  States  and  that  of  the  state  of  Washington.  Our  citizens  will  be  on  an 
equality  with  those  of  any  other  state  of  the  Union,  and  rheir  wishes  will  have 
due  weight  in  determining  the  policy  of  the  national  government. 

We  should  therefore  exercise  a  conscientious  endeavor  to  bear  well  these 
new  responsibilities  and  discharge  faithfully  the  new  duties  which  are  ours,  and 
prove  ourselves  worthy  of  the  rights  which  we  have  secured.  Let  greater  wis- 
dom accompany  the  greater  power  that  we  now  possess.  Let  us  discharge  the 
additional  duties  devolving  upon  us  in  a  manner  that  will  redound  to  our  credit, 
advance  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  our  state,  and  add  importance  and 
strength  to  the  national  Union. 

The  constitution  which  has  been  adopted  by  our  people  and  on  which  our 
state  government  must  rest,  although  not  universally  approved,  appears  to  be 
satisfactory  to  a  great  majority  of  our  fellow  citizens.     No  one  should  have 


314  HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  \'ALLEY 

anticipated  a  perfect  constitution.  An  instrument  of  that  character  has  never 
been,  and  never  will  be,  devised.  If  the  constitution  is  as  perfect  as  could  rea- 
sonably be  expected,  taking  into  consideration  existing  conflicting  interests,  and 
radical  differences  of  opinion  that  are  entertained  upon  many  important  govern- 
mental and  other  questions,  then  all  should  be  content ;  submit  to  the  will  of  the 
majority  and  at  least  be  willing  to  give  the  constitution  a  fair  trial. 

Should,  however,  experience  teach  any  of  its  provisions  are  unwise  or 
others  required,  or  that  additional  limitations  upon  legislative  power  are  neces- 
sary, then  let  amendments  be  prepared  in  the  manner  provided.  There  are 
indications  that  this  course  is  not  satisfactory  to  all  of  our  fellow  citizens. 
Already  amendments  are  suggested  and  agitated.     This  is  not  a  good  policy. 

No  attempt  to  change  the  constitution  should  be  made  until  time  and  ex- 
perience shall  demonstrate  that  changes  are  advisable,  and  that  suggested  amend- 
ments would  improve  it  and  render  it  more  satisfactory  than  it  now  is.  Changes 
should  not  be  countenanced  or  approved  by  any  one  who  believes  that  the 
fundamental  law  should  be  reasonably  permanent  and  who  is  willing  that  it  be 
submitted  to  the  test  of  experience. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  state  constitution  is  only  a  limitation  upon  legislative 
power,  differing  in  his  respect  from  the  constitution  of  the  United  States, 
which  is  a  grant  of  power.  It  is  therefore  to  be  presumed  that  in  addition  to 
the  specified  subjects  in  the  constitution  upon  which  the  legislature  is  required 
to  take  action  it  will  at  its  first  session  enact  such  laws  as  will  remedy  what,  to 
many,  may  appear  to  be  defects  in  that  instrument. 

Within  the  past  few  months  several  of  the  largest  cities  in  our  common- 
wealth have  suffered  from  disastrous  conflagrations.  In  a  few  hours  property 
of  thei  value  of  many  millions  of  dollars,  the  accumulation  of  years,  the  pro- 
ceeds of  lives  of  toil,  was  swept  out  of  existence.  To  individuals  in  many  in- 
stances these  fires  occasioned  serious  losses,  and  may  be  regarded  as  calami- 
ties, but  the  cities  will  sustain  no  permanent  injury.  They  are  being  rapidly 
rebuilt,  better  and  more  substantial  than  before.  The  check  to  business  was 
only  temporary,  and  the  population  of  each  has  increased  without  interruption. 

The  undaunted  courage,  the  indefatigable  enterprise  and  the  persevering 
energy  displayed  by  the  people  of  those  cities  under  what  were  considered  over- 
whelming misfortunes  have  excited  admiration  and  astonishment  throughout 
the  continent  and  wherever  the  facts  have  become  knov/n.  These  characteris- 
tics have  been  fully  recognized  and  appreciated  by  foreign  capitalists,  who 
oft'ered  loans  to  these  cities  to  enable  them  to  rebuild  at  less  rates  of  interest 
than  those  formerly  demanded. 

In  this  respect,  as  well  as  in  others,  these  conflagrations  have  already 
shown  themselves  to  be  beneficial  rather  than  calamitous.  Great  disasters  bring 
out  the  true  character  of  a  people. 

With  resources  superior  to  those  of  any  other  equal  ^rea,  with  a  population 
as  enterprising  as  it  is  courageous,  with  a  climate  which  commends  itself  to  all 
who  experience  it,  occupying  a  position  at  the  gateway  of  the  Oriental  and  Oc- 
cidental commerce  of  the  future,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  state  of  Washing- 
ton should  not  in  the  near  future  take  rank  among  the  most  prominent  states 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


315 


of  the  Union,  nor  why  our  people  should  not  enjoy  the  priceless  blessings  of 
prosperity,  health  and  happiness. 

Having  been  elected  by  my  fellow  citizens  to  the  office  of  governor  of  the 
state  of  Washington,  I  am  about  to  take  the  prescribed  oath  and  enter  upon  the 
discharge  of  my  duties.  I  fully  appreciate  the  dignity  and  honor  of  the  posi- 
tion and  am  profoundly  grateful  to  my  fellow  citizens  for  the  confidence  which 
they  have  reposed  in  me.  At  the  same  time  I  deeply  realize  the  responsibilities 
that  I  assume  and  the  difficulties  and  embarrassments  with  which  I  may  be  sur- 
rounded. Matters  will  necessarily  come  before  me  for  action  about  which 
honest  differences  of  opinion  will  be  entertained  by  my  tellow  citizens.  I  can 
not  hope  that  my  course  will  be  satisfactory  to  all,  but  I  can  sincerely  assure 
you  that  at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances  my  highest  and  best  efforts 
will  be  directed  to  the  promotion  of  the  various  interests  of  the  people  of  the 
state  of  Washington. 

A    GENERAL    EXHIBIT    OF    FINANCIAL    CONDITIONS    OF    YAKIKA    COUNTY.     1917 

While,  as  indicated  in  the  preface  to  this  work,  the  author  has  not  believed 
that  it  should  be  largely  statistical,  it  seems  fitting  to  close  this  chapter  with  a 
general  view  of  the  financial  condition  of  the  county. 

Such  a  view'  will  have  a  permanent  value.  We  derive  the  following  figures 
from  the  elaborate  report  of  Auditor,  Charles  E.  Barrett. 

STATEMENT   OF    1917   TAX    ROLLS 

Returned  by  Equalized  by 

County  Assessor  County  Board 

Value  of  Land  Assessed $13,698,160  $13,680,380 

Value  of  Improvements  2.821,200  2,819,000 

Value  of  City  and  Town  Lots 3,716,685  3,716,685 

Value  of  Improvements  3,849,175  3,848,015 

Value  of  Personal  Property 5,120,540  5,108,700 

Value  of    Railroad    Property    (assessed    by 

State  Tax  Commission) 823,502  Personal           823,502 

Assessed  by  State  Tax  Commission 4,223,256  Real               4,223,256 

Value  of  Telegraph  Property    (assessed  by 

State  Tax  Commission)  9,593  Personal               9,593 

$34,262,111  $34,229,131 

Tax  Levied  on  1917  Rolls —                           Valuation  Levy  Tax 

State—General $34,229,131  1.235  $42,273.00 

School . 1.906  65,240.70 

Military    0.272  9,310.33 

Highway,  Public .906  31,011.60 

Highway,  Permanent 1.357  46,448.95 

University    .670  22,933.51 

College   .407  13,931.25 

Bellingham  Normal .138  4,723.62 


316 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


Cheney  Normal 

Ellensburg  Normal 

Capitol  Building  Construction 

Total  State  Tax 

County — Current  Expense $34,229,131 

Bond  Sinking  Fund 

County  School  

General  Road  and  Bridge 

Soldiers  Relief 


Cities,  Road,  Dike  and  Drainage  Districts — 

N.     Yakima     Dist.     "A"     Valuation 

*$66,565    

N.  Yakima  Dist.  "B"  Valuation $  347,205 

N.  Yakima  Dist.  "C"  Valuation 6,575,829 

N.  Yakima  Dist.  "D"  Valuation 1,223,328 

Yakima  City  103,135 

Wapato 218,295 

Toppenish  A 791,151 

Toppenish  B  17,775 

Toppenish   C    38,080 

Toppenish   D   47,085 

Mabton    257,285 

Granger 187,595 

Sunnyside    610,374 

Grandview    292,650 

Zillah   227,450 


.118  4,039.03 

.098  3,354.45 

.453  15,505.80 


Total  Valuation  of  Cities $10,937,237 

Road  Dist.  No.  1 $  5,692,302 

Road  Dist.  No.  2 2,207,623 

Road  Dist.  No.  3 4,462,490 

Road  Dist.  No.  4 1,778,710 

Road  Dist.  No.  5 1,717,300 

Road  Dist.  No.  6 2,400,523 

Road  Dist.  No.  8 2,347,145 

Road  Dist.  No.  9 2,685,801 

Total  Valuation  of  Road  and  Bridge-$23,291,894 

Dike  Di.st.  No.  1 

Dike  Dist.  No.  3 

Drainage  Dist.  No.     5 

Drainage  Dist.  No.    7 


7.560 

$258,772.23 

3.278 

$112,203.13 

1.119 

41,040.72 

3.964 

135,684.28 

3.955 

135,376.21 

.024 

821.50 

12.420 

$425,125.84 

1.73 

$115.16 

21.53 

7,475.34 

23.26 

152,953.90 

20.30 

24,833.57 

10.00 

1,031.35 

15.60 

3.405.44 

20.34 

16,092.09' 

19.80 

351.97 

18.28 

696.11 

18.28 

860.71 

15.94 

4.101.18 

14.70 

2,757.67 

16.45 

10,040.71 

10.15 

2,970.46 

15.30 

3.479.98 

$231,165.64 

5.80 

$33,015.40 

5.75 

12,694.02 

5.90 

26,328.85 

5.66 

10.067.57 

5.00 

8,586.52 

7.71 

18,508.16 

7.50 

17.603.94 

7.50 

15,147.90 

$141,952.36 

$    2,500.00 

2,452.06 

200.00 

250.00 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  317 

Drainage  Dist.  No.  10 1,000.00 

Drainage  Dist.  No.  11 7,583.83 


Total  Dike  and  Drainage  Dists._  $  13,985.89 

*Valuation  not  included  in  totals   (for  City  Bond  Tax  only). 

SCHOOL  DISTRICTS 

Bond,  Int.  High 

General     &  Red.  School       Total 

District  No.  Valuation           Levy  Fund  District     Levy  Tax 

2 $     393,715          8.80  .25  9.05        $    3,563.14 

3 228,880  10.00  1.76  11.76  2,691.68 

5 496,355    4.34     .91  5.25  2,605.91 

6 204,565  10.00  5.00  .42    15.42  3,154.43 

7 9,480,180    5.22  3.26  8.48  80,391.99 

8 84,010    5.07     .30  .28  5.65  474.66 

9 114,035    6.32  2.91  9.23  1,052.53 

10 366,475  10.00  2.35  .11    12.46  4,566.32 

11 96,460    8.23  1.27  9.50  916.43 

14 258,535  10.00  4.17  .76    14.93  3,860.00 

15 210,810    3.35  3.35  706.21 

24 37,230  10.00  10.00  372.30 

25 441,020    4.40  1.14  5.54  2,443.25 

26 901,470    3.23     .42  .14  3.79  3,416.63 

28 924,565    4.96  1.37  1.53  7.86  7,267.13 

29 80,160    4.14  3.44  7.58  607.60 

31 353,053    6.69     .79  .11  7.59  2,679.73 

32 735,230    7.71  3.54  11.25  8,271.44 

33 377,265    3.41  1.56  4.97  1,875.10 

34 610,783  10.00  1.89  11.89  7,262.26 

35 294,735    1.98     .99.  2.97  875.36 

36 1,014,185    7.92  2.89  10.81  10,963.40 

37 359,340    3.13  3.13  1,124.75 

39 1,662,410    4.06  4.14  8.20  13,631.76 

42 192,670    7.15  3.58  10.73  2,067.36 

49 2,134,981    5.21  4.62  9.83  20,986.93 

50 459,675    8.54  2.31  10.85  4,987.50 

51 320,125    5.98  3.46  .09  9.53  3,050.83 

52 88,610    4.58     .84  .86  6.28  556.47 

54 1.454,370    7.21  3.04  10.25  14,907.53 

57 235.685    7.24     .81  .48  8.53  2,010.44 

61 46.950    1.88  1.88  88.28 

63 1,686,579    9.42  4.45  13.87  23,392.88 

67 75,190    2.33  2.33  175.20 

73 53,540    3.90  3.90  208.81 

74 60,945    7.71     .83  .60  9.14  557.06 


318 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


81- 
82. 
84. 
85. 
86. 
87. 
88- 
89. 
90- 
91. 
92. 
93. 
94. 
96. 


64,510 
1,058.890 
67,580 
56,300 
101,440 
153,865 
237,250 
243,485 
684,985 
1,412,725 
582,890 
648,615 
110,315 
731,088 
176,055 
178,422 


4.11 
10.00 
8.63 
6.87 
6.24 
3.26 
2.40 
9.27 
9.85 
5.11 
15.00 
7.60 
2.01 
8.70 

1.96 


3.80 

4.57 
9.45 

1.99 

2.25 
1.65 
4.29 
.75 
1.33 
2.42 

3.16 
8.25 
1.75 


4.11 
13.80 
13.20 
16.32 
6.59 
5.25 
4.65 
10.92 
14.27 
5.94 
16.33 
10.02 
2.01 
11.86 
9.14 
3.71 


265.14 

14,612.76 

892.06 

918.82 

668.52 

807.82 

1,103.21 

2,658.98 

9,774.76 

8,391.69 

9,518.61 

6,499.09 

221.73 

8,670.91 

1,609.19 

'  661.94 


Bond,  Int.     High 
General     &  Red.     School 


District  No. 

98 

99 

100 

101 

102 

103 

104 

105 

106 

Jt.l 


Valuation 
154,400 
103,285 
285,810 
143,800 
54,580 
48,330 
24,420 

240,315 
97,220 

$34,229,131 


Levy 
5.17 
9.05 
10.00 
2.35 
3.68 
6.40 
10.00 
10.00 
7.76 
5.70 


Fund     District 
2.17 


4.03 
1.05 

10.72 

5.90 
1.20 
1.71 

3.50 


1.00 

4.18 
4.67 


.42 


Total 
Levy 

7.34 
14.08 
11.38 

6.53 
19.07 

6.40 
15.90 
11.20 

9.89 

9.20 


Tax 

1,133.33 

1.454.24 

3,252.55 

939.(M 

1,040.86 

309.33 

388.29 

378.23 

2,376.74 

894.33 

$317,205.37 


Total  Valuation - 


TOTAL  TAX  LEVIED  ON    1917  ROLLS 

..-$34,229,131 


Bro't  fwd.  from  page  1. 
Bro't  fwd.  from  page  2- 
Bro't  fwd.  from  page  3. 


DETAIL  OF  RECEIPTS 

From  Taxation 
STATE— 

General     $  57.692.61 

School , 66,603.41 

Military    '. --.       6.218.91 

Highway,  Public 31,367.20 


.$  683,898.07 
.  387,103.07 
.      317,205.37 

$1,388,207.33 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  319 

Highway,  Permanent 47,005.07 

Higher  Education 33,314.89 


Total $242,202.09 

COUNTY— 

Current  Expense $147,160.71 

School    133,426.61 

Road  and  Bridge 68,329.43 

Indigent  Soldiers  866.96 

Bond   Redemption   23,808.81 

Horticuhure    158.14 


Total $373,710.66 

CITIES  AND  TOWNS— 

Yakima   $150,816.78 

Union  Gap 1,014.14 

Wapato 2,634.79 

Toppenish    20,300.28 

Mabton 4,345.09 

Granger   2.922.97 

Sunnyside    12,454.57 

Grandview  3,314.24 

Zillah    2,634-.12 


Total $200,426.98 

Road  Districts $133,638.88 

Drainage  Districts   (Construction)    8,017.59 

Dike  Districts  1,096.22 

Schools— Special  Tax 219,740.29 

Schools— Bond  Redemption 77,070.45 

Drainage  Districts — Maintenance   5,284.32 

Drainage  Districts — Bond  Interest 5,764.84 


GRAND  TOTAL— Tax  Collections $1,266,952.32 

Detail  of  Receipts  From  Miscellaneous  Sources 

AUDITOR'S  OFFICE—                          Fund  Credited  Detail 

Filing  and  Recording C.  E.      $14,332.95 

Marriage  Licenses  (Auditor's  $2  fee  only)  C.  E.  1,117.00 

Sundry  Licenses C.  E.  3.00 

Certified  Copies C.  E.  134.45 

Searching   Records   C.  E.  17.25 

Satisfactions   C.  E.  145.75 

Acknowledgments  and  Affidavits C.  E.  805.75 

Estrays  Registered C.  E.  27.50 


320  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Certificates    C.  E.  100.50 

Liquor   Permits    C.  E.  5,061.50 

Miscellaneous    C.  E.  5.90 

Auto   Licenses   C.  E.  495.00 


Total    Earnings $  22,246.55 

Trust  Assurance  Fund .60 

Hunters'  Licenses — County County  Game  7,466.50 

Hunters'  Licenses — State State  Game  1,008.50 


Total   $    8,475.60 

Clerk's  $1.00  Marriage  License  Recording  Fee--$56O.0O 

CLERK'S  OFFICE— 

Civil  Earnings  C.  E.  ,$7,903.00 

Civil  Miscellaneous  C.  E.  370.45 

Notarial  Certificates  C.  E.  87.00 

Marriages    C.  E.  602.60 

Transcript  on  Appeal C.  E.  201.80 

Probate  Fees  Earned C.  E.  1,637.00 

Probate   Miscellaneous   C.  E.  156.45 

Criminal    Earned    C.  E.  312.40 


Total    $  11.270.70 

Court  Stenographer's  Cost C.  E.         $1,397.00      $     1,397.00 

TREASURER'S  OFFICE— 

Issuing  Tax  Deeds C.  E.         .$     90.00 

Certificates  of  Delinquency C.  E.  371.00 


Total    $       461.00 

SHERIFF'S  OFFICE— 

Deeds     C.  E.  $    348.00 

Fees   C.E.  1,315.75 

Mileage    C.E.  1,399.95 


Total   $    3,063.70 

Justice  of  the  Peace— Fees C.E.  $     1,211.95 

Fines — Humane   C.  E.  45.00 

Coroner's  Fees C.E.  3.20 

County  Justices    C.  E.  39.00 

Auditor — (Marriage  Trust  Fund) — Old 

Unrecorded   C.E.  13.00 

Miscellaneous  Licenses C.E.  150.00 

Constable's  Office — Fees C.  E.  349.00 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  321 

Gen'l  Road  and  Bridge— Sales Gen'l  R.  &  B.  $5,881.22 

Refunds "  1,339.20 

Rents "  75.70 

Forest  Reserve          "  2,007.83            9,303.95 

Fines  Permanent  Highway P.  H.  700.00 

Fines  State  School State  School  3,706.20 

County  Hospital— Receipts  of  State  Medical  State  Gen.  30.00            4,436.20 
Permanent  Highway  Maintenance — From 

State    P.  H.  M.  23,557.35 

Refunds    P.  H.  M.  6.75          23,564.10 

Costs— Criminal  Cases  from  State C.  E.  1,222.00            1,222.00 

Permanent  Highway— Refunds P.  H.  140.00               140.00 

Fines    Game  381.68 

Sales   Game  2.02               383.70 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENT'S  OFFICE— 

Schools— Tuition  from  Outside  Pupils Dist.  S.  S3,472.99 

Sale  of  Property 742.15 

Sale  of  Sundry  Supplies 120.15 

Book  Fines    26.65 

Proceeds  from  Entertainments 23.50 

Forest  Reserve 1,400.00 

Refunds   23.93 

Investments   166.72 

Benton  County  Taxes — Joint  Districts 655.81 

Benton  County  Bond  Redemption  Taxes 247.68 

Total $    6,879.58 

Examinations     Institute  239.00               239.00 

Sale  of  Registers  and  Records State  Gen.  28.20                 28.20 

School   Bonds   Sold 159,185.00        159,185.00 

Interest  Earned  on  Bond  Redemption  Fund  Bond  Red.  480.82               480.82 

Miscellaneous  Fines State  Gen.  25.00                 25.00 

State  Apportionment    (Am't   remitted  by 

State   only)    State  G.  Sch.  67,166.82          67,166.82 

LOCAL  IMPROVEMENTS,  Cities— 

Yakima    Cities        $         85.31 

Wapato Cities  8.47 

Toppenish    Cities  1,656.87 

Granger    Cities  7.42 

Sunnyside Cities  3,550.38 

Grandview   Cities  1,344.50 

Zillah Cities  58.42      $    6,711.37 

Total    $328,491.44 

(21) 


322  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Rent  of  County  Property C.  E.  5.00 

Sale  of  County  Property C.  E.  442.60 

Interest  of  Bank  Deposits C.  E.  11,054.01 

Game  Protection  Fines  (other  than  by  J  or  C  State  Game)  14.30 

Donations  to  County  C.  E.  142.94 

Money  found  on  Deceased  Persons C.  E.  .89 

Road  Districts— Sale  of  property Dist.  R.  &  B.       213.75 

Donations    482.04 

Refunds Dist.  R.  &  B.  5.704.65 

Mail  Accounts  Mail  225,867.48 

Certificates  of  Redemption  Funds Redemption  139,164.47 

Tax  Sales Tax  Trust  953.58 

Sales  of  Estrays C.  E.  135.97 

Advance  Taxes  (Platting  Property) Adv.  Tax  369.47 

Investments C.  E.  112.41 

County  Poor  Farm  Sales "  2,722.69 

Refunds "  9,656.46 

Refunds— Horticultural    "  3,538.77 

Board  of  Prisoners "  355.50 

Unclaimed  Tax  Deposits— Old "  75.02 

Drainage — Construction — Assessments Drainage  14,977.18 

Sales "  52.80 

Sale  of  Bonds "  229,821.58 

Sale  of  Investment  Warrants "  12,000.00 

Maintenance  Assessments "  7,141.17 

Refunds "  30.00 

Bond  Redemption  Assessments "  52,893.87 

Interest   "  1,174.33 

Refunds "  88.67 

Irrigation — Construction — Assessments Irrigation  45,861.01 

Sales  Water  Rights  "  3,077.65 

Refunds "  54.70 

Maintenance   Assessments "  38,050.01 

Sales "  870.27 

Refunds _^ "  72.75 

Bond  Redemption  Assessments 9,167.89 

Dike  Maintenance  Refunds Dike  80.43 

Total   $   816,426.31 

Total  Misc.  Receipts $1,144,917.75 

Interest  on  Del.  Taxes—  $     39,819.04 

GENERAL  BALANCE — ALL  ACCOUNTS 

Receipts 

Cash  Balance  Januar}'  1,  1917 $  433,662.46 

Receipts    from   Taxation 1,266,952.32 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  323 

Interest  on  Delinquent  Taxes 39,819.04 

Miscellaneous  Receipts 1,144,917.75 

Total   $2,885,351.57 

Disbiii'semenis 

State  Funds  Remitted $    181,.S74.47 

Current  Expense  Fund  Warrants 221,409.58 

Indigent  Soldiers'  Fund 711.20 

Game   Fund   6,369.77 

County  Institute  Fund 220.27 

General  Road  and  Bridge  Fund 95,359.46 

School  Districts  General  Fund 442.053.97 

School  Bond  Redemption  Fund 155,705.61 

School  Building  Fund 73,349.52 

Cities  and  Towns 209,857.35 

Certificates  of  Redemption 138,980.20 

Three  Per  Cent.  Rebate  on  Current  Taxes 12,161.19 

Advance  Taxes 1,032.70 

County  Bond  Redemption  Fund 8.000.00 

Interest  Paid  on  County  Warrants 72,412.33 

Road  District  Warrants 147,027.70 

Drainage  District  Warrants 73,997.80 

Dike  District  Warrants 2,955.20 

Irrigation  District  Warrants 88,388.95 

Permanent  Highway  Maintenance  Warrants 21,987.81 

Mail  Account  Paid 205,593.61 

Remitted  Cities,  Acc't  General  Road  and  Bridge  Fund  1 ,283.56 

Irrigation  Bonds  Redeemed 1,900.00 

Warrants  Outstanding  Jan.  1,  1917— Less  Cancelled-  321,009.33 

Total   $2,483,341.58 


Auditor's  Balance  Dec.  31,   1917 402,009.99 

Warrants  Outstanding  Dec.  31,  1917 124,918.48 


Treasurer's  Cash  Balance  Dec.  31,  1917 $    526,928.47 

YAKIMA  EXPORT   PRODUCTION   EXCEEDS  $28,000,000.00 
REPORT  OF   YAKIMA    COMMERCIAL   CLUB   OF    1918. 

So  much  has  been  said  and  written  about  the  annual  production  for  export 
in  the  Yakima  Valley  that  the  trustees  of  the  Yakima  Commercial  Club  feel  it 
incumbent  to  make  an  authoritative  statement  giving  the  totals  of  the  1917 
shipments  accurately  compiled,  and  disseminate  other  information  concerning 
that  part  of  the  valley  covered  by  the  report.  There  has  never  been  a  greater 
inquiry  than  at  present  concerning  Yakima  Valley  and  this  publication  is  de- 
signed to  cover  a  range  of  the  most   frequent  questions  asked. 


324  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

The  Yakima  Valley  in  its  broadest  sense  includes  all  the  watershed  of  the 
Yakima  River,  but  in  an  accepted  sense  it  has  come  to  be  restricted  to  that  por- 
tion contained  in  Yakima  and  Benton  counties,  more  especially  that  portion  under 
irrigation.  A  carefully  revised  report  of  the  range  and  value  of  the  crops  grown 
in  this  section  given  in  detail  in  this  publication  shows  a  total  of  over  $28,000,000. 
It  is  doubtful  if  any  similar  area  in  the  United  States  can  make  an  equal  showing. 
Yakima  Valley,  with  its  present  splendid  development  and  its  future  promise, 
is  the  product  of  irrigation.  One  of  the  greatest  government  reclamation  proj- 
ects is  directly  responsible  for  the  Yakima  Valley  of  today  and  tomorrow,  and 
if  there  were  no  other  monument  ever  erected  to  the  honor  of  this  branch  of  the 
government,  the   department  could  point  with  pride  to  this   achievement. 

Under  irrigation  a  sagebrush  plain  has  been  converted  into  one  of  the 
most  fertile  and  productive  agricultural  sections  of  the  world.  The  irrigation 
possible  in  the  whole  of  the  Yakima  Valley  as  established  after  a  most  care- 
ful survey  by  government  engineers  is  525,000  acres.  Of  this  total  360,000 
acres  are  in  Yakima  County  and  75,000  acres  in  Benton  County,  the  remainder 
being  in  Kittitas  County,  the  production  and  export  of  which  territory  is  not 
considered  in  this  publication. 

Irrigation  in  the  Yakima  Valley  is  being  developed  under  government 
guaranty.  The  lands  are  privately  owned  and  moderately  priced,  ranging 
from  $150  to  $250  per  acre  for  farm  lands,  and  from  $350  to  $1,000  for 
orchard  lands,  but  the  government  furnishes  the  water,  asking  only  such  return 
as  is  occasioned  by  the  cost  of  construction  and  maintenance.  The  payment 
for  the  water  on  the  government  projects  is  distributed  over  a  period  of  twenty 
years  under  the  liberal  terms  of  the  law  of  1914,  which  requires  only  the  re- 
payment of   the  principal  without   interest. 

The  whole  of  the  government  reclamation  work  in  this  valley  is  officially 
designated  as  the  Yakima  Project,  but  it  is  divided  into  xmits  known  locally  as 
the  Sunnyside,  Tieton  and  Wapato  Projects.  The  source  of  water  supply  is 
the  Yakima  River  and  its  tributaries,  and  to  obviate  any  possibility  of  shortage 
the  government  has  included  in  its  plans  the  construction  of  five  great  reservoirs 
located  at  Bumping  Lake,  Lake  Kachess,  Lake  Keechelus,  AIcAllister  Meadows 
and  Lake  Clealum.  The  first  three  have  been  completed  and  the  fourth  is  now 
in  process  of  construction.  In  addition  to  the  irrigation  work  done  by  the 
Reclamation  Service  there  are  numerous  canals  under  private  and  corporate 
ownership.     The  total  area  watered  in  this  way  is  approximately  50.000  acres. 

The  Sunnyside  Project  is  the  oldest  of  the  government  units  in  point  of 
development.  The  government  took  over  the  Sunnyside  by  purchase  in  1905 
and  has  expended  $2,500,000  in  its  development.  The  canal  is  of  earth,  but 
has  been  recently  improved  in  sections  by  concrete  lining.  Aside  from  lands 
watered  by  gravity  flow,  there  have  been  added  from  lime  to  time  pumping 
plant  units,  the  most  recent  being  at  Snipes  Mountain,  Outlook  and  Grand- 
view.  Of  the  130,000  acres  that  may  be  watered  from  the  Sunnyside  either 
directly  or  indirectly,  90,000  acres  are  now  in  crop  for  the  season  of  1918.  The 
government  crop  report  for  the  season  of  1917  gave  a  total  value  of  $8,006,233 
for  the  production  on  65,853  acres,  an  average  of  $121.67  per  acre. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  325 

The  Tieton  Project  is  designed  to  irrigate  32,000  acres  on  the  high  lands 
west  of  Yakima.  The  government  has  made  a  total  expenditure  of  $3,500,000 
in  developing  this  project  and  contemplates  some  additional  improvements  in 
the  near  future.  About  26,000  acres  of  the  Tieton  Project  is  now  producing. 
The  canal  was  completed  in  1912  and  the  orchards  on  the  project  are  just 
coming  into  bearing.  A  branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  was  completed 
last  year  tapping  the  heart  of  the  Tieton  and  solving  its  transportation  prob- 
lems. The  terminus  of  the  road  is  at  Tieton,  which  tjwnsite  is  now  being 
placed  on  the  market. 

The  Wapato  Project  is  on  the  Yakima  Indian  reservation  and  is  designed 
to  irrigate  120,000  acres.  For  the  season  of  1918,  75,000  jcres  will  be  cropped. 
Congress  has  recently  passed  an  appropriation  bill  carrying  $500,000  for  ex- 
penditure on  the  Wapato  Project  within  the  present  fiscal  year.  This  will  be 
used  in  extending  canals  to  improve  the  system  of  distribution  that  new 
areas  may  be  watered.  Engineers  in  charge  of  the  work  estimate  that  an  addi- 
tional 20,000  acres  will  be  furnished  with  water  for  the  season  of  1919.  The 
Indian  Reclamation  Service  spent  in  the  last  two  years  $400,000  in  building 
a  diversion  dam  in  the  Yakima  River  at  Union  Gap  and  in  beginning  the  im- 
provement of  the  canal  system.  Aside  from  the  development  of  the  Wapato 
project  under  water  diverted  from  the  Yakima  River,  the  government  plans 
ultimately  to  reclaim  an  additional  60,000  acres  by  water  from  storage  reser- 
voirs located  on  Toppenish,  Simcoe  and  Ahtanum  creeks. 

Development  in  the  Yakima  Valley  is  progressive,  and  will  continue  for 
the  next  ten  years  or  more,  depending  upon  the  rate  at  which  the  government 
will  appropriate  money  to  mature  its  plans.  There  is  no  single  project  that  is 
yet  completed.  There  are  20,000  acres  under  the  Sunnyside  still  to  be  re- 
claimed, though  water  is  available  and  the  distributive  system  completed.  On 
the  Tieton  Project  there  are  6,000  acres  of  sagebrush  land  and  on  the  Wapato 
Project  47,000  acres.  Under  the  Sunnyside  and  the  Tieton  it  is  possible  for 
every  acre  to  be  put  in  crop  in  1919,  and  it  is  estimated  thr.t  6,500  acres  of  new 
land  will  be  cropped  in  the  present  year,  while  under  the  Wapato  Project  the 
government  is  still  developing  the  distributing  system.  Water  is  available,  but 
canals  and  laterals  must  be  excavated. 

As  an  indication  of  preparation  flor  progressive  development  of  the 
Yakima  Project,  the  government  is  spending  this  year  over  $1,500,000  in  con- 
structive work  distributed  as  follows:  $500,000  on  the  Wapato  Project, 
$150,000  on  the  Tieton,  $35,000  at  Clear  Creek  dam  and  $900,000  at  McAllister 
Meadows  storage.  Private  corporations  are  spending  something  like  $400,000 
in  betterments.  Several  of  the  private  corporations  ha\e  contracted  with  the 
Reclamation  Service  for  storage  water  supplementing!  their  own  diversions 
and  guarding  the  future  against  losses  by  reason  of  shortage.  To  date  the 
government  has  spent  about  $10,000,000  on  the  Yakima  Project  and  contem- 
plates spending  $10,000,000  more  within  the  next  ten  or  twenty  years. 

Large  as  the  crop  production  was  in  1917,  increased  acreage  in  farm  crops 
on  the  one  hand  and  increased  maturity  of  orchards  on  the  other  insures  larger 
crops   for  1918    and   for  any    normal    year  for    many  years  to  come.     In  the 


326  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \' ALLEY 

matter  of  possibilities  of  fruit  production  alone  Yakima  Valley  has  6,000  acres 
of  orchard  not  yet  come  into  bearing.  A  farm  survey  of  Yakima  County 
made  by  J.  N.  Price,  county  agriculturist,  shows  there  is  in  crop  this  season 
85,000  acres  of  alfalfa,  15,500  acres  of  corn,  32,000  acres  of  wheat,  14,000 
acres  of  sugar  beets,  12,000  acres  of  potatoes,  3,000  acres  of  oats,  7,000  acres 
of  barley,  2,400  acres  of  beans  and  46,000  acres  of  fruit.  With  this  acreage 
all  under  irrigation  and  intensive  cultivation,  the  yield  of  the  1918  harvest  is 
certain  to  set  a  new  high  record  for  production. 

The  following  tabulated  statement  of  Yakima  export  crops  for  the  year 
1917  is  made  after  careful  checking  with  the  transportation  companies  on  the 
basis  of  actual  shipments  and  rechecking  with  shippers  ?s  to  the  average  re- 
turns. The  tabulation  shows  the  range  and  value  of  the  exports  only  and  does 
not  take  into  consideration  the  part  of  the  crop  consumed  at  home  or  crops 
grown  to  feed  stock  subsequently  marketed.  For  instance,  it  takes  no  account 
of  the  corn  grown  on  14,000  acres  which  was  used  for  feed  for  meat  or  for 
dairy  production,  nor  does  it  take  into  account  the  tonnage  of  sugar  beets,  but 
it  does  account  for  the  output  of  the  sugar  factory. 

SOME    CONCLUDING    STATISTICS 

We  are  giving  at  the  conclusion  of  this  chapter  a  summary  of  the  pro- 
ductions of  Yakima  and  Benton  counties  for  1917.  This  was  prepared  by  the 
Yakima  Commercial  Club.  We  are  not  able  to  segregate  accurately  the  two 
counties,  but  it  may  be  believed  that  the  totals  of  each  county  would  be  approx- 
imately in  the  ratio  of  population,  or  about  as  five  and  a  half  to  one  for 
Yakima. 

Cars  FRUIT— 

60     Strawberries— 48,000  crates  @  $3 $  144,000 

160     Cherries— 1,200  tons  @  8c  pound 192.000 

170     Prunes— 170,000  crates  @  87c  147,500 

8,700'   Apples— 6,525,000  boxes   @   $1.25 8,156,250 

1.750     Peaches— 2,100,000   boxes   @    50c 1,050,000 

1,950     Pears— 994,500   boxes    @   $1.30 1,292,850 

7     Apricots— 7,700  boxes  @  $1 7,700 

10     Grapes  @  $600  per  car 6,000 

480     Mixed  Fruit  @  $775  per  car 372,000 

240     Cantaloupes— 96,000  crates  @  $1.25 120,000 

120     Watermelons— 1,800   tons    @    $20 36.000 


13,647  $11,524,300 

VEGETABLES— 

200  Onions— 3,000  tons   @  $40 $  120,000 

40  Turnips— 600   tons    @    $20 12.000 

10  Green  Corn  @  $525  per  car 5,250 

20  Carrots— 300  tons   @   $18 5.400 

25  Rutabagas— 500  tons  @  $20 10.000 

12  Cabbage— 144  tons  @  $30 4,320 


BEE    RAXCII,   YAKIMA    COITXTY 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  327 

5    Asparagus— 100,000  lbs.    @  ^12>4<: 12,500 

75     Tomatoes— 85,050  crates  @  50c 42,525 

10     Green  Peppers— 200,000  lbs.  @  5c lo'oOO 

20     Squash— 200   tons   @   $20 4,000 

10     Pumpkins— 100   tons   @   $15 1,500 

30     Beans— 600  tons  @  6c  lb. 72,000 

2,500     Potatoes— 50,000  tons  @  $20 1,000^000 

Garden    Truck — miscellaneous    25,000 


2,957  $  1,324.495 

HAY— 
9,353     Alfalfa— 140,295  tons   @  $21 $  2,946,195 

12,000  tons  fed  to  stock  in  transit  @  $15 180,000 

$  3,126,195 
GRAINS— 

546     Wheat— 764,750  bu.   @  $1.90 $  1,453,025 

60    Oats— 84,000  bu.  @  80c 67,200 

44    Barley— 61,600  bu.   @  $1.15 70,840 


650                                                                                                         $  1,591,065 
HOPS— 

158    3,000,000   lbs.   @    12c $  360,000 

LIVESTOCK— 

1,015     Sheep  @  $2,750  per  car $  2,791,250 

240     Hogs  @  $2,700  per  car 648,000 

210    Beef  @   $2,200  per  car 462,000 

40     Cattle,  breeder's  stock,  1000  head  @  $125 125,000 

40     Horses,  880  head  @  $150 132,000 

6     Pouhry— 90,000  lbs.  @  21^c 19,500 


1,551         Total    Livestock    $  4,177,750 

LIVESTOCK  PRODUCTS— 

72    Wool— 2,300,000  lbs.  @  45c $  1,035,000 

16     Hides,    Pelts   and   Tallow 190,000 


88        Total  Livestock  Products $  1,225,000 

DAIRY  PRODUCTS— 

233     Cream— 350,000  gallons  @  $1.20 $  420,000 

30     Butter— 1,200,000  lbs.   @   45c 540,000 

8     Cheese— 300,000  lbs.   @   25c 75,000 

75     Condensed  Milk— 1,500  tons  @  $200 300,000 


346        Total   Dairy  Products   $  1,335,000 


328  HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY 

SUGAR  BEETS— 

285     Sugar— 8,550  tons  @  614c  lb $  1,068,750 

206     Dried  Pulp— 3,100  tons  @  $25 77,500 


491         Total    Sugar    Beet    Products $  1,146,250 

HONEY— 
25    750,000  lbs.  @   ll^c  $       88,125 

FRUIT  AND  VEGETABLE  PRODUCTS— 
635     Enumerated  as  follows: 

400  cars  Canned  Fruits 
130  cars  Cider 
65  cars  Dried  Apples 
40  cars  Grape  Juice 

Value $  1,277,375 

1,500    LUMBER    $  1,000,000 


31,401  $28,175,555 

It  is  believed  by  tbe  secretary  of  the  Yakima  Commercial  Club  that  the  total 
product  for  1918  will  be  $35,000,000. 

We  may  add  to  the  above  that  the  figures  of  the  state  bureau  of  statistics 
for  1918  are  not  yet  complete.  For  wheat,  corn  and  potatoes,  however,  they 
are  given  as  follows :  Wheat,  1,104,200  bushels ;  corn,  690,900  bushels ;  pota- 
toes, 2,059,025  bushels.  These  figures,  it  should  be  noted,  are  for  Yakima 
County  only.     We  shall  give  those  of  Benton  County  in  a  later  chapter. 

The  bureau  of  statistics  estimated  the  population  of  Yakima  County  as 
62,043  on  July  1,  1917. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  TRANSPORTATION  AGE 


THE        STEAMBOAT       ERA — OREGON        STEAM        NAVIGATION        COMPANY — CAPTAINS^ 

PILOTS.     AND     PURSERS THE     PIONEER     STAGE     LINES THE     RAILROAD     AGEi — 

THE     WAR     ON     THE     RAILROAD — THE    GREAT     BOOM — NEW     RAILWAY     LINES — 
THE    INTERURBAN    RAILWAYS — WATER    TRANSPORTATION 

It  is  but  trite  and  commonplace  to  say  (yet  these  commonplace  sayings 
embody  the  accumulated  experience  of  the  human  race)  that  transportation  is 
the  very  A  B  C  of  economic  science.  There  can  be  no  wealth  without  ex- 
change. There  is  no  assignable  value  either  to  commodities  or  labor  without 
markets. 

New  communities  have  always  had  to  struggle  with  these  fundamental 
problems  of  transportation.  Until  there  can  be  at  least  some  exchange  of 
products  there  can  be  no  real  commercial  life  and  men's  labor  is  spent  simply 
on  producing  the  articles  needful  for  daily  bread,  clothing  and  shelter.  Most 
of  the  successive  "Wests"  of  America  have  gone  through  that  stage  of  simple 
existence.  Some  have  gotten  out  of  it  very  rapidly,  usually  by  the  discovery 
of  the  precious  metals  or  the  production  of  some  great  staple  like  furs,  so 
much  in  demand  and  so  scarce  in  distant  countries  as  to  justify  expensive  and 
even  dangerous  expeditions  and  costly  transportation  systems.  During  nearly 
all  the  first  half  of  the  Nineteenth  Century  the  fur  trade  was  that  agency 
which   created  exchange   and   compelled  transportation. 

After  the  acquisition  of  Oregon  and  California  by  the  United  States 
there  was  a  lull,  during  which  there  was  scarcely  any  commercial  life  because 
there  was  nothing  exchangeable  or  transportable. 

Then  suddenly  came  the  dramatic  discovery  of  gold  in  California  which 
inaugurated  there  a  new  era  of  commercial  life  and  hence  demanded  exten- 
sive transportation,  and  that  was  for  many  years  necessarily  by  the  ocean. 
The  similar  discovery  in  Oregon  came  ten  years  later.  As  we  saw  in  an  earlier 
chapter  of  this  part  there  came  on  suddenly  in  the  early  sixties  a  rushing  to- 
gether in  old  Walla  \\'alla  of  a  confused  mass  of  eager  seekers  for  gold,  cattle 
range,  and  every  species  of  the  opportunities  which  were  thought  to  exist  in 
the  "upper  country."  As  men  began  to  get  the  measure  of  the  country  and 
each  other  and  to  see  sometliing  of  what  this  land  was  going  to  become,  the 
demand    for  some   regular   system   of   transportation   became    imperative. 

THE   STEAMBOAT   ERA 

The  first  resource  was  naturally  by  the  water.     It  was  obvious  that  team- 
ing from  the  Willamette  Valley   (the  only  productive  region  in  the  fifties  and 
329 


330  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY 

the  first  year  or  two  of  the  sixties)  was  too  limited  a  means  to  amount  to  any- 
thing. Bateaux  after  the  fashion  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  would  not 
do  for  the  new  era.  JNIen  could  indeed  drive  stock  over  the  mountains  and 
across  the  plains,  and  did  so  to  considerable  degree.  But  as  the  full  measure 
of  the  problem  was  taken  it  became  clear  to  the  active,  ambitious  men  who 
flocked  into  the  Walla  Walla  country  (the  first  settled  east  of  the  Cascades) 
in  1858,  1859,  and  1860,  and  particularly  when  the  discovery  of  gold  became 
known  in  1861,  that  nothing  but  the  establishment  of  steamboats  on  the  Colum- 
bia and  Snake  rivers  would  answer  the  demand  for  a  real  system  of  transpor- 
tation commensurate  with  the  situation. 

To  fully  appreciate  the  era  of  steamboating  and  to  revive  the  memories 
of  the  pioneers  of  this  region  in  those  halcyon  days  of  river  traffic,  it  is  fitting 
that  we  trace  briefly  the  essential  stages  from  the  first  appearance  of  steamers 
on  the  Columbia  River  and  its  tributaries.  To  accomplish  this  section  of  the 
story  we  are  incorporating  here  several  paragraphs  from  "The  Columbia 
River"  by  the  author  of  this  work. 

The  first  river  steamer  of  any  size  to  ply  upon  the  Willamette  and  Colum- 
bia was  the  "Lot  Whitcomb."  This  steamer  was  built  by  Whitcomb  and  Jen- 
nings. J.  C.  Ainsworth  was  the  first  captain,  and  Jacob  Kamm  was  the  first 
engineer.  Both  of  these  men  became  leaders  in  every  species  of  steamboating 
enterprise.  In  1861  Dan  Bradford  and  B.  B.  Bishop  inaugurated  a  movement 
to  connect  the  up-river  region  with  the  lower  river  by  getting  a  small  iron 
propeller  called  the  "Jason  F.  Flint"  from  the  east  and  putting  her  together 
at  the  Cascades,  whence  she  made  the  run  to  Portland.  The  Flint  has  been 
named  as  first  to  run  above  the  Cascades,  but  the  author  has  the  authority  of 
Mr.  Bishop  for  stating  that  the  first  steamer  to  run  above  the  Cascades  was 
the  "Eagle."  That  steamer  was  brought  in  sections  by  Allen  McKinley  to 
the  upper  Cascades  in  1853,  there  put  together,  and  set  to  plying  on  the  part 
of  the  river  between  the  Cascades  and  The  Dalles.  In  1854  the  "Mary"  was 
built  and  launched  above  the  Cascades,  the  next  year  the  "Wasco"  followed, 
and  in  1856  the  "Hassalo"  began  to  toot  her  jubilant  horn  at  the  precipices 
of  the  mid-Columbia.  In  1859  R.  R.  Thompson  and  Lawrence  Coe  built  the 
"Colonel  Wright,"  the  first  steamer  on  the  upper  section  of  the  river.  In  the 
same  year  the  same  men  built  at  the  upper  Cascades  a  steamer  called  the 
"Venture."  This  craft  met  with  a  curious  catastrophe.  For  on  her  very  first 
trip  she  swung  too  far  into  the  channel  and  was  carried  over  the  upper  Cas- 
cades, at  the  point  where  the  Cascade  locks  are  now  located.  She  was  sub- 
sequently  raised   and   rebuilt,   and   rechristened  the   "Umatilla." 

This  part  of  the  period  of  steamboat  building  was  contemporary'  with  the 
Indian  wars  of  1855  and  1856.  The  steamers  "Wasco,"  "Mary,"  and  "Eagle" 
were  of  much  service  in  rescuing  victims  of  the  murderous  assault  on  the  Cas- 
cades by  the  Klickitats. 

While  the  enterprising  steamboat  builders  were  thus  making  their  way 
up-river  in  the  very  teeth  of  Indian  warfare  steamboats  were  in  course  of 
construction  on  the  Willamette.  The  "Jennie  Clark"  in  1854  and  the  "Carrie 
Ladd"  in  1858  were  built  for  the  firm  of  Abernethy,  Clark  and  Company. 
These  both,  the  latter  especially,  were  really  elegant  steamers   for  the  time. 


TKAXSFER    BOAT,    FKEUEKirK    HILLINGS,    AT    TIIK    KENXEWICK    IXCLIXE 


E.    H.    Monreh. 


K  COI.rMHIA   RIVER  AT   THE  SUPPOSED 
BRIIMiE  OF  THE  GODS" 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  331 

The  close  of  the  Indian  wars  in  1859  saw  a  quite  well  organized  steamer 
service  between  Portland  and  The  Dalles,  and  the  great  rush  into  the  upper 
country  was  just  beginning.  The  "Senorita,"  the  "Belle,"  and  the  "Alult- 
nomah,"  under  the  management  of  Benjamin  Stark,  were  on  the  run  from 
Portland  to  the  Cascades.  A  rival  steamer,  the  "Mountain  Buck,"  owned  by 
Ruckle  and  Olmstead,  was  on  the  same  route.  These  steamers  connected  with 
boats  on  the  Cascades-Dalles  section  by  means  of  portages  five  miles  long 
around  the  rapids.  There  was  a  portage  on  each  side  of  the  river.  That  on 
the  north  side  was  operated  by  Bradford  &  Company,  .ind  their  steamers  were 
the  "Hassalo"  and  the  "Mary."  Ruckle  and  Olmstead  owned  the  portage  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river,  and  their  steamer  was  the  "Wasco."  Sharp  com- 
petition arose  between  the  Bradford  and  Stark  interests  on  one  side  and 
Ruckle  and  Olmstead  on  the  other.  The  Stark  company  was  known  as  the 
Columbia  River  Navigation  Company,  and  the  rival  was  the  Oregon  Trans- 
portation Company.  J.  C.  Ains worth  now  joined  the  Stark  party  with  the 
"Carrie  Ladd.'  So  efficient  did  this  reinforcement  prove  to  be  that  the  Trans- 
portation Company  proposed  to  them  a  combination.  This  was  eiTected  in 
April,  1859,  and  the  new  organization  became  known  as  the  Union  Transpor- 
tation Company.  This  was  soon  found  to  be  too  loose  a  consolidation  to 
accomplish  the  desired  ends,  and  the  parties  interested  set  about  a  new  com- 
bination to  embrace  all  the  steamboat  men  from  Celilo  to  Astoria.  The  result 
was  the  formation  of  the  Oregon  Steam  Navigation  Company,  which  came 
into  legal  existence  on  December  20,  1860.  Its  stock  in  steamboats,  sailboats, 
wharfboats,  and  miscellaneous   property   was   stated   at   $172,500. 

Such  was  the  genesis  of  the  "O.  S.  N.  Co."  In  a  valuable  article  by 
Irene  Lincoln  Poppleton  in  the  "Oregon  Historical  Quarterly"  for  September, 
1908,  to  which  we  here  make  acknowledgments,  it  is  said  that  no  assessment 
was  ever  levied  on  the  stock  of  this  company,  but  that  from  the  proceeds  of 
the  business  the  management  expended  in  gold  nearly  three  million  dollars 
and  paid  out  in  dividends  over  two  and  a  half  million  dollars.  Never  perhaps 
was  there  such  a  record  of  money-making  on  such  capitalization. 

The  source  of  the  enormous  business  of  the  Oregon  Steam  Navigation 
Company  was  the  rush  into  Idaho,  Montana  and  eastern  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington by  the  miners,  cowboys,  speculators  and  adventurers  of  the  early  six- 
ties. The  up-river  country,  as  described  more  at  length  in  another  chapter, 
was  wakened  suddenly  from  the  lethargy  of  centuries,  and  the  wilderness 
teemed  with  life.  That  was  the  great  steamboat  age.  Money  flowed  in 
streams.     Fortunes  were  made  and  lost  in  a  day. 

OREGON    STEAM    N.WIGATION    COM  PAN  V 

When  first  organized  in  1860,  the  Oregon  Steam  Navigation  Company 
had  a  nondescript  lot  of  steamers,  mainly  small  and  weak.  The  two  portages, 
one  of  five  miles  around  the  Cascades  and  the  other  of  fourteen  miles  from 
The  Dalles  to  Celilo  Falls,  were  unequal  to  their  task.  The  portages  at  the 
Cascades  on  both  sides  of  the  river  were  made  by  very  inadequate  wooden 
tramways.  That  at  The  Dalles  was  made  by  teams.  Such  quantities  of 
freight  were  discharged   from  the  steamers  that   sometimes  the   whole  portage 


332  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

was  lined  with  freight  from  end  to  end.  The  portages  were  not  acquired  by 
the  company  with  the  steamboat  property,  and  as  a  resuU  the  portage  owners 
reaped  the  larger  share  of  the  profits.  During  high  water  the  portage  on  the 
Oregon  side  at  the  Cascades  had  a  monopoly  of  the  business  and  it  took  one< 
half  the  freight  income  from  Portland  to  The  Dalles.  This  was  holding  the 
whip-hand  with  a  vengeance,  and  the  vigorous  directors  of  the  steamboat  com- 
pany could  not  endure  it.  Accordingly,  they  absorbed  the  rights  of  the  port- 
age owners,  and  made  a  new  portage  around  the  Cascades  on  the  Washington 
side.  The  company  was  reorganized  under  the  laws  of  Oregon  in  October, 
1863,  with  a  declared  capitalization  of  two  million  dollars. 

Business  on  the  river  in  1863  was  something  enormous.  Hardly  ever  did 
a  steamer  make  a  trip  with  less  than  two  hundred  passengers.  Freight  was 
olifered  in  such  quantities  at  Portland  that  trucks  had  to  stand  in  line  for 
blocks,  waiting  to  deliver  and  receive  their  loads.  New  boats  of  a  much 
better  class  were  built.  Two  rival  companies,  the  Independent  Line  and  the 
People's  Transportation  Line,  made  a  vigorous  struggle  to  secure  a  share  of 
the  business,  but  they  were  eventually  overpowered.  Some  conception  of  the 
amount  of  business  may  be  gained  from  the  fact  that  the  steamers  transported 
passengers  to  an  amount  of  fares  running  from  $1,000  to  $6,000  a  trip.  On 
April  29,  1862,  the  "Tenino,"  leaving  Celilo  for  the  Lewiston  trip,  had  a  load 
amounting  to  $10,945  for  freight,  passengers,  meals,  and  berths.  The  steam- 
ships sailing  from  Portland  to  San  Francisco  showed  equally  remarkable 
records.  On  June  25,  1861,  the  Sierra  Navada  conveyed  s  treasure  shipment 
of  $228,000;  July  14th,  $110,000;  August  24th.  $195,558;  December  5th, 
$750,000.  The  number  of  passengers  carried  on  The  Dalles-Lewiston  route 
in  1864  was  36,000  and  the  tons  of  freight  were  21.834. 

It  was  a  magnificent  steamboat  ride  in  those  days  from  Portland  to 
Lewiston.  The  fare  was  sixty  dollars;  meals  and  berths,  one  dollar  each.  A 
traveler  would  leave  Portland  at  five  A.  M.  on,  perhaps,  the  "Wilson  G.  Hunt," 
reach  the  Cascades,  sixty-five  miles  distant,  at  eleven  A.  M.,  proceed  by  rail 
five  miles  to  the  upper  Cascades,  there  transfer  to  the  "Oneonta"  or  "Idaho" 
for  The  Dalles,  passing  in  that  run  from  the  humid,  low-lying,  heavily  tim- 
bered west-of-the-mountains,  to  the  dry.  breezy,  hilly  east-of-the-mountains. 
Reaching  The  Dalles,  fifty  miles  farther  east,  he  would  be  conveyed  by  another 
portage  railroad,  fourteen  miles  more,  to  Celilo.  There  the  "Tenino," 
"Yakima,"  "Nez  Perce  Chief,"  or  "Owyhee"  was  waiting.  W^ith  the  earliest 
light  of  the  morning  the  steamer  would  head  right  into  the  impetuous  cur- 
rent of  the  river,  bound  for  Lewiston.  two  hundred  and  eighty  miles  farther 
yet,  taking  two  days,  sometimes  three,  though  only  one  to  return.  Those 
steamers  were  mainly  of  the  light-draught,  stern-wheel  structure,  which  still 
characterizes  the  Columbia  River  boats.  They  were  swift  and  roomy  and  well 
adapted  to  the  turbulent  waters  of  the  upper  river. 

C.\PTAINS,    PILOTS   AND    PURSERS 

The  captains,  pilots,  and  pur^ers  of  that  period  were  as  fine  a  set  of  men 
as  ever  turned  a   wheel.     Bold,  bluft',   genial,  hearty,   and   obliging  they  were- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  3^3 

even  though  given  to  occasional  outbursts  of  expletives  and  possessing  vol- 
uminous repertoires  of  "cusswords"  such  as  would  startle  the  effete  East.  Any 
old  Oregonian  who  may  chance  to  cast  his  eyes  upon  these  pages  will  recall, 
as  with  the  pangs  of  childhood  homesickness,  the  forms  and  features  of  steam- 
boat men  of  that  day;  the  polite  yet  detennined  Ainsworth,  the  brusque  and 
rotund  Reed,  the  bluff  and  hearty  Knaggs,  the  frolicsome  and  never  discon 
certed  Ingalls,  the  dark,  powerful,  and  nonchalant  Coe,  the  patriarchal  beard 
of  Stump,  the  loquacious  "Commodore"  Wolf,  who  used  to  point  out  to  aston- 
ished tourists  the  "diabolical  strata"  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  the  massive 
and  good-natured  Strang,  the  genial  and  elegant  O'Neill,  the  suave  and  witty 
Snow,  the  tall  and  handsome  Sampson,  the  rich  Scotch  brogue  of  McNulty, 
and  dozens  of  others,  whose  combined  adventures  would  fill  a  volume.  One 
of  the  most  experienced  pilots  of  the  upper  river  was  Captain  "Eph"  Baugh- 
man,  who  has  been  running  on  the  Snake  and  Columbia  rivers  for  fifty  years, 
and  is  living  at  the  date  of  this  publication.  W.  H.  Gray,  who  came  to 
Waiilatpu  with  Whitman  as  secular  agent  of  the  mission,  became  a  river  man 
of  much  skill.  He  gave  four  sons,  John,  Wilham,  Alfred,  and  James,  to  the 
service  of  the  river,  all  four  of  them  being  skilled  captains.  A  story  nar- 
rated to  the  author  by  Capt.  William  Gray,  now  of  Pasco,  Washington,  well 
illustrates  the  character  of  the  old  Columbia  River  navigators.  W.  H.  Gray 
was  the  first  man  to  run  a  sailboat  of  much  size  with  regular  freight  up  Snake 
River.  That  was  in  1860  before  any  steamers  were  running  on  that  stream. 
Mr.  Gray  built  his  boat,  a  fifty-ton  sloop,  on  Oosooyoos  Lake  on  the  Okano- 
gan River.  In  it  he  descended  that  river  to  its  entrance  into  the  Columbia. 
Thence  he  descended  the  Columbia,  running  down  the  Entiat,  Rock  Island, 
Cabinet,  and  Priest  Rapids,  no  mean  undertaking  of  itself.  Reaching  the 
mouth  of  the  Snake  he  took  on  a  load  of  freight  and  started  up  the  swift 
stream.  At  Five-mile  Rapids  he  found  that  his  sail  was  insufficient  to  carry 
the  sloop  up.  Men  had  said  that  it  was  impossible.  The  crew  all  prophesied 
disaster.  The  stubborn  captain  merely  declared,  "There  is  no  such  word  as 
fail  in  my  dictionary."  He  directed  his  son  and  another  of  the  crew  to  take 
the  small  boat,  load  her  with  a  long  coil  of  rope,  make  their  way  up  the  stream 
by  towing  the  boat  at  the  edge  of  the  river,  until  they  got  above  the  rapid, 
then  to  come  down  and  land  on  an  islet  of  rock,  fasten  the  rope  to  that  rock, 
then  pay  it  out  till  it  was  swept  down  the  rapid.  They  were  then  to  descend 
the  rapid  in  the  small  boat.  "Very  likely  you  may  be  upset,"  added  the  skipper 
encouragingly,  "but  if  you  are,  you  know  how  to  swim."  They  were  upset, 
sure  enough,  but  they  did  know  how  to  swim.  They  righted  their  boat,  picked 
up  the  end  of  the  floating  rope,  and  reached  the  sloop  with  it.  The  rope  was 
attached  to  the  capstan  and  the  sloop  was  wound  up  by  it  above  the  swiftest 
part  of  the  rapid  to  a  point  where  the  sail  was  sufficient  to  carry,  and  on  they 
went  rejoicing. 

Any  account  of  steamboating  on  the  Columbia  would  be  incomplete  with- 
out reference  to  Capt.  James  Troup,  who  was  born  on  the  Columbia,  and 
almost  from  early  boyhood  ran  steamers  upon  it  and  its  tributaries.  He  made 
a  specialty  of  running  steamers  down  The  Dalles  and  the  Cascades,  an  under- 


334  HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  \'ALLEY 

taking  sometimes  rendered  necessary'  by  the  fact  that  more  boats  were  built  in 
proportion  to  demand  on  the  upper  than  the  lower  river.  These  were  taken 
down  The  Dalles,  and  sometimes  down  the  Cascades.  Once  down,  they  could 
not  return.  The  first  steamer  to  run  down  the  Tumwater  Falls  was  the 
"Okanogan,"  on  May  22,  1866,  piloted  by  Capt.  T.  J.  Stump. 

The  author  enjoyed  the  great  privilege  of  descending  The  Dalles  in  the 
"D.  S.  Baker"  in  the  year  1888,  Captain  Troup  being  in  command.  At  that 
strange  point  in  the  river,  the  whole  vast  volume  is  compressed  into  a  channel 
but  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  wide  at  low  water  and  much  deeper  than  wide. 
Like  a  huge  mill-race  this  channel  continues  nearly  -straight  for  two  miles, 
when  it  is  hurled  with  frightful  force  against  a  massive  blufT.  Deflected  from 
the  blufif,  it  turns  at  a  sharp  angle  to  be  split  in  sunder  by  a  low  reef  of  rock. 
When  the  "Baker"  was  drawn  into  the  current  at  the  head  of  the  "chute"  she 
swept  down  the  channel,  which  was  almost  black,  with  streaks  of  foam,  to  the 
bluff,  two  miles  in  four  minutes.  There  feeling  the  tremendous  refluent  wave, 
she  went  careening  over  and  over  toward  the  sunken  reef.  The  skilled  cap- 
tain had  her  perfectly  in  hand,  and  precisely  at  the  right  moment,  rang  the 
signal  bell,  "Ahead,  full  speed,"  and  ahead  she  went,  just  barely  scratching 
her  side  on  the  rock.  Thus  closely  was  it  necessary  to  calculate  distance.  If 
the  steamer  had  struck  the  tooth-like  point  of  the  reef  broadside  on,  she  would 
have  been  broken  in  two  and  carried  in  fragments  on  either  side.  Having 
passed  this  danger  point,  she  glided  into  the  beautiful  calm  bay  below  and  the 
feat  was  accomplished.  Capt.  J.  C.  Ainsworth  and  Capt.  James  Troup  were 
the  two  captains  above  all  others  to  whom  the  company  entrusted  the  critical 
task  of  running  steamers  over  the  rapids. 

In  the  "Overland  Monthly"  of  June,  1886,  there  is  a  valuable  account 
by  Capt.  Lawrence  Coe  of  the  maiden  journey  of  the  "Colonel  Wright"  from 
Celilo  up  what  they  then  termed  the  upper  Columbia. 

This  first  journey  on  that  section  of  the  river  was  made  in  April,  1859. 
The  pilot  was  Capt.  Lew  White.  The  highest  point  reached  was  Wallula, 
the  site  of  the  old  Hudson's  Bay  fort.  The  current  was  a  powerful  one  to 
withstand,  no  soundings  had  ever  been  made,  and  no  boats  except  canoes, 
bateaux,  flatboats,  and  a  few  small  sailboats,  had  ever  made  the  trip.  No 
one  had  any  conception  of  the  location  of  a  channel  adapted  to  a  steamboat. 
No  dififiiculty  was  experienced,  however,  except  at  the  Umatilla  Rapids.  This 
is  a  most  singular  obstruction.  Three  separated  reefs,  at  intervals  of  half 
a  mile,  extend  right  across  the  river.  There  are  narrow  breaks  in  these  reefs, 
but  not  in  line  with  each  other.  Through  them  the  water  pours  with  a  tre- 
mendous velocity,  and  on  account  of  their  irregular  locations  a  steamer  must 
zigzag  across  the  river  at  imminent  risk  of  being  borne  broadside  onto  the 
reef.  The  passage  of  the  Umatilla  Rapids  is  not  difificult  at  high  water,  for 
then  the  steamer  glides  over  the  rocks  in  a  straight  course. 

In  the  August  "Overland"  of  the  same  year,  Captain  Coe  narrates  the 
first  steamboat  trip  up  Snake  River.  This  was  in  June,  1860,  just  at  the 
time  of  the  beginning  of  the  gold  excitement.  The  "Colonel  Wright"  was 
loaded   with   picks,    rockers,    and   other   mining   implements,   as   well    as    provi- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY  335 

sions  and  passengers.  Most  of  the  freight  and  passengers  were  put  ofif  at 
Walhila,  to  go  thence  overland.  Part  continued  on  to  test  the  experiment 
of  making  way  against  the  wicked-looking  current  of  Snake  River.  After 
three  days  and  a  half  from  the  starting  point  a  few  miles  above  Celilo,  the 
"Colonel  Wright"  halted  at  a  place  which  was  called  Slaterville,  thirty-seven 
miles  up  the  Clearwater  from  its  junction  with  the  Snake.  There  the 
remainder  of  the  cargo  was  discharged,  to  be  hauled  in  wagons  to  the  Oro 
Fino  mines.  The  steamer  "Okanogan"  followed  the  "Colonel  Wright"  within 
a  few  weeks,  and  navigation  on  the  Snake  may  be  said  to  have  fairly  begun. 
During  that  same  time  the  city  of  Lewiston,  named  in  honor  of  Meriwether 
Lewis,  the  explorer,  was  founded  at  the  junction  of  the  Snake  and  Clear- 
water rivers. 

THE   PIONEER   STAGE    LINES. 

While  the  river  traffic  under  the  ordinary  control  of  the  "O.  S.  \'."  Com- 
pany, though  with  frequent  periods  of  opposition  boats,  was  thus  promoting 
the  movements  of  commercial  life  along  the  great  central  artery,  the  need 
of  reaching  interior  points  was  vital.  The  only  way  of  doing  this  and  pro- 
viding feeders  for  the  boats  was  by  stage  lines  and  prairie  schooners.  As 
a  result  of  this  need  there  developed  along  with  the  steamboats  a  system  of 
roads  from  certain  points  on  the  Columbia  and  Snake  Rivers.  Umatilla, 
Wallula,  and  Lewiston  became  the  chief  of  these.  And  in  the  stage  lines 
we  have  another  era  of  utmost  interest  and  importance  in  the  old  time  days. 

As  we  have  seen,  Yakima  was  of¥  the  main  routes  of  travel,  and  stage 
lines  never  played  the  important  and  picturesque  part  that  they  did  in  the 
Walla  Walla  country.  Yakima  pioneers,  however,  were  as  familiar  as  were 
those  of  Walla  Walla  with  the  steamboats  on  the  Columbia  River.  The  chief 
route  to  Klickitat  and  Yakima  was  by  boat  from  Portland  to  The  Dalles, 
thence  by  road.  In  1875  the  road  from  Yakima  to  The  Dalles  was  completed 
and  stages  were  running. 

In  1864  there  came  into  operation  the  first  of  the  great  stage  systems 
having  transcontinental  aims  and  policies.  This  was  the  Holladay  system. 
That  period  was  the  palmy  times  for  hold-ups,  Indians,  prairie-schooners, 
and  all  the  other  interesting  and  extravagant  features  of  life,  ordinarily  sup- 
posed to  be  typical  of  the  Far  West  and  so  dominating  in  their  efifect  on  the 
imagination  as  to  furnish  the  seed-bed  for  a  genuine  literature  of  the  Pacific 
Coast,  most  prominent  in  California  with  the  illustrious  names  of  Bret  Harte 
and  Mark  Twain  in  the  van,  and  with  Jack  London,  Rex  Beach,  and  many 
more  in  later  times  pursuing  the  same  general  tenor  of  delineation.  The 
Northwest  has  not  yet  had  a  literature  comparable  with  California ;  but  the 
material  is  here  and  there  will  yet  be  in  due  sequence  a  line  of  storj-  writers, 
poets  and  artists  of  the  incomparable  scenery  and  the  tragic,  humorous  and 
pathetic  human  associations  of  the  Columbia  and  its  tributaries,  which  will  place 
this  northern  region  of  the  Pacific  in  the  same  rank  as  the  more  forward  southern 
sister.  Indeed  we  may  remark  incidentally  that  the  two  most  prominent  Cali- 
fornia poets,  Joaquin  Miller  and  Edwin  Markham,  belonged  to  Oregon,  the 
latter  being  a  native  of  the  "Web-foot  State." 


336  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

The  amount  of  business  done  by  those  pioneer  stage  Hnes  was  surprising. 
In  the  issue  of  the  Walla  Walla  Statesman  of  December  December  20,  1862, 
it  is  estimated  that  the  amount  of  freight  landed  by  the  steamers  at  Wallula 
to  be  distributed  thence  by  wheel  averaged  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  tons 
weekly,  and  that  the  number  of  passengers,  very  variable,  ran  from  fifty  to 
six  hundred  weekly. 

The  closing  scene  of  the  stage  line  drama  may  be  said  to  have  been  the 
establishment  in  1871  of  the  Northwestern  Stage  Company.  It  connected 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  at  Kelton,  Utah,  with  The  Dalles,  Pendleton, 
Walla  Walla,  Colfax,  Dayton,  Lewiston,  Pomeroy,  and  all  points  north  and 
west.  During  the  decade  of  the  seventies  that  stage  line  was  a  connecting 
link  not  only  between  the  railroads  and  the  regions  as  yet  without  them,  but 
was  also  a  link  between  two  epochs,  that  of  the  stage  and  that  of  the  railroad. 

It  did  an  extensive  passenger  business,  employing  regularly  twenty-two 
stages  and  300  horses,  which  used  annually  365  tons  of  grain  and  412  tons 
of  hay.  There  were  150  drivers  and  hostlers  regularly  employed  for  that 
branch  of  the  business. 

THE   RAILROAD  AGE. 

But  a  new  order  was  coming  rapidly.  As  the  decades  of  the  sixties  and 
seventies  belonged  especially  to  the  steamboat  and  the  stage,  so  the  decade 
of  the  eighties  belonged  to  the  railroads.  It  is  one  of  the  most  curious  and 
interesting  facts  in  American  history  that  during  the  period  between  about 
1835,  the  coming  of  the  missionaries,  and  the  period  of  the  discoveries  of 
gold  in  Idaho  in  1861  and  onward,  there  was  an  obstinate  insistence  in  Con- 
gress, especially  the  Senate — a  great  body  indeed,  but  at  times  the  very 
apotheosis  of  conservative  imbecility — that  Oregon  could  never  be  practically 
connected  with  the  older  parts  of  the  country,  but  must  remain  a  wilderness. 
But  there  were  some  progressives.  When  Isaac  I.  Stevens  was  appointed 
governor  of  Washington  Territory  in  1853  he  had  charge  of  a  surs'ey  with 
a   view   of   determining   a    practicable   route   for  a    Northern    Pacific    Railroad. 

It  is  very  interesting  to  read  his  instructions  to  George  B.  McClellan, 
then  one  of  his  assistants.  "The  route  is  from  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  to  Puget 
Sound  by  the  great  bend  of  the  Mississippi  River,  through  a  pass  in  the 
mountains  near  the  forty-ninth  parallel.  A  strong  party  will  go  up  the  Mis- 
souri to  the  Yellowstone,  and  there  make  arrangements,  reconnoitre  the  coun- 
try, etc.,  and  on  the  junction  of  the  main  party  they  will  push  through  the 
Blackfoot  country,  and  reaching  the  Rocky  Mountains  will  keep  at  work 
there  during  the  Summer  months.  The  third  party,  under  your  command,  will 
be  organized  in  the  Puget  Sound  region,  you  and  your  scientific  corps  going 
over  the  Isthmus,  and  will  operate  in  the  Cascade  Range  and  meet  the  party 
coming  from  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  amount  of  work  in  the  Cascade 
Range  and  eastward,  say  to  the  probable  junction  of  the  parties  at  the  great 
bend  of  the  North  fork  of  the  Columbia  River,  will  be  immense.  Recollect, 
the  main  object  is  a  railroad  survey  from  the  headwater?  of  the  Mississippi 
River  to  Puget  Sound.  We  must  not  be  frightened  by  iong  tunnels  or  enor- 
mous snows,  but  must  set  ourselves  to  work  to  overcome  ihem." 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  337 

Growing  out  of  the  abundant  agitation  going  on  for  twenty  years  after 
the  start  given  it  by  Governor  Stevens,  the  movement  for  a  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  focaHzed  in  1870  by  a  contract  made  between  the  promoters  and 
Jay  Cooke  &  Company  to  sell  bonds. 

Work  was  begun  on  the  section  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  between 
Kalama  on  the  Columbia  and  Puget  Sound  in  1870,  but  the  financial  panic  of 
1873  crippled  and  even  ruined  many  great  business  houses,  among  others  Jay 
Cooke  &  Company,  and  for  several  years  construction  was  at  a  standstill. 
In  1879  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  was  reorganized,  work  was 
resumed  and  never  ceased  till  the  iron  horse  had  dnmk  out  of  Lake  Superior, 
the  Columbia,  and  Puget  Sound. 

One  of  the  most  spectacular  chapters  in  the  history  of  railroading  in  the 
Northwest  was  that  of  the  "blind  pool"  by  which  Henry  Villard,  president  of 
the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation  Company,  obtained  in  1881  the  control 
of  a  majority  of  the  stock  of  the  "N.  P."  and  became  its  president.  The 
essential  aim  of  this  series  of  occult  finances  was  to  divert  the  Northern  road 
from  its  proposed  terminus  of  Puget  Sound  and  annex  it  to  the  interests 
centering  in  Portland. 

In  1883  the  road  was  pushed  on  from  Duluth  to  Wallula  and  thence  by 
union  with  the  O.  R.  R.  &  N.  was  carried  on  down  the  Columbia.  The  feverish 
haste,  reckless  outlay,  and  in  places  dangerous  construction  of  that  section 
along  the  crags  and  through  the  shaded  glens  and  in  front  of  the  waterfalls 
on  the  banks  of  the  great  river,  constitute  one  of  the  dramas  of  building. 
Even  more  spectacular  came  the  gorgeous  pageantry  of  the  Villard  excursion 
in  October,  1883,  in  which  Grant,  Evarts,  and  others  of  the  most  distinguished 
of  Americans  participated,  and  in  which  Oregon  and  the  Northwest  in  general 
were  entertained  in  Portland  with  lavish  hospitality,  and  in  which  Villard  rode 
upon  the  crest  of  the  greatest  wave  of  power  and  popularity  that  had  been 
seen  in  the  history  of  the  Northwest.  But  in  the  very  moment  of  his  triumph 
he  fell  with  a  "dull,  sickening  thud."  In  fact  even  while  being  lauded  and 
feted  as  the  great  railroad  builder  he  must  have  known  of  the  impending 
crash.  For  skilful  manipulations  of  the  stock  market  by  the  Wright  interests 
had  dispossessed  Villard  of  his  majority  control,  a  general  collapse  in  Portland 
followed,  and  the  Puget  Sound  terminal  was  established  at  the  "City  of 
Destiny,"  Tacoma.  Not  till  1890,  however,  was  the  great  tunnel  at  Stampede 
Pass  completed  and  the  Northern  Pacific  fairly  established  upon  its  great 
route. 

The  years  1883  to  1888  were  eventful  in  the  Yakima  country.  Up  to  that 
time,  the  influx  of  population  had  been  slow.  Practically  the  raising  of  stock 
was  the  only  business  which  offered  financial  returns.  During  the  later  seven- 
ties indeed  there  were  not  wanting  settlers  with  the  vision  to  see  the  capabilities 
of  those  vast  and  fertile  though  arid  valleys.  Considerable  progress  had  been 
made  in  starting  irrigation  systems.  But  those  were  small  afi'airs  and  there 
was  not  the  unity  of  action  to  coordinate  effort  in  irrigation  systems  such  as 
was  necessary  to  produce  large  development.  In  spite  of  the  scanty  popula- 
tion,   meager  facilities    for    commercial    relations  with  the  main  trade  centers, 

(22) 


338  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY 

and  generally  primitive  conditions,  the  pioneer  builders  of  Yakima  were  wide 
awake  and  enterprising,  and  were  watching  the  transcontinental  railroad 
movements  with  eager  interest.  It  was  obvious  that  any  railway  to  Puget 
Sound  must  pass  through  the  Yakima  Valley.  When  the  great  Villard  coup 
d'etat  seemed  to  direct  the  northern  system  to  Portland  rather  than  the  Sound, 
the  disappointment  in  Yakima  was  keen.  For  a  decade  the  settlers  there  had 
been  suffering  from  the  sickness  of  "hope  deferred,"  and  now  it  seemed  as 
though  they  must  wait  another  decade  for  the  fruition  of  their  hopes.  The 
swift  transition  by  which  the  Wright  forces  supplanted  those  of  Villard  in 
control  of  the  Northern  Pacific  was  therefore  most  gratifying. 

In  1883  during  the  Villard  regime  the  section  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
from  Kennewick  nearly  to  Kiona  was  completed.  The  existence  of  the 
immense  land  grant  to  Puget  Sound  made  it  necessary  that  work  be  done  to 
hold  that  grant.  Construction  was  rapidly  pushed  up  the  valley  during  1884 
and  at  the  close  of  that  year  the  first  train  pulled  into  North  Yakima.  There 
the  progress  of  building  stopped  for  two  years.  This  halting  in  the  great  task 
was  attributed  by  President  Robert  Harris  to  the  difftcully  of  negotiating  the 
ragged  Yakima  canon  between  Selah  and  near  Ellensburg,  and  to  the  necessity 
of  elaborate  surveys  for  determining  the  most  feasible  and  economical  route 
over  the  Cascade  Mountains.  President  Harris  stated  in  a  report  of  1884 
that  the  company  had  selected  the  Stampede  Pass  as  the  most  suitable,  a  pass 
whose  highest  point  is  3,693  feet  above  sea  level.  He  stated  that  a  tunnel 
would  be  required,  two  miles  in  length,  of  which  the  elevation  would  be  2,885 
feet.  The  program  of  getting  over  the  pass  by  a  switch-back  was  completed 
in  1888,  and  the  great  tunnel  was  opened  to  traffic  in   1890. 

THE   WAR  ON   THE   RAILROAD. 

But  explanations  of  difficulties  of  canons  and  mountains  were  not  satis- 
factory to  some  of  the  citizens  of  Kittitas  and  Yakima.  The  question  of 
forfeiture  of  the  unearned  land  grant  took  on  an  acute  stage  both  locally  and 
in  Congress.  Complicated  with  it  in  Yakima  City  w-as  the  burning  question 
of  removal  to  the  new  townsite  of  North  Yakima.  The  election  of  Charles 
Voorhees  as  delegate  to  Congress  in  1884  turned  largely  on  the  railroad  question. 
As  well  illustrating  the  agitated  state  of  the  public  mind  in  this  railroad  fight, 
we  are  incorporating  here  certain  resolutions  both  for  and  against.  In  March, 
1884,  public  meetings  were  held  at  Yakima  City  and  Ellensburg.  The  resolu- 
tions at  the  former,  supporting  the  demand  of  the  railroad  company  for  an 
extension  of  time,  are  as   f611ows : 

We,  The  citizens  of  Yakima  County,  would  most  respectfully  represent 
that : 

Whereas,  Congress  did  grant  to  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company 
a  certain  piece  of  land  along  either  side  of  said  proposed  railway  from  Duluth 
to  Puget  Sound,  in  aid  of  the  construction  of  said  road. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  WALLEY  339 

Whereas,  said  railway  company  was  organized  upon  the  basis  of  said 
grant,  and 

Whereas,  said  company  did  in  1869  in  good  faith  commence  and  prosecute 
the  survey  of  said  road  and  commence  construction  thereof  in  good  faith,  and 
with  the  intent  of  completing  the  same  at  the  earliest  practicable  time,  as  their 
work  will  show  as  follows:  From  the  year  1869  to  1873  they  made  continued 
surveys  from  the  eastern  end  to  the  point  designated  by  Congress  as  the 
western  end,  through  a  wilderness  and  desert  entirely  unknown  either  to 
railway  engineers  or  other  intelligent  people,  but  a  country  given  up  to  savages 
from  whom  it  was  impossible  to  procure  information  of  a  valuable  nature. 
The  results  of  said  surveys  were  compiled  at  great  expense  and  time,  and 
the  maps  and  profiles  filed  and  the  withdrawals  made.  The  company  also 
prior  to  1873  constructed  what  is  know-n  as  the  Pacific  Division  from  Kalama 
to  Tacoma,  also  about  five  hundred  miles  of  the  eastern  end  of  said  road,  and 
were  at  the  time  of  the  great  panic  of  1873  pushing  their  work  to  the  utmost, 
and 

Whereas,  At  or  about  this  time  our  government  did  resolve  to  or  agitate 
the  question  of  a  return  to  specie  payment,  and  by  its  action  threw  the  country 
into  a  financial  panic  which  extended  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  coast 
and  from  Maine  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  thereby  at  once  putting  an  end  to 
the  prosecution  of  all  public  works,  and  more  particularly  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad,  then  in  its  infancy,  and 

Whereas,  By  said  action  they  forced  said  company  to  suspend  work  and 
into  insolvency,  and 

Whereas,  it  was  not  until  the  year  1879  that  confidence  was  so  restored 
in  the  finances  of  the  country  that  the  railway  construction  of  the  country 
could  be  resumed,  and 

Whereas,  The  said  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  did  in  that  year  reorganize  and 
get  into  working  condition  and  did  immediately  commence  w-ork  and  have  prose- 
cuted the  same  from  that  time  to  the  present  with  the  greatest  energy,  at  an 
enormous  expense  and  under  the  greatest  difificulties,  working  through  snow 
and  ice,  heat  and  cold,  and  have  succeeded  in  giving  us  a  continental  line  of 
railroad  from  a  point  on  the  Columbia  River  to  the  Atlantic  Coast,  and 

Whereas,  There  remains  an  uncompleted  portion  of  said  road  from  the 
Columbia  River  to  Puget  Sound,  the  western  terminus,  which  was  contem- 
plated by  the  grant  and  which  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  Washington 
Territory,  and  more  particularly  to  the  citizens  of  Yakima  County  and  others 
settled  along  the  line,  as  well  as  to  said  company,  who  cannot  have  a  con- 
tinuous line  as  intended  by  the  grant  unless  said  line  is  constructed,  and 

Whereas,  There  seem  to  be  rival  interests  which  are  favoring  the  for- 
feiture of  said  land  grant,  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  whole  of  Washington 
Territory,  and  more  particularly  to  Yakima  County  and  the  sections  of  coun- 
try  said   Cascade   Division   of   the    Northern    Pacific   Railroad   traverses,    be    it 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  citizens  of  Yakima  and  vicinity,  assembled,  do 
most   respectfully  petition  Congress  to  take   such  action  as  will   insure  to  the 


340  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Northern   Pacific  Railroad   Company  their  land  grant   and   to  the  people   the 
speedy  completion  of  said  road ;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  we  cordially  endorse  the  bill  introduced  by  our  delegate 
in  Congress,  the  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Brents,  in  reference  to  the  Cascade  Division, 
to-wit:  That  the  time  for  construction  be  extended  two  years  from  January 
1,  1884;  that  the  odd  sections  granted  them  be  sold  at  ihe  rate  of  $2.60  per 
acre  ($4.-00  on  time),  and  we  earnestly  request  our  delegate  to  use  all  means 
in  his  power  to  have  said  bill  passed  by  Congress. 

The   Ellensburg   resolutions   were   as    follows : 

Whereas,  By  an  Act  of  Congress  in  1864,  half  of  a  strip  of  land  eighty 
miles  in  width  was  granted  to  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  to  aid 
in  the  construction  of   a   railroad    from   Lake   Superior  to    Puget   Sound;   and 

Whereas,  The  original  grant  was  large  and  valuable  enough  in  itself  to 
build  the  road  within  the  time  specified  in  the  granting  act  without  further 
aid,  and  now  that  eight  years  have  elapsed  since  the  grant  has  expired;  and 

Whereas,  The  original  intent  of  the  granting  act  was  to  open  up  what 
was  then  a  wild  and  uninhabited  region  of  our  country — to  act  as  the  fore- 
runner of  civilization — whilst  now  thrifty  and  intelligent  communities  have 
sprung  up  in  advance  of  construction,  making  the  trafific  alone  highly  remu- 
nerative for  a  railroad,  consequently  the  original  intent  has  ceased  and  become 
null  and  void ;  and 

Whereas,  By  subsidizing  newspapers,  sending  agents  out  to  misrepresent 
the  true  sentiments  of  the  people  by  making  a  show  of  work  before  the  assembling 
of  each  session  of  Congress ;  and 

Whereas,  By  forming  the  blind  pool  and  buying  the  Seattle  &  Walla 
Walla  Railroad,  with  their  grant  in  the  way,  they  have  forestalled  action  on 
the  part  of  other  companies ;  and 

Whereas,  By  one-half  of  the  land  being  withdrawn  from  settlement,  the 
growth  of  the  country  has  been  retarded,  immigration  checked,  business  stag- 
nated, lands  from  which  no  revenue  could  be  collected  and  settlers  on  such 
lands  handicapped ;  therefore 

Resolved,  That  the  lands  lying  along  the  Cascade  Division  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  have  unjustly  been  withheld  from  settlement  for  a  period  of 
twenty  years,  thereby  filling  the  cofters  of  a  predaceous  monopoly  at  the 
expense  of  the  poor  frontiersman. 

Resolved,  That  these  lands  belong,  and  of  right  ought  to  belong,  to  the 
people,  and  that  we  most  emphatically  condemn  the  pol;cy  of  Congress  in 
taking  away  the  poor  man's  heritage  and  giving  it  to  stock  gamblers  and  rail- 
road sharks. 

Resolved,  That  the  action  of  the  several  boards  of  trade  of  Seattle, 
Walla  Walla  and  Tacoma,  praying  for  Congress  to  extend  the  grant,  would 
shine  out  far  more  brilliantly  had  they  shown  their  zeal  for  their  masters  in 
giving  something  they  had  a  shadow  of  right  to  give.  These  boards  of  trade 
have  already  a  railroad  and  they  can  well  be  magnanimous  in  giving  away 
other  people's  property. 

Resolved,   That   we   are   opposed   to   any    further   time   being   extended    to 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  341 

the   Northern   Pacific   Railroad   or  to   Congress'   fixing  any   price   per   acre   on 
railroad  lands. 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  settlers  of  Kittitas  County,  in  mass  meeting 
assembled,  are  in  favor  of  an  unconditional  and  absolute  forfeiture  of  all  the 
lands  along  the  Cascade  Division  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 

Resolved,  That  we  learn  from  our  present  delegate  in  Congress  that  the 
only  knowledge  he  has  of  our  present  situation  is  through  the  action  of  our 
late  Legislative  Assembly.  Therefore,  we  view  with  surprise  and  indignation 
the  action  of  our  late  representative,  John  A.  Shoudy,  in  refusing  to  memorial- 
ize Congress  to  forfeit  the  land  grant  of  the  Cascade  Division  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  and   in  exempting  their  property   from  taxation. 

Resolved,  That  we  heartily  and  unequivocally  endorse  the  course  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Adams,  of  the  Yakima  Signal,  in  advocating  and  cham- 
pioning the  cause  of  the  poor  man  and  in  standing  by  the  rights  of  the  people 
in  their  fight  with  a  vast  corporate  power,  in  refusing  all  their  overtures  of 
place  and  preferment,  and  that  we  recommend  the  Signal  as  the  best  family 
paper  in  our  midst  and  that  we  will  do  all  in  our  power  to  sustain  the  Signal 
in  its  efforts   for  right. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  forwarded  to  the  chairman 
of  each  committee  on  public  lands  of  both  houses  of  Congress :  also  to  Judge 
Payson,  Hons.  William  S.  Holman,  Cobb,  Slater,  Scales  and  Henley,  and  be 
published  in  both  county  newspapers,  the  Yakima  Signal  and  Klickatat 
Sentinel,  The  Dalles  Mountaineer  and  the  Post-Intelligencer. 

F.  S.  Thorp, 

F.    D.    SCHNEBLY, 

B.  E.  Craig, 

S.  T.  Sterling,  Secretary.  Committee. 

Ellensburgh,  Washington  Territory,  March  22,  1884. 

THE  GREAT  BOOM. 

But  in  spite  of  contention,  political  struggles,  financial  troubles,  dififitult 
Canons  to  contend  with  and  precipitous  mountains  to  overcome,  all  obstacles, 
legal  and  natural,  were  overcome  and  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  became  an 
acconiijlished  fact.  And  whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  justice  and  wisdom  of 
land  grants  and  railroad  monopoly,  there  is  no  question  of  the  tremendous  effect 
which  this  railroad  wrought  upon  the  Yakima  Valley.  The  whole  viewpoint 
was  changed.  Hitherto  isolated  and  with  the  types  of  business  and  the  habits  of 
thought  engendered  by  the  itock  period  and  the  pioneer  methods,  the  Valley 
was  suddenly  thrown  into  the  push  and  hurry  and  flurry  of  modern  business 
methods.  Population  rushed  in  from  the  east.  Land  values  rose  rapidly.  A 
fever  for  speculation  seized  upon  the  country.  The  boomer  boomed,  the  pro- 
moter promoted,  and  the  sucker  sucked.  It  was  a  great  time, — that  period  from 
1884  to  1890.  But  it  was  like  other  sprees  of  prosperity.  There  was  an 
awakening,  and  it  was  an  awakening  which  carried  with  it  a  heavy  head  and  a 
dark-brown  taste  in  the  mouth.  Some  that  went  up  like  rockets  in  1886  or  1889 
came  down  like  badly  dislocated  sticks  in  1892  or  1893.  But  yet  again  Yakima 
and  Kittitas,  like  Walla  Walla  and  the  other  southeast  counties,  suffered  less  in 


342  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  hard  times  of  the  nineties  than  almost  any  other  part  of  the  country.  Specu- 
lation had  not  gone  to  such  wild  extremes  as  in  southern  California,  or  on  Puget 
Sound,  or  at  Spokane.  Moreover,  central  and  southeast  Washington  had  very 
tangible  resources,  actual  yearly  production  of  food  stuffs,  cattle,  wool,  and  other 
necessary  and  salable  products  to  fall  back  on.  Hence  the  Yakima  Valley 
emerged  from  the  depression  in  condition  to  profit  by  the  return  of  better  times 
in  1898  and  thence  onward.  The  most  disastrous  result  of  the  hard  times  was 
the  failure  of  Ben  Snipes  &  Company.  Mr.  Snipes  was  the  foremost  stockman 
of  the  entire  Valley.  He  was  possessed  of  great  energy  and  business  ability,  and 
though  he  had  suffered  severe  losses  of  cattle  in  the  hard  winters  of  1861  and 
1880  he  had  quickly  got  on  his  feet  again.  As  returns  had  come  in  from  his 
stock  business  he  had  branched  out  in  other  lines,  among  them  the  banking  busi- 
ness at  Ellensburgh  and  Roslyn.  A  series  of  special  misfortunes  had  befallen 
these  banks  and  on  June  9,  1893,  both  banks  were  compelled  to  close  their  doors. 
Mr.  William  Abrams,  junior  member  of  the  firm,  made  a  statement  of  the 
causes  of  the  failure.  There  was  a  destructive  fire  at  Ellensburgh  in  1889,  a 
dreadful  explosion  in  the  Roslyn  coal  mines  in  May,  1892,  a  robbery  of  the 
Snipes  Bank  at  Roslyn  in  September,  and  Mr.  Abrams  believed  that  there  was 
some  secret  undermining  influence  working  against  the  company.  Besides  these 
local  causes  the  failure  of  banks  in  large  financial  centers  precipitated  a  run  on 
the  Snipes  Banks  which  they  were  unable  to  meet.  The  first  receiver,  I.  N. 
Powers,  reported  on  March  20,  1894,  the  assets  of  the  Snipes  company,  with 
those  of , Mr.  Snipes,  at  $354,805.43  and  the  liabilities  at  ?280,054.89.  The  sec- 
ond receiver,  P.  P.  Gray,  reported  on  March  29,  1900,  that  it  was  impossible  to 
realize  on  the  assets  anything  like  the  estimated  value.  Finally  it  came  to  pass 
that  property  valued  at  $140,815.07  was  sold  for  $546.41.  This  ruinous  deprecia- 
tion caused  a  showing  of  assets  on  March  1,  1900,  of  only  $42,369.93,  while 
liabilities  were  $234,062.72.  The  Snipes  failure  precipitated  others.  The  First 
National  Bank  of  Ellensburgh  closed  on  July  27,  1893,  but  was  able  to  resume 
within  three  months.  Various  other  calamities  and  depressions  made  the  year 
1894  one  long  to  be  remembered.  That  was  the  year  of  the  Pullman  strike 
which  paralyzed  railway  traffic  in  considerable  part  of  the  United  States.  In 
that  same  year  came  the  "big  flood"  in  the  Columbia  and  tributaries,  Yakima 
included,  the  greatest  ever  known,  when  steamboats  ran  up  Front  street  in 
Portland.  Other  steamers  made  landings  at  the  railway  st.^tion  at  Wallula  and 
Hunt's  Junction.  Miles  of  railway  were  under  water  and  a  considerable  mile- 
age had  to  be  rebuilt.  In  the  Fall  of  1893  torrential  rains  had  largely  ruined 
the  wheat  crop  in  eastern  Washington,  and  in  1894  the  price  of  wheat  at  Walla 
Walla  went  down  to  twenty-five  cents  a  bushel.  That  was  also  the  year  of 
"Coxey's  Army."  Of  some  of  these  disasters,  and  others,  we  shall  speak  at 
more  length  in  another  chapter.  We  enumerate  them  here  to  note  their  connec- 
tion with  the  railway  situation  and  events  which  followed  in  its  train. 

NEW  R.\ILWAY  LINES. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  Northern  Pacific  had  undisputed  possession  of 
the   Yakima   and   Kittitas  fields.     The   completion   of   the   Stampede   Tunnel   in 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  343 

1890  and  the  building  of  branch  hnes  into  various  productive  regions  caused  a 
steady  gain  in  business,  and  in  spite  of  the  catastrophes  of  the  decade  of  the 
nineties,  there  was  a  steady  increase  in  business.  The  branch  Hnes  to  the  Cowiche 
and  Naches  and  Sunnyside  greatly  increased  the  productions  of  the  area.  So 
inviting  a  field  as  the  rapidly  developing  counties  of  Yakima  and  Kittitas,  as 
they  were  in  the  period  from  1898  to  1908  and  onward,  could  not  fail  to  attract 
the  attention  of  other  great  railway  managers.  The  Union  Pacific  system 
under  the  energetic  management  of  E.  H.  Harriman  was  pushing  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  it  was  the  logical  result  of  the  development  of  that  system  that  it 
cast  longing  eyes  upon  the  swiftly  accumulating  freights  of  the  Yakima  Valley. 
Yet  more  important  was  a  direct  line  to  the  Sound  across  the  mountains.  It 
was  obvious  to  all  far  seeing  transportation  men  that  Puget  Sound  would  be 
one  of  the  great  centers  of  world  commerce,  and  that  command  of  routes  to 
that  center  would  be  of  tremendous  moment  to  every  transcontinental  line. 
A  mysterious  building  movement  began  under  the  nominal  control  of  Robert 
Strahom  of  Spokane,  with  the  name  of  North  Coast  Railroad.  This  was  one 
of  the  background  studies  in  railway  lines  which  for  a  time  baffled  the  prying 
curiosity  of  the  keenest  interviewers.  Mr.  Strahom  was  a  veritable  Sphinx, 
and  some  attributed  his  construction  to  the  Northwestern,  some  to  the  Milwau- 
kee, some  to  the  Union  Pacific.  Whatever  the  source  of  supply  it  was  evident 
that  he  had  adequate  financial  backing.  A  direct  line  from  Spokane  to  Ayer 
Junction  on  Snake  River,  crossing  the  river  by  one  of  the  highest  bridges  in 
the  world  (268  feet  above  the  water),  to  the  Columbia  River  just  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Snake  was  completed  in  1910.  The  Columbia  was  bridged  and 
the  road  completed  to  Yakima  on  March  24,  1911.  It  became  disclosed  that 
this  North  Coast  Line  was  backed  by  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation 
Company,  which  on  December  24,  1911,  became  the  Oregon-Washington  Rail- 
way and  Navigation  Company.  The  line  from  Kennewick  to  Yakima,  crossing 
the  Yakima  River  near  Kiona  and  continuing  on  the  north  and  east  side  of 
the  river  nearly  to  Union  Gap,  has  become  a  great  factor  in  the  growth  of  that 
magnificent  region,  of  which  Benton  City,  North  Prosser,  Grandview,  Sunny- 
side,  Granger  and  Zillah,  are  the  chief  centers.  At  this  writing  Yakima  is  still 
the  terminus  of  this  branch  of  the  O.-W.  R.  R.  &  N.  systems,  but  without 
question  it  will  push  on  to  a  terminal  on  the  Sound,  and  in  the  belief  of  many 
will  put  a  line  through  the  Simcoe  and  Klickitat  regions,  probably  by  way  of 
Mount  Adams  to  a  Columbia  River  connection,  thus  tapping  an  undeveloped 
country  of  vast  potential  resources. 

Yet  another  event  of  major  importance  in  the  railway  world  was  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Milwaukee  Railroad  system  to  Puget  Sound.  This  road  was 
built  directly  across  the  wheat  producing  section  of  eastern  Washington  to 
Beverly  on  the  Columbia  and  thence  over  the  high  plateau  westward  to  the 
Kittitas  Valley.  The  first  trains  ran  into  Ellensburg  in  1909.  Thus  the  Yakima 
Valley  has  connections  with  all  parts  of  the  world  by  three  of  the  great  trans- 
continental railway  lines. 

One  of  the  incidents  connected  with  the  construction  of  the  O.-W.  R.  R. 
&  N.  system  into  Yakima  was  a  great  struggle  over  the  passage  way  through 


344  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Union  Gap.  This  pretty  nearly  resulted  in  a  pitched  battle,  and  some  night 
work  and  Sunday  work,  and  finally  an  appeal  to  the  courts.  Each  road  was 
trying  to  make  the  other  as  much  trouble  as  possible,  and  presumably  in  the 
end,  as  usual,  the  public — the  long  suffering  and  patient  public — paid  the  bills 
in  some  form. 

THE   INTERURBAN    RAILWAYS. 

Aside  from  the  great  railway  systems,  there  is  an  important  intenirban 
system,  connecting  Yakima  with  the  outlying  producing  centers.  This  system, 
of  which  the  corporate  name  is  the  Yakima  Valley  Tran.^portation  Company, 
has  had  an  interesting  history.  Its  inauguration  was  largely  due  to  one  of  the 
most  valuable  of  the  builders  of  this  region,  George  S.  Rankin.  Mr.  Rankin 
has  been  connected  with  a  large  number  of  the  most  important  enterprises  of 
Yakima.  Coming  first  to  this  place  in  1889,  going  back  to  his  home  state  of 
New  York,  and  then  coming  again  to  Yakima  in  1892,  he  assisted  in  launching 
irrigation  enterprises,  town  sites,  mercantile  establishments,  banking  business, 
and  other  lines  of  great  moment  to  the  growing  communities  centering  at 
Yakima.  None  of  his  great  undertakings,  however,  was  more  productive  than 
the  local  electric  railway  system.  It  was  started  in  1907.  The  first  organiza- 
tion was  known  as  the  Yakima  Inter  Valley  Traction  Company,  with  H.  B. 
Scudder  as  president.  In  1908,  there  was  a  reorganization  and  the  name  of 
Yakima  Valley  Transportation  Company  was  taken.  A.  J.  Splawn  became 
president,  with  Mr.  Rankin  as  vice-president  and  manager.  A  local  fund  of 
$200,000  was  raised  for  construction  purposes.  Six  miles  were  built,  three 
miles  east  and  three  miles  west  through  the  city.  Judge  Edward  Whitson  and 
Joseph  McNaughton  were  associated  with  Mr.  Rankin  and  Mr.  Splawn  in 
this  great  enterprise.  The  difficulty  of  financing  so  large  an  undertaking  in 
the  depression  beginning  in  1907  was  such  that  the  company  disposed  of  their 
holdings  to  the  North  Coast  Railroad  Company  in  1909.  This  meant  of  course 
the  passing  of  the  local  electric  line  into  the  ownership  of  the  Union  Pacific 
R.  R.  Company.  Extensions  have  been  made  till  at  the  present  date  the  Yakima 
Valley  Transportation  Company  has  forty-four  miles  of  track.  It  is  divided 
into  a  number  of  lines,  city  and  intenirban,  as  follows : 

Fairview   line 2.9  miles. 

Maple   Street  line 2.5  miles. 

Cascade  Mill  line 1.9  miles. 

Fourth  Street  line 2.6  miles. 

Nob   Hill    line 3.0  miles. 

Fruitvale   line 3.1  miles. 

Wiley    City    line 9.1  miles. 

Selah   line 7.1  miles. 

Harwood   Hne 7.3  miles. 

Orchard   line 4.6  miles. 

In  1917  the  Transportation  Company  shipped  into  its  various  stations  six: 
hundred  and  nineteen  carloads  of  freight,  and  shipped  out  2,501  carloads. 
The  passenger  receipts  show  2,048,117  passages. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  345 

As  part  of  the  great  transportation  agencies  of  central  Washington  we 
very  properly  name 

WATER  TRANSPORTATION. 

The  Yakima  Valley  indeed  is  not,  with  the  exception  of  its  eastern  front 
bordering  the  Columbia  River,  upon  navigable  water.  But  as  part  of  the  great 
Columbia  region,  and  particularly  from  the  historical  retrospect  of  the  early 
immigrant  route  by  water,  the  employment  of  the  Columbia  River  and  its  trib- 
utaries for  navigation  has  a  permanent  interest.  Moreover,  it  is  entirely  pos- 
sible to  render  the  Yakima  River  a  navigable  stream  by  canalization.  This 
process  is  employed  in  Europe  on  rivers  with  less  outflow  than  that  of  the 
Yakima.  The  present  vast  system  of  improvements  on  the  Ohio  and  other  lesser 
eastern  rivers  shows  what  may  be  accomplished  both  for  navigation  and  power 
purposes.  In  the  arid  sections  irrigation  by  pumping  becomes  another  great 
means  of  utilizfsig  the  water.  The  descent  of  the  Yakima  is  not  so  great  as  to 
preclude  tne  building  of  dams  with  locks  and  its  transformation  into  a  series  of 
cafllls  by  which  barge  navigation  from  Union  Gap  dov;n  would  be  entirely 
feasible.  The  mouth  of  the  Yakima  is  about  325  feet  above  sea  level.  Several 
of  the  railway  stations  on  the  O.-W.  line  have  elevations  as  follows :  Benton 
City,  464 ;  North  Prosser,  764 ;  Sunnyside,  741 ;  Granger,  743 ;  Grandview,  814 ; 
Midvale,  697;  Zillah,  807 ;  Buena,  781.  Of  course  it  is  to  be  remembered  that 
these  stations  are  at  various  degrees  above  the  river  level.  The  river  just  below 
Union  Gap  is  about  700  feet.  Thus  the  canalization  process  would  be  entirely 
feasible.  While  at  present  the  expense  would  doubtless  not  be  justified,  yet  the 
time  will  come,  when  the  Yakima  Valley  has  ten  times  the  population  and 
freightage  that  it  has  now,  when  an  open  river  for  barge  traffic  to  the  sea  and 
electric  power  from  the  dams  will  mean  a  saving  of  millions  of  dollars  in  cheap 
transportation.  Meanwhile  it  is  of  utmost  interest  to  note  that  great  progress 
has  been  made  in  opening  the  Columbia  River,  the  main  artery  of  water 
traffic,  to  unobstructed  navigation.  Steamboats  of  moderate  draft  can  now  go- 
throughout  the  year  from  Priest  Rapids,  at  the  northern  edge  of  Benton  County,, 
to  the  ocean,  about  four  hundred  and  fifteen  miles.  Investigations  are  now 
on  foot  with  a  view  to  canalization  of  the  Snake  River  for  both  irrigation  and 
all-year  navigation.  Snake  River  is  now  navigable  for  about  seven  months 
of  the  year  from  Pittsburg  Landing  to  the  ocean,  nearly  six  hundred  miles. 
Thus  the  time  is  rapidly  coming  for  a  new  era  in  water  transportation.  This, 
era  is  as  yet  only  dawning,  but  it  is  obvious  that  the  opening  of  the  Columbia 
and  Snake  rivers  to  traffic  by  means  of  canals  and  locks  and  improvement  of 
channels  will  create  a  new  development  of  production  and  commerce.  As  far 
back  as  1872  Senator  Mitchell  of  Oregon  brought  before  Congress  the  subject 
of  canal  and  locks  at  the  Cascades  of  the  Columbia.  The  matter  was  urged  in 
Congress  and  in  the  press,  and  as  a  result  of  ceaseless  efforts  the  people  of 
the  Northwest  were  rewarded  in  1896  with  the  completion  of  the  canal  at  the 
Cascades.  While  that  was  indeed  a  great  work,  it  did  not  after  all  affect  the 
greater  part  of  the  inland  Empire.  Its  benefits  were  felt  only  as  far  as  The 
Dalles.  The  much  greater  obstruction  between  that  city  and  the  upper  River 
forbade  continuous  traffic  above  The   Dalles.     Hence  the  next  great  endeavor 


346  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

was  to  secure  a  canal  between  navigable  water  at  Big  Eddy,  four  miles  above 
The  Dalles,  and  Celilo,  eight  and  a  half  miles  above  Big  Eddy.  It  is  of  great 
historic  interest  to  call  up  in  this  connection  the  unceasing  efforts  of  Dr.  N.  G. 
Blalock  of  Walla  Walla  to  promote  public  interest  in  this  vast  undertaking  and 
to  so  focalize  that  interest  backed  by  insistent  demands  of  the  people  upon  Con- 
gress as  to  secure  appropriations  and  to  direct  the  speedy  accomplishment  of  the 
engineering  work  necessary  to  the  result.  Like  all  such  important  public  mat- 
ters this  has  its  alternating  advances  and  retreats,  its  encouragements  and  its 
reverses,  but  patience  and  perseverance  and  the  strong  force  of  genuine  public 
benefit  triumphed  at  last  over  all  obstacles.  It  is  indeed  melancholy  to  remem- 
ber that  Dr.  Blalock,  of  whose  good  deeds  and  public  benefactions  this  was 
but  one,  passed  on  before  the  improvements  were  completed,  but  it  is  a  satis- 
faction to  remember,  too,  that  before  his  death  in  April,  1913,  he  knew  that  the 
appropriations  and  instructions  necessary  to  insure  the  work  had  been  made. 
In  fact  the  work  continued  from  that  time  with  no  pause  or  loss. 

The  Celilo  Canal  was  completed  and  thrown  open  to  navigation  in  April. 
1915.  In  the  early  part  of  May  the  entire  River  region  joined  in  a  week's 
demonstration  which  began  at  Lewiston,  Idaho,  and  ended  at  Astoria,  Oregon. 
Nearly  all  the  senators,  representatives  and  governors  in  the  Northwest  attended. 
Schools  and  colleges  had  a  holiday,  business  was  largely  suspended,  and  the 
entire  River  region  joined  in  a  great  jubilee.  A  fleet  of  steamers  traversed  the 
entire  course  from  Lewiston  down,  five  hundred  miles.  Lewiston,  Asotin  and 
Clarkston  were  hostesses  on  May  3d  ;  Pasco,  Kennewick,  Wallula  and  LTmatilla  on 
May  4th;  Celilo,  where  the  formal  ceremonies  of  dedication  occurred,  and  The 
Dalles,  May  5th ;  Vancouver  and  Portland,  May  6th ;  Kalama  and  Kelso,  May 
7th  ;  and  Astoria,  May  8th,  and  there  the  pageant  ended  with  a  great  excursion 
to  the  Ocean  Beach. 

The  city  of  Kennewick  was  particularly  interested  in  the  celebration  of 
May  4th.  This  was  the  only  point  in  the  area  covered  by  this  history  which 
entertained  the  great  concourse  of  celebrants.  There  were,  however,  many 
visitors  from  Richland,  Hanford,  White  Blulifs  and  other  points  up-River  as 
well  as  a  number  from  Prosser  and  Yakima  and  other  points  in  the  Valley. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  the  Kennewick  celebration  was  the 
marriage  of  the  Upper  and  Lower  rivers,  in  which  ceremony  "Admiral"  W.  P. 
Gray  of  Pasco  gave  away  the  bride,  one  of  Kennewick's  blushing  beauties,  and 
Senator  Wesley  L.  Jones  of  Yakima  pronounced  the  sacred  words  which  joined 
bride  and  groom  into  the  indissoluble  bond  of  union. 

As  we  shall  see  still  further,  the  agencies  of  transportation  have  had  most 
vital  relations  with  the  progress  of  industry  in  all  its  forms  in  the  Yakima 
Valley. 


CHAPTER  IV 
IRRIGATION  IN  THE  VALLEY 


IRRIGATION  LAWS — AN  ACT  REGULATING  IRRIGATION  AND  WATER  RIGHTS — RECLAMA- 
TION ACT PRIVATE  IRRIGATION  SYSTEMS — LATER  AND  LARGER  PRIVATE  CANALS 

IRRIGATION  IN  THE  KITTITAS — TME  SUNNYSIDE  CANAL — COWICHE  AND  WIDE 

HOLLOW     IRRIGATION     DISTRICT — THE     CONGDON     DITCH,    OR    YAKIM'A     VALLEY 

CANAL THE   WAPATOX    CANAL NACHES-SELAH    CANAL — KONNEWOCK    CANAL 

LATER  HISTORY  OF  IRRIGATION  IN  THE  LO\V*ER  VALLEY — RICHLAND,   HANFORD 

AND  WHITE  BLUFFS  SECTIONS SUMMARY   OF   PRIVATE   ENTERPRISES GOVERN- 
MENT      PROJECTS — STATE       PROJECTS — DESIGNATION       OF       UNITS SUNNYSIDE 

PROJECT     AND     EXTENSIONS THE     STORAGE     SYSTEMS— COMPLETION     OF     THE 

TIETON   PROJECT — COST  OF  TIETON   SYSTEM THE  LAKE   RESERVOIRS — BUMPING 

LAKE    RESERVOIR — KACHESS    LAKE    RESERVOIR LAKE    KEECHELUS    RESERVOIR 

LAKE    CLE    ELUM    RESERVOIR — ACREAGE    UNDER    GOVERNMENT     PROJECT — SOME 
OF  THE  POETRY  OF  IRRIGATION ANNOUNCEMENTS,  ETC. 

The  Yakima  and  Kittitas  and  Benton  counties  of  today  are  the  product 
of  irrigation.  The  rainfall  varies  from  about  seven  inches  on  the  eastern  front- 
age to  from  ten  to  twelve  at  Ellensburg.  This  is  insufficient  to  mature  any 
ordinary  kind  of  crops.  But  generous  nature  has  compensated  for  these  arid 
conditions  by  lavishing  her  treasures  of  snow  and  rain  upon  the  Cascade 
heights.  From  the  rugged  margin  of  the  valleys  westward  to  the  craggy  sum- 
mits the  moisture  descends  in  bounteous  measure.  Thi  annual  snowfall  at 
Easton  and  at  the  lakes,  Keechelus,  Kachess,  Cle  Elum,  and  lesser  ones  which 
feed  the  Yakima  and  its  tributaries,  ranges  from  six  or  eight  to  fifty  feet. 
Even  at  the  town  of  Cle  Elum  there  has  been  over  fifteen  feet  of  snow  in  a 
season.  As  the  old  Egyptians  regarded  the  Nile  as  the  gift  of  the  gods,  and 
the  fertile  strip  of  valley  land  through  the  desert  as  the  gift  of  the  Nile  and 
in  fact  made  a  deity  of  old  Nilus  himself,  so  the  Yakimans  might  call  their 
orchards  and  gardens  the  gift  of  the  Cascade  Mountains.  From  these  "treas- 
ures of  the  snow  reserved  against  the  times  of  trouble"  the  life-giving  streams 
have  come  to  bear  sustenance  to  those  acres  and  acres  of  luscious  fruit. 

Most  of  farming  has  much  drudgery,  and  that  drudgery,  with  the  isolation 
which  formerly  characterized  ordinary  farming,  was  responsible  for  the  crav- 
ing of  farming  folks  to  go  to  the  city.  But  with  the  intensive  farming  of  an 
irrigated  section  come  all  the  art  and  poetry  of  the  soil.  Ceres  and  Pomona 
dance  with  the  rosy-footed  hours  across  the  circlets  of  verdure,  and  the  velvet 
cheeks  of  peach  and  fragrance  of  apple  and  golden  sphere  of  cantaloupe  and 
swinging  clusters  of  the  vine  all  join  with  music  and  choruses  of  heaven  and 
earth  to  bring  to  eye  and  tongue  all  the  tributes  of  heart  and  life  held  by  nature 
347 


348  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

in  her  storehouses  of  beauty  and  strength.  Possibly  some  ranchers  just  start- 
ing on  a  patch  of  sagebrush,  especially  when  a  March  gale  happens  to  be  blow- 
ing, may  think  that  the  author  has  drawn  a  roseate  picture  of  the  delights  of 
farm  life  in  Yakima,  but  let  them  wait  a  few  years,  and  the  poetry  will  come. 

In  fact,  in  the  judgment  of  the  author,  after  the  first  necessarily  material- 
istic and  practical  era  in  the  Yakima  Valley  shall  have  softened  down  into  the 
refinement  of  more  finished  life,  it  may  be  expected  that  a  race  of  poets  and 
artists,  those  rare  spirits  who  have  the  gift  of  second  sight,  will  arise  here  and 
bring  their  tributes  of  song  and  brush  and  music  to  lay  at  the  feet  of  those 
beneficent  deities  from  whose  hands  have  flowed  those  treasures  of  the  sky 
making  possible  the  harvests  of  this  arid  land.  The  engineer  had  to  come  first, 
but  the  poet  will  follow  hard  after. 

A  history  of  irrigation  in  the  Yakima  Valley  comes  near  being  a  history  of 
everything.  For  every  enterprise  here,  after  the  first  era  of  range  stock,  has 
been  the  outgrowth  of  irrigation.  And  even  the  stock  business  in  its  present 
features  of  high-grade  stock  and  dairy  products,  is  the  direct  outgrowth  of 
irrigation. 

For  the  sake  of  unity  of  treatment  we  shall  consider  the  subject  as  a 
whole,  covering  the  entire  area  of  the  valley  without  regard  to  county  lines. 
We  'shall  be  obliged  to  repeat  a  little  of  what  has  appeared  in  preceding  chap- 
ters in  order  that  all  the  links  may  be  duly  connected. 

IRRIGATION   LAWS. 

It  is  of  great  interest  in  any  view  of  irrigation  history  to  note  that  the  arid 
regions  of  the  West  presented  a  new  problem  in  cultivation  and  demanded  new 
laws.  England,  from  which  our  common  law  came,  and  the  eastern  half  of  the 
United  States,  for  which  all  our  early  legislation  was  framed,  and  even  that 
earliest  part  of  California  and  Oregon  between  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Cascade 
ranges  and  the  sea  shore,  have  abundant  rainfall.  No  question  of  the  use  of 
water  for  irrigation  had  ever  arisen  in  the  experience  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
builders  of  this  country  until  they  undertook  the  development  of  that  vast 
region  between  the  Cascades  and  Sierras  on  the  west  and  western  Kansas  on 
the  east,  with  southern  California  on  the  south. 

Then  came  new  problems,  problems  to  the  solution  of  which  American 
engineering  skill  was  entirely  adequate,  but  to  which  existing  laws  were  entirely 
unadapted. 

Laws  necessarily  lag  far  in  the  rear  of  industries,  and  judicial  decisions 
necessarily  are  still  further  in  the  dim  vistas  of  precedent.  Hence  the  active,, 
eager  foundation  builders  of  the  arid  parts  of  the  west  found  themselves  sadly 
crippled  by  the  fact  that  courts  felt  themselves  bound  by  the  English  common 
law  of  riparian  rights,  until  statutes  were  made  adaptable  to  conditions  in  an 
arid  country.  The  English  common  law  provides  that  an  owner  of  land  may- 
divert  the  stream  to  use  on  his  own  land  but  that  he  must  return  it  upon  his 
own  land.     Practically  the  only  use  of  water  was  to  turn  mill  wheels. 

The  riparian  owners  along  the  rivers  of  California,  King's  River,  Sani 
Joaquin,    and    Sacramento, — the    only    ones    affected    by    irrigation    on    a    large 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  349 

scale — perceived  a  magnificent  opportunity  to  "hold  up"  the  irrigationists  by 
levying  tribute  on  them  through  the  application  of  the  English  common  law. 

The  Supreme  Court  of  Colorado,  with  a  surprising  vision  and  independence 
for  a  judicial  body,  used  the  law  of  common  sense  and  decided  that  the  condi- 
tions in  Colorado  were  such  as  to  render  the  English  common  law  inapplicable, 
and  hence  they  rendered  the  decision  that  the  inherent  right  to  divert  water  to 
distant  points  for  irrigation  would  be  recognized  even  in  advance  of  a  law.  But 
the  California  courts  held  the  common  law  binding  until  supplanted  by  statute. 

Hence  there  was  in  progress  for  several  years  a  struggle  between  the 
riparianists  and  the  irrigationists,  with  some  dam-breaking  and  shot  gun  argu- 
ments, verging  upon  a  miniature  war,  finally  terminated  by  the  Wright  law  of 
1889,  providing  for  irrigation  districts  and  condemnation  of  riparian  holdings. 
By  this  the  vast  irrigation  systems  of  Fresno  and  Tulare  counties,  with  others 
to  a  lesser  degree,  came  into  assured  existence,  and  the  prodigious  development 
of  central  and  southern  California  as  fruit,  garden,  raisin,  and  alfalfa  sections, 
began. 

The  development  of  the  Yakima  Valley  has  had  a  similar  history,  though 
later  in  time.  The  Yakima  River  belongs  in  point  of  area  with  the  first  five  rivers 
of  the  country  in  the  amount  of  territory  supplied  with  water.  The  rivers  sur- 
passiog  it  are  the  Snake,  Colorado,  San  Joaquin  (including  King's  River)  and 
equalling  it  the  Salt. 

There  is  probably  a  larger  percentage  of  land  in  the  tributar}'  basin  of 
the  Yakima  under  existing  or  projected  canals  than  on  any  one  of  the  others, 
but  of  course  the  water  sheds  of  the  Snake,  Colorado,  and  San  Joaquin,  are 
vastly  larger,  and  the  gross  amount  of  land  served  by  those  rivers  is  much 
larger.  We  are  informed  by  Mr.  R.  K.  Tiffany  that  the  acreage  now  supplied 
with  water  in  the  Yakima  Valley  is  something  more  than  275,000  and  that  with 
the  completion  of  existing  projects,  over  600,000  acres  will  receive  water.  The 
three  larger  rivers  named  have  over  a  million  acres  each,  while  Salt  River  is  in 
about  the  same  class  with  the  Yakima. 

The  history  of  irrigation  in  the  Yakima  Valley  is  practically  divisible  into 
two  sections.  The  first  is  that  of  private  enterprise,  the  second  is  that  under 
Government.  The  latter  is  plainly  to  absorb  the  former.  Whatever  we  may 
think  of  the  philosophy  of  Government  ownership  as  compared  with  private  it 
is  clear  that  the  logic  of  events,  especially  since  our  nation  has  entered  the 
World  War,  is  for  Government  control,  if  not  ownership,  of  the  essentials  of 
production.  Moreover,  it  is  clear  that  Federal  rather  than  State  management 
of  the  essentials  of  production  and  distribution  is  "writ  down"  in  the  book  of 
destiny.  If  we  can  adjust  ourselves  to  this  change  of  front  of  the  universe  and 
still  preserve  that  individualism  and  personal  initiative  which  have  made  America 
what  she  is,  and  if  we  can  still  retain  that  Democratic  idealism  for  which  we 
are  now  fighting  (to  "Make  the  World  Safe  for  Democracy"), — we  shall  solve 
the  problem  of  the  ages;  the  union  of  personal  freedom  and  governmental 
efficiency.  If  that  problem  can  be  solved,  the  United  States,  the  spirit  of  Amer- 
icanism, must  do  it.  If  we  do  not  accomplish  this  as  the  chief  result  of  this 
war,  the  world  must  confess  that  the  problem  is  insolub'e,  that  the  universe  is 
a  failure,  and  that  there  is  no  rational  God. 


350  HISTORY  OF  YAKHrA  VALLEY 

A  law  of  the  legislature  of  Washington  is  incorporated  here,  as  showing 
beginnings  of  law  making  on  irrigation. 

AN    ACT 

REGULATING    IRRIGATION    AND    WATER    RIGHTS    IN    THE    COUNTIES    OF    YAKIMA    AND 

KITTITAS,   WASHINGTON   TERRITORY. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Washington; 

Sec.  1.  That  any  person  or  persons,  corporation  or  company  who  may 
have  or  hold  a  title  or  possessory  right  of  title  to  any  agricultural  lands  within 
the  limits  of  Yakima  or  Kittitas  counties,  Washington  Territory,  shall  be 
entitled  to  the  use  and  enjoyment  of  the  waters  of  the  streams  or  creeks  in 
said  counties  for  the  purposes  of  irrigation  and  making  said  land  available  for 
agricultural  purposes. 

Sec.  2.  That  when  any  person  or  persons,  corporation  or  company  owning 
or  holding  lands  as  provided  in  section  one  (1)  of  this  act,  shall  have  no  avail- 
able water  facilities  upon  the  same,  or  when  it  may  be  necessary  to  raise  the 
water  of  said  streams  or  creeks,  to  so  use  the  waters  thereof  as  aforesaid,  such 
person  or  persons,  corporation  or  company  shall  have  the  right  of  way  through 
and  over  any  tract  or  piece  of  land  for  the  purposes  of  conducting  and  convey- 
ing said  water  by  means  of  ditches,  dykes,  flumes  or  canals  for  the  purposes 
aforesaid. 

Sec.  3.  Any  person  or  persons  proposing  to  construct  a  ditch,  dyke  or 
flumes  under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  shall  have  the  right  to  enter  upon  private 
lands  for  the  purpose  of  examining  and  surveying  the  same;  and  when  such 
lands  cannot  be  obtained  by  the  consent  of  the  owner  or  owners  thereof,  so 
much  of  the  same  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  construction  of  said  ditch,  dyke 
or  flume  may  be  appropriated  by  said  person  or  persons.  In  case  of  conflict 
a  board  of  award  shall  be  formed  of  three  of  which  each  party  shall  select  one, 
and  the  two  so  selected  shall  select  a  third.  In  case  the  owner  or  owners  shall 
from  any  cause  fail,  for  the  period  of  five  days,  to  select  an  appraiser,  as  herein- 
before provided,  then  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  appraiser,  selected  by  the  person 
or  persons  proposing  to  construct  said  ditch,  dyke  or  flume,  to  select  a  second 
appraiser,  and  the  two  so  selected,  shall  select  a  third,  and  in  either  case  the 
three  selected  shall  within  five  days  after  their  selection,  meet  and  appraise  the 
lands  sought  to  be  appropriated,  after  having  been  first  duly  sworn  by  some 
officer  entitled  to  administer  oaths,  to  make  a  true  appraisement  thereof,  accord- 
ing to  the  best  of  their  ability.  If  such  person  or  persons  shall  tender  to  such 
owner  or  owners  the  appraised  value  of  such  land,  and  file  with  the  clerk  of  the 
district  court,  with  sureties  to  be  approved  by  said  clerk,  a  bond  in  double  the 
appraised  value,  conditioned  that  if  an  appeal  be  taken,  and  a  larger  damage 
be  allowed  than  the  amount  appraised,  they  will  pay  the  judgment  of  the  court 
and  the  costs  of  the  appeal,  they  shall  be  entitled  to  proceed  in  the  construction  of 
the  ditch,  dyke  or  flume  over  the  lands  so  appraised,  notwithstanding  such  tender 
may  be  refused :  Provided,  That  such  tender  shall  always  be  kept  good  by  such 
person  or  persons:  And  provided  further,  That  an  appeal  may  be  taken  by 
either  party  from  the  findings  of  the  appraisers  to  the  district  court  of  the  dis- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  351 

trict  within  which  the  land  so  appraised  shall  be  situated  at  any  time  within  ten 
days  after  such  appraisement. 

Sec.  4.  That  in  all  controversies  respecting  the  riglit  to  water  under  the 
provisions  of  this  act,  the  same  shall  be  determined  by  the  date  of  appropriation 
as  respectively  made  by  the  parties. 

Sec.  5.  That  the  waters  of  the  streams  or  creeks  of  the  country  may  be 
made  available  to  the  full  extent  of  the  capacity  thereof  for  irrigating  purposes 
so  that  the  same  do  not  materially  affect  or  impair  the  rights  of  the  prior  appro- 
priator,  but  in  no  case  shall  the  same  be  diverted  or  turned  from  the  natural 
channel,  ditches  or  canals  of  such  appropriators  so  as  to  render  the  same  unavail- 
able to  him  or  them. 

Sec.  6.  That  any  person  or  persons,  corporation  or  company  damaging 
the  lands  or  possessions  of  another  by  reason  of  cutting  or  digging  ditches  or 
canals,  or  erecting  dykes  or  flumes  as  provided  by  section  two  (2)  of  this  act, 
the  party  so  committing  such  injury  or  damage  shall  be  liable  to  the  party  so 
injured  therefor. 

Sec.  7.  That  this  act  shall  not  be  so  construed  as  to  impair  or  in  any  way 
or  manner  interfere  with  the  rights  of  parties  to  the  use  of  the  waters  of  such 
streams  or  creeks  acquired  before  its  passage. 

Sec.  8.  That  this  act  shall  not  be  so  construed  as  to  prevent  or  exclude 
the  appropriators  of  the  waters  of  said  streams  or  creeks,  for  mining,  manu- 
facturing or  other  beneficial  purposes,  and  the  right  also  to  appropriate  the  same 
is  hereby  equally  recognized  and  declared. 

Sec.  9.  That  any  person  or  persons,  corporation  or  company  who  may  dig 
and  construct  or  who  have  heretofore  dug  and  constructed  ditches,  dykes, 
flumes  or  canals  shall  be  required  to  keep  the  same  in  good  repair  at  such  cross- 
ing or  other  places  where  the  water  from  any  such  ditches,  dykes,  flumes  or 
canals  may  flow  over  or  in  anywise  injure  any  roads  or  highways  either  by 
bridging  or  otherwise. 

Sec.  10.  Any  person  or  persons  offending  again.st  section  nine  of  this 
act,  on  conviction  thereof,  shall  forfeit  and  pay  for  every  such  offense,  a  penalty 
of  not  more  than  one  hundred  dollars,  to  be  recovered  with  costs  of  suit  in 
civil  action  in  the  name  of  the  Territory  of  Washington,  before  any  justice  of 
the  peace  having  jurisdiction ;  one-half  of  the  fine  so  collected  shall  be  paid 
into  the  county  treasury  for  the  benefit  of  common  schools  in  said  counties, 
and  the  other  half  shall  be  paid  to  the  person  or  persons  informing  the  nearest 
justice  of  the  peace  that  such  offense  has  been  committed.  All  such  fines  and 
costs  shall  be  collected  without  stay  of  execution  and  such  defendants  or 
defendant  may,  by  order  of  the  court,  be  confined  in  the  county  jail,  until  such 
fine  and  costs  have  been  paid. 

Sec.  11.  That  all  controversies  respecting  the  right  to  water  in  the  counties 
of  Yakima  and  Kittitas,  whether  for  mining  or  manufacturing,  agricultural  or 
other  useful  purposes,  the  rights  of  the  parties  shall  be  determined  by  the  dates 
of  appropriation  respectively. 

Sec.  12.  That  all  acts  and  parts  of  acts  in  conflict  herewith  are  hereby 
repealed. 


352  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Sec.   13.     This  act  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage 
and  approval  by  the  governor. 
Approved  February  4,  1886. 

RECLAMATION    ACT 

One  of  the  great  dates  of  our  national  history  is  June  17,  1902.  On  that 
day  the  Reclamation  Act  of  the  Federal  Government  was  passed.  This  great 
act  was  conceived  by  Powell  and  Wolcott  of  the  Geological  Survey,  the  details 
were  worked  out  by  F.  H.  Newell,  Senator  Francis  G.  Newlands  fathered  it  in 
Congress,  and  President  Roosevelt  gave  it  his  constant  support.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  the  assumption  by  Federal  authority  of  the  line  of  enterprises 
which  has  come  to  be  more  and  more  recognized  the  land  over  as  a  proper 
Federal  function.  The  date  of  1902  may  therefore  be  suitably  taken  as  the 
dividing  time  between  the  private  and  national  eras  in  irrigation  history.  It 
should  be  stated,  however,  that  nothing  more  than  investigation  was  undertaken 
in  Yakima  by  the  Government  till  1906. 

PRIVATE    IRRIGATION    SYSTEMS 

We  shall  first  give  a  view  of  the  development  of  the  various  private  enter- 
prises prior  to  that  turning  point.  It  will  be  noted,  as  our  story  proceeds,  that 
several  years  passed  before  Government  work  was  actually  taken  up  in  the 
Yakima  Valley,  but  from  a  large  general  view  the  date  of  1902  is  the  normal 
date. 

There  seem  to  be  slight  differences  of  statement  as  to  when  the  first  actual 
irrigating  canals  in  Yakima  came  into  existence.  There  is  general  agreement, 
however,  that  the  first  ditch  was  that  of  Kamiakin,  "Last  Hero  of  Yakimas," 
in  about  1853  at  his  place  near  Tampico,  on  land  now  belonging  to  Wallace 
Wiley.    But  as  to  the  first  civilized  irrigator  there  seems  not  perfect  unanimity. 

According  to  Leonard  Thorp,  whose  authority  is  of  the  best,  the  first  irri- 
gation was  performed  in  1866  by  Thomas  and  Benton  Goodwin,  at  a  point 
about  a  mile  south  of  the  present  city  of  Yakima.  This  ditch  carried  water 
from  the  Yakima  River  to  a  small  wheat  field,  from  which  a  fine  crop  was 
gathered,  about  forty  bushels  to  the  acre  on  five  acres.  According  to  the  elab- 
orate Government  history  in  the  Reclamation  office,  for  the  use  of  which  we 
are  indebted  to  Mr.  R.  K.  Tiffany,  the  first  ditch  was  the  Nelson  Ditch  of  1867. 
We  derived  information  also  from  Mr.  Thorp  in  regard  to  a  sort  of  coopera- 
tive system,  in  which  Captain  Simmons  and  iMessrs.  Vaughn,  Goodwin,  Stall- 
cop  and  Maybury,  were  concerned. 

According  to  the  Government  record  the  Nelson  Ditch  took  its  water 
supply  from  the  left  bank  of  the  Naches  River  in  Section  5,  Township  13  North, 
of  Range  18  East.  This  ditch,  still  in  existence,  was  very  small,  carn-ing  only 
seven  second  feet. 

While  these  pioneer  ditches  were  under  process  of  formation  various  small 
individual  undertakings  were  in  progress.  This  was  especially  true  along  the 
Ahtanum.  In  1872  Charles  Carpenter  raised  the  first  hops  at  his  place  on  the 
Ahtanum. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  353 

In  1872  Charles  and  Joseph  Schanno  and  Sebastian  Lauber  made  the  first 
attempt  at  a  more  considerable  system.  They  constructed  a  canal  from  a  point 
on  the  Ahtanum  near  the  Carpenter  place  to  their  half  section  of  land  which 
became  later  the  site  of  Yakima  City.  We  derive  some  valuable  data  from 
Mrs.  Marie  Catron  of  Walla  Walla,  daughter  of  Charles  Schanno.  She  recalls 
the  fine  gardens  and  berry  patches  produced  on  her  father's  place  by  the  water 
of  the  canal.  Though  a  small  child  she  remembers  the  ridicule  bestowed  upon 
her  father  by  people  who  thought  his  idea  of  irrigation  absurd.  Nevertheless 
the  Schanno  brothers  went  right  on  in  1874  to  establish  a  much  greater  enter- 
prise. They  laid  out  a  ditch  from  a  point  on  the  Naches  about  eight  miles  dis- 
tant from  their  place.  Mrs.  Catron  tells  us  that  her  father  followed  to  consid- 
erable extent  a  natural  hollow  running  through  what  was  not  far  from  the 
present  railroad  tracks,  and  thus  reduced  the  expense  of  ditching  to  a  relatively 
small  amount.  But  the  Schanno  Canal  was,  after  all,  a  large  one  for  that  early 
time,  being  eighteen  feet  wide  and  eighteen  inches  deep.  At  first  the  water 
was  mainly  used  for  raising  gardens  and  a  little  wheat.  Not  till  1881  was  the 
great  foundation  crop  of  Yakima,  alfalfa,  raised  by  means  of  the  Schanno  Ditch. 

Some  claim  has  been  made  that  a  canal  was  constructed  by  Judge  J.  W. 
Beck  in  1872,  prior  to  the  Schanno  Canal.  The  Beck  Ditch  carried  water  from 
the  Yakima  about  half  a  mile  above  the  Moxee  bridge  to  Judge  Beck's  place 
above  Yakima  City.  Another  of  the  early  canals  was  constructed  by  William 
Lince.  This  conveyed  water  from  the  Ahtanum  to  the  lower  slope  of  the  hill 
below  the  subsequent  Congdon  Ditch. 

An  important  ditch  grew  out  of  the  Simmons-Vaughn  enterprise  of  1867, 
or  as  some  have  it,  1868.  The  head-gate  for  that  canal  was  on  the  Naches 
about  a  mile  above  its  mouth.  It  was  at  first  a  small  affair,  and  yet  with  the 
progress  of  several  years  it  grew  into  the  Union  Canal,  well  known  to  all  resi- 
dents of  Yakima. 

LATER   AND   LARGER   PRIVATE    CANALS 

A  number  of  larger  enterprises  were  launched  during  the  decades  of  the 
eighties  and  nineties.  The  Naches  rather  than  the  main  stream  of  the  Yakima 
was  the  source  of  water  supply  for  the  earlier  canals.  The  first  important 
canal,  following  those  pioneer  enterprises  already  described,  was  that  of  the 
Selah  Valley  Ditch  Company,  of  which  B.  F.  Young  of  Tacoma  became  super- 
intendent. This  canal  was  based  upon  a  filing  of  water  appropriation  at  a  point 
on  the  Naches  thirty  miles  above  its  mouth.  During  1887  the  canal  was  in 
process  of  construction  from  the  head  along  the  north  hill  sides  of  the  Naches 
Valley  to  a  point  where  elevations  permitted  its  divergence  to  the  rich  lands 
of  Selah. 

For  that  time  the  Selah  Valley  Canal  was  a  big  affair,  twelve  feet  wide  on 
the  bottom,  twenty-four  on  top,  and  of  depth  to  carry  water  three  and  a  half 
feet  deep. 

During  the  period  of  construction  of  the  Selah  Valley  Ditch,  the  Moxee 
Company  was  constructing  a  large  ditch  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  This  was 
under  the  presidency  and  management  of  William  Ker.     G.  G.  Hubbard,  a  capi- 

(23) 


354  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

talist  of  Washington  City,  was,  with  Mr.  Ker,  the  chief  stockholder  in  that 
enterprise.  The  ditch  was  eighteen  feet  wide  on  the  bottom  and  carried  water 
three  feet  deep. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  seventies  and  early  eighties  the  conception  of  the 
coming  destiny  of  the  Yakima  Valley  as  a  vast  irrigated  country  had  taken 
possession  of  many  minds.  As  .we  have  seen,  a  number  of  small  canals  and 
some  large  ones  had  begun  operation  in  the  central  valley  around  Yakima  City. 
Almost  contemporary  with  those  enterprises  pioneer  work  began  in  the  lower 
Valley  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  Prosser  and  Kiona.  In  1878  J.  M.  Baxter 
and  Mr.  Lockwood  undertook  canal  construction  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Yakima  River.  Dr.  Charles  Cantonwine  had  a  stock  ranch  nearly  opposite 
Baxter's,  and  he  also  entered  upon  ditch  construction  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river.  A  similar  pioneer  enterprise  was  initiated  on  the  Grosscup  ranch  near 
the  present  flag-station  of  that  name  on  the  O.-W.  R.  R.  line.  That  property 
was  in  possession  of  B.  S.  Grosscup,  later  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  judge^ 
known  throughout  the  state. 

An  ambitious  enterprise  in  the  hands  of  the  Yakima  Improvement  and 
Irrigation  Company  was  launched  in  the  Kiona  district.  The  first  aim  was  to 
make  a  canal  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  for  irrigating  four  thousand  acres 
of  land  acquired  by  the  company,  and  to  furnish  water  to  an  area  of  forty 
thousand  acres  available  to  homesteaders  farther  down  the  river.  The  plan 
contemplated  a  canal  of  sufficient  size  to  carry  boats  into  the  Yakima  River, 
and  by  means  of  dams  in  the  river  and  terminals  at  Kiona  to  receive  and  dis- 
charge freight  at  the  North  Pacific  station  at  that  place.  This  was  a  great 
project,  but  failed  of  full  realization.  It  had  connections,  however,  which 
have  led  to  such  developments  as  to  make  it  one  of  the  historically  important 
projects  of  the  valley.  It  was  begun  in  1889.  The  head-gates  were  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Yakima  River  four  miles  above  Kiona.  The  plans  contem- 
plated a  canal  of  sufficient  size  to  carry  600  second  feet  of  water.  I.  W.  Dudley 
was  one  of  the  chief  promoters  of  this  enterprise.  H.  S.  Huson  was  president 
of  the  company.  Carl  Ely  and  F.  A.  Dudley  were  the  others  chiefly  concerned. 
The  enterprise  halted  as  the  "hard  times"  came  on.  The  area  across  the  river 
from  Kiona  became  an  irrigation  district,  and  Frank  A.  Dudley  acquired  the 
stock  of  the  Y.  I.  and  I.  Company. 

Meanwhile  the  greatest  "paper"  enterprise  in  all  the  lower  valley  had  been 
started.  This  was  the  Ledbetter  scheme.  It  was  launched  in  1890  and  carried 
for  several  years,  but  finally  went  to  pieces.  The  nam?,  however,  has  been 
passed  on  to  an  immense  unit  of  the  Government  system. 

The  Ledbetter  aim  was  to  irrigate  the  vast  area  between  Rattlesnake  Moun- 
tain and  the  Columbia  River,  on  both  sides  of  the  Yakima,  and  including  the 
Kennewick  district.  In  1893  the  Yakima  Improvement  and  Irrigating  Company 
acquired  the  part  of  the  Ledbetter  interests  in  the  Kennewick  region  and  pushed 
construction  in  that  direction.  F.  A.  Dudley  had  conveyed  his  interests  to  J.  J. 
Rudkin  and  O.  A.  Fechter.  The  first  furrow  on  the  Kennewick  Ditch  was 
turned  on  January  17,  1892.    The  head  works  were  on  the  south  side  of  Horn 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  355 

Rapids.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  important  work  which  transformed  the 
Kennewick  desert  into  one  of  the  most  attractive  spots  in  the  valley.  In  1893 
the  canal  was  completed  to  Kennewick,  thirty-four  miles  from  the  Horn  Rapids. 
In  the  next  year  the  water  reached  Hover.  These  would  have  been  palmy  days 
in  the  history  of  Kennewick,  had  not  the  evil  times  of  1890-95  beclouded  all 
the  bright  prospects. 

Meanwhile  there  was  another  peculiar  chapter  in  the  complicated  history 
of  the  Kennewick  project.  This  concerned  the  Delhaven  Irrigation  District. 
This  was  composed  of  the  residents  of  the  region.  They  acquired  the  property 
of  the  Y.  I.  and  I.  Company  and  operated  the  canal  from  1893  to  1896.  The 
times  were  unpropitious  and  the  Delhaven  district  failed  to  maintain  itself. 
During  those  gloomy  years  most  financial  transactions  at  Kennewick  were  per- 
formed by  warrants  of  the  district.  These  began  to  depreciate  and  the  district 
at  last  went  into  liquidation  and  its  stock  passed  to  the  Northwestern  Improve- 
ment Company,  a  holding  company  of  the  N.  P.  R.  R.  Company.  Everything 
now  languished  for  a  time.  Not  till  1902  was  there  active  work  in  the  Kenne- 
wick district.  In  that  year  the  N.  P.  R.  R.  acquired  the  canal  interests  and 
resumed  construction. 

We  may  say  that  with  that  event  the  new  era  began.  We  may,  therefore, 
properly  arrest  the  progress  of  our  story  at  this  point,  and  take  up  the  pioneer 
stages  of  another  part  of  the  valley.  But  before  leaving  the  early  history  of  the 
lower  valley  we  must  note  the  fact  that  in  1892  canal  construction  was  begun 
by  Nelson  Rich  and  Howard  Amon,  who  later  formed  the  Benton  Land  and 
Water  Company,  looking  to  supplying  water  for  the  Richland  country.  This 
was  one  of  the  regions  especially  to  be  covered  by  the  Ledbetter  project.  Many 
filings  on  desert  claims  were  made  at  that  time,  especially  by  Walla  Walla 
people,  in  anticipation  of  canals  which  never  came.  The  plans  of  Messrs.  Rich 
and  Amon,  however,  were  subsequently  realized  by  the  Horn  Rapids  Irrigation 
Company.  The  Y.  I.  &  I.  Company  completed  a  canal  in  the  direction  of  Rich- 
land as  far  as  the  Grosscup  ranch  in  1893. 

Another  of  the  interesting  and  important  undertakings  of  the  lower  valley 
was  that  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company.  This  provided  a  pumping 
system  for  about  two  thousand  acres  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  utilizing 
the  twenty-foot  fall  at  that  point  for  power.  It  was  found  that  the  discharge 
of  the  river  in  the  lowest  stage  in  October  was  over  2,500  second  feet.  An 
elaborate  system  of  turbines  was  installed  by  which  water  was  raised  for  both 
irrigating  and  manufacturing  purposes.  Quite  elaborate  exercises  in  celebra- 
tion of  this  great  event  were  held  on  April  16,  1894.  Various  distinguished 
men.  Col.  W.  F.  Prosser,  the  father  of  the  town.  Congressman  Wesley  L.  Jones, 
D.  E.  Lesh,  E.  F.  Benson,  W.  D.  Tyler,  Dr.  N.  F.  Essig,  and  others  partici- 
pated in  this  celebration.  J.  G.  Van  Marter  was  president,  Fred  Reed  was 
manager,  and  Frank  Bartlett  was  engineer  of  the  company  which  created  this 
power  system,  the  basis  of  the  growth  of  the  fine  little  city,  now  the  county  seat 
of  Benton  County.  Later  E.  F.  Benson  became  manager  and  conducted  the  system 
till  1911.     It  was  then  incorporated  in  the  Government  system  of  the  Sunnyside 


356  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Canal.  A  pressure  pipe  ten  miles  long  was  constructed  and  conveyed  across  the 
river.  This  is  now  owned  by  the  city  of  Prosser.  The  Pacific  Power  and  Light 
Company  acquired  the  pumping  plant. 

IRRIGATION   IN   THE  KITTITAS 

Turning  back  a  few  years  in  time  and  a  number  of  miles  up  the  Yakima 
River,  we  find  ourselves  at  the  initiation  of  irrigation  in  the  Kittitas. 

The  first  attempts  to  utilize  water  for  irrigation  in  the  Kittitas  Valley 
seems  to  have  been,  as  in  Yakima,  on  a  small  scale  for  little  patches  of  land 
close  to  the  supply.  A  ditch  was  constructed  by  the  farmers  in  the  Manastash 
section  in  1871.  A  year  later  a  similar  enterprise  was  put  through  on  the 
Taneum  Creek  by  an  association  of  farmers,  of  which  J.  E.  Bates  was  presi- 
dent. These  pioneers  must  be  accorded  a  high  place  in  a  historical  record,  for 
they  played  a  great  part  in  initiating  the  series  of  reclamation  projects  which 
has  redeemed  that  splendid  region  from  the  desert.  In  the  chapter  on  Kittitas 
County  we  shall  refer  to  these  canals  again. 

In  1885  what  became  known  as  the  Town  Canal  was  built  by  the  city  of 
Ellensburg,  having  a  flow  of  130  second  feet  of  water  and  capable  of  reclaiming 
12,000  acres  of  land  on  the  north  side  of  the  Yakima  River. 

In  1889  the  West  Kittitas  Canal  came  into  existence.  This  provided  a  flow 
of  100  second  feet  and  was  employed  for  irrigating  10,000  acres  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river. 

In  1903  and  1904  the  important  Cascade  Canal  came  into  use.  This  was 
constructed  to  cover  25,000  acres  of  land  and  was  guaranteed  a  flow  of  150 
second   feet. 

Several  small  ditches,  aggregating  7,000  acres,  were  constructed  during 
the  same  period  with  those  named  above.  It  is  of  interest  to  note  the  elevations 
of  the  head  gates  of  these  chief  canals.  The  Town  Canal  left  the  river  at  an 
elevation  of  1,614  feet,  the  West  Kittitas  at  1,680,  and  the  Cascade  at  1,715. 

A  large  enterprise  was  on  the  docket  as  early  as  1892.  This  was  formu- 
lated by  the  Kittitas  Valley  Irrigation  Company.  It  contemplated  taking  water 
at  an  elevation  of  2,175  feet  and  conveying  it  to  the  splendid  area  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  valley.  It  would  have  irrigated  85,000  acres,  the  largest  area  in 
Kittitas  County,  according  to  the  Government  report,  that  could  be  reached^  by 
gravity  from  the  Yakima  River.  The  company  went  so  far  with  their  great 
undertaking  as  to  clear  a  right-of-way  twenty-five  miles  long  with  a  breadth 
of  a  hundred  feet.  The  financial  crises  of  the  years  following  made  it  im])os- 
sible  for  the  company  to  carry  out  its  plans. 

One  interesting  aspect  of  irrigation  history  in  Yakima  and  especially  in  the 
Kittitas  district  was  the  sentiment  of  self-dependence  ynd  community,  spirit. 
The  cooperative  idea,  as  well  as  the  self-help  idea,  was  strong.  Nevertheless 
some  great  disappointments  resulted  in  these  cooperative  movements  in  the 
Kittitas.  One  of  the  most  hopeful  of  these  undertakings  was  inaugurated  in 
1902.  The  fact  had  been  recognized  fully  by  that  time  that  the  Kittitas  Val- 
ley must  be  handled  from  the  viewpoint  of  an  arid  counti  y  and  that  crops  and 
methods  must  be  adapted  to  that  fact.     In  the  earlier  days  many  of  the  farmers 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  357 

tried  to  raise  wheat  and  other  crops  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  in  the 
Willamette  or  Walla  Walla  or  Klickitat.  But  the  transition  took  place  in  the 
decade  of  the  nineties.  Wheat  growing  was  abandoned.  Only  an  eighth  as 
much  wheat  was  raised  in  1901  as  in  1895.  Hay  was  beginning  to  be  the  great 
crop.  Timothy  hay  from  the  Kittitas  began  to  be  in  great  demand  at  Seattle 
and  other  regions  west.  It  was  discovered  that  apples  and  pears  and  all  the 
more  temperate  fruits  and  vegetables  were  peculiarly  successful,  where  water 
could  be  supplied.  A  general  demand  for  some  big  irrigation  system  arose.  In 
1902  there  came  a  new  popular  call  for  steps  looking  to  a  high  line  canal.  A 
mass  meeting  on  January  9,  1902,  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  Inter  Moun- 
tain Irrigation  Association.  Austin  Mires  was  chosen  president  and  Frank 
McCandless  secretary  of  the  association.  A  permanent  committee  was  ap- 
pointed, whose  names  may  well  be  preserved  as  showing  the  personnel  of  those 
at  that  time  engaged  in  the  promotion  of  such  enterprises.  That  committee 
consisted  of  J.  E.  Frost,  W.  D.  Bouton,  J.  L.  Mills,  J.  E.  Burke,  W.  T.  Morri- 
son, Herman  Schwingler,  Jacob  Bowers,  Sherman  Smith,  S.  T.  Packwood  and 
Frank  McCandless.  On  January  18th  another  meeting  was  held  at  which  the 
committee  reported  that  it  had  secured  a  right  to  50,000  inches  at  the  junction 
of  the  Cle  Elum  with  the  Yakima,  and  25,000  at  Easton.  At  a  meeting  on 
March  4th  some  differences  developed,  some  favoring  a  cooperative  local  sys- 
tem, while  others  believed  the  entrance  of  outside  capital  the  only  feasible  plan. 
There  was  a  general  judgment  that  the  so-called  Burlingame  Line  surveyed 
in  1892  by  E.  C.  Burlingame,  now  of  Walla  Walla,  was  more  practicable  than 
the  proposed  high  line  route.  While  the  association  was  struggling  with  these 
problems  another  enterprise  was  inaugurated  which  in  some  degree  was  a  rival 
of  the  association.  This  was  the  Cascade  Canal  Company  already  referred  to 
whose  canal  was  constructed  in  1903  and  1904. 

This  Cascade  Canal  enterprise  was  of  so  much  moment  in  the  Kittitas 
Valley  that  some  additional  facts  should  be  inserted  at  this  point.  It  was 
purely  a  local  enterprise,  had  an  initial  capital  of  $150,000,  and  was  officered 
as  follows :  S.  T.  Packwood  president,  J.  H.  Smithson  vice-president,  Ralph 
Kauffman  secretary,  J.  C.  Hubbell  treasurer,  J.  E.  Frost  manager.  The  intake 
was  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  five  miles  above  Thorp.  Nearly  six  miles  of 
fluming  was  required,  and  two  tunnels,  one  of  800  feet  and  the  other  of  388 
feet.  The  conception  of  impounding  water  in  the  lakes  was  inaugurated  by 
damming  Lake  Kachess.  Water  was  turned  into  the  canal  on  May  13.  1904.  It 
was  expected  to  cover  two  districts,  one  of  13,000  and  the  other  of  30,000  acres. 
The  latter,  however,  was  not  carried  out. 

A  little  later  still  another  scheme  was  presented  by  J.  H.  Wells.  He  was 
manager  of  the  Kittitas  Valley  Irrigation  Company,  already  mentioned  as  un- 
dertaking a  plan  in  1892  which  failed  to  materialize,  for  irrigating  85,000  acres. 
Mr.  Wells  now  desired  to  enlist  local  interest  such  as  would  enable  the  bonding 
and  revival  of  this  great  enterprise.  He  proposed  a  huge  canal,  110  miles  long, 
forty-eight  feet  wide  at  top,  twenty-four  feet  wide  at  bottom,  and  ten  feet  deep, 
to  cost  about  $1,500,000.  Mr.  Wells  was  sure  that  eastern  capital  could  be 
secured  if  there  was  proper  local  backing.  This  great  plan,  however,  went  the 
way  of  its  predecessor. 


358  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Nqw  came  still  another  scheme.  A  certain  promoter,  A.  S.  Black  by  name, 
who  had  been  engaged  in  irrigation  in  Colorado,  became  interested  in  reports 
about  the  Yakima  country  and  in  April,  1903,  he  visited  Ellensburg  and  at  a 
public  meeting  set  forth  plans  for  financing  a  high  line  canal.  On  their  face 
the  representations  of  Mr.  Black  seemed  reliable  and  inviting,  and  the  flagging 
enthusiasm  of  the  people  was  rekindled.  But  alas,  they  were  worse  off  than 
ever.  At  a  second  meeting  on  May  29th,  the  Colorado  promoter  revealed  the 
fact  that  he  was  through  with  the  plan  and  must  call  it  all  off. 

The  era  of  glowing  visions  ended.  The  existing  canals,  the  Town,  the  West 
Kittitas,  the  Cascade,  and  the  group  of  small  ones,  covering  in  all  about  forty 
thousand  acres,  were  serving  a  most  useful  purpose,  demonstrating  the  great 
capacity  of  the  Kittitas  Valley  under  irrigation. 

The  time  had  now  come  when  the  Government  was  ready  to  enter  the  field 
and  the  era  of  private  enterprises  in  Kittitas  came  to  an  end. 

Meanwhile  several  canal  projects  of  much  importance  were  being  shaped 
in  the  middle  and  lower  valleys.  These  were  in  a  way  the  connecting  links 
between  the  great  Government  projects  beginning  in  1905  with  surveys  and 
entering  into  the  construction  era  a  few  years  later,  and  the  pioneer  enterprises 
which  we  have  traced,  from  1866  to  the  close  of  the  century. 

In  the  closing  years  of  the  last  century  and  the  first  few  of  the  present, 
several  canal  propositions  of  a  location  and  character  to  lead  logically  to  the 
Government  undertakings  were  established.  The  most  important  of  these  were 
the  Sunnyside  under  various  heads,  the  Cowiche  and  Wide  Hollow  Irrigation 
district,  the  Selah-Moxee,  the  Northern  Pacific,  and  the  Congdon.  Lesser 
ditches  which  served  areas  more  distinctly  local,  were  the  Fowler,  the  Wapatox, 
the  Hubbard,  and  the  Konnewock.  Limits  of  space  forbid  going  into  detail 
about  all  of  these.  In  a  general  way  it  may  be  said  that  they  were  in  process 
of  construction  about  contemporaneously,  the  work  being  somewhat  broken 
and  interrupted  with  some  of  them,  but  the  years  from  1898  to  1904  being  the 
central  time. 

From  these  and  their  connections  grew  the  conditions  which  resulted  log- 
ically in  the  assumption  by  Government  of  the  primary  interest  in  irrigation. 

These  first  stages  of  development  in  the  valley  witnessed  sundry  near- 
sanguinary  scenes.  Water  rights  were  very  rudely  defined  and  if  one  neighbor 
chose  to  appropriate  the  whole  available  supply  the  only  convenient  recourse 
of  the  next  neighbor  was  to  go  and  tear  out  the  first  one's  dam  and  ditch. 
Usually,  too,  he  would  take  along  a  "gun"  of  some  sort  in  order  to  be  ready 
for  eventualities.  As  stated  in  the  Government  report,  it  ^vas  customary  under 
state  law  to  make  a  filing  before  beginning  any  construction  work,  and  an 
amount  of  water  altogether  beyond  the  appropriator's  needs  was  usually  filed. 
Moreover  many  filings  were  made  purely  for  speculative  purposes.  As  a  result 
the  low  water  flow  was  many  times  over  appropriated.  It  became  obvious  that 
chaos  in  irrigation  systems  would  result  unless  a  general  harmony  and  pre- 
arrangement  of  plans  was  worked  out. 

Two   essentials   were   announced   by   the   Government   engineers :     First,    a 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  359 

comprehensive  treatment  of  the  water-right  situation,  involving  a  cooperative 
effort  among  the  various  appropriators,  with  a  view  to  defining  and  limiting 
their  actual  needs. 

Second.  Investigations  with  a  view  to  determining  the  most  feasible  loca- 
tions for  storing  the  flood  waters  of  the  various  streams  to  supplement  the  low 
water  flow  during  the  irrigation  season. 

The  working  out  of  those  two  principles  became  the  foundation  of  the 
Federal  irrigation  system  in  all  its  magnitude  as  it  exists  today. 

THE   SUNNYSIDE   CANAL 

The  largest  of  all  these  enterprises  in  both  the  private  and  the  Government 
stages,  was  the  Sunnyside.  To  a  special  degree  this  laid  the  foundations  for  the 
immense  Government  project,  not  as  yet  nearly  completed.  For  our  authority 
on  this  portion  of  the  history  we  have  had  recourse  mainly  tp  the  exhaustive 
report  of  Government  engineers  in  the  Reclamation  office  in  Yakima. 

One  thing  may  well  be  remembered  in  connection  with  this  section  of  the 
history,  and  that  is  the  fact  that  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  held 
approximately  half  the  land  in  the  valley  as  a  subsidy,  and  hence  its  interest  in 
the  development  of  irrigation  systems  and  other  industries,  as  well  as  in  town 
sites,  was  inevitable. 

To  Walter  N.  Granger  must  be  accorded  the  place  of  special  honor  in 
inaugurating  the  Sunnyside  system.  In  June,  1889,  he  made  an  investigation 
of  the  area  now  embraced  in  the  Sunnyside  Unit,  and  the  Yakima  Canal  and 
Land  Company  was  formed  by  him.  Later  his  company  united  with  the  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad  Company  in  the  Northern  Pacific  and  Yakima  Irrigation 
Company.  This  company  began  construction  work  in  1890,  C.  R.  Rockwood 
being  chief  engineer  and  H.  H.  Hall  consulting  engineer. 

Meanwhile  the  managers  made  investigations  of  the  lakes  at  the  head 
of  the  Yakima  and  its  tributaries  with  a  view  to  a  larger  utilization  of  water. 
As  a  result  they  formed  a  new  company  to  succeed  the  former,  known  as  the 
Northern  Pacific,  Yakima,  and  Kittitas  Irrigation  Company.  Work  was  initi- 
ated on  dams  at  the  lakes,  but  the  financial  troubles  and  the  inability  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  to  continue  its  aid  compelled  a  cessation  of  work. 
This  situation  resulted  in  the  formation  of  still  another  company  as  a  financing 
agency,  known  as  the  Yakima  Investment  Company.  This  new  company  took 
over  the  property  of  the  preceding  company.  Paul  Schulze,  as  a  railroad  rep- 
resentative, became  president  of  the  new  organization,  and  Walter  N.  Granger 
continued  as  manager  of  construction. 

This  Yakima  Investment  Company  met  with  disaster  through  the  failure 
and  tragic  death  by  suicide  of  Mr.  Schulze.  It  was  discovered  that  he  had 
hypothecated  securities  of  the  company  to  the  value  of  $400,000.  As  a  result 
the  company  went  into  a  receivership.  Mr.  Granger,  however,  retained  the 
supervision,  operation,  and  management  of  the  property  during  the  receiver- 
ship. 


360  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

A  very  important  stage  came  on  with  the  acquisition  in  1900  of  the  Sunny- 
side  enterprise  by  the  Washington   Irrigation   Company. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  before  the  death  of  Mr.  Schulze  forty-two 
miles  of  canal  had  been  completed  under  the  name  of  the  Northern  Pacific, 
Yakima  and  Kittitas  Company.  That  section  extended  from  the  head  gate 
seven  miles  below  Yakima  to  a  point  forty-two  miles  down  the  Valley.  In 
honor  of  that  event  a  celebration  was  held  at  the  head  works  on  March  26, 
1892,  in  which  all  the  country  participated  and  about  which  the  "Yakima 
Herald"  issued  a  special  illustrated  number.  Speeches  were  made  by  Paul 
Schulze,  Edward  Whilson,  J.  B.  Reavis,  and  G.  G.  Hubbard.  A  young  lady, 
Dora  Allen,  broke  a  bottle  of  champagne  over  the  head  gate,  and  "all  the  people 
huzzaed."  Then  later  came  the  period  of  disasters  resulting  in  the  reorganiza- 
tion. The  forty-two-mile  section,  however,  was  a  valuable  asset  of  the  new 
company. 

The  Washington  Irrigation  Company  was  financed  by  Portland  and 
Seattle  capital.  Its  officers  were  as  follows:  W.  L.  Ladd  of  Portland,  presi- 
dent :  George  Donald  of  Yakima,  vice-president ;  R.  H.  Denny  of  Seattle,  treas- 
urer; J.  S.  Bleecker  of  Seattle,  secretary;  E.  F.  Blaine  of  Seattle,  attorney; 
Walter  N.  Granger,  superintendent;  C.  F.  Bailey,  cashier;  R.  K.  Tiffany,  chief 
engineer;  W.  S.  Douglass,  water  superintendent.  The  four  last  named  were 
located  at  Zillah,  the  local  headquarters  A  large  amount  of  work  was  done 
by  this  company.  Up  to  1904  about  $1,700,000  had  been  expended  upon  the 
enterprise,  including  the  outlays  of  the  previous  companies.  The  main  canal 
extended  from  the  intake,  seven  and  a  half  miles  down  the  river  from  Yakima, 
to  a  point  opposite  Prosser,  about  fifty  miles.  Nearly  seven  hundred  miles  gf 
laterals  were  constructed.  One  of  these  wound  around  Snipes  Mountain  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  utilize  considerable  part  of  the  splendid  land  composing  the 
lower  slopes  of  that  curious  ridge.  The  main  canal  was  the  largest  anywhere 
in  the  northwest,  until  the  great  Minidoka  and  Twin  Falls  canals  in  southern 
Idaho  were  constructed.  It  was  sixty-two  feet  wide  at  the  top  and  thirty  at  the 
bottom,  eight  feet  deep,  and  capable  of  carrying  800  second  feet  of  water.  As 
laid  out  by  the  company  the  system  commanded  64.000  acres  of  land,  of  which 
about  lialf  was  under  cultivation  in   1904. 

At  that  time  the  company  was  projecting  the  extension  to  the  Rattlesnake 
slopes  and  the  great  flats  facing  the  Columbia  River.  The  water  supply  was 
adequate  for  all  fanns  under  ditch.  Indeed  it  was  stated  by  Professor  Waller 
of  the  State  College  that  a  great  overplus  was  used  around  Sunnyside,  amount- 
ing to  70  to  80  inches,  if  reduced  to  rainfall ;  so  much,  in  fact,  as  to  be  detri- 
mental to  the  land.  For  it  caused  the  alkali  to  rise,  and  a  few  years  later  neces- 
sitated a  great  drainage  canal  through  the  Sunnyside  district.  The  annual  main- 
tenance charge  was  only  a  dollar  an  acre  a  year,  a  very  low  rate  for  the  North- 
west, though  more  than  that  usual  in  the  Fresno  district  of  California,  and  more 
than  the  subsequent  charge  by  the  Government. 

In  general  the  work  of  the  Washington  Irrigation  Company  was  highly 
satis  factor}'.  But  perhaps  the  most  important  event  in  its  career  was  the  fact 
that  it  prepared  the  way  for  the  Government  enterprise. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  361 

That  is  another  story,  and  we  leave  the  Sunnyside  section  at  this  point  and 
turn  to  others  of  the  private  enterprises  which,  like  the  Sunnyside,  paved  the 
way  to  the  Government  projects. 

THE    SELAH-MOXEE    CANAL 

The  Selah-Moxee  Canal  was  one  of  the  best  smaller  ones  of  that  period. 
This  was  mainly  the  work  of  George  S.  Rankin  and  W.  T.  Clark.  The  former 
was  president  and  the  latter  secretary  of  the  company.  Edward  Whitson  was 
vice-president  and  J.  D.  Cornett  was  treasurer.  This  canal  took  water  from 
the  east  side  of  the  Yakima  near  the  mouth  of  Selah  Creek  and  conveyed  it 
over  a  higher  district  than  had  been  reached  by  the  previous  canals.  There 
was  a  total  length  of  canal  of  twenty-seven  miles,  and  an  area  under  water  of 
7,000  acres.  An  interesting  celebration  in  honor  of  the  completion  of  this  im- 
portant enterprise  took  place  on  June  8,  1901. 

One  of  the  significant  events  of  this  period  was  an  election  held  by  the 
Cowiche  and  Wide  Hollow  Irrigation  District. 

COWICHE    AND    WIDE    HOLLOW    IRRIGATION    DISTRICT 

This  election  was  held  on  January  9,  1892.  By  a  vote  of  fifty-two  to 
fifteen,  the  district  was  to  be  bonded  for  half  a  million  dollars  for  the  purpose 
of  constructing  a  canal  from  the  Tieton  River  to  a  point  from  which  water 
could  be  distributed  to  all  parts  of  the  district,  including  the  higher  land.  It 
contemplated  bringing  46,000  acres  under  irrigation.  Although  this  district 
canal  was  never  constructed,  the  vote  for  bonds  and  the  popular  discussion  and 
agitation  connected  with  it  was  a  great  factor  in  creating  a  demand  for  the 
use  of  the  Tieton,  and  that  helped  prepare  the  way  for  the  great  Tieton  project 
of  the  Government. 

The  next  private  canal  enterprise  of  capital  importance  was  that  of  Chester 
A.  Congdon  in  1893.  Mr.  Congdon  was  a  Chicago  capitalist,  who  had  made  a 
fortune  in  copper  mining.  He  had  become  interested  in  Yakima  soon  after  the 
laying  out  of  the  new  town  in  1888. 

He  had  acquired  land  in  the  present  "Nob  Hill"  section,  and  a  deed  is  on 
record  conveying  land  from  himself  and  his  wife  to  North  Yakima,  to  be  valid 
in  the  event  of  the  selection  of  that  city  for  the  state  capital. 

THE    CONGDON     DITCH.    OR    YAKIM;A    VALLEY     CANAL 

The  Congdon  Ditch  was  the  first  to  reach  the  highland  section  west  of  the 
city.  It  was  conveyed  from  the  Naches  at  a  point  twelve  miles  above  the  mouth, 
and  carried  along  the  hillside  to  the  point  of  the  bluff  at  the  Painted  Rocks. 
Then  it  was  conducted  in  a  siphon  across  the  Cowiche  Valley  to  a  point  on  the 
opposite  heights,  from  which  it  was  distributed  over  the  rolling  lands  south 
toward  Wide  Hollow.  More  than  any  other  one  agency  the  Congdon  Ditch 
helped  perform  the  task  of  transforming  that  sagebrush  desert  between  the 
Cowiche  and  Ahtanum  into  the  splendid  suburban  section  which  makes  Yakima 
one  of  the  wonders  of  the  West.     Other  ditches,  especially  the  Hubbard  and 


362  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

lower  down,  the  Union  and  the  Mill  and  the  Power  Company  ditches,  have 
played  and  continue  to  play  important  parts  in  reclaiming  that  region,  so  barren 
and  seemingly  hopeless  in  its  first  estate,  so  inviting  and  productive  after  the 
rod  of  enterprise  had  smitten  the  rocks  and  bidden  the  streams  gush  forth  in 
the  desert. 

THE  WAPATOX    CANAL 

The  Wapatox  Canal  belongs  to  the  same  period.  It  was  a  local  enterprise 
in  the  Naches  Valley,  extending  down  the  north  side,  designed  to  cover  the 
lower  lands.  It  was  constructed  and  managed  by  the  local  farmers,  but  it 
became  the  property  of  the  Pacific  Power  and  Light  Company.  This  is  the 
chief  power  plant  in  central  Washington.  The  power  house  has  an  installed 
capacity  of  7,500  kilowatts  on  water  and  2,000  kilowatts  on  steam.  The  canal 
flows  between  500  and  600  second  feet  and  is  lined  with  concrete  throughout 
its  entire  length  of  eight  miles. 

The  next  important  enterprise  in  the  near  vicinity  of  Yakima  during  that 
time  was  the 

NACHES-SELAH    CANAL 

The  canal  is  owned  by  the  farmers  of  the  Selah  section.  It  was  completed 
in  1894,  though  a  series  of  betterments  in  1907  made  another  date  of  comple- 
tion. It  is  of  much  interest  to  take  a  jump  down  to  the  present  date  in  con- 
nection with  this  canal  and  note  some  remarkable  betterments  in  progress  at 
the  time  of  this  publication.  It  is  just  now  undergoing  a  thorough  rehabilita- 
tion. Its  circuitous  course  along  the  steep  hill  sides  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Naches  Valley,  with  the  danger  of  breaking  and  with  the  waste  of  water 
through  seepage  and  with  the  many  sections  of  wooden  fluming,  made  it  a 
menace  to  the  valley  below  and  made  its  upkeep  expensive.  The  association 
of  farmers  took  up  in  1917  the  question  of  improvemenr  by  tunnels.  E.  M. 
Chandler,  formerly  superintendent  of  the  Burbank  project  on  Snake  River, 
was  put  in  charge  and  at  the  date  of  this  publication  is  bringing  to  a  conclusion 
the  most  elaborate  system  of  tunnels  anywhere  in  the  Northwest.  By  means  of 
eight  tunnels  that  section  of  the  canal  is  reduced  from  six  miles  to  two  miles, 
a  safe  and  solid  foundation  is  provided,  and  water  is  conserved  and  distributed 
in  a  manner  to  make  an  infinite  improvement  over  the  former  circuitous  and 
risky  route.  For  financing  this  great  enterprise  the  Selah  farmers  bonded  the 
district  for  $375,000.  The  district  embraces  10,300  acres,  and  all  but  300  of 
this  is  in  productive  cultivation  at  the  present  time.  Six  hundred  families 
reside  upon  and  own  the  land  covered  by  this  important  and  interesting  canal. 
It  is  probably  safe  to  say  that  no  other  part  of  the  Yakima  Valley  has  been  so 
thoroughly  developed  as  this  Selah  tract,  and  none  is  more  typical  of  the  Yakima 
country  at  its  best. 

In  passing  from  the  middle  valley  to  the  lower,  note  sliould  be  made  of  the 

KONNEWOCK    CANAL 

This  covered  about  3,000  acres  beginning  in  the  lower  Parker  Bottom.  It 
was  important,  not  from  size,  but  because  it  was  owned  by  the  farmers  of  that 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  363 

section  and  because  it  was  a  sort  of  starting  point  for  the  Sunnyside  system.    It 
was  the  first  completed  canal  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  below  Union  Gap. 

The  original  owners  acquired  and  used  the  right-of-way,  and  water  rights 
in  this  ditch,  giving  in  return  a  free  perpetual  water  right  to  the  3,000  acres 
originally  served  by  it.  These  lands,  situated  in  Parker  Bottom  and  Parker 
Heights,  have  today  the  best  water  rights  in  the  Northwest,  and  are  among  the 
richest  and  most  productive  in  the  valley.  Capt.  Robert  Dunn,  D.  A.  McDonald, 
and  W.  P.  Sawyer  are  among  those  prominently  identified  with  this  develop- 
ment. 

LATER    HISTORY    OF    IRRIGATION    IN    THE    LOWER    VALLEY 

We  traced  in  earlier  pages  of  this  chapter  the  series  of  stages  in  the  Kiona- 
Prosser-Kennewick  section  to  the  year  1902,  when  the  N.  P.  R.  R.  acquired  the 
Kennewick  system.  Resuming  the  course  of  events  we  note  that  in  1903  the 
ditch  had  been  repaired  and  the  water  was  again  running.  Good  times  came 
again  to  that  fine  little  place  on  the  Columbia.  Many  improvements  in  building 
in  the  town  and  the  opening  of  new  farms  under  the  ditches  followed. 

The  canal  was  enlarged  to  a  width  of  twenty-eight  feet  on  top  and  eighteen 
on  the  bottom,  and  five  feet  deep.  The  company  sold  land  very  cheap,  $25.00  an 
acre  with  water  right,  but  with  the  stipulation  of  residence  and  improvements. 
In  1908  the  Northern  Pacific  Irrigation  Company  came  into  possession  of  the 
property.  The  officers  of  the  company  consisted  of  O.  A.  Fechter  president, 
J.  J.  Rudkin  manager,  C.  S.  Mead  treasurer,  and  D.  E.  Gould  of  Boston,  vice 
president.  In  1909  a  very  important  step  was  taken,  by  which  the  splendid 
Highlands  district  was  placed  under  water  by  a  pumping  system  raising  water 
from  the  main  canal.  At  the  same  time  the  beautiful  Olmstead  addition  on  the 
west  of  the  city  was  put  upon  the  market.  These  two  tracts  constitute  an  addi- 
tion to  Kennewick  which  within  a  short  time  can  not  fail  to  make  it  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  cities  of  the  state. 

In  1917  another  forward  step  was  taken  throughout  the  irrigated  regions. 
This  was  the  formation  of  irrigation  districts.  This  movement  is  the  natural 
sequence  of  the  Government  irrigation  processes.  During  some  years  past  the 
Government  has  encouraged  the  creation  of  districts  incorporated  under  state 
laws  and  having  the  organization  and  powers  of  municipal  corporations. 

Experience  seems  to  demonstrate  that  these  districts  have  advantages  over 
the  former  water-users'  associations.  To  a  large  degree  they  supplanted  the 
associations. 

In  pursuance  of  the  policy  of  district  formation  the  people  under  the 
Kennewick  gravity  system  have  formed  the  Columbia  Irrigation  District.  The 
new  organization  has  taken  over  the  Northern  Pacific  Irrigation  Company's 
holdings  in  the  area  of  about  12,000  acres  covered  by  the  gravity  canals.  The 
offi,cers  chosen  by  the  voters  of  the  district  are  at  the  present  time:  H.  S. 
Hughes,  director  and  president ;  A.  S.  Goss  and  L.  E.  Johnson,  directors ;  M. 
M.  Moulton,  secretary. 

In  like  manner  the  water  users  of  the  Highlands,  under  the  pumping  sys- 
tem, have  organized  a  district  and  have  acquired  the  property  of  that  section. 
Their  officers  are  J.  J.  Rudkin,  director  and  president,  and  G.  N.  Hughes  and 
M.  N.  Hudnal,  directors. 


364  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

This  district  buys  its  water  from  the  Columbia  Irrigation  district,  and  the 
water  is  furnished,  as  before,  by  the  pumping  system.  It  may  be  added  that 
the  extension  of  the  Sunnyside  Canal  by  government,  commonly  referred  to 
as  the  "'high  line"  will  convey  water  to  about  40,000  acres  of  the  choicest  land 
in  the  Kennewick  region.  The  Kennewick  Irrigation  District  was  organized 
primarily  to  facilitate  cooperation  of  the  local  producers  with  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment. 

It  is  expected  that  the  Sunnyside  extension  will  ultimately  cover  130,000 
acres  in  what  are  known  as  the  Benton  and  Ledbetter  units.  The  development 
of  this  vast  area  is  a  leading  object  of  the  Government  in  the  Yakima  Valley. 

RICHLAND,    HANFORD,    AND    WHITE    BLUFFS    SFXTIONS 

From  the  Kennewick  section  we  turn  northward,  cross  the  Yakima  River, 
and  discover  three  irrigation  systems,  each  with  a  history  of  its  own.  These 
are  the  Richland,  the  Han  ford,  and  the  White  Bluiifs  sections. 

The  fine  area  of  level  and  fertile  land  centering  at  Richland  was  brought 
under  an  initial  system  of  irrigation  by  Nelson  Rich,  one  of  the  foremost  build- 
ers of  the  loVver  Yakima,  in  1892.  In  1905  Mr.  Rich's  enterprise  was  succeeded 
by  the  Benton  Water  Company,  in  which  Mr.  Rich  and  Howard  Amon  were 
the  chief  factors.  This  in  turn  gave  way  in  1907  to  the  Lower  Yakima  Irrigat- 
ing Company,  of  which  the  chief  owners  and  managers  were  M.  E.  Downs  and 
W.  R.  Allen.  In  spite  of  great  industry  and  seemingly  prudent  management 
this  company  became  involved  in  financial  pressure  and  went  into  a  receivership. 
]\Ir.  Allen's  sudden  death  in  1912  caused  3  new  organization  known  as  the  Horn 
Rapids  Irrigation  Company  in  that  same  year.  F.  J.  O'Brien  became  superin- 
tendent in  1912,  a  post  which  he  still  holds.  The  Horn  Rapids  system  has 
sixty-five  miles  of  main  and  chief  distributing  canals  and  supplies  an  abundance 
of  water  to  about  1,400  acres.  The  Richland  people,  like  those  of  Kennewick 
have  joined  the  district  movement.  On  December  2,  1918,  the  Richland  dis- 
trict was  formed  by  vote  of  the  landowmers. 

The  Hanford  system  was  inaugurated  in  1906  by  Maj.  H.  M.  Chittenden 
and  Judge  C.  H.  Hanford.  Seattle  capital  became  interested  through  these  men. 
Manley  B.  Haynes  became  superintendent.  The  source  of  water  supply  was 
the  Columbia  River,  and  the  water  was  to  be  pumped  by  electric  power  supplied 
from  a  water  power  at  the  head  of  Priest  Rapids.  This  is  one  of  the  greatest 
water  powers  in  the  country.  There  is  a  total  fall  of  71  feet  in  about  ten  miles. 
H.  K.  Owens  of  Seattle  was  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  installation  of  the 
power  plant.  The  author  has  been  informed  by  Mr.  Owens  that  240,000  horse- 
power could  be  generated  at  low  water.  The  amount  at  high  water  is  almost 
limitless.  Both  Hanford  and  W^hite  Bluffs  are  supplied  with  water  by  the 
Priest  Rapids  power,  though  what  is  known  as  White  Bluffs  Orchard  Tracts 
has  a  water  supply  pumped  from  the  river  by  gas  pumps,  the  first  of  the  kind  in 
this  country.  In  1908  Mr.  F.  J.  O'Brien,  now  of  Richland,  became  superintend- 
ent at  Hanford.  The  Hanford  project  covers  about  11,000  acres,  and  the  White 
Bluffs  section  is  of  about  the  same  extent. 


HORN  RAPID   IRRIGATION   COMPANY  CANAL 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY  365 

While  this  Columbia  River  irrigated  section  seems  to  have  had  a  good  deal 
of  difficulty  and  while  returns  have  not  equalled  the  sanguine  expectations  with 
which  the  promoters  inaugurated  their  plans,  it  is  evident  that  a  great  future 
awaits  that  splendid  region.  In  length  of  growing  season  it  surpasses  all  other 
parts  of  the  state,  four  crops  and  sometimes  five  crops  of  alfalfa  being  produced 
in  a  season.  The  great  power  at  Priest  Rapids  will,  when  taken  up  by  Govern- 
ment with  adequate  working  force,  become  one  of  the  greatest  sources  of  power 
for  irrigating,  lighting,  and  furnishing  power  in  the  Union.  With  a  proper 
system  of  dams  and  locks  and  canals,  it  will  also  open  the  river  to  navigation 
for  many  miles.  The  Government  has  also  considered  a  nitrogen  plant  at  this 
point. 

SUM.M.JiRV   OF   PRIV.\TE   ENTERPRISES 

Before  entering  upon  the  history  of  the  Government  projects  we  shall  do 
well  to  recapitulate  here  the  essential  facts  in  regard  to  the  various  private  en- 
terprises which  we  have  been  describing.  They  may  be  described  as  grouped 
around  these  points ;  EUensburg,  Yakima.  Sunnyside  including  the  Zillah  and 
Prosser  sections,  and  Kennewick  and  northward  on  the  Columbia. 

The  EUensburg  section  was  covered  by  the  Town  Canal,  the  West  Kittitas 
Canal,  and  the  Cascade  Canal.  These,  with  several  small  local  canals,  supply 
water  at  the  present  time  for  about  40,000  acres.  The  canals  in  the  Yakima, 
Naches,  Cowiche,  Selah-Moxee,  and  Ahtanum  sections  radiating  around  the 
city  of  Yakima  may  be  summarized  at  the  beginning  of  the  period  when  the 
Government  was  getting  ready  to  enter  the  field,  1902-5,  as  follows :  On  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  the  Selah-Moxee,  the  Moxee,  the  Hubbard,  the  Granger 
and  the  Fowler,  covering  in  all  about  10,000  acres ;  on  the  west  side,  the  Selah- 
Valley,  the  Wapatox,  the  Naches,  the  Gleed  and  the  Naches-Selah,  taking  water 
from  the  Naches  at  the  higher  points,  and  covering  about  20,000  acres  :  the 
Yakima  Valley  Canal  (Congdon)  heading  about  twelve  miles  up  the  Naches, 
crossing  the  Cowiche  with  a  siphon  and  reaching  about  4.000  acres ;  and  the 
group  originating  near  the  mouth  of  the  Naches,  the  Hubbard,  the  Power  Com- 
pany, the  •-Schanno,  the  Broadguage,  the  Union,  and  the  Town,  coming  down  the 
Naches  in  the  order  named,  covering  with  the  Ahtanum  in  all  about  30.000  acres ; 
the  Sunnyside,  Zillah,  and  Prosser  section  covering  together  about  70,000  acres ; 
the  Columbia  River  section  about  20,000  acres. 

This  gives  a  total  in  1902-5  of  about  194,000  acres.  Probably  50,000  was 
in  productive  cultivation.  The  reader  will  understand  that  this  is  a  rough  esti- 
mate only.  A  considerable  addition  was  made  in  some  sections  during  the 
period  from  1905  to  1916.  This  was  especially  the  case  with  the  Columbia 
River  section,  where  the  addition  of  Kennewick  Highlands  and  further  enlarge- 
roents  in  the  White  Bluffs  and  Hanford  sections  brought  probably  20,000  acres 
more  into  the  irrigated  areas. 

GOVERNMENT    PROJECTS 

In  entering  upon  the  very  important  section  of  irrigation  history  covered 
by  the  Government  enterprises,  we  may  note  that  it  is  divisible  into  two  natural 


366  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

divisions;  first,  the  areas  reclaimed  and  the  distribution  system  of  canals;  sec- 
ond, the  dam  and  reserv^oir  systems  and  the  trunk  canals. 

The  first  part  may  again  be  subdivided  into  the  chief  sections  contemplated 
in  the  Reclamation  service.  The  whole  development  is  known  as  the  Yakima 
project  and  may  be  roughly  subdivided  into  six  large  units:  the  Kittitas,  the 
Tieton,  the  Wapato,  the  Sunnyside,  the  High  Line,  and  the  Benton.  The  res- 
ervoir system  includes  storage  dams  at  Lakes  Kachess,  Keechelus  and  Cle  Elum, 
at  the  head  of  the  Yakima  River,  at  Bumping  Lake,  and  at  McAllister  Meadows 
on  the  Tieton  River. 

Each  of  these  subdivisions  contains  matter  worthy  of  extended  treatment. 
The  limits  of  our  space,  however,  forbid  more  than  a  limited  treatment  of  the 
general  plans  and  problems,  with  some  consideration  of  the  probable  outlook 
for  future  development. 

A  valuable  part  of  the  Government  report,  from  the  standpoint  of  general 
history,  deals  with  the  antecedent  conditions  leading  to  the  initiation  of  Gov- 
ernment work.  From  the  Reclamation  service  report  we  derive  the  stages  in 
this  course  of  events. 

In  the  lack  of  space  for  details  we  may  briefly  outline  these  stages. 

Immediately  after  the  passage  of  the  Reclamation  act,  June  17,  1902,  peti- 
tions began  to  pour  in  for  investigation  of  different  possible  projects.  Mr.  T. 
K.  Noble  of  Seattle  was  engaged  by  F.  H.  Newell,  director  of  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey,  to  make  a  reconnoissance  of  the  Yakima  and  Okanogan  val- 
leys with  a  view  to  reclamation.  An  office  was  established  in  Spokane  in 
August,  1903,  from  which  the  investigations  were  carried  on,  and  Mr.  Noble 
was  placed  in  charge  as  division  engineer. 

In  June,  1905,  the  office  was  moved  to  Yakima,  since  it  had  become  clear 
that  the  main  part  of  the  irrigating  would  be  done  in  that  section.  A  Pacific 
division  was  established  in  Portland  in  September,  1905.  The  division  included 
Washington,  Oregon,  California  and  Nevada. 

D.  C.  Henny  became  consulting  engineer  and  E.  G.  Hopson  became  super- 
vising engineer  of  that  division.  In  February,  1909,  the  Washington'  division 
was  created,  embracing  the  state  of  Washington  and  northern  Idaho,  and  C.  H. 
Swigart  was  made  supervising  engineer.  During  the  period  covered  by  those 
years  the  following  projects  were  investigated:  Synarep,  Methow,  Kootenai, 
Colville,  Chelan,  Big  Bend,  Palouse  and  Priest  Rapids.  After  investigation  of 
the  above  projects  the  engineers  rendered  an  adverse  decision  as  to  taking  them 
up  at  that  time.  During  the  same  time  they  investigated  and  reported  favorably 
upon  taking  up  the  Yakima  and  the  Okanogan  projects. 

After  investigation  the  board  of  engineers,  consisting  of  Messrs.  A.  P. 
Davis,  D.  C.  Henny,  A.  J.  Wiley  and  T.  A.  Noble,  in  a  session  from  April  10 
to  April  30,  1905.  made  an  elaborate  report.  The  essential  points  in  that  report 
were:  first,  that  the  natural  flow  of  the  Yakima  was  already  appropriated  to  a 
degree  which  exhausted  its  low  water  stage  in  Summer  and  Fall ;  and  second, 
that  to  carrv'  out  any  extensive  reclamation  there  must  be  an  extensive  reservoir 
system  for  storage  of  flood  waters.  The  report  proceeded  to  point  out  three 
large  units  in  the  Yakima  Basin,  which,  with  such  storage,  might  be   feasible. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  367 

These  were  the  Kittitas,  the  Tieton,  and  the  Sunnyside.  The  latter  in- 
cluded the  old  Ledbetter  project. 

This  report  further  stated  that  the  Washington  Irrigation  Company,  then 
owning  the  Sunnyside  system,  had  made  a  proposition  to  the  Government  to 
sell  their  holdings  for  a  cash  payment  of  $250,000,  with  the  obligation  upon 
the  Government  to  continue  the  delivery  of  water  to  the  lands  under  irrigation 
and  to  deliver  water  to  the  lands  owned  by  the  company,  then  amounting  to 
about  46,000  acres.  For  such  delivery  of  water  to  the  lands  the  company  was 
to  make  an  annual  maintenance  payment  of  $1  an  acre.  The  report  urged  that 
the  Sunnyside  system  be  absorbed  by  Government,  as  part  of  a  large  project 
for  development  of  the  entire  valley.  It  appeared  that  'he  Sunnyside  district 
was  overappropriating  the  water  and  under  the  existing  conditions  was  a 
menace  to  the  rest  of  the  valley,  whereas,  if  owned  by  Government,  it  would 
not  be  a  menace,  but  would  be  a  defense  against  the  encroachments  of  subse- 
quent claimants.  It  is  further  pointed  out  that  among  lands  which  might  be 
covered  by  an  extension  of  the  Sunnyside  Canal  were  about  57,000  acres  of  land 
selected  by  the  state  of  Washington,  for  which  a  provisional  contract  had  been 
made  with  the  company  under  the  provisions  of  the  Carey  Act.  That  part  of 
the  report  concludes  with  these  words :  "The  complete  development  of  the 
Yakima  Basin  depends  upon  the  complete  and  economical  development  of  the 
storage  facilities  existing.  If  the  reservoir  sites  are  allowed  to  pass  into  private 
hands,  it  is  probable  that  they  will  be  insufficiently  developed." 

Under  date  of  May  4,  1904,  the  chief  engineer  approved  recommendations 
of  the  board  providing  first,  for  the  immediate  survey  of  Lakes  Cle  Elum, 
Kachess,  Keechelus,  Bumping  and  McAllister  Meadows,  and  any  other  prom- 
ising reservoir  sites ;  second,  for  an  examination  of  the  Sunnyside  district  with 
a  view  to  its  extension ;  and,  third,  continuance  of  preliminary  surveys  of  the 
Kittitas,  Cowiche,  Tieton  and  Ledbetter  projects. 

As  a  result  of  these  investigations  a  body  of  data  was  submitted  to  the  two 
boards  of  engineers,  the  first  composed  of  A.  P.  Davis,  Morris  Bien,  D.  C. 
Henny,  and  Joseph  Jacobs;  the  second,  of  A.  P.  Davis,  A.  J.  Wiley  and  D.  C. 
Henny.  The  first  board  recommended  on  October  16th  that  the  Tieton  project 
be  authorized  and  that  $1,000,000  be  set  aside  for  it.  The  second  board  made  a 
number  of  recommendations,  of  which  the  first  was  that  SI ,000,000  be  set  aside 
for  the  purchase  of  the  property  of  the  Washington  Irrigation  Company  and  the 
construction  of  the  Sunnyside  division  of  the  Yakima  project,  that  no  con- 
struction be  undertaken  until  all  private  water  claimants  have  adjusted  their 
claims,  that  no  construction  be  undertaken  till  a  satisfactory  understanding  be 
had  with  the  Indian  Office  in  regard  to  water  on  the  Reservation,  that  the 
Ledbetter  and  Kittitas  divisions  receive  due  consideration  as  funds  become 
available. 

These  decisions  of  the  boards  and  their  approval  by  the  Interior  Depart- 
ment may  be  considered  the  foundation  of  the  vast  project  by  Government 
which  soon  entered  into  the  active  period  of  construction.  A  mass  of  details 
had  to  be  considered  as  preliminary  to  actual  work.  The  most  complicated  was 
the  adjustment  of  private  claims.     As  one  means  of  securing  harmonious  action 


368  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  \'ALLEY 

the  Water  Users'  Association  system  was  adopted,  providing  for  stock  sub- 
scriptions by  water  users.  Special  mention  is  made  in  the  Government  report 
of  the  great  aid  received  by  an  executive  committee  of  the  Commercial  Club  of 
North  Yakima  in  adjusting  these  private  rights. 

In  view  of  the  prevalent  opinion  that  Government  operations  are  slow  and 
hampered  by  red  tape,  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  on  March  27,  1906,  the  as- 
sistant secretary  of  the  interior  wrote  to  the  director  of  the  Geological  Survey, 
definitely  approving  their  recommendations,  setting  aside  $1,000,000,  and 
$750,000,  for  the  Tieton  and  Sunnyside  projects  respectively,  and  stating  that 
the  settlement  of  all  private  claims  had  been  passed  upon  favorably  by  the 
assistant  attorney-general  of  the  United  States.  On  July  6,  1906,  a  board  of 
engineers,  consisting  of  A.  J.  Wiley,  D.  C.  Henny,  S.  G.  Hopson  and  Joseph 
Jacobs,  entered  actively  upon  making  contracts  and  other  arrangements  for 
executing  the  recommendations. 

STATE    PROJECTS 

One  special  question  requiring  adjustment  was  the  relation  of  Govern- 
ment plans  to  state  plans.  As  a  result  of  the  Carey  Act,  the  state  a  number  of 
years  earlier  had  appropriated  a  large  body  of  land  in  the  lower  valley  and 
had  made  filings  on  water  on  the  Tieton.  This  was  a  vast  scheme.  A  survey 
had  been  made  in  1895  of  what  was  to  be  known  as  the  Nlaches  and  Columbia 
River  Irrigation  Canal,  to  be  constructed  to  have  an  intake  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Naches,  to  cross  the  Yakima  by  an  inverted  siphon,  circle  Moxee  Valley,  pass 
through  the  ridge  east  of  Union  Gap  by  a  tunnel  6,100  feet  long,  and  continue 
down  the  Valley  to  Rattlesnake  Mountain  to  the  lands  overlooking  the  Colum- 
bia River.  The  plan  contemplated  using  Bumping  Lake  as  a  reservoir.  The 
canal  would  have  carried  two  thousand  second  feet  of  water  and  would  have 
been  140  miles  long.  It  would  have  blanketed  to  some  degree  both  the  Sunny- 
side  and  the  Ledbetter  projects.  The  state  had  about  57,000  acres  of  land  in 
the  lower  valley  which  would  have  furnished  the  special  interest  in  construct- 
ing this  canal.  A  good  deal  of  friction  arose  between  the  upper  and  lower  val- 
leys over  this  project,  the  upper  opposing  and  the  lower  favoring  it.  Before 
the  Government  plans  could  be  executed  it  became  necessary  to  make  an  adjust- 
ment of  these  state  plans. 

An  act  of  the  State  Legislature  of  March  4,  1905,  granted  to  the  United 
States  Reclamation  Service  the  power  to  exercise  the  right  of  Eminent  Domain 
in  acquiring  lands,  water  rights,  and  other  property  in  pursuance  of  its  under- 
takings, and  withdrew  from  filing  for  benefit  of  the  United  States  all  unappro- 
priated water  in  the  Yakima  River. 

By  a  number  of  notices  the  Department  of  the  Interior  notified  the  state 
commissioner  of  lands  of  its  filings  on  water  and  rights  of  way.  Extension  of 
time  for  withdrawal  of  the  waters  of  the  Yakima  was  granted  from  time  to 
time  as  the  magnitude  of  the  work  became  manifest. 

DESIGNATION    OF   UNITS 

On  March  9,  1909,  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  gave  official  recognition  to 
the  different  units,  as   follows:   Kittitas,  Wapato,   Benton,   Sunnyside,   Tieton, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY  369 

and  Storage.  Each  of  these  has  practically  a  history  of  its  own,  and  such  his- 
tory may  be  found  in  extenso  in  the  elaborate  reports  of  the  Reclamation  office 
in  Yakima. 

SUNNYSIDE    PROJECT    AND   EXTENSIONS 

Owing  to  the  great  magnitude  of  this  project  and  its  relations  to  previous 
development,  many  important  questions  arose.  The  personnel  of  the  force 
mainly  engaged  in  the  development  here  since  the  Reclamation  service  assumed 
control  was  as  follows:  C.  H.  Swigart,  supervising  engineer;  E.  McCulloch, 
project  engineer;  R.  K.  Tiffany,  project  manager;  E.  A.  Moritz,  and  W.  H. 
Burrage,  assistant  engineers. 

As  already  stated  the  Washington  Irrigation  Company  made  propositions 
for  the  sale  of  its  property,  and  in  pursuance  of  the  business  of  transfer,  a  valu- 
ation was  made,  by  which  it  was  estimated  that  it  would  cost  $436,382  to  repro- 
duce the  canal  system,  with  an  additional  estimate  of  S86,I75  for  the  water 
rights.  The  final  settlement  called  for  the  purchase  of  the  project  for  $250,000, 
with  the  additional  consideration  to  the  Washington  Irrigation  Company  of  a 
perpetual  water  right  for  its  remaining  irrigable  lands,  for  which,  however,  it 
should  pay  the  annual  maintenance  charge  of  $1  per  acre.  Up  to  the  time  of 
transfer  the  company  had  sold  water  rights  for  a  little  more  than  44,500  acres, 
exclusive  of  the  Konnewock  water  rights  of  3,000  acres,  ns.sumed  by  them;  and 
they  were  actually  furnishing  water  to  36,000  acres.  It  is  of  interest  to  note 
that  development  proceeded  so  rapidly  that  in  1912  there  was  open  for  irriga- 
tion, including  private  lands,  a  little  over  80,500  acres,  while  about  63,000  acres 
were  actually  receiving  water.  At  the  present  date,  1918,  there  is  an  area 
actually  receiving  water  of  about  90,000  acres. 

METHODS    OF    LOCAL    MANAGEMENT    ILLUSTRATED 

As  an  interesting  example  of  the  usage  in  local  management  and  reporting 
the  same  in  the  country  papers,  we  include  here  a  notice  and  report  in  the 
"Mabton  Chronicle"  of  November  8,  1918 : 

NOTICE    TO    SHAREHOLDERS    OF    SUNNYSIDE    WATER    USERs'    ASSOCIATION 

Notice  is  hereby  given  to  shareholders  of  Sunnyside  Water  Users'  Asso- 
ciation that  the  annual  precinct  meetings  of  said  association  will  be  held  in  the 
several  precincts  on  Saturday,  November  30,  1918,  at  10  A.  M.,  at  the  respec- 
tive places  hereinafter  designated: 

No.  1  (Zillah)— Odd  Fellows  Hall,  town  of  Zillah,  Washington. 

No.  2  (Outlook) — Outlook   Hall,   town  of   Outlook,   Washington. 

No.  3.    (Sunnyside) — Odd  Fellows  Hall,  town  of  Sunnyside,  Washington. 

No.  4   (Riverside) — Wendell  Phillips  Schoolhouse,  Riverside,  Washington. 

No.  5    (Grandview) — Moody's    Hall,    town    of    Grandview,    Washington. 

No.  6   (Mabton) — Town   Hall,   town   of    Mabton,   Washington. 

No.  7  (Prosser) — Court   House,   town   of   Prosser,   Washington. 

Such  meetings  will  be  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  voting  upon  the 
estimate  of  expenses  herewith  submitted  and   for  the  transaction  of  any  other 
(24) 


370  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

business  which  may  legally  come  before  such  meetings.  In  Precincts  Nos.  2 
(Outlook),  4  (Riverside),  5  (Grandview),  and  6  (Mabton),  a  trustee  is  to  be 
nominated  in  each,  the  names  of  such  nominees  to  be  voted  upon  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  shareholders  on  December  3,  1918. 

Notice  is  hereby  given  that  the  annual  meeting  of  said  shareholders  will 
be  held  Tuesday,  December  3,  1918,  at  10  A.  M.,  in  Odd  Fellows  Hall,  in  the 
town  of  Sunnyside,  Washington,  for  the  election  of  four  trustees  of  said  asso- 
ciation, one  each  from  Precincts  Nos.  2  (Outlook),  4  (Riverside),  5  (Grand- 
view),  and  6  (Mabton),  for  considering  and  voting  upon  the  estimate  of  ex- 
penses herewith  submitted,  and  for  the  transaction  of  any  other  business  which 
may  legally  come  before  such  meeting. 

ESTIMATE     OF     EXPENSES     OF     SUNNYSIDE     WV\TER     USERS'     ASSOCIATION     FOR     THE 
FISCAL    YEAR    ENDING     NOVEMBER    30,     1919 

Account.  Estimate. 

Secretary  salary $  900.00 

Clerical 500.00 

Trustees'  meetings 300.00 

Legal 500.00 

Postage,  printing  and  ofifice  supplies 300.00 

Miscellaneous  office  expenses   

Hall  and  office  rent 50.00 

Recording    10.00 

Building  and  lots 

Taxes    35.00 

Water    rental    

General  expenses  ; 300.00 

Refunding  assessments   250.00 

Auditing 40.00 

Contingent  fund 400.00 

Commissions  for  collection  of  assessments 200.00 

Total $3,785.00 

Dated  at  Sunnyside,  Washington,  this  5th  day  of  November,  1918. 

G.  E.  Rodman,  Secretary. 

THE  STORAGE  SYSTEMS 

In  the  necessary  limitations  of  space  imposed  upon  us  we  can  take  but  hurried 
glances  at  this  all-important  part  of  the  history. 

It  is  evident  that  the  storage  systems  compose  the  mainspring  of  the  whole 
matter.  As  determined  by  Government  in  entering  upon  the  work,  the  only 
way  to  secure  extensive  development  was  by  impounding  the  flood  waters  at 
the  head  of  the  Yakima  and  its  tributaries.  It  was  clear  from  the  first  that 
there  were  three  main  reservoir  basins.     These  were  the  three  lakes,  Cle  Elum, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  371 

Kachess,  and  Keechelus  at  the  head  of  the  main  river,  the  Bumping  Lake  at  the 
head  of  that  river,  and  McAllister  Meadows  on  the  Tieton. 

The  Tieton  had  long  been  recognized  by  the  old  timers  in  Yakima  as  a 
source  of  water  supply.  We  must  note  the  different  plans  which  contemplated 
using  this  inviting  stream. 

Probably  the  first  conception  of  the  use  of  this  strenm  was  that  of  Charles 
Schanno  in  1876.  He  made  a  crude  survey  with  a  view  to  using  water  for 
fluming  out  wood.  Then  came  a  suggestion  by  D.  W.  Stair  in  1890.  He  pro- 
posed that  water  from  the  glaciers  at  the  head  of  the  Tieton  be  diverted  into 
the  Cowiche.  W.  H.  Redman  investigated,  but  pronounced  the  project  im- 
practicable. In  1891,  in  consequence  of  the  state  law  passed  providing  for 
irrigation  districts,  the  Cowiche  and  Wide  Hollow  district  was  formed.  Mr. 
Strobach  and  Mr.  Winchester,  on  behalf  of  tlie  directors  of  the  district, 
engaged  Guy  Sterling  to  make  a  survey.  Mr.  Sterling  spent  about  $4,000 
investigating  the  Tieton  canon  and  made  a  report  which  in  all  essential  features 
was  the  same  as  that  made  later  by  Charles  M.  Swigart  for  the  Reclamation 
service  which  was  actually  put  into  existence,  though  Mr.  Swigart,  not  know- 
ing of  Mr.  Sterling's  survey,  arrived  at  his  findings  independently. 

In  August,  1892,  the  district  voted  to  issue  bonds  for  half  a  million  dollars 
for  constructing  this  work,  but  the  hard  times  immediately  following  set  the 
whole  plan  aside.  In  1895  E.  C.  Burlingame,  an  engineer  of  much  energy  and 
ability,  now  at  Walla  Walla  as  manager  of  the  Gardena  project,  made  an 
elaborate  survey  of  the  Tieton  as  the  source  of  a  supply  for  lands  west  of 
Yakima.  He  did  some  construction  work,  which  can  still  be  seen  on  the 
steep  hillside  on  the  south  side  of  the  Naches.  But  the  construction  at  that 
time  of  the  Congdon  Ditch  cut  otf  a  part  of  the  lands  which  Mr.  Burlingame 
hoped  to  irrigate  and  the  times  were  unfavorable  for  financing  so  expensive 
an  enterprise,  and  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  it.  At  about  the  same  date,  as 
we  have  seen,  the  state  made  plans  for  use  of  Bumping  Lake  and  the  Tieton 
Basin.  In  1896  B.  F.  Barge  and  others  formed  a  plan  for  storing  the  flood 
waters  of  the  North  fork  of  the  Cowiche.  They  began  work  on  this  reservoir 
November  4,  1901.  At  this  point  George  S.  Rankin  and  George  Weikel,  having 
known  of  the  Sterling  survey  of  the  Tieton,  became  interested  and  proceeded 
to  acquire  a  large  part  of  the  Barge  property  and  entered  upon  a  survey  which 
covered  practically  the  entire  Tieton  project. 

It  became  known  by  Mr.  Rankin  and  his  associates  that  there  was  not 
sufficient  unappropriated  water  for  so  large  an  enterprise  as  they  contemplated 
and  hence  they  went  before  the  legislature  of  1904  with  proposals  for  a  law 
to  allow  corporations  to  impound  streams  and  create  reservoirs  for  irrigation 
purposes.  This  bill  passed  the  state  senate,  but  was  defeated  in  the  house. 
Just  at  this  juncture  the  Reclamation  service  of  the  United  States  was  making 
investigations,  and  Mr.  Rankin,  perceiving  justly  that  future  developments  lay 
along  that  line,  placed  the  case  before  the  Yakima  Commercial  Club  and  the 
leading  business  men  of  -the  city,  with  the  result  that  there  came  to  be  a  pow- 
erful demand    for  entrance  of  the  Reclamation  service  into   the  Yakima   field. 


Z72  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

These  were  essential  stages  in  the  progress  of  events  leading  to  storage  on  the 
Tieton  and  the  Bumping. 

COMPLETION   OF  THE  TIETON    PROJECT. 

1 

The  project  involved  not  only  main  and  lateral  canals,  but  tunnels,  roads, 
telephone  lines,  and  buildings  for  temporary  and  permanent  use,  patrol  houses, 
repair  shops,  construction  camps,  and  an  elaborate  system  of  transportation 
and  maintenance. 

Disastrous  floods  occurred  during  the  period  of  building,  especially  in 
November,  1906  and  1909,  causing  expense  and  delay. 

The  main  work,  after  the  necessary  preliminaries  of  surveys,  road  making, 
house  building,  letting  contracts,  and  assembling  of  equipment  and  forces,  was 
completed  in  1909,  1910,  and  1911.  The  completed  sy.-ilem  has  twelve  miles 
of  concrete-lined  main  canal,  89.86  miles  of  main  laterals,  and  238.33  miles  of 
sub-laterals.  There  are  five  tunnels,  as  follows:  Steeple  tunnel,  100  feet  long; 
Columnar  tunnel,  1,200  feet  long;  Tieton  tunnel,  2,730  feet  long;  North  Fork 
tunnel,  3,810  feet  long.  Out  of  the  total  length  of  twelve  miles  of  main  there 
is  thus  about  two  miles  of  tunnel.  The  tunnel  work  was  begun  in  1907,  two 
years  in  advance  of  the  canal  work.  The  unit  of  distribution  canals  was 
naturally  divisible  into  three  parts;  the  Naches,  the  Cow-iche-Yakima,  and  the 
Wide  Hollow.  They  were  constructed  in  the  order  given,  in  1909,  1910,  and 
1911.  The  Naches  branch,  comprising  about  10,000  acres,  was  ready  for  water 
on  May  15,  1909.  During  the  next  year  the  second  branch,  also  of  10,000 
acres,  received  its  water  supply.  The  Wide  Hollow  branch  was  declared  open 
by  proclamation  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  on  January  24,  1912.  There 
is  a  total  area  under  the  project  of  about  32,000  acres. 

COST  OF  TIETON   SYSTEM 

The  Tieton  project  was  an  expensive  one,  and  yet  owing  to  its  manifold 
attractions  of  soil,  location,  and  market,  it  has  rapidly  developed  during  the 
six  years  in  which  it  has  been  open  to  settlement.  By  notice  of  the  Secretary 
of  the  Interior,  March  21,  1913,  payments  were  fixed  on  a  ten  year  basis,  with 
interest  included  in  the  payment  as  given: 

First  installment $  9.30 

Second   installment 1.50 

Third   installment 3.00 

Fourth   installment 4.00 

Fifth   installment 5.20 

Sixth   installment 10.00 

Seventh    installment 15.00 

Eighth  installment 15.00 

Ninth   installment 15.00 

Tenth   installment - 15.00 

A  total  of  $93.00.  The  provision  was  made  that  at  least  50%  of  the  irri- 
gable part  of  any  holding  must  be  improved. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  373 

By  the  Reclamation  Extension  Act  of  August  13,  1914,  the  time  of  pay- 
ment was  extended  to  twenty  years,  without  interest.  The  first  four  payments 
are  each  2%,  the  next  two  4^  each,  and  the  remaining  fourteen  are  each  6%. 

In  1917  the  newly  organized  Yakima-Tieton  Irrigation  district  authorized 
an  additional  expenditure  of  $11.63  per  acre  on  32,000  acres  for  the  purpose 
of  enlarging  the  Main  Canal  and  improving  the  distribution  system  to  provide 
an  increased  water  supply. 

THE   LAKE   RESERVOIRS. 

The  low  water  flow  of  the  Yakima  and  its  tributaries  is  relatively  small, 
while  the  flood  waters  are  enormous.  It  was  therefore  a  very  easy  and 
natural  deduction  that  to  carry  out  the  vast  plans  for  irrigating  practically  the 
entire  valley,  immense  impounding  works  must  be  constructed.  Natural  reser- 
voir sites  exist  in  the  lakes  at  the  head  of  the  Yakima  and  its  first  affluent,  the 
Cle  Elum,  and  in  Bumping  Lake  with  its  outlet  of  the  same  name  tributary 
to  the  Naches,  and  in  McAllister  Meadows  on  the  Tieton.  With  the  initiation 
of  irrigation  in  the  Kittitas  the  use  of  the  lakes  at  the  head  of  the  river  was  con- 
sidered. Surveys  were  made  in  the  early  nineties  by  the  N.  P.,  Yakima,  and 
Kittitas  Company,  and  a  decade  later  by  the  Yakima  Development  Company. 
Considerable  work  was  actually  performed  by  the  Cascade  Canal  Company 
and  a  timber  crib  dam  was  completed  by  them  at  Lake  Keechelus  on  June  1, 
1904. 

While  the  Tieton  project  was  in  progress  initial  work  was  beginning  on  the 
reservoir  sites.  The  climatic  conditions,  as  well  as  the  instrumentalities  of 
this  work,  will  be  rendered  more  clear  to  our  readers  by  some  of  the  pictures 
in  this  volume. 

A  general  plan  of  construction  was  adopted  by  which  the  Bumping  Lake 
dam  was  to  be  constructed  in  1904-10,  the  Lake  Kachess  dam  in  1912-15. 

The  Cle  Elum  and  McAllister  Meadows  projects  v/ere  held  up  pending 
the  completion  of  the  other  three.  One  of  the  important  side  issues  of  the 
work  was  clearing  the  valuable  timber  from  the  area  that  would  be  submerged. 
It  was  estimated  that  there  was  about  64,000,000  feet  of  merchantable  timber 
that  would  be  submerged.  The  Government  accordingly  ofifered  these  bodies 
of  timber  for  sale.  Bids  were  made  by  which  different  contractors  undertook 
to  clear  the  timber. 

A  saw  mill  was  built  by  Joseph  F.  Walsh  on  Lake  Cle  Elum  in  1909.  The 
contractors  on  the  Lake  Keechelus  site  erected  a  saw  mill  and  began  work  at 
the  same  time.  The  contractors  on  the  Lake  Kachess  site  failed  to  fulfill  their 
engagements,  and  in  1912  the  Government  annulled  the  contract  and  included 
the  timber  work  at  that  point  in  the  regular  Reclamation   service  budget. 

BUMPING    L.\KE   RESERVOIR. 

This  first  of  the  reservoirs  was  begun  during  the  Fall  of  1908  and  com- 
pleted in  November,  1910.  Some  interesting  data  may  be  given  of  the  general 
features  of  this  unit.  The  drainage  area  is  68  square  miles,  the  area  of  the 
lake  is  1,350  acres,  the  capacity  is  34,000  acre  feet,  the  spillway  can  discharge 


374  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

6,000  second  feet,  and  the  outlet  can  discharge  550  second   feet.     The  lake  is 
at  an  elevation  above  sea  level  of  3,400  feet. 

The  division,  both  preliminary  and  construction,  was  in  charge  of  Charles 
H.  Swigart  as  supervising  engineer,  with  J.  S.  Conway,  J.  D.  Fauntleroy,  James 
Stuart,  and  E.  H.  Baldwin,  engaged  in  the  various  details  of  construction. 

KACHESS  LAKE  RESERVOIR. 

The  work  by  the  Cascade  Canal  Company  already  referred  to,  completed 
in  1904,  was  the  subject  of  much  negotiation.  It  was  linally  settled  without 
the  threatened  litigation  by  an  agreement  that  the  company  pay  the  Govern- 
ment $10,000  in  ecjual  annual  installments  and  surrender  all  their  rights,  receiv- 
ing in  compensation  a  perpetual  right  to  16,800  acre  feet  of  water  from  the 
storage  works  between  July  20th  and  October  16th  of  each  year.  This  was 
an  interesting  and  important  feature  of  the  history  of  this  project,  as  demon- 
strating the  policy  of  the  Federal  Government  to  acquire  undisputed  control 
and  at  the  same  time  recognize  the  private  initiative  and  pioneer  enterprise, 
so  vital  and  characteristic  in  all  American  development. 

The  essential  data  of  the  Kachess  unit  are  these:  Drainage  area,  63 
square  miles ;  water  area.  4,800  acres ;  capacity,  210,000  acre  feet ;  capacity  of 
the  spillway,  7,200  second  feet,  and  capacity  of  the  outlet,   1,000  second   feet. 

LAKE   KEECHELUS  RESERVOIR. 

Pioneer  work  on  this  site  also  had  been  done  by  both  the  Northern  Pacific, 
Yakima,  and  Kittitas  Company  and  the  Cascade  Canal  Company.  A  dam  was 
completed  by  the  latter  company  on  April  19,  1907,  at  a  cost  of  about  $29,000, 
by  which  the  water  level  was  raised  ten  feet  and  about  15,000  acre  feet  of 
storage  obtained. 

Important  statistical  information  of  the  Keechelus  dam  is  derived  from 
the  Government  report  as  follows :  Drainage  area,  56  square  miles ;  lake  area, 
2,550  acres,  capacity  174,000  acre  feet.  The  spillway  has  a  capacity  of  10,000 
second  feet  and  the  outlet  has  a  capacity  of  1,000  second  feet. 

Work  on  this  dam  was  begun  in  the  Summer  of  1912  under  the  super- 
vision of  C.  E.  Crownover,  project  engineer.  It  was  completed  in  November, 
1918. 

LAKE  CLE  ELUM   RESERVOIR. 

On  this  lake  also,  the  largest  in  the  Yakima  Basin,  the  same  pioneers  as 
on  the  other  lakes  inaugurated  work  looking  to  an  impounding  system.  The 
Northern  Pacific,  Yakima,  and  Kittitas  Company  m.ide  surveys  and  gave 
notices  of  filing  appropriations.  They  did  not,  however,  do  any  actual  con- 
struction. The  Washington  Irrigation  Company  succeeded  to  their  rights  and 
endeavored  to  maintain  a  hold  upon  the  lakes. 

In  1904  Messrs.  Lombard  and  Horsley  of  North  \'akima  organized  the 
Union  Gap  Irrigation  Company  and  in  jMarch,  1905,  began  the  construction 
of  a  low  crib  dam,  223  feet  long  and  two  feet  high  at  Lake  Cle  Elum.  They 
filed  on  400  second  feet  of  water,  posting  a  notice  on  the  dam.     The  dam  was 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  375 

built  of  timber  which  had  been  got  out  by  the  Washington  Company.  Two 
employes  of  the  latter  company  adopted  a  strenuous  and  summary  method  of 
getting  rid  of  a  rival,  and  on  August  16  blew  up  that  dam  with  dynamite. 
Relations  between  the  two  companies  were  naturally  somewhat  strained  and 
litigation  ensued.  But  in  the  meantime  the  Reclamation  service  was  entering 
the  field  and  the  private  companies  retired. 

The  Union  Gap  Company  ceded  their  land  and  water  rights  to  the  Gov- 
ernment and  received  in  recompense  a  right  to  28  second  feet  of  water  from 
April  to  August  inclusive.  A  crib  dam  was  constructed  by  the  Reclamation 
service  for  temporary  use  during  1906-07,  at  a  cost  of  $47,000.  Severe  loss 
was  suffered  on  account  of  the  great  floods  of  November,  1906,  and  Novem- 
ber, 1909. 

That  crib  dam  was  succeeded  by  permanent  improvements  begun  in  1912. 
The  essential  statistics  of  the  Lake  Cle  Elum  project  when  it  shall  be  completed 
are  as  follows :  Drainage  area,  205  square  miles ;  lake  area,  4,680  acres ; 
capacity,  490,000  second  feet.  The  capacity  of  the  spillway  is  to  be  18,000 
second  feet.  At  present  date  the  Cle  Elum  work  consists  simply  of  a  crib  dam 
impounding  25,000  acre  feet. 

As  can  be  seen  the  Cle  Elum  reservoir  is  larger  than  all  the  others  com- 
bined. As  indicating  the  nature  of  these  dams  it  may  be  said  that  the  Cle  Elum 
dam  will  have  a  maximum  height  above  the  stream  bed  of  125  feet  and  a  volume 
of  617,000  cubic  yards.  Its  crest  length  is  to  be  1,150  feet  and  its  top  width  20 
feet. 

ACREAGE,    PRESENT    AND    PROSPECTIVE,    UNDER    THE    GOVERNMENT    PROJECT. 

The  existing  acreage  supplied  with  water  under  the  different  government 
projects  are,  at  this  date  (1918),  as  follows: 

Kittitas  unit,  not  developed. 

Tieton  unit,  32,000. 

Wapato  unit,  70,000. 

Sunnyside  unit,  100,000. 

Benton  unit  and  High  Line,  not  developed. 

Total,  202,000. 

The  amount  in  prospect,  with  the  completed  storage  resources  of  the  river, 
is  as  follows: 

Kittitas  unit 70,000 

Tieton  unit 32,000 

Wapato   unit 120,000 

Sunnyside   unit 110,000 

Benton  unit  and   High  Line 200,000 

Future   total    532,000 

The  expense  of  these  various  units  has  varied  greatly.  The  cost  of  the 
Tieton  unit  was  about  $93  per  acre,  and  that  amount,  as  we  have  seen,  has 
been  charged  the  purchasers.     Some    of    the  lands    on    the    Indian  reservation 


376  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

have  been  reclaimed  at  so  surprisingly  low  a  cost  as  $8.50  per  acre.  The  great 
Wapato  Canal  taken  out  of  the  Yakima  just  below  Union  Gap,  the  largest  in 
the  Valley,  having  a  flow  of  1,500  second  feet,  has  so  favorable  gradients  that 
its  cost  is  far  less  than  that  of  the  other  canals.  It  supplies  70,000  acres  of 
land,  and  when  the  distribution  system  is  complete  will  irrigate  120,000  acres. 
The  estimated  average  cost  of  this  reservation  system,  not  taking  into  account 
the  pro  rata  cost  of  the  reservoir  system,  is  about  $32  per  acre. 

SOME  OF  THE    POETRY   OF   IRRIGATION. 

We  spoke  at  the  outset  of  this  chapter  of  the  element  of  poetry  existing 
in  farming,  in  an  irrigated  country.  We  asserted  that  Yakima  would  some 
time  be  a  land  of  poetry  and  art.  In  concluding  the  chapter  we  will  prove  our 
assertion  by  two  examples  of  the  local  expression  of  appreciation  of  the  beauty 
of  the  region  and  its  agencies  of  husbandry.  A  song  adapted  to  the  music  of 
"Maryland,  My  Maryland,"  was  composed  by  Mr.  Harry  S.  Sharpe,  a  musician 
of  Yakima.    We  insert  it  here. 

(From  The  Northwestern  Magazine.) 

YAKIxMA,  MY  YAKIMA. 
(Tune,  Maryland,  My  Maryland.) 

Words  by  Harry  S.  Sharpe. 
Vale  of  the  West,  I  sing  of  thee, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima; 
Thy  fruitful  lands  I  love  to  see, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima; 
From  Selah  heights  for  many  a  mile. 
Thy  bounteous  crops  make  nature  smile. 
And  bids  mankind  his  care  beguile, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima, 
Our  peaches,  pears  and  apples  red, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima; 
O'er  all  the  world  our  fame  has  spread, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima, 
Wheat,  hay  and  oats  grow  side  by  side. 
Alfalfa  fields  spread  far  and  wide, 
Grim  want  with  us  shall  ne'er  abide, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima. 
The  Lord  from  whom  all  blessings  flow, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima; 
Hath  surely  blest  us  here  below, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima; 
For  we,  his  favored  people,  blest, 
Own  fairest  spot  in  mighty  West, 
Come,  tarry  here  and  be  our  guest, 

Yakima,  my  Yakima. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  377 

A  special  demonstration  of  the  place  of  appreciation  held  by  Irrigation  in 
the  minds  of  the  people  of  Yakima,  who  owe  everything  to  that  instrumentality, 
is  found  in  a  unique  and  attractive  production  given  as  a  pageant  in  Yakima 
in  1917.  The  pageant  was  entitled  "Visions  Fulfilled."  The  words  were  the 
joint  composition  of  two  well  known  ladies  of  Yakima,  Mrs.  Sue  Lombard 
Horsley  and  Miss  Alice  M.  Tenneson.  By  their  kind  permission  we  have  the 
privilege  of  presenting  here  this  beautiful  tribute  to  "Irrigation." 

VISIONS  FULFILLED. 

A    SYMBOLICAL    PAGEANT    OF    THE    VALLEYS    OF    THE    YAKIMA. 
BY  ALICE   M.  TENNESON   AND  SUE   M.   LOMBARD. 

CAST. 

Seeress Miss  Emily  Reed 

Chief  of  Indians Dr.   C.   E.   Keeler 

Irrigation Miss    Helen    Lee 

Reclamation Miss   Isabelle   Hoffman 

Pioneer A.    E.    Larson 

Famine- Mrs.    Dora    S.    Dawson 

Water  Wheel  Man C.  E.   Sanderson 

INDIAN  ERA. 

Indian  Era — 

The  air  is  filled  with  fiendish  mockery. 

The  noisy  demons  of  the  dust  dance  past 

In  dizzy  revel  in  the  whirling  blast, 

A  very  pandemonium  of  glee, 

Among  the  rocks  their  only  enemy, 

Irrigation,  struggles,  pinioned  fast. 

The  superstitious  Redman  stands  aghast 

Before  the  storm;  the  cry  for  liberty 

He  does  not  hear,  nor,  when  the  wind  has  ceased 

The  promise  that  if  she  shall  be  released 

Rich  goods  she'll  give  in  such  a  bounteous  store 

That  to  his  home,  dread  Famine  nevermore 

May  stalk,  but  through  the  sagebrush  gray 

Like  cowardly  coyote  slink  away. 

Irrigation — 

I  am  Irrigation, 

Long  ago  my  hands  and  feet  were  tied — 

When  the  ice  receded 

And  the  valleys  thus  scooped  out  had  dried, 

Nature's  forces  bound  me — 

Placed  a  dauntless  enemy  on  guard. 

But  they  made  a  challenge — 

Promised  to  my  rescuer  reward. 


378  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Invisible  they  made  me, 

Save  to  him  whose  eyes  are  trained  to  see. 

For  the  valley's  treasure 

Is  too  great  to  give  unworthily. 

Yet  I  lie  here  pinioned 

Altho  many  ages  have  passed  by. 

Redman,  Redman,  listen, 

Will  ye  never  hear  me  as  I  cry? 

Song  of  Dust  Demons — 
Sing  the  revel 

Sing  in  fiendish  revel  of  the  dust,  Tra  la,  la,  la. 
Where  the  wind  blows  down  the  hillsides  steep. 
Laughing  through  the  valley  do  we  sweep, 
Shrieking  thro  the  sagebrush  do  we  leap 
Forever  in  bonds.  Irrigation  we'll  keep. 
Up  and  down,  on  the  blast 
Round  and  round,  whirling  fast. 
Back  and  forth,  demons  chasing 
O'er  the  rocks  and  boulders  racing 
Jeering,  mocking  at  our  foe, 
Cactus  prickles  do  we  throw. 
Struggling  there,  but  tightly  pinioned 
Ever  shall  she  lie. 

Whene'er  the   wind   comes  howling   loud. 
We  answer  him  and  like  a  cloud. 
Hills  and  mountains  do  we  hide 
And  darken  all  the  sky. 

Green  things  die,  they  perish  'neath  our  stride. 
Whirling  and   twirling,   speeding  through  the  air 
Swifter  and  swifter,  racing  everywhere 
Faster  and  faster,  none  is  our  master. 
Ah,  no  power  can  our  might  deny — 
All  the  world  we  defy. 

Famine — 

I  am  the  Goddess  of  hunger,  Famine,  the  cruel  ;.r.d  gaur.t, 
Hated  of  beings  am  I,  insatiate  Goddess  of  want. 
Make  me  a  sacrifice ;  maidens  and  men  I  demand  that  you  give. 
Give  me  your  sturdiest  infants  or  none  of  your  number  shall  live. 
Place  on  my  altar  your  loveliest  women  and  strongest  of  braves. 
Then  I  shall  laugh,  when  my  wrath  is  appeased,  I  shall  dance  on  their 
graves. 

Irrigation — 

Rescue  me,  oh  Redman,  and  no  more  shall  children  of  the  brave 
Fear  when  Famine  threatens,  from  her  deadly  menace  I  will  save. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  379 

Loose  my  chains,  oh  Redman,  and  whate'er  you  wish  for  shall  be  true. 
Food  shall  be  in  plenty,  rich  shall  be  the  goods  I  give  to  you. 

COWBOY  ER.\. 

From  out  the  great   Northwest  does  progress  call 
For  hardy  men  and  strong.     Across  the  plains. 
In  saddle  or  in  prairie  schooner  trains, 
Through  breaches  in  the  Rocky  mountain  wall 
They  come,  and  down  rough  paths  that  would  appall 
Less  sturdy  folk.     To  such,  whose  line  contains 
None  faint  of  heart,  cries  she  who  lies  in  chains, 
But  on  deaf  ears  do  her  entreaties  fall 
And  they  pass  on,  save  cowboys  with  their  herds, 
Who  heed  her  not.    At  last  some  hear  her  words 
And  try  to  break  her  bonds  with  some  success. 
But  even  thus,  does  she  their  efforts  bless 
With  such  reward  it  frights  her  ancient  foe — 
For  they  foresee  the  time  when  they  must  go. 

Irrigation — 

Comes  a  host  of  people — 

Skill  and  wisdom  are  their  heritage. 

Surely  from  their  number 

One  shall  loose  me   from  .the  dust  storm's  rage. 

List,  I  beg  for  freedom. 

Promise  ransom  rich  I  will  bestow. 

Oh,  they  do  not  heed  me. 

On  to  other  greener  fields  they  go. 

But  this  band  of  cowboys. 

Maybe  they  will  hear  me  as  I  call. 

They  are  also  heedless. 

On  deaf  ears  do  my  entreaties  fall. 

Chorus  of  the  Coivboys —  '        ' 

He  loves  his  life  of  danger, 
To  fear  he  is  a  stranger, 
The  cowboy  with  his  spurs. 
The  snake  with  angry  rattle 
Or  wild  stampeding  cattle 
He  greets  whate'er  occurs. 
With  "chaps"  and  wide  sombrero 
He  rides  where  paths  are  narrow 
Or  where  the  valley's  wide; 
For  man  or  beast  who'd  trifle 
He  bears  a  loaded  rifle — 
His  sure  aim  is  his  pride. 


380  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Irrigation' — 

The  cowboys  did  not  hear  me. 

Maybe  these  bhie-coated  soldiers  will, 

As  before  the  blockhouse 

On  the  sand  and  'mid  the  dust  they  drill. 

Vain  is  my  entreaty. 

I  shall  have  to  wait  for  other  aid, 

So  there's  none  to  hear  me? 

One  who  of  the  dust  is  not  afraid? 

Pioneer — 

Methought  I  heard  one  calling; 

Demons,  stand  ye  back ;  our  way  we  force 

Through  your  sneering  numbers. 

We  have  heard  a  cry  and  we  would  know  its  source. 

Ah,  it  is  a  lovely  maiden. 

We  would  strive  to  succor  your  distress. 

Tell  us  how  to  free  you, 

That  our  effort  shall  receive  success. 

Irrigation— 

All  you  do  that  injures 

Or  impedes  the  power  of  my  foe 

Serves  to  loose  my  fetters. 

Chain  the  river's  waters. 

There  shall  grow 

Everywhere  you  pour  them 

Fairest  flowers  and  what  men  may  need 

Of  old  earth's  best  products. 

This  small  valley  many  lands  may  feed. 

Chorus  of  Grains  and  Grasses — 

Oft  in  the  springtime  we  greeted  the  sky 

But  when  the  sun  of  summertime  came 

Died  with  the  violets  growing  nearby, 

Every  year  the  same. 

Now  at  the  bidding  of  her  wlio  lies  bound 

Life  giving  streams  from  the  rivers  they  bring. 

Gladly  again  do  we  spring  from  the  ground, 

Joyfully  do  we  sing. 

Green  are  the  fields  where  the  grasses  are  growing 

Golden  the  grain  in  the  autumn  winds  blowing. 

Ah,  let  us  dance  in  the  riotous  breeze. 

The  dust  storm  may  rage  as  its  future  it  sees. 

She  shall  be  free  and  our  sisters  shall  play — 

All  the  broad  valley  burst  into  song — 

Irrigation's  chains  at  her  feet  shall  they  lay 

She  shall  be  free  ere  long. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  3S1 

Song  of  the  Demons — 

Our  hold  upon  our  ancient  realm  shall  vanish 

Unless  we  fight ; 

These  impudent  invaders  we  must  banish 

Or  lose  our  might 

We'll  laugh  and  jeer  at  all  their  skilled  endeavor 

To  till  the  soil. 

We'll  rage  and  rave  until  success  can  never 

Reward  their  toil. 

(Refrain.) 

Listen,  listen,  we  shall  never  go 

Ha  ha,  ha  ha,  oh,  laugh  ha  ha 

We  shall  louder  blow 

Ha  ha,  ha  ha,  oh  laugh,  ha  ha 

COMING  OF  THE  RAILROAD. 

Again  the  angry  demons  are  afraid 

And  try  their  hated  captive  to  conceal, 

For  such  a  wonder  working  path  of  steel 

Along  the  riverside  is  being  laid 

That  men  by  hundreds  rapidly  invade 

The  cowboy's  own  domain.     At  her  appeal 

Dig  ditches  from  the  streams  and  make  a  wheel 

To  pour  the  water  on  the  earth.     Such  aid 

Has  freed  her  arms,  her  body  moves  with  grace. 

And,  the  her  feet  are  fettered  still,  the  place 

Has  been  transformed  from  desert  waste  of  sand 

By  irrigation  to  a  "Promised  Land." 

In  all  the  fields  the  grains  and  grasses  play 

And  merrily  dance  orchard  blossoms  gay. 

Irrigation — 

When  the  pioneers  came 

They  never  hoped  to  see  their  homes  again. 

Letters  came  but  seldom. 

Only  by  a  long  hard  journey  then. 

But  these  newer  settlers 

Are  near  neighbors  to  their  distant  friends, 

They  have  brought  the  railway, 

And  their  very  thoughts  the  wire  sends. 

Listen  to  me,  oh  ye  people. 

As  your  homes  and  villages  you  build. 

All  these  noisy  demons 

With  their  clamor  shall  be  stilled 

If  you  will  but  heed  me. 


382  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Full  the  river  is  with  water  pure, 

Build  a  wheel  to  pour  it 

On  the  soil,  the  harvest  shall  be  sure. 

Or  from  out  the  sources 

Of  the  stream  let  flumes  and  trenches  lead, 

And  your  fields  shall  furnish 

Wealth  for  you  and  all  the  valley  feed. 

Where  one  blade  of  grass  grows 

Many  shall  spring  up  and  ears  of  wheat 

Yield  a  rich  abundance ; 

Orchard  trees  lay  treasure  at  your  feet. 

Song  of  the  IVaterzvhcel — 

Oh,  waterwheel,  why  do  you  laugh  as  you  sing? 

Because  to  the  dry  thirsty  soil  do  I  bring 

A  drink  for  the  grasses  and  gold  iields  of  grain. 

I  laugh  at  the  cloudland  withholding  the  rain. 

The  wild  wind  may  bluster,  the  dust  storm  may  blow, 

But  spite  of  the  ravings  the  green  things  shall  grow — 

The  sun  in  the  heavens  may  angrily  burn 

But  orchards  shall  flourish  while  laughing  I  turn. 

The  Yakima  flowing  away  to  the  sea 

Gives  gladly  its  waters,  rejoice  now  with  me. 

Oh  bright  little  blossoms,  the  Valley  is  gay, 

Oh  dance,  little  grasses,  and  sing  all  the  day. 

Song  of  Grains  and  Grasses — 

Where  there  was  one  blade  of  com  there  are  tv/o. 

Many  green  blades  where  one  grew  before 

Thousands  of  blossoms  where  once  there  were  few 

And  there  shall  still  be  more. 

Cottages  stand  where  the  Sagebrush  was  gray. 

Gay  in  the  gardens  and  midst  the  bright  flowers 

Sweet  is  the  sound  of  the  children  at  play 

Laughing  through  happy  hours. 

Fragrant  and  dainty  the  blossoms  are  swaying 

Joyous  the  call  to  the  dance  they're  obeying, 

Up  from  his  nesting  the  meadow  lark  soars 

And  blissfully  sings  from  the  Heaven's  blue  doors, 

To  all  the  joy  of  the  earth  giving  voice. 

Grasses  and  children,  blossoming  trees, 

Carol  with  him  and  as  gayly  rejoice 

While  the  dread  dust  storm  flees. 

RECLAMATION  ERA. 

Now,  Uncle  Sam  has  heard  the  final  plea 

For  help  to  drive  the  foe  from  where  it  fights 

To  hold  its  last  retreat  upon  the  heights. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  383 

He  sends  his  daughter,  Reclamation.     She 

Does  bring  a  retinue  from  which  must  flee 

All  powers  of  the  drought;  the  source  it  smites 

Of  all  the  strength  which  hindered  those  delights 

Of  Irrigation,  who  at  last  is  free. 

Again  the  blossoms  'dance,  the  grasses  play, 

The  green  of  growing  corn  replaces  gray 

Of  sagebrush,  brown  of  barren  soil ;  the  trees 

Invite  the  joyous  birds,  new  industries 

Call  busy  men  from  all  the  earth  to  live, 

Where  of  the  highest  service  they  may  give. 

Irrigation — 

Fair  has  grown  the  Valley 

But  upon  the  heights  in  strong  retreat, 

My  old  foe  still  mocks  me 

For  my  freedom  is  not  quite  complete. 

Aid  once  more  I  summon 

Beg  for  liberty  so  long  deferred 

Far  my  cry  has  carried 

For  in  Washington  have  I  been  heard. 

Uncle  Sam  is  sending 

Me  his  daughter,  Reclamation  fair. 

Engineers,  her  vanguard 

Come,  the  way  before  her  to  prepare. 

Song  of  the  Engineers — 

At  the  ends  of  the  earth, 

Where  brooks  have  their  birth. 

Or  where  rivers  roll  into  the  sea. 

Where  the  mountains  are  high 

Or  the  dark  chasms  lie, 

Where  nature,  unconquered,  is  free, 

A  challenge  is  made. 

He  replies  unafraid 

And  bridges  the  canyon's  wide  deep. 

He  chains  the  stream's  source 

Or  alters  its  course 

And  tunnels  the  precipice  steep. 
Chorus — 

The  civil  engineer,  who  brings  the  distance  near, 

Sure  paths  he  makes,  the  strength  he  breaks 

Of  Nature's  evil  powers. 

He  digs  through  rocks  and  sands  that  oceans  may  join  hands ; 

The  forest  he  clears,  the  swamp  disappears 

And  the  desert  blooms  with  flowers. 


384  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Irrigation,  you  grieve 

But  we  shall  achieve 

What  vainly  the  others  would  do, 

Your  call  has  been  heard 

And  she  has  been  stirred 

Reclamation  has  sent  us  to  you. 

And  every  spot 

Where  gardens  are  not, 

Into  wonderful  verdure  shall  burst, 

For  the  snows  we  will  take 

And  form  you  a  lake 

Whose  waters  shall  quench  the  soil's  thirst. 

Irrigation — 

See  the  foe  is  vanishing 

I  am  free  and  they  have  met  defeat 

For  my  liberator 

Comes,  and  Reclamation's  self  we  greet. 

Great  the  debt  we  owe  you, 

Reclamation,  and  the  clear-eyed  seers 

Tell  us  that  still  greater 

Obligation  comes  with   future  years. 

Friends,  behold  the  vision ; 

See  you  not  the  stately  cities  rise? 

Beautiful  their  buildings 

Broad  their  streets  where  busy  trafific  plies. 

And  the  teeming  thousands 

Satisfy  their  needs  and  have  to  spare 

Where  amid  the  cactus 

Scattered  Indians  found  but  scanty  fare. 

All  Sing — 

Hail  Reclamation,  all  honor  to  thee. 

Thankfully  Irrigation  bows  low, 

Thou  hast  delivered  her  and  she  is  free, 

Vanquished  her  ancient  foe. 

All  the  sad  days  of  her  bondage  are  o'er. 

Graceful,  before  thee,  she  dances  her  joy. 

Cactus  and  reveling  demons  no  more 

Terrify  or  annoy. 

When  the  hot  sun  of  summer  is  burning 

And  the  steep  hillsides  to  red  brown  are  turning 

Though  all  the  windows  of  heaven  may  close, 

And  sluggishly  slow  the  low  river  flows, 

People  shall  still  reap  reward  for  their  toil. 

Riches  unmeasured  spring  from  our  soil. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  385 

Never  the  source  of  the  waters   shall   fail, 
Hail,  Reclamation,  hail. 


Gracious  Uncle  Sam,  thou  didst  bestow 

A  gift  by  which  our  agriculture  crude 

A  science  has  become.     True  gratitude 

Is  shown  by  deeds — and  thus  the  debt  we  owe 

We  would  fulfill.     For  though  the  world  may  know 

Our  fame,  unless  our  spirits  be  imbued 

With   loftier  aim,  we   rank   with   savage   rude 

Who  measures  life  by  goods  that  he  can  show. 

No,  rather  be  this  land  of  ours  made  known 

By  those  who  through  unselfishness  have  shown 

The  truest  use  of  wealth — which  is  to  share 

With  others.     Here  let  no  oppression  bear 

Upon  the  weak — and  let  us  not,  engrossed 

In  Things,  forget  to  value  Life  the  most. 

Note  :     This  pageant  has  been  copyrighted. 

— W.  D.  L. 

While  these  pages  were  in  preparation,  certain  public  announcements  of 
great  interest  in  regard  to  irrigation  have  appeared  in  the  press  of  the  state. 
These  are  worthy  of  preservation  here  and  are  accordingly  incorporated  as 
a  final  glance  at  this  vital  phase  of  the  history  of  the  Yakima  Valley  and  the 
state. 

"Kennewick   Courier-Reporter,"    November  7,    1918: 

The  best  piece  of  news  that  has  come  Kennewick's  way  for  many  a  day 
is  the  announcement  that  Franklin  K.  Lane,  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  has 
recommended  an  appropriation  of  $250,000  for  the  Kennewick  extension  of 
the  Sunnyside  Canal. 

While  this  amount  is  less  than  one-third  of  the  sum  required  to  complete 
the  extension  it  means  that  the  work  is  to  be  started  and  that  other  appropria- 
tions will  be  made  to  keep  it  under  way.  If  there  is  no  delay  in  getting  the 
appropriation  bill  through  Congress  it  is  thought  work  can  be  started  this  winter 
and  by  year  after  next  water  for  the  irrigation  of  the  Highlands  will  be  avail- 
able. 

The  extension  is  to  be  made  from  a  point  in  the  Sunnyside  Canal  opposite 
Chandler  a  few  miles  above  Kiona  where  a  siphon  is  to  be  constructed  across 
the  Yakima  River.  The  extension  will  bring  under  irrigation  about  40,000 
acres  of  choice  lands,  including  the  lands  at  present  under  cultivation  on  the 
Highlands  and  all  lands  of  a  similar  elevation  down  the  valley  as  far  as  Hover. 

In  speaking  of  the  proposed  extension  R.  K.  Tiffany,  manager  of  the 
Yakima  project,  savs: 

(25) 


386  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"An  appropriation  of  $250,000  at  this  time  would  enable  the  Reclamation 
service  to  construct  the  main  canal  for  a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  This  work 
could  be  done  in  a  year  and  would  allow  sufficient  time  for  conditions  to  read- 
just thersselves  and  to  release  steel  for  the  construction  of  the  siphon  across 
the  Yakima  River,  which  will  take  fully  one  year  to  construct.  This  siphon 
alone  will  cost  about  as  much  as  the  proposed  appropriation,  but  by  the  time 
we  would  have  the  main  line  canal  built,  we  probably  would  have  another  ap- 
propriation. It  will  take  at  least  $666,437  to  construct  the  entire  extension, 
which  includes  some  concrete  structures  and  ten  miles  of  laterals.  In  sub- 
mitting our  budget  for  proposed  work  for  1918-20  we  asked  that  amount  for 
this  extension  alone.  We  could  employ  300  men  and  150  teams  for  the  first 
six  months  of  the  main  canal  construction  and  then  proceed  with  a  crew  of 
about  100  men  and  half  that  many  teams. 

"This  extension  means  a  great  deal  to  the  Kennewick  section  and  to  the 
city  of  Kennewick  itself.  It  will  put  it  on  the  map  as  one  of  the  greatest  pro- 
ducers in  the  Northwest.  The  season  is  longer  in  this  district  than  elsewhere 
in  the  valley.  It  will  make  a  wonderful  alfalfa  producer  with  an  output  capac- 
ity of  four  to  five  crops  per  season." 

Another  announcement  of  great  interest  follows : 

"Walla  Walla  Bulletin,"  December  2,  1918: 

Property  owners  in  the  western  part  of  Walla  Walla  County  and  progres- 
sive community  development  enthusiasts  all  over  eastern  Washington  are  much 
interested  in  the  reconstruction  plan  of  Governor  Ernest  Lister,  which  would 
place  nearly  3,000,000  acres  of  land  under  irrigation  with  water  from  the  Pend 
Oreille  River.  All  eastern  Washington  is  aroused  over  the  possibilities  of  this 
gigantic  project  which  would  mean  much  to  this  section  Df  the  state.  He  figures 
the  cost  at  about  $250,000,000  and  says  the  project  would  furnish  work  for 
many  of  the  returned  soldiers  and  sailors  as  well  as  make  homes  for  50,000 
families. 

WOULD    ELIMINATE    PROFITEERING 

The  governor's  proposition  includes  the  purchase  of  the  lands  by  the  state 
at  prices  ranging  from  $1  to  $10  an  acre,  so  that  the  entire  project  will  be  under 
state  supervision  and  profiteering  entirely  eliminated.  He  then  favors  having 
the  Federal  Government  take  charge' of  the  irrigation  portion  of  the  work  and 
continue  the  supervision  of  that  part  of  the  development  project. 

This  proposed  irrigation  plan  covers  large  arid  sections  of  Lincoln,  Adams, 
Grant,  a  portion  of  Douglas,  all  of  Franklin,  and  a  section  of  Walla  Walla  and 
Whitman  counties,  and  touches  the  southwestern  portion  of  Spokane?  County. 

CS-NAL    FROM.    PEND    OREILLE    RIVER 

It  is  a  part  of  the  mammoth  scheme  to  start  an  irrigation  canal  at  Albany 
Falls,  Idaho,  on  the  Pend  Oreille  River;  have  this  pass  through  Newport  and 
follow  the  Little  Spokane  River  a  short  distance,  pass  near  Deer  Park,  and 
follow  the  course  of  the  Spokane  River  to  a  point  northv/est  of  Davenport  in 
Lincoln  County.    A  tunnel  of  eighteen  miles  would  be  one  of  the  undertakings. 

The  canal  would  be  at  an  elevation  of  2,040  feet  above  sea  level  and  the  use 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  387 

of  the  water  would  first  start  at  an  elevation  of  1,800  feet,  at  a  point  southwest 
of  Davenport.  It  is  also  considered  that  other  sections  of  the  country  along 
the  canal,  northeast  of  Davenport,  would  be  able  to  use  water,  thus  increasing 
the  productivity  of  these  lands,  as  well  as  enriching  the  bigger  section  to  the 

west. 

GOVERNOR  SEES  GRE.\T   POSSIBII,ITIES 

"The  land  would  produce  everything  now  raised  in  the  Yakima  Valley," 
said  Governor  Lister  at  the  Davenport  Hotel  yesterday.  "It  seems  to  me,  how- 
ever," he  continued,  "that  its  development  ought  to  cover  especially  the  pro- 
duction of  alfalfa  and  live  stock,  including  fat  beef  stock,  sheep  and  hogs. 
Dairying  has  not  come  to  the  front  on  the  east  side  of  the  mountains  to  the 
degree  it  should  and  this  development  would  accommodate  a  large  increase  in 
the  dairy  line. 

"I  know  of  nothing  that  can  be  produced  in  a  temperate  climate  that  can 
not  be  grown  here  if  the  land  is  under  irrigation,  for  the  soil  is  unsurpassed. 

WOULD  DEVELOP  SUGAR  BEET  INDUSTRY 

"I  also  think  it  will  develop  a  sugar  beet  district,  the  same  as  has  been  done 
in  the  Yakima  Valley.     Climatic  conditions  are  excellent'  for  the  inditstry. ' 

"The  territory  is  tapped  by  four  transcontinental  railroads  and  the  Colum- 
bia River,  which  is  open  to  the  sea.  From  a  transportation  standpoint  I  know 
of  no  district  in  the  United  States  as  fortunate  as  this. 

"While  I  estimate  the  cost  at  $250,000,000,  basing  it  on  $100  an  acre  Ipr 
2,500,000  acres,  I  believe  in  fixing  this  figure  at  a  high  rather  than  a  Idw  rate. 

"The  time  as  to  when  the  work  would  be  completed  is  problematical,  but 
after  completing  the  canal  to  the  first  headlands,  those  lands  could  be  placed  on 
the  market  to  home  builders  and  colonization  work  continued  as  the  canal  is 
extended. 

LEGISLATION    IS    REQUIRED 

"There  is  certain  legislation  required,  which  would  cause  someidelay,  but 
if  the  state  should  decide  to  purchase  the  land,  legislation  could  be  passed -at 
the  coming  session.  In  its  purchase  a  bond  issue  would  be  required  and  it  would 
probably  not  be  possible  to  complete  this  in  less  than  two  years  as  it  would  have 
to  be  authorized  by  a  vote  of  the  people  at  a  regular  election. 

"In  the  meantime  there  are  many  other  lines  in  which  development  work 
can  begin  immediately  and  these  ought  to  be  taken  up,  whether  governmental 
or  private,  so  we  can  furnish  work  to  our  returning  soldiers  and  those  who 
have  been  engaged  in  war  activities. 

GROW  PEACHES,  PEARS,  APPLES 

"The  lands  proposed  to  be  irrigated  would  be  excellent  for  the  growing 
of  peaches,  pears  and  apples,  which  are  recognized  as  the  leading  fruit  crops  in 
the  present  irrigated  districts.  Excellent  potatoes  could  be  raised.  A  large 
acreage  would  be  suitable  for  wheat  with  no  probability  of  crop  failures  such 
as  are  caused  by  drouth. 


388  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"We  are  gradually  obtaining  more  canneries,  which  are  of  importance  in 
the  development  of  the  country,  to  take  care  of  the  fruit  and  vegetable  products, 
and  I  consider  that  the  sugar  beet  industry  would  increase  to  large  proportions 
rapidly,  thus  bringing  in  more  sugar  factories. 

PROSPECTS    BETTER    THAN    EVER 

"The  prospects  for  agricultural  development  are  probably  better  than  ever 
before.  If  we  accept  the  opportunities  we  have  we  will  come  out  of  this  a 
greater  state  and  a  better  people. 

"There  is  plenty  of  this  land  that  is  just  as  good  as  any  of  that  in  the 
Yakima  Valley,  where  the  crop  for  last  year  was  valued  at  $30,000,000,  yet 
today  much  of  this  eastern  Washington  land  is  practically  valueless. 

"It  is  my  belief  that  there  are  plenty  of  opportunities  for  a  man  to  earn  a 
living  if  he  cares  to  work  for  it.  We  can  do  no  better  work  than  that  toward 
building  up  our  state  and  encouraging  the  idea  of  thrift  in  our  people. 

WOULD  ACCOMIMODATE  50,000  FAMILIES 

"At  least  50,000  families  could  be  accommodated  on  the  lands  mentioned 
in  the  project.  However,  I  consider  that  a  conservative  figure,  which  allows 
fifty  acres  to  each  family,  taking  2,500,000  acres  as  a  basis.  Many  families  on 
irrigated  tracts  have  from  twenty  to  forty  acres.  For  stockraising  purposes 
and  wheat  lands  I  consider  that  some  may  handle  as  much  as  eighty  acres." 

Yet  another  local  extract  denotes  the  progress  of  plans  in  the  vital  subject 
of  irrigation: 

"Walla  Walla  Bulletin,"  December  15,  1918: 

SUMMERS    AND    JONES    ARE    WORKING    FOR    MORE    IRRIGATION 

FORMER    AIRS    VIEWS    ON    SUBJECT    AND    L.\TTER    WRITES    WHAT    HE    IS    NOW    DOING 

AT   WASHINGTON 

Irrigation  projects  being  one  of  the  chief  factors  in  the  proposed  "recon- 
struction" program,  the  subject  has  brought  forth  many  ideas  and  propositions, 
several  of  which  have  devolved  into  inquiries  as  to  what  might  be  accomplished 
along  this  line  by  Congressman-elect  Dr.  John  W.   Summers. 

About  five  weeks  ago  Doctor  Summers  went  to  Pasco  and  called  a  con- 
ference of  business  men  there  who  were  most  interested  in  the  subject  of  irri- 
gation. Following  that  conference  he  visited  the  Five-Mile  Rapids  and  made  a 
personal  investigation  of  that  project.  He  was  then  called  to  the  Pasco  good 
roads  meeting  for  another  conference  on  irrigation,  which  was  also  attended 
by  Governor  Lister  and  Director  Tift'any  of  the  Yakima  irrigation  projects.  As 
a  result  of  these  conferences  and  the  information  obtained  from  several  other 
prominent  reclamation  authorities.  Doctor  Summers  has  issued  the  following 
statement  as  to  his  views  on  the  subject: 

"Persistency  of  the  towns  of  the  Yakima  Valley  in  constantly  pushing 
their  irrigation  plans  has  extended  to  Pasco  and  might  well  be  emulated  by 
Walla  Walla  and  other  communities. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  389 

"At  different  times  during  the  war  the  powers  that  be  announced  that  re- 
clamation work  in  the  Yakima  Valley  must  cease  during  the  war.  Almost 
invariably  public  meetings  were  held  and  a  united  effort  and  usually  a  success- 
ful effort  was  made  to  show  the  national  authorities  that  their  reclamation  work 
should  be  pushed  even  more  speedily  as  a  "win  the  war,'  'food  production'  meas- 
ure. Those  communities  are  made  up  of  the  right  sort  of  stick-to-it-never-say- 
quit  mettle. 

"They  put  up  a  united  well  planned  campaign  and  usually  succeeded.  Con- 
fidence, determination,  success  characterize  their  efforts. 

PASCO   LEADS   THE    WAY 

"Pasco  has  caught  this  spirit  in  her  efforts  to  develop  the  Lower  Snake 
River  irrigation  project  at  Five-Mile  Rapids. 

"Your  readers  may  not  know  that  the  Commercial  Club  of  Pasco  about 
three  years  ago  employed  at  an  expense  of  about  $1,000,  Mr.  E.  G.  Hobson,  a 
civil  engineer,  who  had  had  thirty  years'  experience  with  the  state  of  Massa- 
chusetts, the  city  of  New  York,  and  the  United  States  Reclamation  , Service  to 
report  on  this  Five-Mile  Rapids  project.  Mr.  Hobson  availed  himself  of  thfe 
United  States  Reclamation  report  on  the  Palouse  project,  a  report  on  the  PaSco 
irrigation  pumping  project,  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  of  the  Snake 
River  water  flow,  data  furnished  by  the  O.  W.  R.  &  N.  Company  and  others.    ' 

"As  a  result  of  these  investigations  a  forty-foot  dam  across  the  Snake 
River  five  miles  above  its  mouth  is  proposed. 

NAVIGATION    AND    IRRIGATION 

"A  navigable  channel  with  locks  would  also  be  provided  which  would 
raise  the  low  water  level  well  over  Five-]\Iile  and  Fish-Hook  Rapids  and  would 
open  the  Snake  for  navigation  as  far  as  Lewiston,  Idaho,  every  day  in  the  year. 

"Mr.  Hobson's  report  was  made  for  the  Pasco  Commercial  Club  and  pro- 
posed to  irrigate  62,500  acres  in  Franklin  County  adjacen;  to  Pasco.  However, 
his  figures  reveal  that  there  would  also  be  an  ample  water  supply  at  all  times  to 
irrigate  60,000  acres  in  the  west  end  of  Walla  Walla  County. 

WOULD   COST   SIX    MILLIONS 

"As  figured  in  1915  the  total  cost  of  dain,  pumping  plants,  force  mains, 
concrete  laterals  and  navigation  improvements  would  be  approximately  six 
million  dollars,  of  which  $500,000  could  be  properly  charged  to  navigation  im- 
provements and  would  not  be  charged  against  the  land. 

"An  additional  expenditure  would  also  make  possible  the  development  and 
sale  of  $150,000  of  cheap  electric  power  annually.  This  power  could  be  trans- 
mitted to  every  town  in  southeastern  Washington. 

COULD  IRRIGATE   EUREKA    FLAT 

"If  deemed  advisable,  this  power  could  be  used  in  putting  water,  during 
the  Winter  and  Spring  months,  on  a  hundred  thousand  acres  on  Eureka  Flat. 


390  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"This  plan  of  making  a  double  use  of  the  water  and  the  power  generated 
would  spread  the  cost  of  construction  over  a  very  large  area  and  would  lighten 
the  burden   for  all. 

"So  far  as  I  know,  this  double  utility  plan  for  the  use  of  this  water  and 
power  has  not  been  considered,  but  it  seems  to  me  it  is  worthy  of  full  investi- 
gation- by  our  Commercial  Club  or  by  our  Eureka  Flat  farmers. 

"The  success  or  failure  of  this  entire  project  depends  on  whether  or  not  a 
substantial  rock  bottom  can  be  found  on  which  to  build  the  dam.  All  engineers 
whose  opinion  I  have  obtained  believe  the  outcropping  of  basaltic  rock  at  that 
point  makes  it  practically  certain  that  the  foundation  is  ample  for  a  forty-foot 
dam.  However,  no  one  can  answer  this  question  definitely  until  the  government 
appropriation  is  obtained  and  the  dam  site  has  been  thoroughly  drilled. 

SNAKE    RIVER    PROJECT    HAS    M'ANY    ADVANTAGES 

"It  seems  to  me  this  project  should  appeal  to  Walla  Walla  and  Franklin 
counties  above  all  other  projects  because  it  makes  irrigation  of  these  lands  a 
possibility  within  a  few  years'  time;  it  makes  possible  a  saving  of  50  per  cent, 
on  our  electric  bills  and  gives  us  river  transportation  from  Lewiston  to  Portland 
all  the  year  round.  At  the  risk  of  criticism  from  my  railroad  friends  I  am  going 
to  say  all-the-year  river  transportation  would  increase  the  price  of  every  bushel 
of  wheat  grown  in  the  Inland  Empire  three  cents  a  bushel  and  that  it  would  do 
as  much  or  more  for  every  box  of  apples. 

"The  fact  that  transportation  facilities  for  Oregon  and  Idaho  would  be 
greatly  enhanced  should  make  the  Five-Mile  Rapids  project  appeal  also  to  the 
congressional  delegation  from  these  two  states. 

"The  growing  of  alfalfa,  dairying,  berry  and  grape  culture  and  probably 
most  profitable  of  all  the  growing  of  sugar  beets  would  be  carried  on  exten- 
sively, and  we  could  then  look  with  confidence  for  one  or  more  million  dollar 
sugar  beet  factories  in  this  territory.  Our  crop  production  would  be  increased 
six  to  ten  million -dollars  annually. 

"Mr.  Tififany,  project  manager  of  the  reclamation  service  in  the  Yakima 
Valley,  expects  to  spend  a  very  large  sum  in  that  valley  during  1919,  and  his 
plans  call  for  the  expenditure  of  $30,000,000  during  the  next  six  years. 

"The  various  Yakima  projects,  including  the  high  line,  have  been  fully 
investigated  and  should  be  pushed  through  to  early  completion.  If  our  Snake 
River  project  is  economically  sound,  as  all  preliminary  reports  indicate,  it  also 
should  be  pushed  to  the  limit.  Several  thousand  men  would  be  employed  on 
this  project  alone. 

"The  benefits  accruing  from  this  Snake  River  undertaking  would  be  so 
general,  and  so  widespread  over  southeast  Washington  that  it  would  seem  we 
might  all  join  hands  and  work  unitedly  for  this  really  worth-while  project. 

SUMMERS    FAVORS   OTHER    PROJECTS    ALSO 

"I  should  not  favor  the  Yakima  Valley  and  the  Snake  River  projects  only. 
Priest'  Rapids,  Quincy  Flats,  Horse  Heaven  and  other  projects  should  be  inves- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY  391 

tigated  thoroughly  and  if  found  to  be  feasible  and  economically  sound  their 
development  should  be  undertaken  at  once  in  order  to  safeguard  our  labor  when 
ten  million  men  are  released  from  the  army,  from  munition  plants,  ship  yards 
and  other  war  industries.  The  speedy  development  of  these  lands  should  be 
undertaken  at  this  time  in  order  that  we  may  the  sooner  provide  land  settle- 
ment opportunities  for  our  returned  soldiers  and  other  worthy  settlers  and  thus 
contribute  our  full  share  to  the  food  production,  to  the  commerce,  and  in  fact 
to  the  solution  of  the  reconstruction  problems  of  the  world." 

SENATOR   JONES   BACK   OF    IRRIGATION    PLAN 

"United  States  Senator  Wesley  L.  Jones  is  urging  the  people  to  do  their 
duty  in  the  matter  of  irrigation  and  reclamation  projects,  thereby  reversing  the 
usual  custom,  which  presents  the  public  as  importuning  the  legislator.  In  a 
letter  to  Robert  Jahnke,  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Pasco,  the 
Senator  says,  in  part: 

My  Dear  Mr.  Jahnke: 

Referring  further  to  your  favor  of  November  15th,  in  regard  to  the 
reclamation  of  arid  lands  in  our  state,  and  especially  concerning  the  lower  Snake 
River  project,  I  beg  to  say  that  I  have  conferred  with  Mr.  Davis,  director  of 
the  reclamation  service,  regarding  the  matter. 

They  have  gone  no  further  into  the  project  than  the  preliminary  reports 
made  by  Mr.  Hobson  and  others.  They  have  submitted  estimates  to  Congress 
calling  for  $100,000  for  investigations  in  connection  with  regular  and  ordinary 
irrigation  development  and  they  also  have  submitted  an  estimate  of  a  million 
dollars  for  investigations  in  the  western  states  and  elsewhere  in  connection 
with  after-the-war  development  and,  under  this  if  they  deem  it  wise,  they  can 
thoroughly  investigate  this  project. 

I  shall  do  my  best  to  secure  ample  funds  for  these  investigations  and  when 
the  appropriation  is  made  I  shall  be  glad  to  urge  the  careful  consideration  of 
this  proposition  by  those  having  such  investigations  in  charge. 

I  would  suggest  that  your  people  get  all  the  data  possible  into  shape  and 
a  full  statement  of  the  reasons  why  this  project  should  be  investigated  and 
undertaken  so  that  the  same  may  be  submitted  as  soon  as  the  appropriation  is 
made,  if  not  before. 

I  assure  you  it  will  be  a  pleasure  to  me  to  do  all  and  everj^thing  in  my 
power  to  have  this  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  proper  authorities.  Call  on 
me  whenever  I  can  be  of  any  possible  assistance. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

Wesley  L.  Jones." 


CHAPTER  V 
FOUNDING  AND   MUNICIPAL  GROWTH   OF   NORTH   YAKIMA 


MOVING    THE    CITY ABSTRACT    OF    N.    P.    K.    R.    LANDS    FOR    TOWNSITE    OF    NORTH 

YAKIMA TRUSTEE     PROPERTY,      NORTH      YAKIMA — PRESENT     RESIDENTS     WHO 

MOVED A    TOUGH     PLACE     AT     FIRST ^THE    CITY    CHARTER POWERS    OF    THE 

CORPORATION GOVERNMENT — ELECTION THE       MAYOR,       HIS       POWERS       AND 

DUTIES — ^^ORDINANCES MISCELLANEOUS    PROVISIONS SOME    STEPS    IN    MUNICI- 
PAL   LIFE— MANY    PIONEER    BUILDINGS    LEFT    AFTER    TWENTY-FIFTH    BIRTHDAY 

ANNIVERSARY TO    KEEP    OPEN    HOUSE — FIRST    DRUG    STORE TWO    FACTIONS — 

AN    ACT   TO   REMOVE    COUNTY    SEAT   FROM    YAKIMA    CITY    TO    NORTH   YAKIMA 

ADVERTISEMENTS    FROM    "HERALD" — "TO    THE    READING    PUBLIC" INVITATION 

PARTY NORTH    Y'AKIMA,    ITS    RAPID   GROWTH    AND    ITS    RESOURCES:    FROM    THE 

PORTLAND   "OREGONIAN" 

One  of  the  preceding  chapters  has  given  in  detail  the  story  of  settlement. 
The  different  centers,  Moxee,  Yakima  City,  Parker  Bottom,  Ahtanum,  Selah, 
Naches,  Wenas,  Ellensburg  and  vicinity,  a  few  isolated  locations  in  the  lower 
valley — had  each  a  story  of  its  own.  It  was  evident,  as  it  always  is  in  the 
development  of  a  new  country,  that  certain  points  would  by  a  sort  of  natural 
commercial  selection  come  to  be  the  location  of  the  cities  and  towns.  Usually 
any  keen  observer  can  almost  infallibly  discover  the  location  of  coming  com- 
mercial centers.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  fur  traders,  missionaries  and 
first  immigrants  generally  "sized  up"  the  future  well  enough  to  establish  them- 
selves upon  the  locations  destined  to  be  the  city  sites. 

Natural  conditions  are  the  predominating  factors  in  drawing  capital  to 
invest  and  labor  to  seek  employment  and  the  construction  arts  to  find  a  place 
to  exercise  their  inventive  powers,  to  one  certain  place  more  than  another.  Not 
often  in  history  has  a  great  city  been  created  out  of  haiid  by  imperial  ukase, 
as  in  the  case  of  St.  Petersburg  (Petrograd).  Yet  in  founding  cities  there 
has  almost  always  been  some  strong  and,  sometimes  a  determining,  human 
equation. 

To  this  and  the  resulting  uncertainty,  speculation  (simply  one  of  the  many 
forms  of  gambling)  owes  its  basis. 

It  moreover  frequently  happens  that  the  geography  of  a  given  region  ofifers 
a  wide  expanse  in  which  natural  conditions  are  essentially  uniform.  In  such 
cases  it  will  frequently  occur  that  "booming,"  or  special  enterprise,  or  sometimes 
seemingly  mere  chance  or  luck  will  fix  one  immediate  spot  in  preference  to 
others  with  apparently  equal  or  even  greater  advantages.  The  West  had  fur- 
nished almost  countless  examples  of  such  strifes  of  locations.  Fascinating  his- 
392 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  393 

tory  might  be  composed,  undertaking  to  exhibit  the  course  of  events  by  which 
New  York  rather  than  Philadelphia  or  Boston  or  Baltimore,  became  the  great 
city  of  the  eastern  seaboard,  or  why  Chicago,  rather  than  St.  Louis  or  Cincin- 
nati, or  Milwaukee,  became  the  metropolis  of  the  Middle  West. 

In  some  cases  it  is  obvious  at  a  glance  that  some  given  spot  is  predestined 
to  be  the  foremost  center  of  a  given  region.  It  is  evident  that  San  Francisco 
had  to  be  the  chief  city  of  California.  Any  other  result  would  have  been  abnor- 
mal. But  it  is  obscure  why  Los  Angeles  should  have  become,  by  any  natural 
condition,  the  second  city  and  indeed  in  some  respects  the  first.  We  must 
attribute  it  to  the  human  equation.  Nature  made  San  Francisco.  There  could 
not  help  being  a  city  there.     Man  made  Los  Angeles  by  voluntary  determination. 

Obviously  a  great  city  would  grow  at  some  point  on  tide  water  on  the 
Columbia  River,  but  just  why  the  point  should  have  been  on  the  little  Willa- 
mette instead  of  on  the  broad  flood  of  the  Columbia,  at  Astoria  or  Rainier  or 
St.  Helens,  baffles  commercial  philosophy  and  throws  us  back  upon  the  human 
equation  or  mere  chance. 

In  like  manner  a  great  world  center  was  predestined  on  Puget  Sound,  but 
why  it  should  have  settled  on  the  rough  shores  of  Elliott  Bay  in  preference  to 
the  far  smoother  surface  ten  miles  north,  or  the  seemingly  more  inviting  harbors 
where  Everett  or  Tacoma  or  Bellingham  are  now  established,  does  not  find  a 
commercial  or  industrial  reason  and  must  be  attributed  to  the  human  equation. 
Some  man  or  group  of  men  juggled  with  the  normal  logic  of  development,  and 
Seattle  became  the  product.  There  was  bound  to  be  a  big  city  somewhere  in 
eastern  Washington,  but  it  is  a  little  obscure  yet,  even  to  the  people  who  built 
the  beautiful  metropolis  at  the  falls  of  the  Spokane,  why  the  center  should  not 
have  been  either  at  the  junction  of  the  Snake  and  Clearwater  or  at  the  junction 
of  the  Snake  and  Columbia.  Spokane  was  created  out  of  hand,  almost  as  if 
by  imperial  ukase,  or  rather  by  the  voluntary  determination  of  a  group  of  wide- 
awake railroad  and  business  men. 

We  find  somewhat  the  same  play  of  forces  in  the  metropolis  of  the  great 
valley  whose  story  we  are  trying  to  tell  in  this  volume. 

It  is  quite  clear  even  from  the  most  superficial  examination  that  there  were 
bound  to  be  four  or  five  leading  centers  in  the  Yakima  Valley.  There  must  be 
one  in  the  Kittitas,  and  it  was  nearly  a  necessity  that  Ellensburg  be  it. 

There  must  be  one  somewhere  near  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima  and  it  was 
pretty  nearly  a  plain  case  of  destiny  that  Kennevvick  fulfill  that  function. 

There  had  to  be  at  least  two  points  in  the  central  Valley,  but  here  there 
was  a  wide  field  open  to  the  human  equation.  A  chief  point  evidently  must  be 
somewhere  in  the  area  where  the  chief  tributaries,  the  Naches,  the  Ahtanum,  the 
Toppenish,  the  Simcoe,  descend  from  the  mountains  with  their  life-giving  sup- 
plies for  the  broadened  desert  and  join  the  main  river.  Quite  possibly,  if  the 
reservation  had  not  been  established,  the  leading  center  would  have  been  at 
the  point  near  Mabton,  where  that  beautiful  lake-like  expanse  of  the  river,  ex- 
tending up  and  down  a  number  of  miles,  would  afiford  all  sorts  of  aquatic  at- 
tractions to  the  inhabitants  of  a  city,  and  where  the  curiously  carved  slopes  of 
Snipes'  Mountain  might  have  offered  even  more  inducement  to  inventive  and 
industrial  energy  than  the  "Nob  Hill"  of  the  present  metropolis. 


394  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

But  it  was  not  so  to  be.  A  series  of  events  in  which  the  human  equation 
played  a  great  part  determined  that  the  chief  city  should  be  north  of  Pohotecute, 
and  still  further  that  it  should  be  at  North  Yakima  instead  of  Yakima  City. 

MOVING  THE   CITY 

Probably  nothing  has  been  talked  about  so  much,  first  and  last,  in  Yakima 
during  the  past  thirty-three  years  as  moving  the  city  from  the  location  on  the 
farm  of  Joseph  and  Charles  Schanno  to  the  point  known  till  the  session  of  the 
legislature  of  1917  as  North  Yakima.  The  "City,"  as  the  pioneers  aft'ectionately 
termed  it,  seemed  to  be  a  desirable  location  for  the  town.  The  first  stores 
were  established  there.  The  first  irrigation  canals  led  there.  The  first  hotel 
in  the  valley  was  there.  The  first  churches  and  schools  were  there.  The  two 
locations,  being  but  four  miles  apart,  had  essentially  the  same  conditions,  and 
hence  the  question  of  moving  was  purely  one  of  local  or  personal  advantage. 

The  undertaking  of  moving  from  the  "Old  Town"  to  North  Yakima  fol- 
lowed the  advent  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  in  1884.  The  question  of 
changing  the  location  of  the  townsite  became  complicated  with  that  of  the  for- 
feiture of  the  land  grant  by  reason  of  failure  to  complete  the  railway  within 
the  specified  time. 

It  was  still  further  complicated  with  the  general  question  of  railroad  poli- 
tics, at  that  time  exciting  such  tremendous  interest  through  the  country.  Of 
these  conditions  we  have  spoken  in  preceding  chapters. 

Of  the  motives  which  led  the  railroad  company,  or  men  concerned  with 
them,  to  make  this  radical  change  in  what  seemed  the  normal  course  of  events, 
a  writer  can  not  make  sweeping  assertions.  Human  motives  are  very  compli- 
cated, and  we  can  not  safely  dogmatize  in  attributing  one  exclusive  motive  to 
any  man.  Judge  Edward  Whitson,  one  of  the  most  honored  of  the  builders, 
and  one  who  began  his  career  in  Yakima  City,  is  quoted  in  the  History  of  Cen- 
tral Washington  as  maintaining  that  the  action  of  the  railroad  company  was 
guided  by  an  upright  and  enlightened  public  policy.  He  asserted  that  there 
were  good  and  sufificient  reasons  for  establishment  of  a  new  town.  "First,"  he 
is  quoted  as  saying,  "there  were  three  or  four  townsites  at  Yakima  City  and 
numerous  additions  without  uniformity;  second,  the  townsite  proprietors  re- 
fused to  give  the  railroad  company  the  necessary  grounds  and  other  facilities, 
asking  heavy  damages :  third,  the  old  town  had  not  convenient  water  and  power 
supply;  in  short,  the  company  recognized  the  immense  natural  resources  of  the 
territory,  and  desired  for  its  metropolis  a  city  with  uniform  streets,  with  shade 
trees,  ditches,  power,  etc.  It  decided  that  conditions  in  the  old  town  were 
against  this  comprehensive  plan,  hence  that  a  new  town  was  a  necessity." 

On  the  other  hand  some  of  the  leading  men  of  Yakima  at  this  time  believe 
that  selfish  greed  and  a  thirst  for  dictatorial  power  inspired  the  policy  of  the 
company  in  using  its  whole  force  in  uprooting  one  town  and  planting  another. 
One  of  Yakima's  best  citizens,  a  man  who  was  located  in  the  old  town  and 
moved  to  the  new,  has  told  the  author  within  a  year  that  in  his  opinion  there 
would  be  twice  the  population  if  the  transfer  had  never  been  made.  His  view 
was  that  the  action  of  the  railroad  company  interrupted  the  normal  course  of 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  \'ALLEY  395 

growth,  planted  the  seeds  of  jealousy  and  ill-feeling,  engendered  suspicion  in 
the  minds  of  prospective  new  comers,  and  gave  Yakima  a  bad  name  at  home 
and  abroad. 

We  probably  must  confess  that  in  this  whole  matter  of  the  relations  ot 
railroad  managers  to  the  people  of  the  region  which  they  serve  (or  which  they 
compel  to  serve  them)  there  is  a  good  deal  to  be  said  on  both  sides — and  let 
it  go  at  that. 

The  first  train  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  reached  Yakima  City  on 
December  24,  1884.  In  the  "Ellensburgh  Standard"  of  January  17,  1885,  are 
extracts  rom  a  private  letter  from  Yakima  City  to  the  effect  that  no  work  was 
in  progress  in  the  old  town  and  but  little  in  the  new.  The  letter  stated  that 
New  Yakima  consisted  of  Littles  and  Scharer's  two-story  restaurant  with  a 
lean-to  saloon ;  a  small  building  adjoining ;  then  Tucker  and  Cumming's  livery 
stable,  thirty  by  thirty,  and  then  another  saloon. 

Adjoining  the  restaurant  on  the  other  side  was  ShuU's  boardinghouse  tent 
with  sixteen  guests.  Across  the  track  were  the  company  buildings — a  small 
office  and  a  very  good  restaurant.  The  letter  further  stated  that  the  company 
had  shipped  a  lot  of  lumber  to  New  Yakima,  said  to  be  for  depot  purposes ;  that 
the  side  tracks  at  Union  Gap  and  Old  Yakima  had  been  taken  up  and  pretty 
much  everything  moved  to  the  new  town. 

On  February  4,  1885,  a  decisive  step  was  taken.  A  plat  of  the  new  town 
was  filed  for  record.  It  seems  to  have  been  on  part  of  a  desert  entrj'  belonging 
to  Capt.  W.  D.  Inverarity.  In  the  belief  that  many  of  our  readers  would  be 
interested  in  the  original  conveyances  of  land  from  the  railroad  company,  we 
are  incorporating  here  a  copy  of  an  abstract  of  title,  for  the  use  of  which  we 
are  indebted  to  Mr.  Fred  Parker. 

ABSTR.\CT   OF    NORTHERN    P.\CIFIC    RAILRO.XD    L.\NDS    SET   ASIDE    FOR    THE    TOWNSITE 
OF    NORTH    YAKIMA,    WASHINGTON    TERRITORY 

The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  hereby  certifies  that  it  is  the  owner 
of  the  following  named  parcels  of  land,  towit: 

The  east  half  of  southeast  quarter  (Ej/2  of  SE>4)  of  section  thirteen  (13) 
in  township  thirteen  (13)  north  of  range  eighteen  (18)  and  the  southwest 
quarter  of  northwest  quarter  (SW>4  of  N|WJ4)  the  southwest  quarter  of 
northeast  quarter  (SW34  of  NEJ4)  and  the  south  half  (Sj4)  of  section  nine- 
teen (19)  township  thirteen  (13)  north  of  range  nineteen  (19)  and  east  of 
Willamette  Meridian  in  Yakima  County  in  Washington  Territory;  that  it  has 
caused  portions  of  the  same,  together  with  portions  of  the  east  half  of  the  north- 
east quarter  (Ei/^  NEJ^)  the  east  half  of  southeast  quarter  (E>4  SEj4)  and 
southwest  quarter  of  northeast  quarter  (SW54  NE>4)  of  section  twenty- four 
(24)  in  township  thirteen  (13)  north  of  range  eighteen  (18)  and  the  south  half 
of  the  northwest  quarter  (S3/  NWJ4)  and  southwest  quarter  (SW^/^)  of  sec- 
tion eighteen  (18)  and  the  north  half  of  northwest  quarter  (Nj4  of  NW'4) 
and  all  the  southeast  quarter  of  northwest  quarter  (SEj4  of  NWJ4)  of  section 
nineteen  (19)  in  township  thirteen  (13)  north  of  range  nineteen  (19)  all  east 
of  the  Willamette  Meridian,  to  be  surveved  as  the  town  of  North  Yakima  and 


396  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

the  annexed  plat  thereof  to  be  made  and  that  the  width  of  all  streets,  avenues 
and  alleys  thereon  and  the  sizes  of  all  lots  and  blocks  are  as  shown  on  the 
annexed  plat  by  figures  indicating  feet  and  decimals  of  a  foot  and  that  all  the 
streets  running  parallel  with  the  railroad  are  one  hundred  (100)  feet  wide  ex- 
cept Selah  street  which  is  sixty  (60)  feet  wide  from  WesL  Pine  Street  to  West 
A  Street  to  West  D  Street,  and  excepting  also  Front  Street  which  is  sixty  (60) 
feet  wide,  and  Xatches  Avenue  which  is  one  hundred  and  forty  (140)  feet  wide. 

All  other  streets  are  eighty  (80)  feet  wide,  excepting  Yakima  Avenue, 
which  is  one  hundred  ( 100)  feet  wide.  Alleys  are  all  twenty  (20)  feet  in 
width.     All  regular  blocks  are  three  hundred  by  four  hundred   (300  x  400  j   feet. 

Blocks  A,  B  and  C  are  each  one  hundred  and  eighty  by  four  hundred 
(180x400)    feet. 

Lots  are  25x130  or  25x140  or  50  x  130  or  50x140  or  50x180  feet  as 
indicated  on  the  annexed  plat. 

In  testimony  whereof  the  said  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  has 
caused  these  presents  to  be  signed  by  its  president  and  its  corporate  seal  to  be 
hereto  affixed  attested  by  its  secretary,  the  fourteenth  day  of  January,  A.  D. 
1885. 

N'oRTHERN  Pacific  R.  R.  Co. 
By  Robert  Harris,  President. 
Attest : 

S.\M  P.  WiLKESON,  Secretary. 

State  of  New  York,  City  and  County  of  New  York,  ss: 

Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  fourteenth  of  January,  A.  D.,  1885,  before 
me  personally  appeared  Robert  Harris,  with  whom  I  am  personally  acquainted 
and  who  is  known  to  me  to  be  the  president  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad 
Company,  the  corporation  that  is  described  in,  and  that  executed  the  foregoing 
instrument,  and  who  being  by  me  duly  sworn,  said  that  he  knows  the  corporate 
seal  of  said  company;  that  the  seal  affixed  to  the  foregoing  instrument  as  such 
is  said  corporate  seal ;  that  the  same  was  affixed  to  the  foregoing  instrument  by 
authority  of  the  board  of  directors  of  said  company,  and  he  signed  the  said 
instrument  by  like  authority.  And  the  said  Robert  Harris  at  the  same  time 
acknowledge  the  foregoing  instrument  to  be  the  act  and  deed  of  the  said  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad  Company,  and  that  the  said  company  executed  the  same 
freely  and  voluntarily  for  the  uses  and  purposes  therein  expressed. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  official  seal  at  my 
office  in  the  city  of  New  York  the  day  and  year  last  aforesaid. 

L.  R.  Kidder, 
Commissioner  of   Deeds  in   New   York 
for  Territory  of  Wasiiington. 
[seal] 

I,  Paul  Schulze,  of  Portland,  Oregon,  trustee,  hereby  certify  that  I  am 
the  owner  in  trust  of  the  following-named  parcels  of  land,  towit: 

The  (E><  of  NE34)  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter,  the  east  half  of 
southeast    quarter    (EJ/^    SEj4)    and    southwest    quarter    of    northeast    quarter 


C^    .1 


M 


MILLER     BUILDING,    YAKIMA 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  397 

(SW>4  NE'^)  of  section  twenty-four  (24)  of  township  thirteen  (13),  north 
of  range  eighteen  (18),  and  the  south  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  (Syi 
NW>4)  and  southwest  quarter  (SW^)  of  section  eighteen  (18),  and  the  north 
half  of  northwest  quarter  (Nj4  NWj4).  and  southeast  quarter  of  northwest 
quarter  (SE34  NW34)  of  section  nineteen  (19),  township  thirteen  (13),  north 
of  range  nineteen  (19),  all  east  of  the  Willamette  Meridian,  in  Yakima  County, 
Washington  Territory :  and  that  I  have  caused  portions  of  the  same,  together 
with  the  parcels  of  land  specified  in  the  foregoing  certificate,  to  be  surveyed  as 
the  town  of  North  Yakima,  and  the  annexed  plat  thereof  to  be  made,  and  that 
the  widths  of  all  streets,  avenues  and  alleys  thereon,  and  the  sizes  of  all  lots  and 
blocks  are  as  shown  on  the  annexed  plat  by  figures  indicating  feet  and  decimals 
o  fa  foot ;  and  as  stated  in  the  foregoing  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal  this  31st  day  of 
January,  A.  D.,   1885. 

Paul  Schulze, 
[seal]  Trustee. 

Witnesses : 

George  P.  Eaton,  John  G.  Rusk. 

State  of  Oregon,  County  of  Multnomah,  ss : 

Be  it  remembered,  that  on  this  31st  day  of  January,  A.  D.,  1885,  before  me 
personally  appeared  Paul  Schulze,  trustee,  to  me  personally  known,  and  known 
to  me  to  be  the  person  who  executed  the  foregoing  instrument ;  and  he  acknowl- 
edged that  he  executed  the  same  freely  and  voluntarily .  for  the  uses  and  pur- 
poses therein  set  forth. 

R.  W.  Mitchell, 
Commissioner    of    Deeds    in    Oregon 
for    Washington    Territory. 
[seal] 

Filed  for  record  February  4th,  1885,  and  recorded  February  29th,  1885. 

Kate  W.  Feurbach, 

County  Auditor. 

TRLISTEE     property,     north     YAKIMA,     WASHINGTON — R,\TIFICATI0N     OF     TRUSTEE 
ACTS 

Northern   Pacific  Railway  Company. 

Know  All  Men  by  These  Presents : — That  whereas,  by  certain  indentures, 
in  the  nature  of  deeds  of  trust,  there  was  conveyed  to  Paul  Schulze,  city  of 
Portland,  county  of  Multnomah  and  state  of  Oregon,  as  trustee,  his  assigns 
and  successors,  certain  real  estate  situate  in  the  county  of  Yakima  and  state  of 
Washington,  said  indentures  and  real  estate  being  more  particularly  described 
as  follows : 

FIRST.  A  Deed  of  Trust  dated  December  16,  1884,  and  recorded  on 
December  16.  1884,  and  recorded  on  December  18,  1884,  in  Book  "D"  of  Deed 
Records,  page    10,   in  the  office   of  the  auditor  of   said  county  of   Yakima,  by 


398  HISTORY  OF  YAKi:\IA  VALLEY 

Edward  Whitson  to  Paul  Schulze  as  trustee,  aforesaid,  conveying  the  south  half 
of  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter  (S^  of  SW34  of  SW34)  of 
section  eighteen  (18),  and  the  north  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  (N^  of 
NW^)  of  section  nineteen  (19)  both  in  township  (13),  north  of  range  nine- 
teen (19)  east  of  the  Willamette  principal  meridian,  containing  one  hundred 
(100)   acres,  more  or  less,  according  to  Government  survey. 

SECOND.  A  Deed  of  Trust  dated  December  13,  1884,  and  recorded  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1885,  in  Book  "D"  of  Deed  Records,  page  57,  in  the  office  of  the 
auditor  for  said  Yakima  County  by  Walter  J.  Reed  and  Barbara  A.  Reed,  his 
wife,  to  said  Schulze  as  trustee,  aforesaid,  conveying  the  northeast  quarter  of 
the  northeast  quarter  (NEJ4  of  NE>4)  of  section  twenty-four  (24)  in  town- 
ship thirteen  (13),  north  of  range  eighteen  (18)  east  Willamette  meridian,  con- 
taining forty   (40)   acres,  more  or  less,  according  to  Government  survey. 

THIRD.  A  Deed  of  Trust  dated  December  31,  1884,  and  recorded  Jan- 
uary 2,  1885,  in  Book  "D"  of  Deed  Records,  page  31,  in  the  office  of  the  auditor 
for  said  Yakima  County,  by  L.  A.  Navarre  and  E.  E.  Navarre,  his  wife,  to  said 
Schulze,  as  trustee,  aforesaid,  conveying  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  northeast 
quarter  (NW^  of  NEj'^)  and  the  north  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  the 
northwest  quarter  (N>^  of  NE34  of  NW>^)  of  section  thirty  (30),  in  township 
thirteen' (13),  north  of  range  nineteen  (19),  east  Willamette  meridian,  contain- 
ing sixty   (60)  acres  more  or  less,  according  to  Government  survey. 

FOURTH.  A  Deed  of  Trust,  dated  December  17,  1884,  and  recorded 
December  20,  1884,  in  Book  "D"  of  Deed  Records,  page  21,  in  the  office  of  the 
auditor  for  said  Yakima  County,  by  Rosalind  H.  M.  Inverarity  and  William  D. 
Inverarity,  her  husband,  to  said  Schulze  as  trustee  aforesaid,  conveying  the 
north  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  (N^  of  SW54)  and  the  west  half  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  (W^  of  NW34  of  SEJ4)  of  section 
eighteen  (18),  the  southeast  quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  (SE14  of  NW^^) 
of  section  nineteen  (19),  and  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter 
(NE34  of  NE14)  of  section  thirty  (30),  all  in  township  thirteen  (13),  north 
of  range  nineteen  (19)  east  Willamette  meridian,  containing  one  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  and  50-100  (177.50)  acres,  more  or  less,  according  to  Government 
survey. 

FIFTH.  A  Deed  of  Trust  dated  December  17,  1S84,  and  recorded  De- 
cember 20,  1884,  in  Book  "D"  of  Deed  Records,  page  16,  in  the  office  of  the 
auditor  for  said  Yakima  County  by  William  D.  Inverarity  and  Rosalind  H.  M. 
Inverarity,  his  wife,  to  said  Paul  Schultze.  as  trustee  aforesaid,  conveying  the 
south  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  (S^^  of  NE^),  the  north  half  of  the  north- 
west quarter  (Nj/2  of  NW^i)  the  southeast  quarter  of  llie  northwest  quarter 
(SE>4  of  NWJ4)  and  the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  {Eyi  of  SE>4) 
of  section  twenty-four  (24)  in  township  thirteen  (13)  north  of  range  eighteen 
(18)  east  of  Willamette  meridian,  containing  two  hundred  and  eighty  (280) 
acres,  more  or  less,  according  to  Government  survey;  and  each  of  said  five  (5) 
Deeds  of  Trust  containing  the  following  terms  and  conditions,  towit: 

That  whenever  said  Paul  Schulze  shall  receive  satisfactory  assurances 
from  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  of  its  intention  to  construct  its 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  399 

railroad  through  and  over  said  section  nineteen  (19),  in  township  thirteen  (13) 
north  of  range  eighteen  (18),  east  of  the  Willamette  meridian,  and  to  estabhsh 
a  station  on  said  section,  he  shall  lay  out  and  plat  into  lots  and  blocks  such  por- 
tions of  said  premises,  and  in  such  manner  as  shall  be  approved  by  the  land 
commissioner  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  and  he  shall  convey 
by  good  and  sufifiteient  deed  or  deeds  one-half  of  the  land  so  platted  to  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  or  to  such  person  or  corporation  as  the 
land  commissioner  of  said  railroad  company  shall  direct,  and  the  remaining 
one-half  of  such  lots  to  the  respective  grantors,  and  in  such  case  any  portions 
of  said  lands  are  not  platted  in  lots  and  blocks,  a  division  thereof  shall  be 
made  by  said  Schultze,  and  said  trustee  shall  convey  by  good  and  sufficient  deed 
or  deeds,  one-half  of  said  lands  to  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company, 
or  to  such  persons  or  corporation  as  the  land  commissioner  of  said  company 
may  designate,  and  the  remaining  one-half  of  all  such  tracts  of  unplatted  lands 
to  the  respective  grantors. 

And  whereas.  All  of  the  conditions  of  said  trust  imposed  upon  the  grantee 
hereunder,  were  in  due  course  fully  executed  and  performed  by  the  said  Paul 
Schulze,  as  trustee,  and  the  respective  grantors  aforesaid  have  heretofore  duly 
acknowledged  the  full  execution  and  performance  thereof,  by  said  Schulze  as 
far  as  to  them  related. 

And  Whereas,  One  Thomas  Cooper,  of  Tacoma,  Pierce  County,  and  state 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  or  of  the  receivers  of  said  company  from 
the  date  or  dates  that  aforesaid  real  estate  was  conveyed  to  him  continuously 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  month  of  April,  1895. 

And  Whereas,  One  Thomas  Cooper,  of  Tacoma,  Pierce  County,  and  state 
of  Washington,  after  the  demise  of  said  Paul  Schulze  did  become  his  successor 
in  office  as  the  land  agent  of  the  receiver,  or  receivers,  of  said  company,  with 
the  title  of  western  land  agent. 

And  Whereas,  Thomas  Cooper,  after  his  appointment  as  said  western  land 
agent,  by  order  and  decree  entered  on  the  11th  day  of  November,  A.  D.,  1895,  in 
the  Superior  Court  of  the  state  of  Washington,  in  and  for  Yakima  County,  upon 
the  petition  of  Andrew  F.  Burleigh,  as  receiver  of  the  said  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  Company,  and  a  certified  copy  of  said  order  and  decree  being  filed  for 
record  in  the  office  of  the  auditor  for  said  county  on  the  21st  day  of  November, 
1895,  and  recorded  in  Volume  "U"  of  Deed  Records,  page  30,  was  duly  ap- 
pointed as  trustee,  and  legal  successor  of  said  Paul  Schulze,  deceased,  trustee, 
and  was  duly  vested  with  the  same  rights  and  all  of  the  powers  as  to  making 
conveyances  of  any  and  all  of  said  lands  as  were  vested  in  said  Paul  Schulze, 
trustee,  in  and  by  said  indentures  and  conveyances  and  rot  exercised  by  said 
Schulze  prior  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

And  Whereas,  the  said  Thomas  Cooper,  after  his  appointment  as  the  legal 
successor  of  said  Paul  Schulze,  trustee,  and  said  Paul  Schulze  after  the  con- 
veyance to  him  of  said  real  estate  from  time  to  time  up  to  the  date  of  his  death 
aforesaid,  had  made  and  executed  and  did  make  and  execute,  as  such  trustee, 
respectively,  certain  indentures  thereby  conveying  to  a  number  of  different 
individuals  or  concerns,  respectively,  certain  portions  of  the  lands  described  in 


400  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

said  deeds  of  trust,  either  as  broad  acres  or  in  lots  and  blocks,  of  the  plat  of  the 
town  of   North  Yakima. 

And  Whereas,  any  and  all  conveyances  made  by  said  Paul  Schulze,  as  such 
trustee,  and  by  said  Thomas  Cooper,  as  such  trustee,  of  any  portion  or  portions 
of  the  said  real  estate  were  made  under  and  by  virtue  of  the  direction  or  direc- 
tions of  the  land  commissioner,  for  the  time  being,  of  the  said  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  Company,  or  of  its  receiver  or  receivers,  and  said  conveyances  were 
made  with  the  knowledge,  consent,  acquiescence  and  approval  of  the  land  com- 
missioner aforesaid 

And  Whereas,  no  formal  instrument  has  been  placed  of  record  in  the  audi- 
tor's office,  for  said  county  of  Yakima,  showing  the  approval  and  acquiescence 
by  the  land  commissioner  aforesaid,  of  the  conveyances  made  by  said  trustees, 
as  aforesaid. 

And  Whereas,  by  certain  deed  dated  the  18th  day  of  August.  1896,  and 
recorded  in  the  office  of  the  auditor  for  said  county  of  Yakima,  Alfred  L.  Cary, 
as  special  master,  did  convey  to  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company,  a  cor- 
poration, duly  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Wisconsin,  all  of  the 
right,  title  and  interest  of  the  said  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  in  and 
to  aforesaid  real  estate  and  also  certain  deeds  were  recorded  in  the  office  of  the 
auditor  for  said  county  of  Yakima,  having  for  their  object  the  conveyance  of 
all  property  of  said  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  to  said  Northern  Pacific 
Railway  Company. 

Now  Therefore,  This  Indenture  Witnesseth,  That  in  consideration  of  the 
premises  the  said  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company,  a  corporation  duly  in- 
corporated under  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Wisconsin,  as  the  legal  successor  and 
present  owner  of  all  the  right  and  title,  both  legal  and  equitable,  heretofore 
vested  in  Paul  Schulze  as  trustee,  and  Thomas  Cooper,  as  trustee,  and  the  said 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  which  was  acquired  by  virtue  of  the  afore- 
said conveyances  to  Paul  Schulze,  as  trustee,  does  hereby  ratify,  approve  and 
confirm  the  making  of  each  and  all  of  said  conveyances  of  said  premises,  or 
any  portion  or  portions  thereof,  by  the  said  Paul  Schulz  as  such  trustee,  and 
the  said  Thomas  Cooper  as  such  trustee. 

In  Witness  Whereof.  The  said  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company  has 
caused  these  presents  to  be  sealed  with  its  corporate  ^eal  and  signed  by  its 
president,  on  this  the  twelfth  day  of  February,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  ninety-eight. 

Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company. 

C.  S.  Mellen,  President. 
Attest : 

W.  H.  GiMMELL,  Assistant  Secretary. 
[corporate  seal] 

Sealed  and  deli\ered  in  the  presence  of 

Richard   B.    Jones. 
Harry  A.   Fabian. 
(I.  R.  S.  10  cts.) 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  401 

State  of  IMinnesota,  County  of  Ramsey,  ss: 

On  this  thirteenth  day  of  October,  1898,  before  me  personally  appeared 
C.  S.  Mellen,  to  me  personally  known,  who  being  by  me  duly  sworn,  did  say 
that  he  is  the  president  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company,  the  corpora- 
tion, which  executed  the  foregoing  instrument,  and  that  tlie  seal  affixed  to  said 
instrument  is  the  corporate  seal  of  said  corporation,  and  that  said  instrument 
was  signed  and  sealed  in  behalf  of  said  corporation  by  authority  of  its  board 
of  directors,  and  said  C.  S.  Mellen  acknowledged  said  instrument  to  be  free 
act  and  deed  of  said  corporation. 

In  Witness  Whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  affixed  my  official 
seal  at  my  office  in  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  the  day  and  year  last  aforesaid. 

P.    W.    CORBETT, 

Notary  Public,  Ramsey  County,  Minnesota. 
A.    B.    Flint,    County    Auditor. 
[n.  p.  seal] 

Deeds  on  page  616. 

It  appears  from  the  history  derived  from  several  prominent  citizens  of 
Yakima  of  the  present  date  who  were  of  the  immigrants  from  Yakima  City  to 
North  Yakima  thirty-three  years  ago,  that  the  chief  agents  in  planning  and 
executing  the  removal  were  Robert  Harris,  president  of  the  Nbrthern  Pacific 
Railroad  Company,  Paul  Schulze,  manager  of  the  land  sy.stem  of  the  company, 
and  Martin  Van  Buren  Stacy.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  of  the  three  men  who 
engineered  the  founding  of  North  Yakima  one  (Mr.  Stacy)  died  in  an  insane 
asylum,  and  another,  Mr.   Schulze,  died  by  his  own  hand. 

But  during  the  first  years  of  their  activity  in  the  "New  Town"  they 
pushed  matters  with  great  energy  and  rapidity.  H.  K.  Owens,  of  Seattle  was 
employed  as  an  engineer  to  lay  out  the  new  town.  This  work  was  accomplished 
in  1885.  A  ditch  was  constructed  to  convey  water  from  the  river  to  the  streets 
of  the  city.  Whatever  may  have  been  true  of  Mr.  Schulze  morally,  he  had  an 
artistic  eye  and  a  clear  conception  of  how  a  town  should  be  built.  The  new 
Yakima  was  laid  out  somewhat  on  the  general  plan  of  Mr.  Schulze's  native 
Baden-Baden.  Naches  Avenue,  now  regarded  by  tourists  as  one  in  the  front 
rank  of  residence  streets  in  American  cities,  was  laid  out  after  the  pattern  of 
the  Unter  den  Linden  in  that  beautiful  German  city. 

But  founding  of  the  New  Town  was  one  thing.  Moving  the  Old  Town 
was  another.  The  railroad  company  ofTered  lots  to  all  who  would  move.  That 
seemed  a  fair  proposal,  but  with  characteristic  pioneer  spunk  the  old  town 
people — many  of  them — repudiated  that  indirect  manner  of  bribing  them  to 
throw  up  their  hands.  Judge  R.  B.  Milroy,  who  was  there  at  the  time,  describes 
to  us  something  of  the  excited  meetings  and  discussions  which  occurred.  He 
speaks  particularly  of  one  public  meeting  addressed  by  Mr.  P.  J.  Flint  and 
others,  at  which  the  war  sentiment  was  at  fever  heat.  But  following  this  was 
another  meeting  somewhat  milder,  at  which  the  proposal  was  adopted  that  a 
committee  of  three  men  go  to  New  York  to  lay  the  whole  matter  before  the 
directors  of  the  railroad  company.    J.  B.  Reavis,  J.  M.  Adams  and  A.  B.  Weed 

(26) 


402  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

were  appointed  on  this  commission,  and  they  seem  to  have  executed  it  with 
success.  At  any  rate  they  induced  the  company  to  meet  the  expense  of  moving 
such  residents  of  the  old  town  as  were  willing  to  accept  the  former  offer  of  a 
lot  in  the  new  town  in  lieu  of  their  former  holdings  in  the  old.  This  offer  on 
the  part  of  the  company  seems  as  liberal  as  any  could  be,  if  they  were  going  to 
move  at  all.  The  process  of  moving  went  on  rapidly  during  the  Summer  and 
Fall  of  1885.  Very  entertaining  and  sometimes  amusing  accounts  are  given  by 
the  old-timers  of  scenes  on  the  four-mile  highway  while  the  process  of  moving 
was  in  progress.  Business  was  carried  on  as  usual  while  the  buildings  were  on 
the  move.  A  farmer  wishing  to  buy  something  at  a  store  would  hitch  his  team 
to  the  latter  end  of  a  moving  building,  transact  his  business,  come  out  with  his 
purchases,  load  his  wagon,  while  the  team  followed  slowly  along  with  the  build- 
ing. The  Guilland  Hotel,  owned  by  David  Guilland,  was  the  first  structure  to 
take  the  journey.  Much  bitterness  was  felt  that  Mr.  Guilland  should  have  given 
up  the  fight  and  taken  the  journey.  It  is  reported  that  some  threats  were  made 
and  that  he  deemed  it  wise  to  have  a  guard  over  his  migratory  property.  Never- 
theless his  boarders  took  their  regular  meals  en  route  in  quiet.  The  First 
National  Bank  building  went  soon,  and  a  regular  procession  followed. 

As  to  the  first  buildings  established  in  their  new  home,  and  as  to  the  first 
ones  erected  in  North  Yakima,  there  does  not  seem  to  be  perfect  unanimity.  It 
is  said  that  Weed  and  Rowe  started  a  building  on  the  site  of  the  present  Yakima 
National  Bank,  soon  after  the  filing  of  the  town-plat  and  had  it  ready  for  use 
by  April  1st.  Allen  and  Chapman  opened  a  drug  store  in  the  same  month  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  Yakima  Avenue  and  Second  Street.  It  is  stated  that 
Mr.  C.  E.  McEwen  was  the  first  of  all  now  living  in  Yakima  to  enter  business 
in  the  new  town.  He  had  come  to  Yakima  City  in  1872.  He  was  among  the 
vrst  to  move  to  the  new  town  and  established  a  harness  and  saddle  business  in 
1883  at  the  present  location  of  the  Dean  dry  goods  store.  There  he  remained 
until  June  1,  1903,  when  he  came  to  his  present  location.  Among  the  other 
earliest  business  places  established  during  that  first  year  of  North  Yakima's 
existence  may  be  named  the  following:  Henry  Ditter  &  Sons,  T.  G.  V.  Clark, 
Hymen  Harris,  McCrimmon,  Needham  and  Masters,  and  G.  W.  Gary,  general 
merchandise  stores ;  Ward  Brothers,  grocery  and  shoe  store ;  S.  J.  Lowe,  hard- 
ware;  Schisthl  and  Schorn,  blacksmithing. 

PRESENT  RESIDENTS   WHO   MOVED 

By  the  kind  assistance  of  Mr.  Fred  Parker  we  are  able  to  give  here  a  list 
of  those  now  living  in  Yakima  who  moved  from  the  old  town  to  the  new. 

Charles  M.  Adkins.  Mrs.     Dora  Churchill. 

Frank  Bartholet.  James  R.  Coe. 

Mrs.  Mary  C.  Bartholet  Joseph  E.  Ditter. 

Irvin  Bounds  Henry  Ditter. 

P.  A.  Bounds.  Phil  A.  Ditter 

Mrs.  Lou  Goodwin  Butt  Purdy  J.  Flint. 

Mrs.  Emily  J.  Chambers.  Mrs.  Katie  A.  Gervais. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY  "  403 

Wesley  F.  Jones.  A.  B.  Weed. 

John  A.  Leach.  Mrs.  Meta  RedfieJd. 

S.  J.  Lowe.  Richard  Strobach 

Mrs.  Emma  P.  Mabry.  Martin  Schisthl 

Elisha  McDaniel.  Michael    Schom   and   wife. 

C.  E.  McEwen.  Frank  B.  Shardlow. 

R.  B.  Milroy.  Jennie  P.  Shardlow. 

Fred  Parker.  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Stephenson. 

A.  J.  Pratt. 

In  1885  North  Yakima  was  made  the  terminus  of  the  railroad.  Trains  did 
not  stop  at  the  old  town.  This  action  was  very  unsatisfactory  to  the  recal- 
citrant old  residents  who  had  refused  to  move,  and  litigation  resulted. 

The  suit  to  compel  the  railroad  to  make  stops  at  Yakima  City  finally  went 
to  the  Supreme  Court  and  in  1892  that  august  tribunal  issued  a  decree  granting 
an  injunction  to  that  effect. 

The  new  town  grew  rapidly.  It  is  estimated  that  by  January  1,  1886,  there 
were  about  1,200  people  in  the  place. 

A   TOUGH;  PLACE   AT    FIRST 

The  ragged,  dusty  Yakima  of  1886  and  onward  for  a  few  years  was  very 
different  from  the  elegant  and  high-class  metropolis  of  1918.  It  was  by  no 
means  a  dry  town.  There  were  many  consuming  thirsts  and  the  facilities  of 
gratifying  them  were  not  limited  either  by  law  or  usage.  The  roulette  wheel 
was  a  prominent  industry,  and  money  changed  hands  with  no  very  great  regard 
to  the  moral  law  or  court  judgment.  There  was  talk  of  a  vigilance  committee, 
such  as  had  proved  quite  efficient  in  Walla  Walla  twenty  years  earlier.  But 
as  a  result  of  a  mass  meeting  a  provisional  government  became  established,  for 
the  financial  support  of  which  various  citizens  pledged  various .  sums,  the  aim 
of  which  was  to  maintain  law  and  order  until  such  time  as  a  legal  government 
could  be  established.  Col.  H.  D.  Cock,  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  early 
comers,  having  been  in  the  Yakma  country  during  the  period  of  Indian  wars 
thirty  years  before,  became  the  first  marshal,  and  he  proved  very  efficient,  quell- 
ing the  law-breakers  with  a  strong  hand  and  laying  a  foundation  of  good  gov- 
ernment which  stood  the  raw  young  city  in  good  stead.  I(  is  remembered  by 
old-timers  that  Colonel  Cock  set  out  most  of  the  trees  on  Naches  Avenue  and 
otherwise  improved  that  well  conceived  avenue,  making  the  necessary  basis  for 
what  has  become  such  an  ornament  to  the  modern  Yakima. 

THE    CITY    CHARTER 

It  having  become  clear  to  the  citizens  of  the  ambitious  young  town  that 
there  was  sure  to  be  a  city,  and  also  the  railroad  company  having  fostered  the 
plat  and  plan  which  appear  in  the  abstract  in  earlier  pages,  it  was  clear  that  the 
next  important  stage  in  growth  would  be  a  charter  and  a  municipal  govern- 
ment. Steps  were  taken  to  secure  such  an  organization  at  a  public  meeting  in 
the  Fall  of  1885. 


404  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

As  the  outcome  of  the  meeting  a  constitution  was  drafted  by  Edward  Whit- 
son  and  Judge  Graves.  This  was  granted  by  the  Legislature  of  1886.  The  bill 
providing  it  was  passed  on  January  27th  of  that  year.  By  it  North  Yakima  was 
duly  chartered  as  a  city  of  the  second  class.  Although  that  first  charter  has 
been  superseded,  it  presents  so  much  of  permanent  interest  that  we  incorporate 
a  considerable  part  of  it  into  our  story  at  this  stage. 

TO  INCORPORATE  THE   CITY  OF   NORTH   YAKIMA  AND  TO  PARTICULARLY   DEFINE   THE 
POWERS    THEREOF 

Chapter  I 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Washington: 
Sec.  1.  That  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city  of  Nijrth  Yakima  shall  in- 
clude the  following  legal  subdivisions  of  land,  towit :  All  of  section  nineteen 
(19),  township  thirteen  (13)  north,  range  nineteen  (19)  east,  save  and  except 
the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  said  section  nineteen  (19)  and  all  of 
the  southwest  quarter  and  the  south  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
eighteen  (18),  township  thirteen  (13)  north,  range  nineteen  (19)  east,  and  all 
of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  thirteen  (13),  township  thirteen  (13)  north, 
range  eighteen  fl8)  east,  and  all  of  the  east  half  of  section  twenty-four  (24), 
township  thirteen  (13)  north,  range  eighteen  (18)  east. 

Sec.  2.  The  inhabitants  within  the  city  of  Nprth  Yakima  are  hereby  con- 
stituted and  declared  to  be  a  municipal  corporation  by  the  name  and  style  of  the 
"City  of  North  Yakima,"  and  by  that  name  shall  have  perpetual  succession,  and 
may  sue  or  be  sued,  plead  or  be  impleaded  in  all  courts  of  justice,  contract  and 
be  contracted  with,  and  have  and  use  a  common  seal  and  alter  the  same  at 
pleasure. 

Chapter  II 

POWERS  OF   THE    CORPORATION 

Sec.  3.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  has  power  to  assess,  levy  and  collect 
taxes  for  general  municipal  purposes,  not  to  exceed  one-half  per  centum  upon 
all  property,  both  real  and  personal  within  the  city,  which  is  by  the  law  taxable 
for  territorial  and  county  purposes,  and  to  levy  and  collect  special  taxes  as 
hereinafter  provided,  but  all  taxes  for  general  and  special  municipal  purposes 
shall  not  exceed  in  any  one  year  one  per  centum  on  the  property  assessed: 
Provided,  however.  That  the  above  limitations  shall  not  r.pply  to  local  assess- 
ments in  assessment  districts. 

Sec.  4.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  make  regulations 
for  prevention  of  accidents  by  fire;  to  organize  and  establish  fire  departments 
and  shall  have  control  thereof,  and  ordain  rules  for  government  of  same;  to 
provide  fire  engines  and  other  apparatus  and  a  sufficient  supply  of  water,  and 
to  levy  and  collect  special  taxes  for  these  purposes,  not  to  exceed  in  any  year 
three-tenths  of  one  per  centum  upon  the  taxable  property  within  the  city,  and 
on  petition  of  the  owners  of  one-half  of  the  ground  included  within  any  pre- 
scribed limits  within  the  city,  to  proliibit  the  erection  within  such  limits  of  any 
building,  or  any  addition  to  any  building,  unless  the  outer  walls  thereof  be  made 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  405 

of  brick  and  mortar  and  iron,  or  stone  and  mortar,  and  to  provide  for  the  re- 
moval of  any  building,  or  any  addition  erected  contrary  to  such  prohibition. 

Sec.  5.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  may  regulate  and  provide  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  all  lands  and  additions  to  the  city  shall  be  subdivided  into  lots, 
blocks,  streets  and  alleys  and  the  width,  distance  apart  and  direction  of  each 
street  and  alley  and  the  manner  in  which  a  plat  shall  be  made  thereof,  and 
where  filed  and  the  kind  of  monuments  in  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  place  and 
manner  of  erection  and  maintenance  thereof,  to  prevent  mistakes  and  confusion 
of  boundaries,  and  may  cause  an  official  map  of  said  city  to  be  made  and  kept 
for  public  inspection,  which  plat,  certified  by  the  city  surveyor,  shall  be  prima 
facie  evidence  that  the  lines  as  they  thereon  appear  are  correct,  and  all  surveys 
made  by  the  city  surveyor  whatever  at  the  instance  and  expense  of  the  city  or 
private  parties,  shall  be  official  surveys,  and  a  minute  thereof  shall  be  kept  by 
the  city  surveyor  as  a  part  of  his  ofifiicial  record,  and  shall  be  prima  facie  evi- 
dence of  their  own  correctness,  and  the  city  has  power  to  enforce  this  by  ordi- 
nance and  to  compel  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  such  monument,  and 
to  fine  or  imprison,  or  both,  for  a  violation  thereof,  and  when  the  boundary  or 
existence  of  any  public  street,  alley,  easement  or  square  is  in  doubt  and  the  land 
claimed  by  a  private  party,  the  city  may  file  a  bill  in  eriuity  to  determine  the 
right  thereto. 

Sec.  6.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  has  power  to  purchase  or  condemn 
and  enter  upon  and  take  any  lands  within  or  without  its  territorial  limits  for 
public  squares,  streets,  parks,  commons,  cemeteries,  hospital  grounds,  or  to  be 
used  for  work-houses  or  houses  of  correction,  or  any  other  proper  and  legiti- 
mate municipal  purpose,  and  to  inclose,  ornament  and  improve  the  same,  and  to 
erect  necessary  public  buildings  thereon,  and  for  these  purposes  may  levy  and 
collect  special  taxes,  not  exceeding  one-fifth  of  one  per  cent,  in  any  one  year. 
The  city  shall  have  entire  control  of  such  buildings,  and  all  lands  purchased  or 
condemned  under  the  provisions  of  this  section,  and  of  all  streets,  highways, 
squares,  and  other  public  grounds  within  its  limits,  established  or  appropriated 
to  public  use  by  authority  of  law,  or  which  have  been  or  may  hereafter  be  dedi- 
cated to  public  use  by  any  person  or  persons,  and  has  power  to  regulate  and 
improve  the  same,  and  in  case  such  lands  are  deemed  unsuitable  or  insufficient 
for  the  purposes  intended,  to  dispose  of  and  convey  the  same ;  and  conveyances 
of  such  property,  executed  in  the  manner  that  may  be  prescribed  by  ordinance, 
shall  be  held  to  extinguish  all  rights  and  claims  of  said  city  or  the  public  exist- 
ing prior  to  such  conveyance,  but  when  such  lands  are  so  disposed  of  and 
conveyed,  enough  thereof  shall  be  reserved  for  streets  to  accommodate  adjoin- 
ing property  owners. 

Sec.  7.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  has  power  to  provide  for  the  lighting 
of  the  streets  and  furnishing  the  city  with  lights,  and  for  the  erection  or  con- 
struction of  such  works  as  may  be  necessary  and  convenient  therefor,  and  has 
power  to  levy  and  collect  for  these  objects  a  special  tax,  not  exceeding  one-fifth 
of  one  per  centum  per  annum,  upon  the  taxable  property  within  the  limits  of 
the  city,  for  the  benefit  of  such  lights. 

Sc.  8.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  provide  for  clear- 
ing, opening,  vacating,  graveling,  improving  and  repairing  of  streets,  highways 


406  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

and  aljeys,  to  gutter  the  same  and  to  construct  and  repair  sidewalks  and  build 
bridges,  and  for  the  prevention  and  removal  of  all  obstruction  therefrom,  or 
from  any  cross  or  sidewalks,  also  to  regulate  cellarways,  and  cellar  lights,  or 
sidewalks  within  the  city,  and  to  provide  for  clearing  the  streets,  and  establish- 
ing the  grade  thereof ;  also  for  constructing  sewers  and  cleaning  and  repairing 
the  same,  and  have  power  to  assess,  levy  and  collect  each  year  a  road  poll  tax 
of  not  less  than  "two  nor  more  than  six  dollars  on  every  male  inhabitant  of  the 
city  between  the  ages  of  twenty-one  and  fifty  years,  except  actual  and  exempt 
members  of  the  fire  department,  and  persons  that  are  a  public  charge,  also  a 
special  tax  on  property  of  not  less  than  two,  nor  more  than  six  mills  on  every 
dollar's  worth  of  property  within  the  city,  which  taxes  shall  be  expended  for 
the  purposes  specified  in  this  section,  and  there  shall  not  be  levied  or  collected 
by  the  county  of  Yakima  or  the  officers  thereof,  any  road  tax  or  road  poll  tax 
upon  the  property  or  inhabitants  within  said  city. 

Sec.  9.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  cause  any  person 
to  keep  his  property  or  the  property  he  occupies  or  controls,  and  the  adjacent 
streets  and  alleys,  clean  and  free  from  anything  dangerous  to  health,  or  offen- 
sive to  the  sense,  or  dangerous  to  travelers,  and  to  keep  said  streets  and  alleys 
free  from  inflammable  material,  and  to  cause  owners  of  public  halls  and  other 
buildings  to  provide  suitable  means  of  exit,  to  abate  all  nuisances  and  provide 
for  the  public  safety. 

Sec.  10.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  is  hereby  authorized  to  grant  the 
right  to  use  the  streets  of  said  city  for  the  purposes  of  laying  gas  and  other 
pipes  intended  to  fiirnish  the  inhabitants  of  said  city  with  light  or  water  to  any 
person  or  association  of  persons  for  a  term  not  exceeding  twenty-five  years, 
and  to  authorize  or  forbid  the  location  and  laying  down  of  tracks  for  railways 
and  street  railways,  telegraph  or  telephone  appliances  on  all  streets,  alleys  and. 
public  places,  but  no  railway  track  can  thus  be  located  and  laid  down  until 
after  the  injury  to  streets,  alleys  and  to  property  abutting  upon  the  street,  alley 
or  public  place  upon  which  such  track  is  proposed  to  be  located  and  laid  down, 
has  been  ascertained  and  compensated  in  the  manner  provided  for  conipensatioi' 
of  injuries  arising  from  re-grade  of  streets  in  section  99  of  this  act. 

Sec.  11.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  erect  and  mai. 
tain  water-works  within  or  without  the  city  limits  or  to  authorize  the  erection 
of  the  same  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  the  city  or  the  inhabitants  thereof 
with  a  sufficient  supply  of  water,  and  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  and  pro- 
tecting the  same  from  injury  and  the  water  from  pollution  its  jurisdiction  shall 
extend  over  the  territory  occupied  by  such  works  and  all  reservoirs,  streams, 
springs,  trenches,  pipes  and  drains  used  in  and  necessary  for  the  construction, 
maintenance  and  operation  of  the  same,  and  over  the  stream  or  source  from 
which  the  water  is  taken  for  five  miles  above  the  point  from  which  it  is  taken, 
and  to  enact  all  ordinances  and  regulations  necessary  to  carry  the  power  herein 
conferred  into  effect,  but  no  water-works  shall  be  erected  by  the  city  until  a 
majority  of  the  voters,  who  shall  be  those  only  who  are  freeholders  in  the  city 
or  pay  a  property  tax  therein  on  not  less  than  five  hundred  dollars'  worth  of 
property,  shall  at  a  general  or  special  election  vote  for  the  same.  Such  proposi- 
tion shall  be  formulated  and  submitted  not  less  than  thirty  days  before  election. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY'  407 

Sec.  12.  Said  city  is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  condemn  and 
appropriate  so  much  private  property  as  shall  be  necessary  tor  the  construction 
and  operation  of  such  water-works,  and  shall  have  power  to  purchase  or  con- 
demn water-works  already  erected  or  which  may  be  erected,  and  may  mort- 
gage or  hypothecate  the  same  to  secure  to  the  persons  from  whom  the  same 
may  be  purchased  the  payment  of  the  purchase  price  thereof.  Said  city  shall 
have  power  to  regulate  and  sell  the  water  thus  brought  threin  and  the  moneys 
arising  therefrom  shall  constitute  a  fund,  to  be  used  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
operating  the  same  and  to  pay  the  purchase  price  thereof,  and  said  city  may  levy 
and  collect  a  special  tax  each  year  until  the  necessity  therefor  ceases  to  exist, 
not  to  exceed  two-tenths  of  one  per  centum:  Provided,  however.  No  such  tax 
shall  be  levied  or  collected  until  the  question  has  been  submitted,  as  provided  in 
section  eleven  (11)  of  this  act  to  electors  as  therein  named  and  a  majority  thereof 
at  any  annual  or  Special  election  shall  favor  the  same. 

Sec.  13.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  provide  for,  and 
by  ordinance  adopt,  such  a  system  of  sewerage  as  may  be  needed,  but  no  moneys 
shall  be  expended  for  pipes,  mains  or  laterals,  to  be  used  therefor,  until  the 
system  proposed,  and  the  cost  thereof,  has  been  ascertained  and  submitted  for 
ratification  or  rejection  to  the  qualified  electors,  as  prescribed  in  section  eleven 
of  this  act  at  an  annual  or  special  election,  and  the  expenditure  therefor  be 
authorized  by  a  majority  of  such  voters:  Provided,  That  this  section  shall  not 
prohibit  construction  of  sewers  under  chapter  ten  of  this  act. 

Sec.  14.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  the  power  to  make  regula- 
tions, to  prevent  the  introduction  and  spread  of  contagious  diseases  in  the  city ; 
to  remove  persons  affected  with  such  or  other  diseases  therefrom  to  suitable 
hospitals  provided  by  the  city  for  that  purpose,  and  to  provide  for  their  support 
during  their  sickness  only,  and  provide  that  solvent  persons  and  their  estates 
shall  pay  for  the  expenses  of  keeping  them  in  such  hospital:  Provided,  however, 
That  persons  shall  not  be  removed  from  their  own  home  without  their  consent, 
but  the  city  may  quarantine  any  house  wherein  a  contagious  disease  exists,  or 
the  whole  city. 

Sec.  15.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  make  regulations 
and  pass  ordinances  preventing  domestic  and  other  animals  from  running  at 
large  within  the  city  limits,  and  restrain,  impound  and  forfeit  such  animals, 
and  may  sell  the  same  when  forfeited,  and  apply  the  proceeds  as  it  deems 
expedient,  and  in  the  case  of  dogs  may  cause  them  to  be  destroyed  or  sold  when 
they  are  found  running  at  large  without  license,  and  also  may  impose  a  license 
tax  on  dogs  within  the  city. 

Sec.  16.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  regulate,  license 
and  tax  all  carts,  drays,  wagons,  carriages,  coaches  and  omnibuses  and  other 
vehicles  kept  for  hire,  and  to  fix  the  rates  thereof,  to  license,  tax  and  regulate 
or  prohibit  the  auctioneers,  hawkers,  peddlers,  and  pawnbrokers ;  to  license,  tax, 
regulate,  prohibit  and  restrain  drinking  saloons  and  places  where  beer  and 
other  beverages  are  sold  or  disposed  of  in  less  quantities  than  one  gallon.  No 
license  for  the  sale  of  liquors  shall  be  issued  for  a  less  license  than  provided 


408  HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY 

by  the  general  laws  of  the  territory:  Provided,  however,  That  no  license  shall 
be  required  of  apothecaries  or  druggists  for  the  sale  of  wine,  spirits,  or  malt 
liquors  for  medical  purposes  only,  when  prescribed  by  regular  practicing  physi- 
cians ;  to  license,  tax,  or  prohibit  and  regulate  wash-houses,  slaughter-houses, 
and  abattoirs :  Provided,  That  no  tax  shall  be  imposed,  or  license  required  for 
sale  inside  of  said  city  of  any  of  the  natural  products  of  the  country,  when  sold 
by  the  producer,  nor  shall  any  regulation  be  adopted  contravening  any  existing 
law  of  the  territory. 

Sec.  17.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  has  power  to  establish  and  maintain 
a  day  and  night  police,  which  shall  consist  of  the  marshal  and  his  deputies,  and 
to  regulate  their  number,  pay  and  duties. 

Sec.  18.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  prohibit,  regulate 
or  restrain  houses  of  ill-fame,  or  gambling  houses  and  to  authorize  the  destruc- 
tion of  gaming  devices,  opium  and  opium  smoking  devices,  to  prohibit  and 
restrain  and  abate  disorderly  houses ;  to  regulate  the  transportation  and  keeping 
of  gunpowder  and  other  combustibles,  and  to  provide  for  magazines  for  the 
keeping  thereof,  and  license  and  tax  such  keeping  and  punish  any  violation  of 
such  regulation  by  fine,  imprisonment  or  forfeiture  of  the  gunpowder  or  com- 
bustible kept  or  transported  contrary  to  such  regulations;  to  regulate  the  speed 
and  manner  in  which  animals  or  vehicles  of  all  kinds,  including  locomotives  or 
cars,  shall  be  driven  or  allowed  to  run  through  the  streets  of  the  city ;  to  prevent 
riots,  assaults,  assaults  and  batteries  or  afifrays,  noisy  or  disorderly  assemblies 
within  said  city,  and  to  prevent  the  maintenance  of  anythir.g  which  is  annoying, 
offensive  or  unhealthy,  whatever  its  nature,  and  to  prevent  all  other  acts  which 
are  misdemeanors  at  common  law  or  by  the  statutes  of  Washington  Territory, 
and  may  punish  violations  of  the  provisions  of  this  section  as  provided  in 
section  twentj-one. 

Sec.  19.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  regulate  the  burial 
of  the  dead,  and  to  prevent  any  interments  within  the  limits  of  the  city,  and 
cause  any  body  interred  contrary  to  such  prohibition  to  be  taken  up  and  buried 
without  the  limits  of  the  city,  and  have  full  jurisdiction  over  all  cemeteries 
belonging  to  the  city,  whether  within  or  without  the  city  limits,  and  of  the  walks 
and  ways  leading  from  the  city  to  such  cemeteries,  and  power  to  regulate, 
improve  and  protect  the  same  in  all  respects,  and  to  punish,  by  fine  and  impris- 
onment, as  provided  in  section  twenty-one  (21),  any  violation  of  ordinances 
in  respect  to  the  same. 

Sec.  20.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  establish  and 
regulate  markets;  to  provide  for  the  measuring  or  weighing  of  hay,  coal,  wood 
or  other  articles. 

Sec.  2L  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  adopt  proper 
ordinances  for  the  government  of  the  city,  and  to  carry  into  effect  the  powers 
given  by  this  act,  and  to  provide  for  the  punishment  of  a  violation  of  any  ordi- 
nance of  the  city  by  a  fine,  not  exceeding  three  hundred  dollars  and  costs,  or  by 
imprisonment  not  exceeding  thirty  (30)  days,  or  by  both  such  fine  and  impris- 
onment, and  in  case  of  default  of  the  payment  of  such  fine  E.nd  costs,  shall  have 
power  to  imprison  not  to  exceed  one  day  for  every  two  dollars,  and  such  fine 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY  409 

and  costs  may  also  be  collected  by  execution  against  the  property  of  the  defend- 
ant, and  when  so  collected  shall  be  credited  on  the  judgment,  and  any  person, 
while  imprisoned  as  aforesaid,  shall  be  compelled  to  work  during  the  time  he 
is  so  imprisoned,  at  such  hard  labor  as  the  marshal  shall  direct. 

Sec.  22.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  establish  and  reg- 
ulate the  fees  and  compensation  of  all  its  officers  except  when  otherwise  pro- 
vided, and  have  such  other  powers  and  privileges,  not  here  specifically  enumer- 
ated, as  are  incident  to  municipal  corporations. 

Sec.  23.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  acquire  by  pur- 
chase or  otherwise  water-ditches  for  irrigation,  domestic  or  other  purposes, 
and  may  acquire  title  to  all  ditches  now  constructed  within  the  corporate  limits 
of  said  city,  and  the  same  when  so  acquired  are  to  be  held  forever  by  said  city 
for  the  inhabitants  of  said  city  for  their  use  for  such  purposes,  said  city  to  reg- 
ulate and  control  the  use  thereof  and  said  city  may  acquire  by  purchase  or 
otherwise  a  sufficient  quantity  of  water  and  convey  the  same  in  said  ditches  for 
any  or  all  of  such  purposes. 

Sec.  24.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  make,  erect  and 
construct  through  its  streets,  alleys  or  highways,  or  through  any  of  its  public 
parks  or  grounds,  water-ditches  for  irrigation  and  for  domestic  or  other  purposes, 
and  shall  have  full  control  thereof,  and  said  city  may  take,  appropriate  and  use 
water  for  any  or  all  such  purposes  and  conduct  the  same  through  any  ditches 
by  it  constructed,  and  may  make  such  regulations  by  ordinance  for  the  control 
of  such  ditches  and  the  water  therein  and  the  use  thereof  by  the  inhabitants 
of  said  city  as  may  be  deemed  proper. 

Sec.  25.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  cause  to  be  planted 
upon  the  streets  or  public  grounds  of  said  city,  shade  or  ornamental  trees  and 
to  protect  the  same,  and  to  impose  by  ordinance  fines  for  destruction  or  injury 
thereof :  Provided,  Said  city  shall  not  expend  more  than  five  hundred  dollars 
($500)  for  such  purpose  in  any  one  year:  And  further  provided,  That  the  city 
council  may  by  vote  as  upon  an  ordinance  cause  such  expenditure  to  be  made; 
all  sums  so  expended  to  come  from  the  general  fund  of  the  city. 

Sec.  26.  The  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  to  regulate  the  man- 
ner of  planting  of  trees  upon  the  streets  and  have  full  control  thereof,  and  may 
regulate  planting  of  trees,  the  places  and  the  kind  of  trees  planted  upon  its 
streets,  and  may  protect  and  control  all  trees  now  or  hereafter  planted  upon 
its  streets  w-ithin  its  corporate  limits,  and  for  such  purpose  may  pass  ordinances 
providing  for  fine  or  imprisonment  in  amount  as  in  section  21  of  this  act. 

Chapter  III 
government 
Sec.   27.     The  powers   and  authority   hereby   given   lo   the   city   of    North 
Yakima  by  this  act,  shall  be  vested  in  a  mayor  and  council,  together  with  such 
other  officers  as  are  in  this  act  mentioned,  or  may  be  created  under  its  authority. 
Sec.  28.     The  council  shall  consist  of  seven  (7)  members.     They  shall  be 
elected  for  one  year,  and  shall  hold  their  offices  until  their  successors  are  elected 
and  qualified. 


410  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Sec.  29.  The  mayor  shall  be  elected  for  one  year  and  shall  hold  office  until 
his  successor  is  elected  and  qualified. 

Sec.  30.  There  shall  be  elected  as  hereinafter  specified  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  marshal,  clerk,  attorney,  treasurer,  street  commissioner,  sexton  and  such 
other  officers  as  may  become  necessary  for  the  due  execution  of  the  powers 
herein  conferred.  The  officers  enumerated  in  this  section  shall  be  elected  by 
the  council  annually,  at  a  meeting  to  be  designated  by  them  after  the  qualification 
of  the  members  of  the  council.  Such  election  shall  be  by  ballot.  The  justice 
of  the  peace  so  selected  shall  be  one  of  the  justices  of  the  peace  duly  elected 
under  the  laws  of  Washington  Territory,  in  and  for  the  precinct  in  which  said 
city  is  located,  and  while  acting  in  city  m.atters  may  hold  his  office  for  that  pur- 
pose anywhere  within  the  city.  Such  justice  of  the  peace  shall  have  jurisdiction 
over  all  crimes  defined  by  any  ordinance  of  the  city  and  of  all  other  actions 
brought  to  enforce  or  recover  any  penalty,  forfeiture  declared  or  given  by  any 
such  ordinance,  and  full  power  and  authority  to  hear  and  determine  all  causes, 
civil  or  criminal,  arising  under  such  ordinance  and  to  pronounce  judgment  in 
accordance  therewith.  All  civil  or  criminal  proceedings  before  such  justice  of 
the  peace  under  and  by  authority  of  this  act,  shall  be  governed  and  regulated 
by  the  general  laws  of  this  territory  relating  to  justices  of  the  peace,  and  to 
their  practice  and  jurisdiction,  and  shall  be  subject  to  reviev/  in  the  district  court 
of  the  proper  district  by  certiorari  or  appeal  the  same  as  in  other  cases.  All 
officers  elected  by  the  council  are  subject  to  removal  by  that  body  at  any  time 
for  cause  deemed  by  them  sufficient.  The  council  may  appoint  any  time  a  per- 
son to  fill  any  one  of  the  above  named  offices  whenever  the  incumbent  thereof 
is  temporarly  absent  or  sick  or  unable  for  any  cause  to  act.  Such  appointment 
shall,  however,  cease  whenever  the  disability  is  removed  and  in  case  the  term 
of  office  of  the  city  justice  shall  expire  under  territorial  law,  the  council  may  at 
any  time  fill  the  vacancy.  The  salary  of  none  of  such  officers  shall  be  increased 
or  diminished  during  the  term  for  which  they  were  elected  or  appointed. 

Chapter  IV 

ELECTION 

Sec.  31.  There  shall  be  a  general  election  for  mayor,  and  members  of  the 
council  on  the  second  Monday  of  May  of  every  year,  and  until  the  first  general 
election  the  following  officers  are  hereby  appointed  to  serve  until  their  suc- 
cessors are  elected  and  qualified,  and  with  power  to  appoint  temporarily  all 
other  necessary  officers  authorized  by  this  act,  to  wit :  Mayor,  Edward  Whitson ; 
Councilmen,  T.  J.  V.  Clark,  J.  W.  Shull,  T.  J.  Redfield,  David  Guilland.  A.  B. 
Weed,  O.  Hinman  and  S.  J.  Lowe;  and  said  mayor  and  councilmen  may,  upon 
ten  days'  notice  by  the  mayor,  hold  their  first  meeting  to  organize  said  city  gov- 
ernment as  provided  herein. 

Ch.\pter  VII 

THE  MAYOR — HIS  POWERS  AND  DUTIES 

Sec.  54.  The  mayor  is  the  chief  executive  officer  of  the  corporation;  and 
shall  have  power  to  communicate  with  the  council  at  any  time  concerning  the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  411 

condition  and  state  of  affairs  of  the  corporation,  and  recommend  such  measures 
as  he  may  deem  expedient  and  proper;  has  the  power  of  veto  and  the  power 
to  pardon  or  commute  any  sentence  for  the  violation  of  any  ordinance.  The 
mayor  shall  sign  all  warrants  ordered  drawn  on  the  city  treasury. 

Sec.  55.  The  mayor  shall  approve  all  bonds  or  undertakings,  official  or 
those  which  may  be  required  by  ordinance,  or  by  any  contract  entered  into  by 
the  corporation  with  private  individuals.  He  shall  report  the  same  to  the 
council  at  the  next  regular  meeting  thereof,  and  if  disapproved  by  that  body 
the  same  shall  be  void. 

Sec.  56.  He  shall  perform  such  other  duties  and  exercise  such  other 
■uthority  as  may  be  prescribed  by  this  act,  any  city  ordmance  or  any  law  of 
the  United  States  or  of  this  territory. 

Sec.  57.  Any  ordinance  which  shall  have  passed  the  council  shall,  before 
it  becomes  a  law,  be  presented  to  the  mayor  for  his  approval.  If  he  approves, 
he  shall  sign  it;  if  not,  he  shall  at  the  next  regular  meeting  return  it  with  his 
objections  in  writing  to  the  council,  who  shall  cause  the  same  to  be  entered  in 
the  journal,  and  shall  proceed  to  reconsider  the  same;  if  after  such  reconsidera- 
tion five-sevenths  of  the  members  of  the  council  shall  agree  to  pass  the  same, 
it  shall  become  the  law. 

Sec.  58.  During  any  temporary  absence  of  the  mayor  from  the  city,  or  if 
he  be  unable  for  any  reason  to  act,  the  council  shall  elect  one  of  their  own  mem- 
bers, who  shall  be  the  acting  mayor  and  perform  all  the  duties  of  such  office, 
during  such  temporary  absence  or  inability. 

Chapter  IX 

ORDINANCES 

Sec.  75.  The  style  of  every  ordinance  shall  be  "The  City  of  North  Yakima 
does  ordain  as  follows."  No  ordinance  shall  contain  more  than  one  subject, 
which  shall  be  clearly  expressed  in  the  title,  and  when  only  a  section  of  an 
ordinance  is  repealed,  the  repealing  ordinance  shall  specify  particularly  what 
section  is  to  be  repealed  by  repealing  it,  but  when  the  whole  ordinance  is  to 
be    repealed,  it  shall  be  sufficient  to  name  it  by  title  and  number. 

Sec  76.  All  ordinances  shall,  as  soon  as  may  be  after  their  passage,  be 
recorded  in  a  book  kept  for  that  purpose,  and  be  authenticated  by  the  signature 
of  the  presiding  officer  and  the  clerk,  and  all  those  of  a  general  or  permanent 
character,  and  those  imposing  any  fine,  penalty  or  forfeiture,  shall  be  published 
in  a  newspaper  doing  the  city  printing,  and  it  shall  be  a  sufficient  defense  to  any 
suit  or  prosecution  of  such  fine,  penalty  or  forfeiture,  to  show  that  such  publica- 
tion was  not  made,  and  no  such  ordinance  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force  until 
the  expiration  of  five  days  after  it  has  been  published. 

Sec.  77.  All  the  courts  of  the  Territory  of  Washington,  holding  terms  in 
said  city  shall  take  judicial  knowledge  of  the  ordinances  of  said  city,  and  after 
an  ordinance  has  been  passed  six  days,  courts  shall  presume  that  the  same  has 
been  duly  published  five  days,  unless  the  contrary  be  affirmatively  established. 


412  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Chapter  XII 

RfiSCELLANEOUS  PROVISIONS 

Sec.  93.  The  city  of  Xbrth  Yakima  is  not  bound  by  any  contract,  or  in  any 
way  liable  thereon,  unless  the  same  is  authorized  by  a  city  ordinance  and  made 
in  writing  by  order  of  the  council,  signed  by  the  clerk  or  some  other  person  on 
behalf  of  the  city.  But  an  ordinance  may  authorize  any  officer  or  agent  of 
the  city,  naming  him,  to  bind  the  city  without  a  contract  in  writing  for  the  pay- 
ment of  any  sum  of  money  not  exceeding  one  hundred  dollars. 

Sec.  94.  No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  city  treasury  but  in  pursu- 
ance of  an  appropriation  for  that  purpose,  made  by  an  ordinance ;  and  an  ordi- 
nance making  an  appropriation  of  money  must  not  contain  a  provision  upon 
any  other  subject:  Provided  always,  That  when  a  fund  has  been  created  to  be 
expended  for  a  certain  purpose,  the  council  may,  from  time  to  time,  direct  pay- 
ments to  be  made  therefrom  for  such  purposes  without  ordinance. 

Sec.  95.  The  fiscal  year  of  the  city  shall  commence  on  the  first  day  of 
May  and  end  on  the  last  day  of  April  of  each  year. 

Sec.  96.  In  any  action,  suit  or  proceedings  in  any  court,  concerning  any 
assessment  of  property  or  levy  of  taxes  authorized  by  this  act  or  the  collection 
of  any  such  tax,  or  proceeding  consequent  thereon,  such  assessment,  levy,  con- 
sequent proceeding  and  all  proceedings  connected  therewith  shall  be  presumed 
to  be  regular  and  duly  taken  until  the  contrarj'  is  shown ;  and  when  any  pro- 
ceeding, matter  or  thing  is  by  this  act  committed  or  left  to  the  discretion  of  the 
council,  such  discretion  or  judgment,  when  exercised,  or  declared,  is  final  and 
cannot  be  reviewed  or  called  in  question  elsewhere. 

Sec.  97.  The  city  council  may  divide  the  city  into  not  less  than  three  nor 
more  than  seven  wards,  and  shall  apportion  the  members  of  the  city  council  to 
be  elected  in  each,  and  provide  places  for  holding  elections  in  each  and  appoint 
ofificers  for  conducting  the  same. 

Sec.  98.  When  the  grade  or  boundaries  of  any  street  has  been  once  legal- 
ly established,  such  grade  or  boundary  shall  not  be  changed  without  indemnify- 
ing each  person  injured  by  such  change,  and  the  amount  of  compensation  shall 
be  determined  as  in  other  cases  when  private  property  is  taken  for  the  use  of 
the  city,  and  the  city  of  North  Yakima  may  exercise  the  right  of  eminent  do- 
main, to  take  any  private  property  for  any  use  of  the  city,  embraced  within  any 
of  the  objects  or  purposes  of  this  act. 

Sec.  99.  In  all  cases  where  private  property  is  condemned  or  taken  for 
public  use,  by  authority  of  this  act,  the  city  shall  pay  a  fair  compensation  there- 
for to  the  owners  of  such  property,  and  when  such  owners  and  the  city  council 
are  unable  to  agree  as  to  the  amount  of  such  compensation,  the  same  shall  be 
assessed  and  determined  in  the  manner  provided  by  the  general  laws  of  this- 
Territory,  relating  to  the  mode  of  proceeding  to  appropriate  lands  by  private 
corporations. 

Sec.  100.     This  act  is  hereby  declared  a  public  act. 

Sec.  101.  Whenever  an  addition  to  said  city  shall  be  platted  and  recorded' 
in  the  of¥i;ce  of  the  county  auditor  of  Yakima  County  as  required  by  law.  them 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  413 

and  in  that  case  the  city  of  North  Yakima  shall  have  power  by  ordinance  to  in- 
clude such  addition  within  the  corporate  limits  thereof:  Provided  always.  That 
such  addition  is  joined  to  the  already  established  boundaries  of  said  city. 

Sec.  102.  The  limit  of  indebtedness  of  the  city  of  North  Yakima  is 
hereby  fixed  at  ($10,000)  ten  thousand  dollars. 

Sec.  103.  This  act  is  to  take  effect  from  and  after  its  passage  and  ap- 
proval. 

Approved  January  27,  1886. 

SOME    STEPS    IN    MUNICIPAL    LIFE 

Out  of  the  vast  mass  of  historv'  available  in  the  files  of  the  local  press  and 
in  the  memories  of  citizens,  we  shall  tr}'  to  give  in  the  remainder  of  this  chap- 
ter, a  few  of  the  leading  steps.  We  have  seen  already  the  generous  scale  on 
which  the  city  was  laid  out.  Water  was  running  in  the  canals  on  each  side  of 
the  principal  streets,  a  beginning  of  planting  of  shade  trees  was  made,  and  by 
1888  North  Yakima  was  already  beginning  to  forecast  something  of  the  beauty 
which  now  is  her  deserving  portion. 

An  article  taken  from  a  local  paper  in  1910  gives  a  view  of  the  buildings 
existing  at  that  date  which  were  put  up  in  the  year  of  the  birth  of  the  city 
twenty-five  years  before.  We  are  sure  that  many  readers  will  be  glad  to  see 
this,  and  we  incorporate  it  here. 

MANY    PIONEER    BUILDINGS    LEFT THOUGH    NORTH    YAKIMA    HAS    NOW    .\TTAINED 

ITS       TWENTY-FIFTH       BIRTHDAY       ANNIVERSARY EARLY-DAY       STRUCTURES 

SHOULD    BE    PLACARDED — RESIDENCE    OF    W.    L.    LEMON    WAS    ON    THE 
GROUND    BEFORE    THIS    CITY    HAD    AN    EXISTENCE    OR    A    PEOPLE 

The  famous  First  National  Bank  building  which  came  up  from  old  town 
twenty-five  years  ago,  doing  business  all  the  way,  still  exists  to  take  part  in  the 
celebration  today.  It  has  either  gone  up  or  down  in  the  social  scale,  as  one 
judges  from  a  commercial  or  an  artistic  standpoint.  It  is  doing  present  duty 
as  the  Ideal  Theatre.  It  stood  on  the  corner  of  Yakima  and  Second  until  1888 
when  it  was  moved  to  make  way  for  the  present  bank  building. 

The  frame  building  squeezed  in  between  more  pretentious  brick  and  stone 
structures,  occupied  by  T.  G.  Redfield  in  the  first  block  east  on  the  avenue,  is 
as  much  a  pioneer  as  its  occupant.  The  house  between  Fourth  and  Naches, 
occupied  by  C.  M.  Hauser,  was  the  St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital  of  the  early  days. 
The  old  Guilland  Hotel,  which  was  one  of  the  buildings  to  make  the  exodus, 
has  disappeared  and  given  place  to  the  Mullins  Building. 

OLD    CHURCHES 

The  old  Presbyterian  Church,  now  tacked  on  to  the  -tone  edifice  which  has 
replaced  it,  the  old  Christian  Church,  now  the  armory,  and  the  old  Catholic 
Church,  latterly  used  as  a  boys'  school  and  now  being  torn  down  that  the  Mar- 
quette College  is  completed,  came  up  from  old  town. 


414  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  house  now  occupied  by  Postmaster  W.  L.  Lemon  is  on  the  site  of  the 
Robert  Beck  homestead  which  covered  a  good  part  of  the  present  North  Yakima 
and  was  here  before  North  Yakima  existed.  The  kitchen  and  the  servant's 
bedroom  of  the  Lemon  house  comprised  the  original  shack.  Mr.  Lemon  says 
that  he  has  heard  Robert  Beck  tell  that  there  used  to  be  a  sheep  corral  across 
the  road  from  his  place,  where  the  herders  would  put  their  sheep  for  the  night, 
coming  in  from  the  hills.  The  cookstove  in  the  Beck  shack  was  a  hospitable 
one  and  the  herders  used  to  fry  their  bacon  and  boil  their  cofYee  there.  Mr. 
Beck  used  to  tell  how  the  dogs  would  howl  and  yelp  all  night  because  the  coyotes 
were  trying  to  get  at  the  sheep. 

TO    KEEP    OPEN    HOUSE 

Mr.  Lemon  says  that  owing  to  the  historical  interest  attaching  to  his 
home,  he  will  keep  open  house,  so  that  all  who  wish  may  see  the  old  kitchen. 
Judge  Edward  Whitson  lived  in  the  place  for  some  years. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  it  would  be  a  matter  of  interest,  especially  to 
the  many  newcomers  here,  if  the  people  occupying  the  houses  or  buildings 
which  came  up  from  Old  Town  when  North  Yakima  was  started, 'placard  them 
for  the  day  so  that  all  who  run  may  recognize  them  as  pioneer  buildings. 

The  house  directly  back  of  the  present  Catholic  Church  is  an  old-timer.  It 
used  to  belong  to  Mr.  Chapell  who  moved  up  from  old  town  one  of  the  first 
grocery  stores.  A  partnership  in  this  store  was  bought  by  ]\Ir.  Cox,  who  came 
into  North  Yakima  on  the  first  train.  At  that  time  the  road  was  built  only  to 
Ellensburg.  Shortly  after  a  switchback  over  the  mountains  was  constructed 
and  used  until  the  construction  of  the  Stampede  Tunnel.  The  home  of  Mr. 
Cox  at  Third  and  B  streets  was  moved  up  by  George  Cary.  Other  old  houses 
are  the  Pleasant  Bounds  house,  now  occupied  by  Mrs.  A.  J.  Shaw  and  family; 
the  old  Lilly  house,  back  of  the  Hotel  Guilland  site,  now  fallen  on  evil  days, 
the  home  of  A.  B.  Pearson,  which  until  a  few  years  ago  belonged  to  A.  B. 
Weed;  the  home  of  Miss  Lucy  Nichols;  the  old  Purdy  Flint  house  two  or  three 
doors  below  the  avenue,  on  Naches.  The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard 
Strobach  originally  belonged  to  J.  P.  Mattoon,  one  of  the  pioneers. 

George  Donald,  twenty-five  years  ago,  instead  of  living  in  the  handsomest 
house  in  the  Yakima  Valley,  was  residing  in  a  portion  of  one  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  warehouses. 

FIRST    DRUG    STORE 

The  first  drug  store  in  North  Yakima  belonged  to  a  man  named  Bushnell. 
The  first  dry  goods  store  was  that  of  Ditter  Brothers,  fonnerly  of  Old  Town. 
The  first  three-story  brick  block  was  the  Syndicate  Building,  now  the  Republic 
office.  The  Lewis-Engel  Building,  formerly  so  long  occupied  by  Lombard  & 
Horsley,  went  up  about  the  same  time.  The  old  postofhce  used  to  be  on  the 
avenue,  about  where  Lecky's  store  is  now. 

It  is  not  to  be  understood  that  these  houses  could  be  located  by  streets  in 
those  early  years  for  the  streets  of  those  days  were  mainly  paths  through  the 
sage. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  415 

A  long  frame  building  which  disappeared  a  few  months  ago  when  the 
Eagles  put  up  their  building  was  a  double  house  occupied  at  one  time  by  the 
families  of  A.  B.  Weed  and  W.  L.  Steinweg.  Mr.  Weed  brought  his  hardware 
business,  now  the  Yakima  Hardware  Company,  up  from  old  town.  Mr.  Stein- 
weg was  not  a  first  settler.  He  did  not  arrive  until  1886,  when  the  town  was 
a  year  old. 

TWO   FACTIONS 

Even  in  those  early  days,  there  was  an  east  and  a  west  side  faction.  The 
east  side  was  stronger,  but  the  late  Capt.  C.  M.  Holton,  the  most  aggressive 
west  sider,  had  sufficient  influence  to  get  the  Congregational  Church,  as  well 
as  a  number  of  houses,  on  the  other  side  of  the  tracks.  Captain  Holton,  who 
founded  the  Republic,  owned  th  epresent  Congdon  place,  and  the  old  Holton 
house  is  the  one  with  a  queer  upper  porch  this  side  of  the  Congdon  home,  now 
occupied  by  the  Baedker  family. 

The  county  seat  was  moved  by  the  legislature  in  January,  1886.  This  act 
has  permanent  interest  and  is  given  here. 

An  Act 
to  remove  the  county  seat  of  yakima  county  from  yakima  city  to  north 

YAKIMA 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Washington: 

Sec.  1.  That  the  county  seat  of  Yakima  County  in  Washington  Territory, 
be  and  the  same  is  hereby  removed  from  Yakima  City  to  North  Yakima,  in  said 
county,  and  said  county  seat  is  hereby  located  at  North  Yakima. 

Sec.  2.  All  the  county  officers  of  said  county  are  hereby  directed  to  re- 
move to  and  hereafter  held  their  offices  at  North  Yakima. 

Sec.  3.  The  county  commissioners  of  said  county  ^hall  cause  to  be  re- 
moved from  Yakima  City  to  North  Yakima  the  court  house  of  said  county,  and 
may  remove  any  other  county  buildings  or  property  by  them  deemed  of  suffi- 
cient value. 

Sec.  4.  All  acts  and  parts  of  acts  in  conflict  with  the  provisions  of  this 
act  are  hereby  repealed. 

Sec.  5.  This  act  shall  be  in  force  and  take  effect  from  and  after  its  pass- 
age and  approval. 

Approved  January  9,  1886. 

The  courthouse  was  moved  to  the  new  town  in  1887,  and  with  its  establish- 
ment it  may  be  said  that  North  Yakima  had  its  full  official  station. 

The  contemporary  newspapers  and  advertisements  of  any  growing  commu- 
nity are  usually  the  best  index  of  its  development. 

We  find  the  first  number  of  the  "Yakima  Herald,"  Februar)-  2,  1889,  to 
contain  a  very  interesting  group  of  advertisements,  and  in  its  salutatory  we  find 
matter  worthy  of  preservation  in  these  pages. 


416  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

ADVERTISEMENTS  FROM   "HERALD" 

THE     YAKIMA     HERALD 
REED  &  COE       _       _   Proprietors 

ISSUED  EVERY  THURSDAY 

$2.00  PER  AKNUM,  IN  ADVANCE 

ADVERTISING  RATES  UPON  APPLICATION 

E.  M.  REED,  EDITOR  AND  BUSINESS  MANAGER 

******* 

*         PROFESSIONAL   CARDS         * 


W.  H.  White  H.  J.  Snively 

U.  S.  ATTORNEY 

WHITE  &  SNIVELY, 

ATTORNEYS  AT  LAW 

Will   Practice  inn  All   Courts  of  the   Territory. 

Office  with  County  Treasurer,  at  the  Court  House 

N.  T.  Caton  I.  C.  Parrish 

Sprague  North  Yakima 

CATON  &  PARRISH 

ATTORNEYS  AT  LAW 

Will  Practice  in  All  the  Courts  of  the  Territory. 

Office  on  First  Street,  Opposite  the  Court  House,  North  Yakima,  W.  T. 

JOHN  G.  BOYLE 

ATTORNEY  AT  LAW 

Will  Practice  in  All  the  Courts  of  the  Territory. 

Office  in  First  National  Bank  Building,  North  Yakima,  W.  T. 

T.  B.  Reavis  A.  Mires  C.  B.  Graves 

REAVIS,  MIRES  &  GRAVES 

ATTORNEYS    Wt    LAW 

Will  Practice  in  All  Courts  of  the  Territor}-. 

Special  Attention  Given  to  All  U.  S.  Land  Office  Business. 

Offices  at  North  Yakima  and  Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 

Edward  Whitson  John  B.  Allen 

Fred  Parker  Walla  Walla 

North  Yakima 

ALLEN,  WHITSON  &  PARKER 

ATTORNEYS    AT    LAW 

Office  in  First  National  Bank  Building,  North  Yakima,  W.  T. 


^= 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  417 

DAVID  ROSSER,  M.  D. 
Having  been  in  active  practice  for  a  number  of  years,  now  offers  his  services 
to  the  citizens  of  North  Yakima  and  community.    All  calls  answered  promptly 
and  he  hopes  by  diligent  attention  to  business  to  merit  a  liberal  patronage.    Office 
over  C.  B.  Bushnell's  drug  store. 

T.  B.  GUNN 

PHYSICIAN  AND  SURGEON 

Offi,ce  in  First  NUtional  Bank,  First  Door  Up  Stairs 

Refers  to  W.  A.  Cox  and  Eshelman  Bros. ;  also,  to  any  citizen  of  Memphis,  Mo. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

J.    M.    STOUT 

FORWARDING  AND  COMMISSION 

The  Handling  of  Yakima  Produce  for  Puget  Sound  Markets  a  Specialty 

Warehouse  West  of  Railroad  Track.  No.  8,  Block  B,  North  Yakima,  W.  T. 

FIRE  WOOD  AND  DRAYING 
I  have  a  large  quantity  of  excellent  pine  and  fir  cord  wood  and  fir  slab  wood 
for  sale  cheap.    I  also  run  two  drays  and  am  prepared  to  do  hauling  at  reason- 
able figures.    Apply  to 

JOHN    REED 
North  Yakima,  W.  T. 

NORTH     YAKIMA     NURSERY 

NORTH  YAKIMA,  W.  T. 

All  Kinds  of 

FINE   FRUIT   TREES 

At  Moderate  Prices. 

SHADE  TREES  A  SPECIALTY 

E.   R.   LEAMING       .       .       _       PROP. 
FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK  OF  NORTH  YAKIMA 


Directors 

R.  Lewis 

Wm.  Ker 

Chas.  Carpenter 

A. 

W. 

Engle 

Edward 

Whitson 

Capital 

_ 

_ 

_       $65,000 

Surplus 

_ 

_       _        _        - 

15,000 

R.  Lewis 

Edward  Whitson 

^resident 

W. 

L.  Stein WEG 
Cashier 

Vice-President 

DOES  A  GENERAL  BANKING  BUSINESS 
BUYS  AND  SELLS  EXCHANGE  AT  REASONABLE  RATES 
(27) 


418  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

JOS.    J.    APPEL, 

— Dealer  in — 

FIN|E  WINES  AND  LIQUORS 

The  Best  Brands  of 

IMPORTED  AND  DOMESTIC  CIGARS 

South  Side  Yakima  Avenue 

FIELD    &    MEYER 

CITY  MEAT  MARKET 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Butchers  and  Packers 

North   Yakima,   Washington  T. 

Also  Proprietors  of  the  Washington  Market,  Seattle,  Washington  T. 

TO  THE  READING  PUBLIC. 
The  Herald  puts  its  initial  issue  of  five  thousand 
copies  before  the  public.  It  will  be  sent  broadcast 
over  the  country,  and  placed  in  every  hotel  and  read- 
ing room  in  the  Territory.  A  request  is  made  that 
all  individuals  receiving  this  number,  who  desire  its 
continuance  as  a  weekly  visitor,  will  please  send  in 
their  names,  accompanied  by  the  subscription  price  of 
two  dollars  per  year. 

GREETING 

The  "Yakima  Herald"  Makes  Its  Obeisance  to  the  Public 

The  Herald  has  its  being  not  from  any  special  desire  of  its  publishers  to 
again  enter  the  newspaper  field ;  not  from  love  of  the  unremitting  labor  which 
is  engendered  by  the  publication  of  a  live  newspaper,  even  if  it  be  a  weekly,  but 
on  account  of  a  hearty  and  generous  call  made  by  the  Board  of  Trade,  and  by 
citizens  outside  of  the  board,  who  in  their  liberal  pledges  of  business  have  made 
the  undertaking  an  assured  success  financially,  as  we  trust  it  will  be  in  point 
of  merit.  There  are  already  two  papers  published  in  this  little  city;  but  Yakima 
is  a  favored  spot,  and,  with  her  growth  and  prosperity,  the  Herald  hopes  to 
grow  and  prosper.  Yakima  is  favored  in  geographical  location ;  in  unsurpassed 
climate ;  in  water  power  sufficient  for  dozens  of  large  factories ;  in  soil  capable 
of  varied  and  extensive  agricultural  development ;  in  v>'heat  fields  that  are 
inexhaustible  granaries ;  in  fruit  lands  that  have  boundless  capacity  of  produc- 
tion ;  in  lands  that  will  grow  the  best  of  hops,  which  are  never  troubled  by  those 
blights  and  pests  which  often  destroy  the  hops  of  other  countries ;  in  vast  ranges 
where  tens  of  thousands  of  cattle,  horses  and  sheep  multiply  and  grow  fat;  in 
lands  that  yield  large  and  excellent  crops  of  tobacco,"  the  choicest  of  vegetables, 
broom  corn,  sorghum,  sweet  potatoes,  peanuts,  and  other  products  valuable  for 
shipment  abroad  as  well  as  home  consumption.  There  are  among  the  reasons 
which  have  induced  the  Herald  publishers  to  select  this  point.  There  is  another 
leading  reason,  and  that  is  the  location  of  North  Yakima  with  regard  to  railway 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  419 

transportation  facilities.  It  is  on  the  main  line  of  a  great  transcontinental  rail- 
road, and  several  other  lines  are  projected  or  actually  building  this  way.  This 
transcontinental  road  gives  Yakima  an  excellent  market  on  the  Sound  for  any 
or  all  of  its  produce ;  a  market  in  the  Cle-Ellum  country,  with  its  wealth  of 
metals  and  coals,  but  whose  agricultural  capacities  can  not  afford  supply  to  the 
local  demand :  a  market  to  the  east  as  far  as  Helena,  to  which  point  or  inter- 
mediate points  large  shipments  of  fruits  and  vegetables  are  made  during  the 
year. 

Are  these  not  reasons  enough,  and  they  are  but  a  fev/  of  them,  to  believe 
that  North  Yakima  will  be  a  point  of  much  importance,  and  reasons  sufficient 
to  believe  that  there  is  an  opening  here  for  the  Herald?  We  think  so;  and, 
as  a  sequence,  the  Herald  is  before  you,  asking  for  your  good  will  and  liberal 
support.  The  policy  of  the  paper  will  be  one  of  main  devotion  to  Yakima  and 
the  territory  at  large.  In  politics  it  will  be  strictly  independent.  This  outline  is  not 
extensive,  but  it  is  sufficient.  It  answers  every  purpose  as  well  as  had  it  been 
strung  out  a  yard,  for  it  will  be  maintained  to  the  letter. 

The  Her.\ld  does  not  wear  all  of  the  becoming  plumage  in  which  it  expects 
soon  to  be  decked ;  but  its  plant  is  new  and  capable  of  good  work,  and  before 
long  the  rough  edges  will  be  taken  ofif  and  it  will  move  along  in  the  even  tenor 
of  its  way,  with  the  smoothness  of  well  oiled  cogs,  laboring  faithfully  for  the 
interests  of  the  growing  city  of  North  Yakima,  the  large  pnd  fertile  county  of 
Yakima,  and  the  great  state  of  Washington. 

That  the  social  side  was  not  lacking  appears  from  sundry  announcements, 
one  of  which,  having  connected  with  it  some  well-known  names  of  the  pres- 
ent  day,   will  awaken   responsive   echoes   in   the  memories   of   some   old-timers. 

Invitation  Party 

The  Herald  has  turned  out  this  week  invitation  cards  for  a  social  party 
to  be  given  at  the  Opera  House,  Thursday  evening,  February  7,  1889.  The 
following  committees  have  been  selected  : 

Arrangements — W.  J.  Roaf,  F.  R.  Reed,  H.  C.  Humphrey,  G.  J.  Gardiner, 
David  Guilland  and  O.  A.  Fechter. 

Reception— J.  B.  Hugsley,  M.  H.  Ellis,  E.  M.  Reed,  Joe  Bartholet,  W. 
L.  Steinweg  and  F.  T.  Parker. 

Floor — Fred  Rowe,  W.  Fl.  Chapman,  Wayne  Field,  W.  J.  Milroy, 
Edward  Whitson  and  E.  S.  Robertson. 

An  excellent  contemporary  view  of  the  North  Yakima  of  the  close  of 
the  decade  of  the  eighties  is  given  here. 

North  Yakima 

rapid  growth  and  great  resources  of  the  jewel  city  of  central 

washington 

(From  the  Portland  Orcgonian  of  January  1,  1889.) 
Evidence  of  what  the  Yakima  Valley  grows  and  sells — many  advantages 
in  town  and  country. 


420  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

There  are  sixty-two  business  houses  in  the  city  of  North  Yakima,  and 
all  of  them  generally  occupied  by  every  known  branch  of  commerce  and  trade 
— from  two  national  banks,  whose  daily  deposits  average  from  l$8,0(X)  to 
$15,000  per  day, — some  days  the  deposits  have  reached  $60,000, — while  the 
average  deposit  balance  will  equal  $150,000,  also  from  the  dealer  in  general 
merchandise  down  to  the  laundry.  In  the  general  sales  for  the  past  year, 
including  lumber,  coal  and  the  products  of  two  flouring  mills,  both  of  the 
latest  improved  roller  process,  also  the  sales  of  merchandise,  the  city  of  North 
Yakima,  with  its  2,000  to  2,200  inhabitants,  has  sold  in  1888  about  two  and 
one-half  million  dollars.  Probably  as  good  an  indication  of  the  local  business 
can  be  arrived  at  by  the  shipments  of  products  from  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railway  station  here  as  from  any  other  source.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
these  shipments  are  those  of  the  surplus,  or  unused  products  here  at  home. 
The  population  of  the  county  is  variously  estimated  at  from  4,850  to  6,000. 
The  last  census — an  inaccurate  one,  rather  under  than  over — -placed  the  pop- 
ulation at  4,000  about  a  year  ago.  The  influx  in  population  since  then  has 
really  been  marvelous,  yet  no  accurate  means  are  at  hand  to  estimate  the 
number  of  that  increase.  It  would  be  extremely  conservative  to  place  it  at 
25  per  cent.,  and  none  of  this  increase  participated  in  the  producing  of  crops 
in  1888.  The  result  of  1889  will  show  more  than  25  per  cent,  increase  in 
these  shipments.  For  the  information  of  the  reader  we  have  secured  the 
total  business  by  carloads  shipped  from  this  station.  Possibly  one-fourth  as 
much  more  has  been  shipped  from  here  in  quantities  less  than  carload  lots, 
and  these  should  be  included.  It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  not  until 
the  advent  of  the  railway,  some  four,  years  ago  or  thereabouts,  did  these 
farmers  endeavor  to  raise  anything  more  than  they  needed  for  home  use,  as 
no  market  existed.  In  addition,  fully  two-thirds  of  these  farmers  have  come 
here  since  the  railroad  came.  The  total  earnings  of  this  station  were 
$168,000  for  1888.  The  principal  shipments  were  22,000  bales  of  hops,  260 
carloads  of  hay,  298  carloads  of  live  stock,  cattle,  19  carloads  of  horses,  shipped 
East,  8  carloads  of  sheep,  62  carloads  of  vegetables,  27  carloads  of  potatoes, 
21  carloads  of  melons,  2  carloads  of  wool  and  7  cases  of  leaf  tobacco,  4,000 
pounds  shipped  to  New  York.  Not  over  one-sixth  of  the  available  acreage 
is  under  cultivation,  and  ten  times  as  much  as  is  now  supplied  with  water  is 
here  awaiting  the  creation  of  irrigating  ditches  and  canals.  These  figures 
should  suggest  the  possibilities  of  this  valley.  Its  market  is  the  Sound  and 
coast  cities,  the  markets  of  the  world,  also,  via  the  Sound  and  Pa(;ific  Ocean ; 
and  it  has  the  towns  and  country  to  the  east  clear  to  and  including  St.  Paul 
and  Chicago.  There  is  no  just  reason  why  this  city  and  county,  when  they 
shall  have  reached  their  maximum  in  population,  should  not  have  in  the  city 
from  15,000  to  25,000,  and  the  county.  40,000  to  50,000.  Neither  is  there  any 
good  reason  why  they  should  not  be  eventually  among  the  very  wealthiest 
towns  and  counties  in  Washington  Territory.  For  instance,  the  geographical 
center  of  Illinois  is  Springfield.  This  Illinois  city  is  wholly  supported  by  agri- 
culture, while  the  tributary  country  has  not  over  half  the  yielding  capacity 
of   this  county  of   Yakima.      Springfield   is  over   forty  }cars   old,   and   Yakima 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  421 

three  to  four  since  its  existence  was  really  acknowledged  or  known.  'Tis 
true  that  Springfield  is  the  capital  of  Illinois.  Who  knows  but  that  North 
Yakima  may  be  the  capital  of  Washington?  Today  the  location  of  the  capi- 
tal, by  common  consent,  is  conceded  to  this  central  Washington,  and  one  of 
two  towns  must  get  it — each  with  apparently  equal  chances.  If  a  neighboring 
locality  should  secure  the  capital,  why  should  not  this  city  be  at  least  the  equal 
of  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  a  neighboring  town  to  Springfield?  Jacksonville  is 
a  city  of  12,000,  and  a  very  wealthy  city.  It  is  a  seat  of  learning  with  five 
or  six  colleges  and  academies.  Has  not  this  city  a  parallel  opportunity  to  the 
cities  named?  Nowadays  cities  reach  their  maximum  population  in  from  five 
to  ten  years.  If  this  city  should  have  the  same  experience  then  in  five  to 
seven  years  hence  North  Yakima  will  have  her  15,000  to  20,000  people  and 
property  here,  now  so  very  cheap,  will  then  have  advanced  1,000  per  cent. 
All  the  material  elements  that  go  to  make  a  big  and  prosperous  city  are  here. 
This  people  are  the  equal  of  any  city  in  the  universe  in  point  of  morals,  educa- 
tion, stability,  energy,  economy  and  application.  They  are  distinctively  a  pro- 
gressive people  who  value  educational  opportunities.  The  handsome  two- 
story  brick  school  house  now  here,  a  fifteen  thousand  dollar  building  when 
entirely  completed  and  extremely  modern,  is  evidence  of  their  intentions  and 
desires  in  this  direction.  Another  building  even  better  than  this  one,  will  soon 
be  erected,  as  the  need  for  it  now  exists.  There  are  sixteen  organized  districts 
or  townships  in  Yakima  County  today.  The  area  of  the  county  covers  about 
7,000  square  miles,  or  the  equivalent  of  70x100  miles.  There  are  twenty-six 
school  districts  in  the  county  in  each  of  which  some  kind  of  a  school  building 
exists.  The  class  of  teachers  employed  are  among  the  best — the  system  of 
examination  enforcing  proper  capacity  and  character — all  of  which  explain  the 
character  of  this  people.  The  school  indebtedness  of  the  county  is  nominal  or 
trivial,  the  total  county  indebtedness  being  only  about  $100,000.  This  sum  ha,s 
been  required  for  the  construction  of  bridges  chiefly.  So  many  valued  and  de- 
sirable streams — the  main  life  and  sustenance  of  the  county — require  frequent 
bridging  to  enable  the  farmers  to  get  into  the  town,  and  the  people  are  not 
penurious  in  their  own  interests.  These  county  bonds  were  most  readily  sold 
at  par — with  6  per  cent,  interest  running  thirty  years — with  the  privilege  of  re- 
demption at  the  end  of  twenty  years.  Yakima  County  presents  one  marvelous 
and  most  attractive  feature,  viz. :  The  total  taxation  of  the.  county  is  only  13  4-5 
mills,  which  includes  the  total  tax,  territorial  added.     It  is  divided  as  follows : 

Territorial    purposes 2.5 

Ordinary  county   6.0 

School   3.0 

Road    and    bridge 1.0 

Road    tax . 1.0 

Military 2.0 

Relief  of   indigent  ex-Union   soldiers   is  one-tenth  of  one  mill,   a   total   of 
13  4-5  mills.     There  is  not  a  pauper  in  the  county.     The  above   taxation  is 


422  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

heralded  to  the  world  as  the  very  lowest  known  from  and  including  Minne- 
sota to  and  including  California.  If  there  is  another  county  in  a  new  country 
that  can  show  as  low  a  taxation,  the  public  would  like  to  know  of  it.  It  is  not 
even  one-half  the  average  taxation  of  Dakota — it  is  about  5  mills  less  than  the 
average  of  this  territory ;  it  is  7  mills  less  than  the  average  of  Montana,  and 
apparently,  with  the  natural  road  beds,  and  increased  valuation,  it  need  not 
be  materially  increased  in  the  future.  The  total  assessed  valuation  of  prop- 
erty is  even  two  million  dollars — and  like  all  Washington  Territory — this 
valuation  is  most  shamefully  low.  The  real  value  is  over  four  times  as  much 
and  on  this  basis  the  real  taxation  should  be  divided  by  four.  With  this  most 
desirable  record  of  a  county  yet  in  its  infancy,  why  should  not  Yakima  County 
and  the  city  be  most  desirable  to  live  in?  The  indebtedness  of  the  city  is  only 
$10,000,  the  taxation  7  mills.  When  taxes  next  are  paid,  this  entire  indebted- 
ness could  be  paid  off,  or  $7,000  of  it,  so  easily  as  not  to  endanger  the  future 
needs  of  the  city.  This  amount,  in  the  good  financial  condition  of  the  city,  is 
almost  too  trivial  to  mention.  We  should  not  close  this  article  without  return- 
ing the  thanks  of  the  Oregonian  to  Mr.  H.  C.  Humphrey,  the  popular  and 
efficient  agent  of  the  N.  P.  Railway  in  this  city,  who  kindly  prepared  the  above 
table  of  shipments  from  his  records.  He  is  also  authority  for  the  statement 
that  tlie  local  express  business  has  more  than  doubled  in  amount  in  the  last 
year.  The  telegraph  shows  the  same  result,  while  the  population  itself  about 
doubled  in  1888. — Oregonian. 

The  record  of  the  preceding  pages  covers  the  first  few  years  of  the  his- 
tory of  North  Yakima.  The  general  course  of  events  in  city  and  county  is 
embraced  in  other  chapters  in  this  part  of  this  history.  As  our  aim  in  this 
chapter  is  primarily  to  give  the  municipal  development  of  the  city,  we  shall 
now  pass  over  a  space  of  twenty  years,  noting  only  as  we  pass  the  fact  that 
the  city,  as  well  as  the  county,  went  through  the  financial  eclipse  from  1890 
to  1897  with  some  inevitable  retardation,  but  emerged  on  the  other  side, 
chastened  indeed,  but  undismayed,  and  ready  for  the  great  growth  of  the 
years  to  come.  From  the  standpoint  of  municipal  government  the  most 
important  next  stage  was  a  great  change  in  city  organisation. 

TpE    COMMISSION    FORM    OF   GOVERNMENT 

During  the  last  decade  of  the  last  century  and  the  first  of  the  present. 
North  Yakima,  like  most  of  the  towns  of  the  slate,  mad';  a  great  intellectual 
as  well  as  material  growth. 

True  to  the  American  habit  of  mind  and  characlcr,  a  portion  of  that 
intellectual  growth  manifested  its  energy  in  its  application  to  political  problems. 

This  is,  in  truth,  the  very  genius  of  American  institutions,  the  spirit  of 
self-determination  and  initiative  in  government.  In  the  West  more  than  else- 
where, in  both  state  and  city  government,  there  has  been  a  great  disposition 
to  experiment.  The  initiative,  referendum,  recall,  and  primary  elections,  are 
products  of  this  disposition.  Verj'  suggestively,  during  the  very  time  that  the 
citizens  of  the  Northwest  were  shaping  the  movements  in  state  government 
which  would  democratize  politics,  they  were  shaping  a  line  of  progress  in  city 


\V.\SHIN..T().\     K\  .\1-()|;ATKI)    KOOD    CO.,    VAKIMA 


GRAND   HOTEL,   YAKIMA 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  423 

government  which  would  centraHze.  At  first  glance  it  would  seem  that  this 
latter  movement  might  be  antagonistic  to  the  former. 

Such  a  conclusion,  however,  would  be  very  superficial.  Both  movements 
were,  basically,  democratic.  Both  alike  had  their  mainspring  in  the  great 
proposition  that  "governments  derive  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of 
the  governed,"  and  the  natural  sequence  that  publicity  and  direct  responsi- 
bility to  the  people  are  vital  to  just  and  righteous  government. 

The  failure  of  municipal  government  in  America  (the  only  failure  in 
our  system),  far  from  being  a  failure  of  Democracy,  as  some  highbrow  critics 
assert,  was  precisely  due  to  lack  of  Democracy.  In  other  words,  it  was  due 
to  the  "Boss  System,"  with  the  lobbying,  bribery,  and  rotten  backroom  politics 
nesting  around  such  a  system.  Cast  the  light  of  day  upon  these  hidden  base- 
ments of  Bossism,  and  we  secure  the  real  Democracy  which  exemplifies  the 
American  ideal. 

Out  of  these  conditions,  both  theoretical  and  practical,  grew  the  demand 
in  various  parts  of  our  country,  east  and  south,  as  well  as  west,  though  the 
movement  has  been  more  general  and  pronounced  in  the  Northwest  than  else- 
where, for  the  commission  form  of  city  government.  Thinking  men  were 
becoming  established  in  the  conviction  that  such  a  system  would  unite  effi- 
ciency with  publicity  and  thus  secure  honest  and  righteous  administration. 

It  is  a  matter  of  just  pride  to  some  of  the  local  statesmen  of  Yakima  that 
from  their  city  the  proposal  went  which  eventuated  in  the  law  providing  for 
the  city  commission  government. 

This  law  was  framed  by  a  special  committee  of  the  Yakima  Commercial 
Club,  the  members  of  the  committee  being  as  follows:  Frank  J.  Allen,  John 
H.  Lynch,  F.  A.  Luce,  Wilbur  Crocker,  and  John  L.  Hughes.  The  proposed 
charter,  prepared  by  the  above  committee,  was  submitted  to  the  Commercial 
Club  and  adopted  January  3,  1911. 

Mr.  Allen,  chairman  of  the  committee,  was  state  senator  from  Yakima 
County,  and  by  him  the  bill  for  providing  the  charter  was  introduced.  With 
a  few  amendments  it  was  passed.  This  charter  was  adopted  by  Yakima  by 
a  vote  of  963  to  148.  Walla  Walla  and  a  number  of  other  cities  of  the  class 
to  come  within  its  provisions  also  adopted  it.  As  this  charter  superseded  the 
previous  charter  it  is  of  interest  to  preserve  here  its  essential  provisions  as  found 
in  the  following  sections  of  the  law : 

Sec.  7.  Candidates  to  be  voted  for  at  the  first  and  all  regular  municipal 
elections,  under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  shall  be  a  mayor  and  two  commis- 
sioners, who  shall  be  nominated  at  a  primar}-  election;  and  no  other  names 
shall  be  placed  upon  the  general  ballot  except  those  selected  in  the  manner 
hereinafter  prescribed.  The  primar\-  elction  for  such  nomination  shall  be  held 
on  the  second  Monday  preceding  the  municipal  election.  The  officers  of  elec- 
tion appointed  for  the  municipal  election  shall  be  the  officers  of  the  primary 
election,  which  shall  be  held  at  the  same  place,  so  far  as  practicable,  and  the 
polls  shall  be  opened  and  closed  at  the  same  hours  as  are  required  for  the 
municipal  election. 

Any  person  desiring  to  become  a  candidate  for  mayor  or  commissioner 
shall,  not  less  than   15  nor  more  than  25  days  prior  to  said  primary  election. 


424  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

file  with  the  city  clerk  a  statement  of  such  candidacy  accompanied  with  the 
filing  fee  required  by  law,  in  substantially  the  following  form : 

Sec.   U.     Cities  organized  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall  have  all 
the  powers  which  cities  of  the  second  and  third  classes  now  have,  or  hereafter 
may  have  conferred  upon  them;  all  which   said  powers   shall  inhere   in  and 
be  exercised  by  the  commission  provided   for  in  this  act.     The  executive  and 
administrative  powers,   authority   and   duties   in    such   cities   under  commission, 
shall  be  distributed  into  and  among  three  departments,  as  follows: 
I.     Department  of  Public  Safety. 
II.     Department  of  Finance  and  Accounting. 
III.     Department  of   Streets  and  Public  Improvements. 
The  commission  shall  determine  by  ordinance  the  powers  and  duties  to 
be   performed   in   each   department ;   shall   prescribe   the   powers   and   duties   of 
officers    and    employes ;    may    assign   particular    officers    and    employes    to    one 
or  more  of  the   departments ;   may   require   an   officer   or  employe   to   perform 
duties  in  two  or  more  departments,  and  may  make  such  other  rules  and  regu- 
lations as  they  may  deem  necessary  or  proper  for  the  efficient  and  economical 
conduct  of  the  business  of  the  city. 

Sec.  12.  The  mayor  shall  be  superintendent  of  the  department  of  public 
safety,  and  the  commission  shall,  at  the  first  regular  meeting  after  election  of 
its  members,  designate  by  majority  vote  one  commissioner  to  be  superintendent 
of  finance  and  accounting;  and  one  to  be  superintendent  of  the  department  of 
streets  and  public  improvements ;  but  such  designation  may  be  changed  when- 
ever it  appears  that  the  public  service  would  be  benefited  thereby. 

The  commission  shall,  at  said  first  meeting,  or  as  soon  as  practicable 
thereafter  appoint  by  majority  vote,  a  city  clerk,  and  such  other  officers  and 
assistants  as  shall  be  provided  for  by  ordinance.  Provided,  that  none  of  such 
officers  and  assistants  shall  be  related  to  any  member  of  the  city  commission 
or  to  each  other,  either  by  blood  or  marriage,  within  the  fourth  degree  of 
kindred:  and  provided,  further,  that  any  officer  or  assistant,  elected  or 
appointed  by  the  commission,  may  be  removed  from  office  at  any  time  by  vote 
of  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the  commission,  except  as  otherwise  provided 
in  this  act.  Provided,  still  further,  that  any  member  of  the  commission  may 
perform  the  duties  pertaining  to  any  and  all  appointive  offices  in  his  depart- 
ment, but  without  additional  compensation  therefor. 

Sec.  13.  The  commission  shall  have  power  from  time  to  time  to  create, 
fill  and  discontinue  offices  and  employments  other  than  those  herein  prescribed, 
according  to  their  judgment  of  the  needs  of  the  city;  and  may,  by  majority 
vote  of  all  the  members,  remove  any  such  officer  or  employe,  except  as  other- 
wise provided  for  in  this  act;  and  may  by  resolution,  or  otherwise,  prescribe, 
limit  or  change  the  compensation  of  such  officers  or  employes. 

Sec.  14.  The  commission  shall  have  and  maintain  an  office  at  the  city 
hall,  or  such  other  place  as  the  city  may  provide,  and  their  total  compensation 
shall  be  as  follows:  In  cities,  having  by  the  last  preceding  census  authorized 
by  law,  a  population  of  three  thousand  (3,000)  and  less  than  seven  thousand 
(7,000)    the   annual    salary    of    the    mayor    shall    be    twelve    hundred    dollars 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  425 

($1,200.00),  and  that  of  each  of  the  commissioners  one  thousand  dollars 
($1,000.00)  ;  in  cities  having  by  such  census  a  population  of  seven  thousand 
(7,000)  and  less  than  fourteen  thousand  (14,000),  the  annual  salary  of  the  mayor 
shall  be  twenty-four  hundred  dollars  ($2,400.00),  and  that  of  each  of  the  commis- 
sioners two  thousand  dollars  ($2,000.00)  ;  and  in  cities  having  by  such  census  a 
population  of  fourteen  thousand  (14,000)  and  less  than  twenty  thousand  (20,000), 
the  annual  salary  of  the  mayor  shall  be  thirty-six  hundred  dollars  ($3,600.00), 
the  commission  shall  fix  by  ordinance  and  shall  be  payable  monthly  or  at  such 
salaries  shall  be  payable  in  equal  monthly  installments. 

Every  other  officer  or  assistant  shall  receive  such  salary  or  compensation  as 
the  commission  shall  fix  by  ordinance  and  shall  be  payable  monthly  or  at  such 
shorter  periods  as  the  commission  shall  determine. 

Sec.  15.  Regular  meetings  of  the  commission  shall  be  held  on  the  second 
Monday  after  the  election  of  the  commission,  and  thereafter  at  least  once  each 
week.  The  commission  shall  provide  by  ordinance  for  the  time  of  holding 
regular  meetings,  and  special  meetings  may  be  called  from  time  to  time  by  the 
mayor  or  two  commissioners.  All  meetings  of  the  commission,  whether  reg- 
ular or  special,  shall  be  open  to  the  public. 

The  mayor  shall  be  president  of  the  commission  and  preside  at  its  meet- 
ings, and  shall  oversee  all  departments  and  report  and  recommend  to  the  com- 
mission for  its  action  all  matters  requiring  attention  in  any  department.  The 
superintendent  of  the  department  of  finance  and  accountings  shall  be  vice 
president  of  the  commission,  and  in  the  absence  or  inability  of  the  mayor,  shall 
perform  the  duties  of  the  mayor. 

Sec.  16.  Every  ordinance  or  resolution  appropriating  money  or  ordering 
any  street  improvement  or  sewer  or  making  or  authorizing  the  making  of  any 
contract,  or  granting  any  franchise  or  right  to  occupy  or  use  the  streets,  high- 
ways, bridges  or  public  places  in  the  city  for  any  purpose,  shall  be  completed  in 
the  form  in  which  it'  is  finally  passed,  and  remain  on  file  with  the  city  clerk  for 
public  inspection  at  least  one  week  before  the  final  passage  or  adoption  thereof. 
No  franchise  or  right  to  occupy  or  use  the  streets,  highways,  bridges  or  pub- 
lic places  in  any  city  shall  be  granted,  renewed  or  extended,  except  by  ordi- 
nance ;  and  every  franchise  or  grant  for  interurban  or  street  railways,  gas  or 
water  works,  electric  light  or  power  plants,  heating  plants,  telegraph  or  tele- 
phone systems,  or  other  public  service  utilities  within  said  city,  must  be  author- 
ized or  approved  by  a  majority  of  the  electors  voting  thereon  at  a  general  or 
special  election. 

Sec.  17.  No  officer  or  employe  elected  or  appointed  in  any  such  city 
shall  be  interested,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  any  contract  or  job  for  work  or 
materials,  or  the  profits  thereof,  or  services  to  be  furnished  or  performed  for 
the  city;  and  no  officer  or  employe  shall  be  interested  directly  or  indirectly, 
in  any  contract  or  job  for  work  or  materials,  or  the  profits  thereof,  or  services 
to  be  furnished  or  performed  for  any  person,  firm  or  corporation  operating 
interurban  railway,  street  railway,  gas  works,  water  works,  electric  light  or 
power  plant,  heating  plant,  telegraph  line,  telephone  exchange,  or  other  public 
utility  within   the  territorial   limits   of   said   city.     No   such   officer   or  employe 


426  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

shall  accept  or  receive  directly  or  indirectly,  from  any  person,  firm,  or  cor- 
poration operating  within  the  territorial  limits  of  said  city,  any  interurban  rail- 
way, street  railway,  gas  works,  water  works,  electric  light  or  power  plant,  heat- 
ing plant,  telegraph  line  or  telephone  exchange,  or  other  business  using  or 
operating  under  a  public  franchise,  any  frank,  free  ticket  or  free  service,  or 
accept  or  receive,  directly  or  indirectly,  from  any  such  person,  firm,  or  corpora- 
tion, any  other  service  upon  terms  more  favorable  than  is  granted  to  the  public 
generally.  Any  violation  of  the  provisions  of  this  section  shall  be  a  misde- 
meanor, and  every  such  contract  or  agreement  shall  be  void. 

Such  prohibition  of  free  transportation  shall  not  apply  to  policemen  or 
firemen  in  uniform ;  nor  shall  any  free  service  to  city  officials  provided  for 
by  any  franchise  or  ordinance  be  afifected  by  this  section.  Any  appointive 
officer  or  employe  of  such  city  who,  by  solicitation  or  otherwise,  shall  exert 
his  influence  to  induce  other  officers  or  employes  of  such  city  to  favor  any 
particular  candidate  for  any  city  office,  or  who  shall  in  any  manner  contribute 
money,  labor,  or  other  valuable  thing  to  any  person  for  city  election  purposes, 
shall  be  discharged  from  his  office  by  the  commission. 

Sec.  18.  The  commission  shall  each  month  print  in  pamphlet  form  a 
detailed  itemized  statement  of  all  receipts  and  expenses  of  the  city  and  a  sum- 
mary of  its  proceedings  during  the  preceding  month,  and  furnish  printed  copies 
thereof  to  the  state  library,  the  city  library,  the  daily  newspapers  of  the  city, 
and  to  persons  who  shall  apply  therefor  at  the  office  of  the  city  clerk.  At  the 
end  of  each  year  the  commission  shall  cause  a  full  and  complete  examination 
of  all  books  and  accounts  of  the  city  to  be  made  by  competent  accountants,  and 
shall  publish  the  result  of  such  examination  in  the  manner  above  provided  for 
publication  of   statements  of  monthly  expenditures. 

Sec.  19.  If,  at  the  beginning  of  the  term  of  office,  of  the  first  commission 
elected  in  such  city  under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  the  appropriations  for  the 
expenditures  of  the  city  government  for  the  current  fiscal  year  have  been 
made,  said  commission  shall  have  power,  by  ordinance,  to  revise,  to  repeal,  or 
change  said  appropriations  and  to  make  additional  appropriations. 

Sec.  20.  The  holder  of  any  elective  office  may  be  removed  at  any  time 
after  six  months  of  incumbency  by  the  electors  qualified  to  vote  for  a  successor 
of  such  incumbent.  The  procedure  to  effect  the  removal  of  an  incumbent  of 
an  elective  office  shall  be  as  follows :  A  petition  signed  by  electors  entitled  to 
vote  for  a  successor  to  the  incumbent  sought  to  be  removed,  equal  in  number 
to  at  least  thirty-five  per  centum  of  the  entire  vote  for  all  candidates  for  the 
office  of  mayor  cast  at  the  last  preceding  general  municipal  election,  demanding 
an  election  of  a  successor  of  the  person  sought  to  be  removed,  shall  be  filed 
with  the  city  clerk,  which  petition  shall  contain  a  general  statement  of  the 
grounds  for  which  the  removal  is  sought.  The  signatures  to  the  petition  need 
not  all  be  appended  to  one  paper,  but  such  signer  shall  add  to  his  signature  his 
place  of  residence,  giving  the  street  and  number.  One  of  the  signers  of  each 
such  paper  shall  make  oath  before  an  officer  competent  to  administer  oaths 
that  the  statements  therein  made  are  true  as  he  believes,  and  that  each  signa- 
ture to  the  paper  appended  is  the  genuine  signature  of  the  person  whose  name 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLF.Y  427 

it  purports  to  be.  Within  ten  days  from  the  date  of  fihng  such  petition  the  city 
clerk  shall  examine  and,  from  the  voter's  register,  ascertain  whether  or  not 
said  petition  is  signed  by  the  requisite  number  of  qualified  electors,  and,  if 
necessary,  the  commission  shall  allow  him  extra  help  for  that  purpose;  and 
he  shall  attach  to  said  petition  his  certificate,  showing  the  result  of  such  exami- 
nation. If  by  the  clerk's  certificate  the  petition  is  shown  to  be  insufficient,  it 
may  be  amended  within  ten  days  from  the  date  of  said  certificate.  The  clerk 
shall,  within  ten  days  after  such  amendment,  make  like  examination  of  the 
amended  petition,  and  if  his  certificate  shall  show  the  same  to  be  insufficient 
it  shall  be  returned  to  the  person  filing  the  same ;  without  prejudice,  however, 
to  the  filing  of  a  new  petition  to  the  same  effect.  If  the  petition  shall  be  deemed 
to  be  sufficient,  the  clerk  shall  submit  the  same  to  the  commission  without  delay, 
and  the  commission  shall  order  and  fix  a  date  for  holding  the  said  election,  not 
less  than  thirty  days  nor  more  than  forty  days  from  the  date  of  the  clerk's 
certificate  to  the  commission  that  a  sufficient  petition  is  filed.  Provided,  how- 
ever, that  in  any  case  where  the  clerk  shall  find  that  the  petition  is  insufficient, 
or  in  any  case  where  the  commission  shall  refuse  to  order  an  election,  then  in 
either  of  such  cases  any  taxpayer  may  petition  the  Superior  Court  of  such 
county,  and  such  court  shall  forthwith  examine  the  petition  and,  if  it  shall  find 
the  petition  sufficient,  then  the  court  shall  order  that  such  election  shall  be  held 
and  the  commission  shall  be  required  by  the  order  of  the  court  to  hold  such  elec- 
tion. 

The  commission  shall  make,  or  cause  to  be  made,  publication  of  notice 
and  all  arrangements  for  holding  such  election,  and  the  same  shall  be  con- 
ducted, returned  and  the  result  thereof  declared,  in  all  respects  as  are  other 
city  elections. 

The  commission  shall  call  a  special  primary  election  for  the  purpose  of 
nominating  one  candidate  to  oppose  the  incumbent  sought  to  be  removed, 
which  said  primary  election  shall  be  conducted,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  in  the 
same  manner  as  other  primary  elections  under  this  act.  The  successor  of 
any  officer  so  removed  shall  hold  office  during  the  unexpired  term  of  his  prede- 
cessor. Any  person  sought  to  be  removed  shall  be  a  candidate  to  succeed  him- 
self, unless  he  formally  resigns  his  office,  thereby  creating  a  vacancy,  and  the 
city  clerk  shall  place  his  name  on  the  official  ballot  without  nomination.  In 
any  such  removal  election,  the  candidate  receiving  the  highest  number  of  votes 
shall  be  declared  elected.  At  such  election,  if  the  candidate  opposing  the  incum- 
bent receives  the  highest  number  of  votes,  the  incumbent  shall  thereupon  be 
deemed  removed  from  the  office  upon  qualification  of  his  successor,  which  said 
qualification  shall  take  place  within  ten  days  after  receiving  notification  of 
election,  otherwise  the  ofiRce  shall  be  deemed  vacant.  If  the  incumbent  receives 
the  highest  number  of  votes  he  shall  continue  in  office  and  shall  not  be  subject 
to  recall  under  the  provisions  of  this  section  during  the  remainder  of  his 
term  of  ofBce.  The  same  method  of  removal  shall  be  cumulative  and  additional 
to  the  methods  heretofore  provided  by  law. 

Sec.  21.  Any  proposed  ordinance  may  be  submitted  to  the  commission 
by  petition  signed  by  electors  of  the  city  equal   in  number  to   the  percentage 


428  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

hereinafter  required.  The  signatures,  verification,  authentication,  inspection, 
certification,  amendment  and  submission  of  such  petition  shall  be  same  as  pro- 
vided for  petitions  under  Section  20  hereof. 

If  the  petition  accompanying  the  proposed  ordinance  be  signed  by  electors 
equal  in  number  to  twenty-five  per  centum  of  the  votes  cist  for  all  candidates 
for  mayor  at  the  last  preceding  general  election,  and  if  it  contains  a  request 
that  the  said  ordinance  be  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people,  unless  passed  by 
the  commission,  it  shall  thereupon  be  the  duty  of  the  commission  to  either 

(a)  Pass  said  ordinance  without  alteration  within  twenty  days  after 
attachment  of  the  clerk's  certificate  to  the  accompanying  petition;  or 

(b)  Forthwith  after  the  clerk  shall  attach  to  the  petition  accompanying 
such  ordinance  his  certificate  of  sufficiency,  the  commission  shall  call  a  special 
election,  unless  a  general  municipal  election  will  occur  within  ninety  days 
thereafter,  and  at  such  special  or  general  election  such  ordinance  shall  be  sub- 
mitted without  alteration  to  the  vote  of  the  electors  of  said  city. 

The  ballots  used  for  voting  upon  said  ordinance  shall  be  similar  to  those 
used  at  the  general  municipal  election,  ajid  shall  contain  these  words:  "For 
the  Ordinance"  (stating  the  nature  of  the  proposed  ordinance)  ;  and  "Against 
the  Ordinance"  (stating  the  nature  of  the  proposed  ordinance).  If  a  majority 
of  the  qualified  electors  voting  on.  the  proposed  ordinance  shall  vote  in  favor 
thereof,  such  ordinance  shall  thereupon  become  a  valid  and  binding  ordinance 
of  the  city,  and  any  ordinance  proposed  by  petition,  or  which  shall  be  adopted  by 
a  vote  of  the  people,  cannot  be  repealed  or  amended  except  by  a  vote  of  the 
people,  and  on  the  margin  of  the  record  of  such  ordinances  the  city  clerk  shall 

write  the  words  "Ordinance  by  Petition  No "  or  "Ordinance  by  Vote 

of  the  People,"  as  the  case  may  be. 

Any  number  of  proposed  ordinances  may  be  voted  upon  at  the  same  elec- 
tion, in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  section,  but  there  shall  not  be 
more  than  one  special  election  in  any  period  of  six  months   for  such  purpose. 

The  commission  may  submit  a  proposition  for  the  repeal  of  any  such  ordi- 
nance or  for  amendments  thereto,  to  be  voted  upon  at  any  succeeding  general 
city  election,  and  should  such  proposition  so  submitted  receive  a  majority  of 
the  votes  cast  thereon  at  such  election,  such  ordinance  shall  thereby  be  repealed 
or  amended  accordingly.  Whenever  any  ordinance  or  proposition  is  required 
by  this  act  to  be  submitted  to  the  voters  of  the  city  at  any  election,  the  city 
clerk  shall  cause  such  ordinance  or  proposition  to  be  published  once  in  each 
of  the  daily  newspapers,  in  said  city,  such  publication  to  be  not  more  than 
twenty  or  less  than  five  days  before  the  submission  of  such  proposition  or  ordi- 
nance to  be  voted  on.  Provided,  that  if  no  daily  newspaper  is  published  in 
such  city,  then  such  publication  shall  be  made  in  each  of  the  weekly  newspapers 
published  therein. 

All  ordinances  repealed  or  amended  shall  have  placed  on  the  margin  of 
the    record    of    said    ordinance    by    the    city   clerk    the    words    "Repealed    (or 

amended)   by  Ordinance  No "  or  "Repealed   (or  amended)   by  vote  of 

the  people,"  as  the  case  may  be. 

Sec.  22.     No  ordinance  passed  by  the  commission,  except  when  otherwise 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  429 

required  by  the  general  laws  of  the  state  of  Washington  or  by  the  provisions 
of  this  act,  except  an  ordinance  for  the  immediate  preservation  of  the  public 
peace,  health  or  safety,  which  contains  a  statement  of  its  urgency  and  is  passed 
by  unanimous  vote  of  the  commission,  shall  go  into  effect  before  thirty  days 
from  the  time  of  its  final  passage,  and  if  during  said  thirty  days  a  petition 
signed  by  electors  of  the  city  equal  in  number  to  at  least  tv/enty-five  per  centum 
of  the  entire  vote  cast  for  all  candidates  for  mayor  at  the  last  preceding  general 
municipal  election  at  which  a  mayor  was  elected,  protesting  against  the  passage 
of  such  ordinance,  be  presented  to  the  commission,  said  ordinance  shall  there- 
upon be  suspended  from  going  into  operation,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
commission  to  reconsider  such  ordinance,  and  if  the  same  is  not  entirely 
repealed,  the  commission  shall  submit  the  ordinance  as  is  provided  by  sub- 
section "b"  of  Section  21  of  this  act,  to  the  vote  of  the  electors  of  the  city, 
either  at  the  general  election  or  at  a  special  municipal  election  to  be  called  for 
that  purpose;  and  such  ordinance  shall  not  go  into  effect  or  become  operative 
unless  a  majority  of  the  qualified  electors  voting  on  the  same  shall  vote  in 
favor  thereof.  Said  petition  shall  be  in  all  respects  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  Section  21,  and  be  examined  and  certified  to  by  the  clerk  in  all 
respects  as  therein  provided.  Provided,  this  section  shall  not  apply  to  ordi- 
nances providing  for  local  improvement  districts. 

Sec.  23.  Any  city  which  shall  have  operated  for  more  than  six  years 
under  the  provisions  of  this  act  may  abandon  such  organization  hereunder, 
and  accept  the  provisions  of  the  general  law  of  the  state  of  Washington  then 
applicable  to  cities  of  its  population. 

LTpon  the  petition  of  not  less  than  twenty-five  per  centum  of  the  electors 
of  such  city  a  special  election  shall  be  called,  to  which  the  following  proposi- 
tion only  shall  be  submitted :  "Shall  the  city  of  (name  of  city)  abandon  its 
organization  as  a  city  under  commission  and  become  a  city  under  the  general 
law  governing  cities  of  like  population?" 

If  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  at  such  special  election  be  in  favor  of  such 
proposition,  the  said  city  shall  become  organized  under  the  general  law  and 
the  first  election  of  city  officers  under  the  general  law  shall  be  held  on  the  date 
of  the  next  general  city  election  of  cities  of  its  class;  bui  such  change  shall  not 
in  any  manner  or  degree  affect  the  property,  rights,  or  liabilities  of  any  nature 
of  such  city,  but  shall  merely  extend  to  such  change  in  its  form  of  government. 

The  sufficiency  of  such  petition  shall  be  determined,  the  election  ordered 
and  conducted,  and  the  results  declared,  generally,  as  provided  by  Section  20 
of  this  act,  in  so  far  as  the  provisions  thereof  are  applicable. 

Sec.  24.  Petitions  provided  for  in  this  act  shall  be  signed  by  none  but 
legal  voters  of  the  city.  Each  petition  shall  contain,  in  addition  to  the  names 
of  the  petitioners,  the  street  and  house  number  in  which  the  petitioner  resides, 
his  age  and  length  of  residence  in  the  city.  It  shall  also  be  accompanied  by  the 
affidavit  of  one  or  more  legal  voters  of  the  city  stating  that  the  signers  thereof 
were,  at  the  time  of  signing,  legal  voters  of  said  city,  and  the  number  of  signers 
at  the  time  the  affidavit  was  made. 

Sec.  25.     An  emergency  exists,  and  this  act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 


430  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

The  city  commission  government,  thus  instituted,  has  justified  itself  in 
the  minds  of  the  citizens  of  Yakima  and  of  the  other  cities  of  the  state  which 
have  adopted  it. 

It  is  of  interest  to  remember  that  it  was  sustained  by  the  Supreme  Court 
in  a  test  case. 


CITY    OFFICI.^LS    FORM    FIRST    ORGANIZATION    TO   DATE 

We  give  at  this  point  the  list  of  mayors  and  clerks  to  the  present  time. 
1886 — Edward  Whitson,  mayor. 

Fred  Parker,  clerk. 
1888— Fred  R.  Reed,  mayor. 

O.  A.  Fechter,  clerk. 
1890 — A.  H.  Reynolds,  acting  mayor. 

O.  A.  Fechter,  clerk. 
1891 — R.  K.  Nichols,  mayor. 

John  Reed,  acting  mayor. 

F.  M.  Spain,  clerk. 
George  W.  Redman,  clerk. 

1891— A.  B.  Weed,  mayor. 

G.  W.  Redman,  clerk. 
R.  K.  Nichols,  clerk. 

1892— A.  B.  Weed,  mayor. 

G.  W.  Redman,  clerk. 
1893— W.  F.  Prosser,  mayor. 

Joseph  Bartholet,  clerk. 
189^1 — W.  L.  Jones  and  W.  H.  Redman  had  a  tie  vote  of  177.     As  a  result 

there  was  a  special  election  by  which  W.  H.  Redman  became  mayor; 

James  R.  Coe,  clerk. 
1896— W.  H.  Redman,  mayor. 

James  R.  Coe,  clerk. 

Up  to  this  point  elections  had  been  in  May,  bur  with  this  year  they 

were  changed  to  December.  Election  of  this  year  resulted : 

O.  A.  Fechter,  mayor. 

H.  B.  V'oorhees,  clerk. 
1897— O.  A.  Fechter,  mayor. 

H.  B.  Doust,  clerk. 
1898— O.  A.  Fechter,  mayor. 

H.  B.  Doust,  clerk. 
1899— W.  H.  Redman,  mayor. 

H.  B.  Doust,  clerk. 
190O— O.  A.  Fechter,  mayor. 

H.  B.  Doust,  clerk. 
1901 — O.  A.  Fechter,  mayor. 

H.  B.  Doust,  clerk. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  XALLIA'  431, 

1902 — A.  J.  Shaw,  mayor. 

H.  B.  Doust,  clerk. 
1903— O.  A.  Fechter,  mayor. 

J.  C.  Brooker,  clerk. 
1904 — O.  A.  Fechter,  mayor. 

J.  C.  Brooker,  clerk. 
1905— Walter  J.  Reed,  mayor. 

J.  C.  Brooker,  clerk. 
1906— O.  A.  Fechter,  mayor. 

J.  C.  Brooker,  clerk. 
1907 — Henry  H.  Lombard,  mayor. 

J.  C.  Brooker,  clerk. 
1908 — Philip  M.  Armbruster,  mayor. 

J.  C.  Brooker,  clerk. 
1909— Philip  M.  Armbruster,  mayor. 

J.  C.  Brooker,  clerk. 
1910 — In  this  year  there  was    a    special    contest    for    mayor    between  the 

business  men's  party  and  the  socialists.     The  result  was : 

H.  H.  Schott,  business  men's  ticket,  841. 

S.  H.  Patterson,  socialist,  373. 

J.  C.  Brooker,  clerk. 
1911 — This  was  a  year  of  special  interest.     There  was  a  vote  on  issuance 

of  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $50,000,  for  a  sewerage  system. 

Affirmative,  348. 

Negative,   138. 

In  this   year   also   the   commission   charter   was    submitted   and   the 

vote  was: 

Affirmative,  963. 

Negative,  148. 
On   September  9,   1911,   the   first   election  under   the   commission    form   of 
government  was  held.     It  is  of  interest  to  preserve  here  the  tabulated  results 
of  that  election.     They  were  as  follows : 

For  mayor:     A.  j.  Splawn,  2,364;  Pat  Mullins,  1.380. 

For  commissioners:     J.   C.   Brooker,   1,847;   Simeon  Dupree,  937;  Wilbur 
Crocker,  1,860;  William  H.  Redman,  2,645. 

The  total  registered  vote  was  4,574,  and  the  vote  cast  was  3,767. 
In  the  election  of  December  8,  1914,  the  results  were  these : 
For  mayor:    J.  F.  Barton,  2,547;  W.  F.  Buck,  1,725. 

For   commissioners :     F.    P.    Baker,   2,061  ;   Harry   Coonse.    2,288 ;    Wilbur 
Crocker.  2,137;  J.  T.  Foster,  1,827. 

R.  V.  Hooper  was  appointed  clerk. 

1917 — In  the  election  of  December  3,  1917,  the  results  were  as  follows: 
For  mavor:     Forrest  H.  Sweet.  1,273:  B.  F.  McCurdy.  1,242. 
For  commissioners:     H.  F.  Marble,  1,484;  W.  D.  McNair,  1,904;  W.  W. 
Doty,  1,384. 


432  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

SOME  SPECIAL  CAMPAIGNS 

Most  municipal  elections  in  Yakima  have  been  comparatively  peaceful, 
but  on  a  few  occasions  there  have  been  high  feelings.  The  election  of  1903 
seems  to  have  been  one  of  those. 

The  files  of  the  press  furnish  some  data  on  that  election  which  will  prob- 
ably excite  more  smiles  than  frowns  in  the  retrospect,  and  hence  we  deem  it 
safe  to  insert  here  home  forecasts  from  the  "Democrat"  of  November  7th  of  that 
year  as  to  the  forthcoming  election. 

The  Yakima  Democrat,  November  7,  1903: 

THE  CITY  CAMPAIGN. 

Municipal   Politics  Warming  Up — Early   Conventions  to  Be   Held  and 
Two  Tickets  to  Be  Placed  in  the  Field. 

It  begins  to  look  as  though  the  municipal  campaign,  now  on,  will  prove 
to  be  the  warmest  thing  of  its  kind  that  ever  happened  before  it  draws  to  a 
close  on  election  day,  December  8,  which  will  decide  the  matter. 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  North  Yakima,  has  so  much  interest  been 
shown  in  a  city  campaign  as  is  evidenced  this  year  and  with  election  day  still 
a  month  in  the  future. 

Already  two  conventions  have  been  called  to  nominate  candidates  for  the 
different  city  offices  to  be  filled.  The  first  open  move  tor  the  calling  of  a 
convention  was  made  evident  Thursday  of  last  week  by  the  appearance  sud- 
denly of  hand  bills  signed  by  "a  committee"  announcing  that  primaries  would 
be  held  in  the  three  wards  of  this  city  the  evening  of  November  5,  to  select 
delegates  to  a  nominating  convention  to  be  held  November  12.  With  the 
appearance  of  the  anonymous  hand  bills  local  politicians  at  once  began  to 
evince  an  interest  in  the  campaign  and  the  question  was  asked  perhaps  a 
thousand  times,  "Who  is  doing  this?"  No  one  apparently  was  able  to  answer 
this  question  until  Henry  Lombard  was  approached.  Like  the  distinguished 
Father  of  his  Country,  the  genial  Lombard  would  not  lie,  neither  would  he 
equivocate,  as  politicians  sometimes  do.  On  the  other  hand  he  was  quite 
frank  and  was  willing  to  take  the  newspaper  men  into  his  confidence  and  make 
a  clean  breast  of  it.  He  stated  that  the  movement  originated  with  a  few  busi- 
ness men  who  had  determined  to  take  a -keen  interest  in  the  coming  municipal 
election,  not  that  they  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  office  for  them- 
selves, but  for  the  general  good  of  the  city.  Questioned  as  to  the  frame-up  of 
the  new  combination  for  city  offices,  Mr.  Lombard  had  nothing  to  give  out 
except  to  admit  that  those  in  the  movement  had  signified  their  preference  for 
H.  B.  Riggs  for  the  office  of  city  attorney.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Lombard's 
associates  in  jjlanning  the  campaign  are  Alexander  Miller,  A.  B.  Weed,  E.  B. 
Moore  and  Rev.  H.  M.  Bartlett.  The  name  of  Phil  A.  Ditter  was  also  con- 
nected with  the  movement,  but  that  gentleman  asserts  that  he  is  taking  no  part 
in  city  politics. 

On  \\'ednesday  of  this  week  another  hand-bill  was  circulated  on  the 
streets    signed    by     "many  citizens,"    announcing    that    on    Tuesday    evening, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  433 

November  lOth,  a  public  mass  meeting  would  be  held  at  the  city  hall  to  place 
in  nomination  a  set  of  candidates  for  the  city  offices.  So  that  it  is  evident 
that  there  will  be  two  full  tickets  in  the  field  and  that  there  will  soon  be  things 
a-doing. 

The  city  offices  to  be  filled  at  the  coming  election  are  as  follows:  Mayor, 
clerk,  attorney,  treasurer,  health  officer  and  five  councilmen,  one  at  large,  two 
from  the  first  ward,  one  from  the  second  ward  and  one  from  the  third  ward, 
the  out-going  councilmen  being  Keck  at  large,  Moran  and  Harrison  from  the 
first  ward,  Wyman  from  the  second  ward,  and  Liggett  from  the  third;  Fisher 
of  the  second  and  Switzer  of  the  third  ward,  will  hold  over  for  another  year. 

The  candidates  most  freely  mentioned  for  nomination  on  the  so-called 
business  men's  ticket  are  O.  A.  Fechter,  W.  B.  Dudley  and  Frank  Horsley  for 
mayor;  R.  K.  Nichols  and  George  S.  Vance  for  clerk;  H.  B.  Riggs  and  L.  O. 
Meigs  for  attorney,  and  F.  G.  Drew  for  health  officer. 

For  councilmen,  H.  K.  Sinclair,  W.  I.  Lince  and  F.  C.  Hall  are  talked  of 
in  the  first  ward,  W.  B.  Dudley,  A.  B.  Weed,  Alex.  Miller,  and  U.  F.  Dietman 
in  the  second  ward,  while  Robert  Scott  and  W.  M.  Watt  are  mentioned  for 
the  place  in  the  third. 

In  the  aggregation  presumed  to  favor  the  nomination  of  a  citizens'  ticket, 
a  forecast  as  to  probable  nominees  would  be  rather  difficult  to  make.  Except 
for  the  nomination  for  city  attorney  there  are  not,  as  yet,  many  candidates  in 
evidence.  Mayor  Shaw,  it  is  understood,  while  not  actively  seeking  a  renomi- 
nation,  is  not  averse  to  holding  down  the  mayorship  for  another  term  in  case 
a  majority  of  his  fellow  citizens  desire  him  to  do  so.  (Councilman  Wyman  is 
also  spoken  of  in  connection  with  the  office  of  mayor  as  is  also  Miles  Cannon 
and  Ira  P.  Englehart.  For  clerk,  the  present  incumbent,  H.  B.  Doust,  seems 
to  have  no  opposition  as  it  is  generally  assumed  that  "grandpa"  is  a  hard  man 
to  go  up  against.  For  city  attorney.  Vestal  Snyder,  the  present  incumbent, 
has  no  desire  to  enter  the  race  for  his  official  shoes.  W.  M.  Thompson,  I.  M. 
Krutz,  Charles  E.  Forsyth  and  J.  O.  Cull  are  all  mentioned  for  the  place.  The 
contest  for  the  nomination  promises  to  be  interesting. 

For  health  officer  on  the  citizens'  ticket.  Dr.  P.  Frank  is  the  only  candi- 
date mentioned.  For  treasurer,  C.  S.  Donovan,  the  present  efifilcient  incumbent, 
will  probably  have  no  opposition  for  the  nomination,  as  Mr.  Donovan  is  gen- 
erally regarded  as  a  good  vote  getter  and  a  hard  man  to  beat. 

For  councilmen,  Harry  Moran  and  R.  N.  Harrison  are  talked  of  as  their 
own  successors  in  the  first  ward  as  is  also  Frank  Sinclair  for  one  of  the  vacant 
places. 

In  the  second  ward,  Councilman  Wyman  in  case  he  is  not  nominated  for 
mayor,  will  doubtless  be  asked  to  run  again,  although  he  is  known  to  be  averse 
to  serving  another  term  on  the  council.  C.  C.  Case  and  H.  D.  Winchester  are 
also  mentioned  for  councilmen  for  that  ward.  In  the  third,  where  Councilman 
Liggett  retires,  no  candidates  are  as  yet  in  evidence.  Mr.  Liggett's  friends 
desire  that  he  should  stand  for  the  place  again,  but  he  is  said  to  be  unwilling 
to  do  so. 

The  primaries  were  held  Thursday  night  in  the  three  wards  of  this  city 
with  a  fair  attendance.     The  following  gentlemen  were  elected  delegates  to  the 

(28) 


434  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

city  convention  to  be  held  November  12th:  First  ward,  H.  K.  Sinclair,  E.  O. 
Kelso,  J.  A.  Kleis,  P.  Y.  Heckman,  J.  T.  Haines,  George  F.  McAulay,  \Vm. 
Rand,  J.  A.  Leach. 

Second  ward,  H.  H.  Lombard,  George  Donald,  Daniel  Sinclair,  H.  D. 
Winchester,  W.  A.  Bell,  W.  M.  Watt,  James  Greene,  J.  H.  Fraser,  A.  B.  Weed. 

Third  ward,  Robert  Scott,  Walter  J.  Reed,  W.  J.  Aumiller,  B.  L.  Bull. 
C.  H.  Hinman,  H.  V.  Holden. 

The  election  occurred  on  December  8th,  and  in  the  issue  of  December  12th, 
the  Democrat  reports  and  comments  thus: 

IT  WAS  A  LANDSLIDE. 

The  Municipal  Election  in  This  City  Tuesday  Results  in  Pronounced 

Defeat  for  the  Citizens'  Ticket — Who  Was  the  Jonah? 

The  biggest  surprise  in  the  history  of  municipal  politics  in  North  Yakima 
followed  in  the  wake  of  the  voting  in  this  city  last  Tuesday.  It  was  a  good  deal 
of  a  surprise  to  everybody,  the  victors  as  well  as  the  vanquished.  It  was  a 
snow  storm,  a  blizzard,  a  landslide  and  an  earthquake  all  combined.  And  yet 
there  was  hardly  a  ripple  on  the  surface.  Everything  was  quiet  and  serene. 
The  people  for  once  seem  to  have  taken  the  advice  of  the  Yakima  Republic 
by  simply  keeping  their  mouths  shut  and  voting.  The  silent  voter  did  the 
work 

The  People's  ticket  won  out  all  along  the  line  except  for  the  single  office 
of  treasurer,  where  C.  R.  Donovan,  the  present  incumbent  of  that  office, 
defeated  John  W.  Sindall,  the  People's  candidate,  by  a  majority  of  112  votes. 
That  Mr.  Donovan  was  elected  at  all  under  such  circumstances,  is  evidence 
that  he  is  a  vote  getter  and  that  the  people  are  satisfied  that  he  is  the  right 
man  in  the  right  place.  It  should  be  remembered  too  that  a  good  man  was 
pitted  against  him  in  the  race. 

Oscar  A.  Fechter  was  for  the  sixth  time  elected  mayor,  though  not  con- 
secutively, securing  a  majority  of  182  over  W.  J.  Wyman.  ISlr.  Fechter  car- 
ried all  three  wards  of  the  city  and  the  size  of  his  majority  surprised  everjbody. 
The  biggest  surprise  of  the  day,  however,  was  in  the  defeat  of  H.  B.  Doust, 
who  since  January,  1897,  has  filled  the  office  of  city  clerk.  "Grandpa"  Doust 
was  beaten  by  59  votes  by  J.  C.  Brooker.  Mr.  Doust  had  been  regarded  as 
"invincible" ;  otherwise  he  might  have  been  pulled  through. 

For  attorney  James  O.  Cull  defeated  William  M.  Thompson  by  a  majority 
of  190  votes,  Mr.  Cull  carrying  all  three  wards.  The  defeated  aspirant  took 
his  defeat  good  naturedly,  as  did  all  the  losers  in  fact,  and  lost  no  time  in 
congratulating  his  successful  opponent. 

For  health  officer  Dr.  Carver  defeated  Dr.  Frank  by  a  majority  of  301, 
which  is  exactly  the  same  score  that  D.  M.  Rand  made  against  R.  N.  Harrison 
in  the  contest  for  councilman  from  the  first  ward.  It  is  difficult  to  understand 
why  Dr.  Frank  should  have  been  pelted  so  severely  by  the  voters  in  view  of 
the  splendid  record  made  by  him  during  the  several  years  that  he  acted  as 
health  officer  of  this  city.  But  the  verdict  is  heavily  against  him,  just  the 
same. 

For  councilman  at  large  L.  L.  Thorp  defeated  Frank  D.  Clenimer,  citizens' 
nominee,  by  129.    For  long  term  councilman  from  the  first  ward,  H.  K.  Sinclair 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  435 

defeated  Harry  Aloran  by  217,  while  as  before  noted,  D.  M.  Rand  defeated 
R.  N.  Harrison  by  301.  For  councilman  from  the  second  ward,  W.  B.  Dudley 
won  out  over  C.  C.  Case,  the  citizens'  candidate,  by  224,  while  B.  F.  Bull  of 
the  third  ward  defeated  A.  N.  Short  by  141  votes. 

The  next  city  council  will  therefore  consist  of  the  five  people's  candidates 
elected  Tuesday  in  addition  to  the  two  holdover  members  elected  last  year  on 
the  citizens'  ticket,  namely,  Thomas  R.  Fisher  from  the  second  ward  and 
A.  F.  Switzer  from  the  third  ward. 


A  number  of  very  good  men  went  down  to  defeat  at  the  municipal  election 
held  in  this  city  last  Tuesday.  We  have  heard,  as  yet,  no  good  reason  advanced 
why  these  men  should  have  been  turned  down  so  relentlessly  except  that  the 
community  was  for  the  time  being  in  a  wrathful  frame  of  mind,  the  majority 
of  the  voters  being  determined  to  make  a  decided  change  in  the  personnel  of 
the  city  government. 

The  cause  of  this  local  upheaval  is  due  almost  entirely  to  the  dissatisfac- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  people  with  one  single  act  of  the  present  city  council, 
to  wit :  the  extension  of  the  Yakima  Water,  Light  &  Power  Company's  fran- 
chise for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years. 

Under  all  the  circumstances  the  extension  of  this  franchise  was  not  the 
monstrous  crime  that  the  people  of  this  city  have  been  led  to  believe.  Where 
the  mistake  was  made  was  that  the  council  did  not  invite  the  public,  especially 
the  taxpayers  of  the  city,  to  take  part  in  the  discussion  and  accept  a  share  of 
responsibility  in  this  important  matter.  The  editor  of  this  paper  both  publicly 
and  privately  urged  that  this  course  be  taken  by  the  city  administration,  but  it 
was  not,  and  the  result  is  disaster. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  this  city  is  a  good  deal  better  off  under  the  provisions 
of  the  new  franchise  than  it  was  under  the  old.  It  can  control  the  corporation 
better,  will  be  given  an  improved  service  and  will  save  a  considerable  amount 
of  money  under  the  new  ordinances. 

In  common  fairness  the  council  took  into  consideration  too  the  company's 
side  of  the  question.  This  corporation  although  it  has  been  in  existence  for  a 
period  of  fourteen  years  has  never  yet  declared  a  dividend.  The  net  earnings 
of  the  system,  for  what  years  there  have  been  any  net  earnings,  have  been  put 
back  into  the  system  in  the  way  of  improvements  and  extensions  and  even  then 
it  has  been  found  necessary  to  borrow  a  considerable  sum  of  money  in  the 
efifort  to  keep  up  with  the  growth  of  this  widely  scattered  town. 

Nione  of  these  things,  however,  were  mentioned  by  the  people's  party  in 
the  demagogic  appeal  made  for  votes.  A  corporation  can  always  be  pictured 
as  a  hungry  monster  seeking  whom  it  may  devour  and  it  seems  to  have  been 
done  in  this  case.  There  were  but  two  men  on  the  citizen's  ticket  who  voted 
to  pass  the  franchise  ordinances,  whether  good  or  bad.  The  other  candidates 
on  the  ticket,  however,  with  the  exception  of  the  nominee  for  treasurer,  were 
likewise  slaughtered  at  the  polls  although  they  had  no  more  to  do  with  the 


436  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  X'ALLEY 

passage  of  the  ordinances  than  so  many  citizens  of  the  old  town.     The  result 
shows  a  lack  of  discrimination  on  the  part  of  the  voters. 

The  new  regime  will  soon  be  ushered  in.  The  Democrat  trusts  that  the 
new  administration  will  act  for  the  best  interest  of  the  city  and  its  people.  We 
are  inclined  to  believe  that  promises  have  been  made  that  the  mayor  and  council 
will  find  hard  to  fulfill,  but  they  are  entitled  to  a  fair  chance  and  so  far  as  this 
paper  is  concerned  they  will  have  it. 


Perhaps  the  question  which  excited  most  interest  in  the  whole  history  of 
the  municipality  was  that  vital  one  of  water. 

On  August  23,  1906,  an  address  to  the  voters  of  the  city  was  given  by  the 
"Municipal  Ownership  Committee"  which  contains  so  much  valuable  matter 
bearing  on  the  existing  conditions  of  the  time  that,  despite  the  length  of  this 
chapter,  we  include  it  here. 

To  the  Voters  of  North  Yakima — A  Plain  Statement  of  Facts  Regarding  the 
City  Water  Question — Numerous  Reasons  Why  the  People  Should  Decide 
in  Fwi'or  of  Municipal  Ownership  of  the  Water  Works  at  the  Special 
Election  August  28th,  1906. 

Fellow  Citizens :  At  the  city  election,  held  in  December  last,  municipal 
ownership  of  the  city's  water  supply  was  made  distinctly  an  issue  of  the  cam- 
paign and  as  a  result  the  voters  of  this  city  at  the  polls,  by  a  decisive  majority, 
declared  their  belief  in  that  principle,  electing  to  office  the  candidates  standing 
upon  the  municipal  ownership  platform  and  pledged  to  us;  their  best  endeavors 
to  carry  the  same  into  effect. 

The  mayor  and  a  majority  of  the  council  have  thus  far  made  good  their 
pledge  to  the  people.  After  canvassing  the  subject  carefully  and  viewing  the 
matter  from  every  standpoint,  the  city  government  has  called  a  special  election 
to  be  held  Tuesday,  August  28th.  The  purpose  of  this  special  election  is  to 
submit  the  question  of  whether  or  not  the  council  shall  begin  condemnation  pro- 
ceedings against  the  present  water  plant  of  the  Northwest  Light  &  Water  Com- 
pany with  the  view  to  municipal  ownership  of  the  system.  Under  the  law  it 
will  require  a  three-fifths  majority  of  the  voters  in  the  nftirmative  to  carry  the 
proposition. 

There  is  absolutely  no  question  of  the  city's  financial  ability  to  purchase  the 
water  plant  of  the  N.  W.  L.  &  W.  Company  providing  that  such  property  can 
be  secured  at  anything  like  its  real  value,  a  fact  whicli  must  be  established 
through  legal  proceedings. 

The  valuation  of  all  taxable  property  in  the  city,  according  to  the  assess- 
ment roll  for  1906,  is  approximately  $4,500,000.  These  figures  will  doubtless 
be  lowered  somewhat,  but  not  much,  by  the  board  of  equalization  now  in  ses- 
sion. Upon  the  basis  of  a  $4,500,000  assessment  the  city  has  the  legal  right  to 
float  special  water  bonds  to  the  extent  of  five  per  cent,  of  that  sum,  or  $225,000. 
These  bonds,  or  the  principal  thereof,  it  should  be  remembered,  would  consti- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  437 

tute  a  lien  against  the  water  plant  and  not  against  the  city  proper.  The  city, 
however,  would  be  required  to  guarantee  the  interest  on  the  water  bonds. 

Competent  engineers  estimate  the  value  of  the  present  water  plant  at 
$119,000.  The  city  council  has  increased  this  estimate  to  .$145,000.  The  plant 
was  assessed  this  year  for  $82,340.  This  amount,  however,  is  exclusive  of  the 
company's  franchise  and  also  its  water  right.  Under  condemnation  proceed- 
ings the  purchase  price  for  the  system  would  be  computed  by  a  jury  and  passed 
by  the  court. 

The  water  service  given  by  the  Northwest  Light  &  Water  Company  is  in 
a  number  of  ways  most  unsatisfactory.  We  maintain  that  its  charges  are  uni- 
formly too  high;  that  owing  to  the  existence  of  numerous  "dead  ends"  the 
system  is  an  unsanitary  one.  No  effort  has  been  made  to  install  either  a  filter 
or  a  settling  basin  which  are  vitally  necessary  parts  of  a  complete  system. 
Neither  has  the  system  kept  pace  with  the  rapid  and  constant  growth  of  the 
city. 

We  believe  that  North  Yakima  has,  or  should  have,  a  bright  future  and 
that  at  the  expiration  of  another  ten-year  period  it  should  have  a  population  of 
30,000  people.  We  should  bear  in  mind,  however,  that  an  efficient  water  service, 
or  the  lack  of  it,  will .Jtiave,  much  to, do, with  our  future -gfowtJi -and- prospesit^y. 
In  order  to  realize  our  ambition  in  the  matter  of  growth  North  Yakima  must 
be  made  a  city  of  beautiful  homes  and  a  healthy  city  in  which  to  live.  The  old 
saying  that  "water  is  life,"  particularly  applies  to  this  semi-arid  region. 

The  present  franchise  of  the  N.  W.  L.  &  W.  Company  has  twenty-eight 
years  in  which  to  nm.  It  is  a  jug-handled  instrument  that  was  foisted  upon 
the  people  by  a  past  city  administration  of  which  better  things  were  expected. 
This  franchise  protects  and  fosters  the  interests  of  the  water  company,  but 
affords  virtually  no  protection  to  its  patrons.  It  is  a  masterpiece  of  injustice, 
inequality  and  false  pretenses. 

If  we  are  forced  to  live  under  it  until  its  expiration  the  people  of  North 
Yakima  will  have  paid  for  a  water  system  ten  times  over  and  will  still  have 
none. 

The  need  of  better  fire  protection  for  the  city  is  evident  to  every  observing 
citizen.  Recent  fires  have  shown  the  inadequacy  of  the  present  system  in  this 
important  respect.  There  is  no  encouragement  for  capital  to  erect  costly  build- 
ings here  mitil  this  serious  defect  has  been  remedied. 

O'wing  to  the  hostility  of  the  daily  papers  of  this  city  towards  the  local 
application  of  the  principle  of  municipal  ownership  this  committee  finds  it 
necessary  to  lay  the  facts  before  the  voters  in  this  manner,  for  the  columns  of 
the  dailies  are  open  only  to  their  friends. 

We  candidly  submit  these  facts  to  the  people,  believing  that  the  qualified 
voters  of  the  city  will  render  a  just  verdict  in  the  case  at  the  polls  on  Tuesday, 
August  28th. 

Remember,  that  you  can  not  vote  on  this  important  proposition  unless  you 
are  registered  and  that  the  registration  books  will  close  August  17th.  If  you 
are  not  registered  GO  AND  REGISTER  NOW. 


438  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

In  connection  with  this  question  we  submit  the  following  points  for  the 
voter's  consideration: 

The  public  health  requires  municipal  ownership  of  the  water  supply. 

The  city  demands  better  fire  protection.  Municipal  ownership  will  supply 
that  need  largely  by  supplying  new  hydrants  for  the  residence  districts  as  well 
as  an  increased  pressure. 

I-  The  rapid  growth  of  North  Yakima  is  in  itself  an  argument  for  public 
ownership  of  the  water  system.  The  city  is  growing  in  every  direction  and 
.the-  necessity  for  immediate  extension  of  the  system  is  urgent.  The  present 
company  is  not  sufficiently  responsive  in  this  respect. 

:  Municipal  ownership  of  the  water  supply  would  prove  a  splendid  advertise- 
ment for  the  city.  We  are  behind  a  majority  of  cities  of  our  size  and  prom- 
inence in  this  respect.  Strangers  and  possible  investors  frefjuently  remind  us  of 
this  fact.  Corporation  control  of  a  city's  water  system  is  not  in  conformity 
with  the  spirit  of  the  age  in  which  we  live. 

!■■  The  "dead  ends"  of  the  present  system  are  in  the  highest  sense  unsanitary 
and  constitute  a  menace  to  the  health  of  many  of  our  people.  Under  municipal 
ownership  the  present  plant  would  immediately  be  converted  into  a  thoroughly 
circulating  system. 

The  minimum  monthly  cost  of  water  for  a  five-room  house  or  less,  should 
not  exceed  fifty  cents.  The  present  rate  is  one  dollar.  Municipal  ownership 
should,  and  doubtless  would,  mean  a  considerable  saving  'o  every  home  owner 
in  the  city. 

Under  municipal  ownership  every  dollar  earned  by  the  water  plant  in 
excess  of  operating  expenses  will  not  leave  the  city  monthly,  never  to  return. 
It  would  be  like  buying  your  goods  at  home. 

There  is  no  necessity  for  the  use  of  meters  in  a  gravity  system,  which 
admits  of  cheap  operation.  It  is  true  that  meters  are  in  use  in  many  other 
cities,  but  as  a  rule  they  are  employed  only  in  cases  where  the  water  has  to  be 
pumped.     That  is  not  the  case  in  North  Yakima. 

The  present  franchise  of  the  Northwest  Light  &  Water  Company  has 
twenty-eight  years  yet  to  run.  If  it  continues  in  force  for  that  period  the  people 
of  North  Yakima  will  have  paid  for  the  plant,  at  present  value,  not  less  than 
ten  times  and  would  stilj  have  no  plant  of  their  own.  Is  there  any  business 
sense  in  such  a  policy? 

The  argument  made  by  opponents  of  municipal  ownership  that  the  system 
in  practice  here  would  seem  an  increase  of  taxes  is  not  borne  out  by  the  ex- 
perience of  other  cities  that  own  their  own  water  works.  Over  a  dozen  cities 
of  the  first,  second  and  third  class  in  this  state  operate  their  own  water  systems 
at  a  profit.  The  profit  thus  derived  is  used  in  support  of  the  municipal  govern- 
ment, thus  lowering  taxation. 

Seattle,  Tacoma,  Spokane,  Bellingham,  Everett,  Walla  Walla.  Olympia 
and  many  of  the  smaller  cities  of  the  state  all  operate  their  own  water  systems 
and  do  so  with  profit,  and  what  is  more,  to  the  satisfaction  of  their  citizens.  It 
is  rot  to  assert  that  the  enterprising,  thriving  city  of  North  Yakima  can  not 
do  the  same  thing. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  AWLLEY  439 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  present  franchise  the  city  council  is  practi- 
cally powerless  and  is  unable  to  protect  the  people  either  from  a  financial  or  a 
sanitary  standpoint. 

Recent  experiences  with  fire  in  this  city  show  the  imminent  danger  we 
are  constantly  in  on  account  of  insufficient  pressure.  So  long  as  this  condition 
of  affairs  exists  the  wonder  is  that  men  can  be  found  who  are  willing  to  risk 
their  capital  in  the  erection  of  costly  buildings.  The  present  system  affords 
little  or  no  protection  to  the  owners  of  four  and  five  story  buildings  as  the 
pressure  is  uniformly  too  low.  The  franchise  calls  for  seventy-five  pounds 
pressure  to  the  square  inch.     The  present  average  pressure  is  fifty-five  pounds. 

It  is  estimated  that  under  municipal  ownership  the  city  could  finish  paying 
for  the  present  plant  in  about  ten  years.  A  sinking  fund  would  be  established 
to  make  provision  for  the  payment  of  the  bonds.  The  city  itself  is  not  liable  for 
the  payment  of  the  principal,  although,  of  course,  it  would  plainly  be  its  duty 
to  see  that  the  bonds  are  paid  when  due.  Under  the  provisions  of  the  wise  and 
beneficent  law  under  which  we  propose  to  proceed,  the  city  acts  the  part  of  an 
administrator. 

To  condemn  the  present  water  plant,  which  the  city  has  an  unquestioned 
right  to  do,  is  better  business  policy  than  to  build  a  new  Sj'slem.  A  new  system 
would  require  about  two  years  in  building  and  would  then  come  into  competi- 
tion with  the  present  system,  and  fierce  competition  might  spell  failure.  More- 
over, the  city  would  still  be  bound  by  the  provisions  of  the  present  franchise, 
which  would  mean  that  the  municipality  itself  must  remain  a  patron  of  the 
Northwest  company,  or  its  successor. 

North  Yakima  is  destined  to  become  a  city  of  importance  and  at  the  ex- 
piration of  ten  years  should  have  a,  population  of  30,000.  In  order  to  grow, 
however,  we  must  have  right  conditions. 

The  most  essential  condition  is  a  full  and  healthful  water  supply  that  will 
be  supplied  to  the  people  as  cheaply  as  possible.  Water  is  as  essential  to  life 
as  is  air.  No  soulless  corporation  should  have  jurisdiction  over  the  people's 
water  supply.  Water  for  drinking  purposes  should  not  be  an  article  of  com- 
merce. Corporations  are  formed  for  the  purpose  of  paying  dividends.  The 
people  of  North  Yakima  have  been  milked  long  enough. 

Under  municipal  control  the  city  would  begin  at  once  to  improve  the  water 
system.  The  "dead  ends"  should  be  eradicated,  a  settling  basin  provided  and 
a  modern  filter  system  inaugurated.  The  mains  should  also  be  extended  to 
reach  3,000  or  more  people  who  are  now  forced  to  drink  water  from  unsanitary 
wells.  Is  there  any  man  foolish  enough  to  assume  that  such  a  policy  of  im- 
provement will  injure  the  city? 

The  neighboring  towns  of  Ellensburg,  Roslyn  and  Cle  Elum  all  own  their 
own  water  systems  and  find  their  operation  a  source  of  profit.  But  what  is 
of  more  importance  they  give  their  people  an  abundant  supply  of  pure,  fresh 
water,  nor  is  it  found  necessary  to  dole  it  out  to  them  through  meters. 

Under  municipal  ownership  of  the  water  plant  the  dust  nuisance  could  be 
largely  abated  in  North  Yakima.  The  city  should  own  the  sprinkling  wagons 
and  keep  the  dust  down.     At  any  rate  the  installation  of  150  new  hydrants  in 


440  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  residence  sections  would  help  to  solve  the  problem,  and  there  are  at  least 
that  many  new  hydrants  badly  needed. 

It  is  an  injustice  that  water  users  should  be  compelled  to  pay  rent  for  the 
use  of  meters,  an  ingenious  contrivance  that  not  one  person  out  of  fifty  knows 
how  to  read.  There  is  no  need  of  meters  anyway  in  connection  with  a  gravity 
system,  except,  perhaps,  in  a  few  special  cases. 

The  actual  cost  of  delivering  water  by  a  gravity  .system,  such  as  ours, 
ought  not  to  exceed  the  modest  sum  of  one  cent  per  1,000  gallons.  Who  says 
that  there  are  not  great  possibilities  or  profit  in  this  business  ? 

The  city  now  pays  $3.75  per  month  rent  on  every  hydrant  and  there  are 
about  eighty  hydrants  in  use,  although  at  least  300  are  needed.  It  would  prac- 
tically bankrupt  the  city  to  be  compelled  to  pay  for  adequate  fire  protection 
at  this  ruinous  rate. 

The  amount  of  money  paid  out  monthly  by  our  city  government  for  water 
service  is  in  itself  more  than  sufficient  to  pay  the  interest  upon  the  company's 
bonded  indebtedness.  Under  municipal  ownership  at  the  worst  the  city  would 
merely  have  to  pay  the  iiiterest  on  the  bonds.  It  is  doing  that  now  for  a  very 
poor  service. 

The  proposed  water  bonds,  if  need  be,  can  be  sold  right  here  at  home  to 
good  advantage.  Any  bond  that  North  Yakima  puts  out  is  worth  its  face  and 
will  command  a  ready  sale. 

Municipal  ownership  under  the  system  proposed  is  like  borrowing  the 
money  from  a  building  and  loan  association  with  which  to  build  a  home — a 
system  that  beats  paying  rent  all  to  smash. 

When  a  man  tells  you  that  he  is  against  municipal  ownership  because  that 
he  is  opposed  to  the  city  going  any  further  into  debt,  explain  to  him  that  the 
city  under  the  proposed  system  will  not  increase  its  bonded  debt.  The  bonds 
to  be  voted  will  constitute  a  mortgage  against  the  water  works,  which  the  water 
works  in  due  time  will  pay  ofif. 

To  be  eligible  to  vote  at  the  special  election  August  28th,  you  must  have 
resided  within  the  state  for  one  year,  the  county  ninety  days  and  the  precinct 
thirty  days. 

Municipal   Ownership   Committee. 

In  concluding  this  chapter  on  the  development  of  the  Municipality,  a  brief 
survey  of  the  present  financial  status  and  the  personnel  of  the  offtcial  force  will 
be  found  of  interest. 

From  the  annual  report  at  the  opening  of  the  year  1918,  we  derive  the 
following  statistics,  gleaned  from  a  large  amount  of  details.  This  report  con- 
tains the  entire  directory  of  city  officers  and  a  complete  exhibit  of  finances: 

CITY   COMMJSSIONERS: 

Forrest  H.  Sweet,  mayor — Superintendent  of  the  department  of  public 
safety. 

W.  D.  McNair,  commissioner — Superintendent  of  the  department  of  finance 
and  accounting. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  441 

H.  F.  Warble,  commissioner — Superintendent  of  the  department  of  streets 
and  public  improvements. 

OFFICERS : 

R.  V.  Hopper,  city  clerk;  M.  H.  Hawks,  city  treasurer;  Thos.  E.  Grady, 
city  attorney;  N.  A.  Oilman,  city  engineer;  J.  M.  Gilmore,  chief  of  police;  R. 
B.  Milroy,  police  judge;  E.  G.  Dawson,  fire  chief;  Dr.  Benjamin  S.  Cerswell, 
health    officer;    Neils    Storgaard,    building    inspector    and    plumbing    inspector; 

E.  S.  Lueth,  electrical  inspector;  J.  D.    John,    cemetery    superintendent;    Mrs. 

F.  E.   Ketchum,   food  inspector;  H.   W.  Harris,  deputy  meat   inspector;  J.   O. 
White,  deputy  meat  inspector. 

FINANCIAL   STATEMENT 

— City   Treasurer's    Financial    Report — 

Receipts 

Cash  on  hand  June  1,  1918 $101,117.36 

Received  general  taxes 15,343.73 

Received  road  and  bridge  tax 398.38 

Received  police  court  fines 571.00 

Received  miscellaneous  licenses 763.00 

Received  dog  tax 33.00 

Received  bank  interest 158.11 

Received  meat  inspection  fees 224.55 

Received  building  inspection  fees 49.50 

Received  electrical  inspection  fees 50.20 

Received  plumbing  inspection  fees 109.20 

Received  C.  D.  &  C.  R.  fees 2.50 

Received  from  cemetery 550.75 

Received  cemetery  care 194.80 

Received  cemetery  trust 510.00 

Received  certificates  of  redemption 328.10 

Received  library  fines  and  dues 31.00 

Received  local  improvement  tax 3,132.34 

Received  rent  of  billboards.  South  First  street 17.50 

Received  rent  of  room  in  Herald  Building 71.77 

Total $123,656.79 

Disbursements 

Current  expense  warrants  redeemed $12,963.96 

Cemetery  warrants  redeemed 304.50 

Cemetery  care  warrants  redeemed 399.30 

Certificates  of  redemption  redeemed 781.68 

Library  warrants  redeemed 497.51 

Park  and  Playground  warrants  redeemed 316.25 

Bond  interest   redeemed   1,800.00 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

L.  I.  D.  No.  190,  interest  coupons  redeemed 6.00 

L.  I.  D.  No.  200,  bonds  redeemed 116.05 

L.  I.  D.  No.  200,  interest  coupons  redeemed 6.96 

L.  I.  D.  No.  224,  bonds  redeemed 316.98 

L.  I.  D.  No.  224,  interest  coupons  redeemed 401.36 

L.  I.  D.  No.  254,  interest  coupons  redeemed 35.00 

Cash  on  hand  June  30,  1918 105,711.24 

Total 3123,656.79 

I  certify  that  the  above  report  is  correct. 

■M.  H.  H.-\WKS,  City  Treasurer. 


SEGREGATION  OF  W.\RR.\NTS.   JUNE,    1918 

General  Government 

— Mayor — 

Salary    $  208.33 

Telephone .70 

Total  S  209.03 

— Commissioner — Finance — 

Salary ?  166.66 

Telephone .70 

Total $  167.36 

— Commissioner — Streets — 

Salary    S  166.66 

Telephone    .80 

Total S  167.46 

— Judicial  Department — 

Salary S  83.33 

Witness  fees 13.20 

Total $  96.53 

—City  Clerk- 
Salaries    $  225.00 

Stationery    9.15 

Telephone    1.05 

Repairs  to  safe 4.20 

Total  _. $  239.45 


PUBLIC  LIBRARY,  YAKIMA 


\KM()WV,    YAKIMA 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  443 

— City  Treasurer — 

Salary $  125.00 

Stationery  and  printing 28.00 

Telephone    1.00 

Total S  154.00 

— City  Engineer — 

Salaries,  office $  227.41 

Salaries,  field 503.75 

Telephone 3.25 

Laboratory  expense .65 

Measuring  boxes 7.50 

Abstract  reports 6.00 

Total $  748.56 

—City  Hall— 

Rent    $  192.50 

Janitor    5.00 

Total $  197.50 

— Legal  Department — 

Salaries    $  201.66 

— Miscellaneous — 

Advertising    $  27.02 

Total  cost  of  General  Government $  2,208.52 


PROTECTION   TO  PERSON  AND  PROPERTY 

— Foiice  Department — 

Salaries    $  1,185.84 

Stationery    , 4.15 

Telephone 4.25 

Lighting   3.60 

Auto  supplies  and  repairs 167.13 

Feeding   prisoners    __     51.50 

Alarm  system,  expense 4.50 

Auto    hire    27.50 

Batteries 4.80 

Total $  1,453.27 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

— Public  Pound — 

Salary  of  dog  catcher $  75.00 

Care  of  estrays 98.58 

Total $  173.58 

— Fire  Department — General — • 

Installing  hydrants $  62.52 

Hydrant  water  service 615.00 

Removing  and  resetting  hydrants 140.86 

Alarm  system,  expense 188.95 

Total $  1,007.33 

— Building  Inspection — 

Salary $  125.00 

Telephone    1.60 

Total    $  126.60 

— Electrical  Inspection — 

Salary    $  125.00 

Printing   45.75 

Telephone    1.65 

Total  $  172.40 

— Fire  Department  No.  1 — 

Salaries    S  1,571.00 

Auto  supplies  and  repairs 6.50 

Power,  light  and  water 21.30 

Telephone    7.50 

Total $  1,666.30 

— Fire  Department  Nb.  2 — 

Salaries    $  335.83 

Light  and  water 6.75 

Telephone    4.50 

Total $  347.08 

Total  cost  of  protection  to  person  and  property-?  4,946.56 

— Conservation  of  Health — 

Salary  of  health  officer  and  assistants $  160.00 

Postage 1.50 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  445 

Auto  supplies  and  repairs 54.67 

Drugs  and  prescriptions 2.65 

Vital  statistics 25.00 

Lighting   LOO 

Telephone 2.25 

Laboratory,  salary 50.00 

Laboratory,  expense 7.30 

Meat  inspection,  salaries 230.00 

Meat  inspection,  expense 8.55 

Food  inspection,  salary 50.00 

Milk  and  dairy  inspection,  salaries 60.00 

Alcohol  bond 5.00 

Total $  657.92 

— Sanitation  and  Promotion  of  Cleanliness — 

Salary  of  inspectors $  150.00 

Auto  supplies  and  repairs 54.67 

Cleaning  sewers,  labor . 203.00 

Cleaning  toilets,  labor 130.40 

Cleaning  streets,  labor 98.75 

Cleaning  pavements,  labor 378.00 

Garbage  collection,  labor 481.40 

Garbage  collection,  expense 2.25 

Garbage  disposal,  labor 87.50 

Total $  1,585.97 

— Highways — 

Salary  of  foreman $  125.00 

Cement  17.35 

Hardware 15.39 

Aiito  supplies  and  repairs 28.60 

Street  lights 1,092.05 

Motor  power 1.15 

Street  sprinkling,  labor 825.00 

Street  sprinkling,  expense   142.76 

Street  repairs,  labor 393.00 

Pavement  flushing,  labor 40.50 

Brick   pavement   repairs,   labor 63.62 

Brick  pavement  repairs,   expense 105.93 

Sidewalks  and  crossings,  labor 601.04 

Sidewalks  and  crossings,  expense 2.40 

Hydrant  repairs,   labor   14.00 

Hydrant  repairs,  expense 5.70 

Machinery  repairs,  labor 35.00 


446  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Machinery  repairs,  expense 2.05 

Ditches,  labor 343.00 

Total  $  3,364.50 


Education 
— Public  Library — 

$ 

259.95 

21.18 

Magazines 

22  00 

Lighting 

8  50 

Postage,  stationer)'  _ 
Express 

17.53 
168 

Telephone    _ 

3125 

Supplies 

45 

Refund  on  lost  book 

.50 

Total  _ 

$ 

335  40 

Labor    

-Recreati 

on — Parks — 

$ 

245.50 

17  28 

Total       _-     . 

$ 

262.78 

Public  Service 

■ — Tahoma  Cemetery — 

Salaries  and  labor $  262.00 

New  tools 2.00 

Telephone    ' L50 

Sand  and  gravel 20.00 

Cement  and  paint 45.65 

Supplies   .40 

Total $  331.55 

— .Annual  and  perpetual  Care  of  Cemetery  Lots — 

Cemetery  care,  labor $  218.35 

— Water  Systems — 

McLaren  water  system,  labor $  78.67 

Capitol  Hill  water  system,  labor 23.33 

Total $  102.00 


^  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  447 

— Charities — 
Salary  of  city  nurse $        100.00 

— Miscellaneous — 

Federal  Employment  office,  expense $  ILOO 

Holton  Avenue  water  system,  expense 38.66 

Personal  injuries 250.00 

Total $        299.66 

— Paving  Improvements — 
Fourth  estimate  North  First  Avenue  paving $  10,435.75 

— Warrants  Outstanding  June  30,   1918 — 

Current  expense . $  11,508.30 

Library 374.87 

Cemetery   328.70 

Cemetery  care 90.00 

Park  and  Playground _._  165.03 

Accident 750.00 

L.  I.  D.  Warrants 20,132.70 

Total $  33,349.60 

I  hereby  certify  that  the  above  segregation  of  warrants  issued  and  statement 
of  warrants  outstanding  is  correct. 

R.  V.  Hopper,  City  Clerk. 

We  find  in  the  last  issue  of  Polk's  Directory  so  good  a  summary  of  the 
essential  features  of  the  present  city  of  Yakima  that,  although  to  a  degree  a 
repetition  of  facts  given  elsewhere,  we  believe  that  our  readers  will  be  glad  to 
have  it  as  a  brief  consolidation  of  the  extended  treatment  given,  and  also  as 
having  a  value  from  being  a  portion  of  a  work  which  is  distributed  in  all  parts 
of  the  Pacific  Coast.  It  may  be  noted  here  that  the  bank  deposits  given  in  the 
directory  have  very  much  increased  during  the  past  year,  as  shown  by  the  pres- 
ent figures  given  elsewhere. 

We  give  here  selected  portions  of  the  directory  account: 
Yakima  is  rapidly  assuming  importance  as  an  industrial  center,  and  in  lum- 
bering, manufacturing  and  kindred  industries.  One  of  the  largest  and  best- 
equipped  sawmills  and  sash,  door  and  box  factories  in  the  West  is  located  here. 
Several  creameries  are  in  operation  in  and  near  the  city  as  a  result  of  the  rap- 
idly growing  interest  in  dairying  throughout  the  country.  The  large  amount 
of  fruit  and  vegetables  raised  nearby  is  attracting  canning  and  preserving  in- 
dustries, and  such  works  have  already  passed  the  experimental  stage,  and  prom- 
ise to  assume  great  importance.  The  sugar  beet  industry  has  been  introduced 
and  a  million-dollar  sugar  factory  is  now  in  operation.  Apples  grown  in  these 
valleys  are  in  great  demand  in   Seattle  and  other  coast  cities,  under  the  now 


448  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

famous  name  of  "Yakima  Apples."  Large  quantities  are  contracted  for  yearly 
by  buyers  from  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  London  and  elsewhere.  The  wholesale  and 
commission  business  is  well  represented,  and  many  other  interests  are  well  es- 
tablished. The  Yakima  potato  is  also  famous.  The  Northern  Pacific  "Big  Baked 
Potatoes"  come  from  this  valley.  There  are  also  large  and  well-equipped  electric 
light,  gas  and  water  works  plants,  and  the  city  has  a  paid  fire  department  with 
the  most  up-to-date  equipment  in  the  Northwest.  An  electric  railway  is  ope- 
rating forty-five  miles  of  inter  and  suburban  trackage.  The  business  streets 
are  paved  with  brick. 

The  various  mercantile  establishments  would  do  credit  to  a  much  larger 
city.  They  carry,  as  a  rule,  larger  stocks  and  a  higher  class  of  goods  than  is 
ordinarily  found  in  a  city  of  this  size  supported  by  a  farming  community.  This 
is  necessary  to  meet  the  peculiar  demands  of  its  inhabitc.nts  and  of  a  thickly 
populated  community  of  intelligent  and  well-to-do  people  successfully  engaged 
in  diversified  and  intensified  agriculture. 

The  banks  of  the  city,  of  which  there  are  five,  having  a  combined  capitali- 
zation and  surplus  of  $800,000.  are  among  the  most  stable  in  the  state,  and  do  a 
prosperous  business.  The  deposits  are  now  about  $6,500,000  [$8,056,000  by  later 
report] . 

To  realize  the  possibilities  which  lie  before  the  city  of  Yakima  in  an  indus- 
trial and  commercial  way,  as  well  as  in  the  attainment  of  a  high  social  and  educa- 
tional plane,  one  has  only  to  stop  and  consider  the  forces  which  are  at  work  in  its 
behalf.  The  natural  center  of  a  large  irrigated  region,  which  has  wonderfully 
developed  in  the  past  and  must  still  continue  to  develop  almost  without  limit,  the 
city  benefits  by  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  all  parts  of  it.  Irrigation  means 
the  production  of  large  crops.  Large  crops,  requiring  more  care  on  a  given 
amount  of  land  and  larger  profits,  tend  to  the  holding  and  cultivating  of  smaller 
tracts  by  those  who  till  the  soil.  The  large  products  arising  from  scientific  hor- 
ticulture also  tend  to  the  subdivision  of  the  land  and  the  increase  of  the  number 
of  holders  upon  a  given  area.  This,  in  connection  with  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
more  highly  educated  and  progressive  agriculturists  who  are  attracted  by  the 
advantages  of  an  irrigated  over  a  non-irrigated  country,  easily  accounts  for  the 
fact,  apparent  to  all  comers,  that  the  people  of  the  Yakirna  country  are  above 
the  average  in  general  intelligence  and  progressiveness. 

Practically  all  of  the  land  for  three  or  four  miles  on  all  sides  of  the  city 
has  been  subdivided  and  platted  into  small  tracts  of  from  one  to  ten  acres.  This 
land  sells  at  from  $100  per  acre  upward,  depending  upon  its  location,  the  char- 
acter of  the  soil,  and  the  state  of  improvement  and  cultivation. 

Yakima  and  the  surrounding  country  offer  the  conditions  necessary  for 
the  building  of  happy  homes  filled  with  an  intelligent,  prosperous  and  contented 
people.  In  the  city  there  are  four  newspapers,  fifteen  churches,  a  $200,000 
Masonic  Temple  and  a  $250,000  Federal  Building,  a  $200,000  Catholic  Hospital, 
and  $60,000  Armory,  a  $65,000  Elks'  Home,  a  good  public  library  supporting 
an  open  reading  room  for  the  general  public,  and  four  large  and  well  appointed 
theatres.  The  city  has  an  excellent  public  school  system  composed  of  high  and 
graded  schools.  An  up-to-date  Commercial  Club  looks  after  the  commercial 
and  industrial  interests  of  the  city  and  valley. 


'I     .   AWKin.    ^  AKIMA, 


-^r,  -.. 


ALIFOKXIA    l'AfKIX(i    COKI'OUATIOX    ( KVAI'ORATKD   FRUIT).   YAKFMA 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  449 

The  Washington  State  Fair  is  held  here  each  Fall,  commencing  the  third 
week  in  September  and  lasting  one  week.  The  fair  grounds  and  buildings  are 
commodious  and  well  equipped,  and,  under  the  present  capable  management, 
the  fair  is  fast  assuming  importance  as  a  state  event. 

The  city  is  in  easy  and  quick  communication  with  all  parts  of  the  sur- 
rounding valleys  by  means  of  rural  delivery  mail  routes  and  telephone  systems. 
Seven  rural  delivery  routes  run  out  from  Yakima  and  there  are  others  in  opera- 
tion in  other  parts  of  the  county.  Telegraphic  service,  locally  and  with  the  out- 
side world,  is  furnished  by  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  and  tele- 
phone service  by  the  Pacific  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company.  The  latter  com- 
pany has  a  public  long  distance  station  in  the  city  and  also  a  local  telephone 
exchange  which  covers  the  city  and  is  being  extended  into  the  surrounding 
country  by  the  building  of  lines  in  different  directions. 

The  climate  is  mild  and  invigorating.  As  is  true  of  all  places  where  irri- 
gation must  be  resorted  to  in  agricultural  pursuits,  there  is  a  large  preponder- 
ance of  sunshine  over  cloudy  weather.  Ordinarily,  from  the  first  of  March  to 
the  first  of  December,  there  is  little  rain,  an  abundance  of  sunshine,  and  the  air 
is  dry.  Owing  to  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere,  changes  in  the  temperature 
are  not  so  noticeable  as  in  humid  climates;  and,  while  the  extreme  change  of 
temperature  is  perhaps  from  15  degrees  below  zero  to  105  above,  instances  of 
extreme  heat  or  cold  are  of  rare  occurrence  and  of  short  duration.  Sunstroke 
is  unknown. 

The  county  is  happy  in  the  possession  of  the  world-known  and  famous 
Yakima  Soda  Springs,  which  are  situated  in  the  mountains  amongst  the  finest 
scenic  surroundings,  with  good  fishing  and  hunting.  They  may  be  reached  by 
automobile  from  any  town  around,  being  thirty  miles  west  by  road  from  Yakima 
or  nineteen  miles  from  terminus  of  Yakima  Valley  Transportation  Company 
(electric)  at  Wiley  City. 

In  conclusion,  it  may  be  added  that,  while  the  attainments  of  the  Yakima 
country  have  been  great,  the  possibilities  of  the  future  are  far  greater.  It 
stands  now  in  the  front  rank  of  agricultural  communities  in  the  quantity,  diver- 
sity and  value  of  its  productions,  and  in  the  conveniences  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion enjoyed  by  its  inhabitants,  and  the  fields  of  progress  are  still  open  and  wide. 

YAKIM^'S   FINANCIAL   PART   IN    THE   WORLD    WAR 

The  closing  of  the  World  War  while  these  pages  are  in  preparation,  seems 
to  make  it  fitting  that  this  chapter  concerning  the  official  and  financial  history 
of  the  city  close  with  a  view  of  the  financial  part  taken  by  city  and  county  in 
the  war  and  with  our  contribution  to  the  fighting  strength  of  Uncle  Sam's  over- 
seas forces.  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  O.  A.  Fechter  we  are  able  to  present 
these  figures: 

Sale  of  Liberty  Bonds  in  county  to  Nlovember   1,   1918 $3,917,951.00 

War   Savings    Stamps   in    city 167,015.80 

Allied  War  Benevolences,  county 371,098.00 

(29) 


450  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

It  may  be  added  that  the  bank  deposits  for  the  city  of  Yakima  amounted  at 
the  last  call  on  November  1,  1918,  to  $8,056,000. 

Yakima's  contribution  of  men  to  the  world  war 

Valuable  though  the  contributions  of  money  and  treasure  may  have  been,, 
those  of  men  have  been  far  more  valuable. 

Yakima  County  gave  a  noble  tribute  of  her  boys,  the  best  and  bravest  of 
her  sons,  to  the  great  cause  of  their  country  and  the  world. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Miss  Anthon  of  "The  Republic,"  we  are  able  to 
give  the  list  of  those  Yakima  men  who  received  commissions  and  those  who 
gave  "the  last  full  measure  of  devotion."  The  entire  list  of  men  is  worthy  of 
preservation,  but  our  space  does  not  permit.  We  give  first  the  commissioned 
officers : 

Yakima's  coMiMissioned  men 

Lieut.  Hylas  Henry,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Walter  Hoge,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Francis  Brown,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  G.  M.  Moore,  Yakima. 

Capt.  G.  J.  Benoit,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  O.  A.  Blecken,  Yakima. 

Capt.  Glenn  A.  Ross,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Lloyd  Turnell,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  A.  G.  Jacobson,    Naches. 

Lieut.  Conrad  Alexander,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Edward  Parker,  Yakima. 

Ensign  Albert  Baker,  Yakima.      (Recently  promoted  junior  lieutenant).. 

Lieut.  Eugene  Bradbury,  Yakima. 

Lieut.   Wencil   Burianek,   Yakima. 

Capt.  M.  C.  French,  Yakima. 

Capt.  Marshall  Scudder,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Forrest  T.  Glenn,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Howard  Hopkirk,   Yakima. 

Capt.  Ayres  Johnson,  Yakima. 

Maj.  Ben  Sawbridge,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  C.  E.  Dean,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Dow  Cope,   Yakima,    (deceased). 

Lieut.  Francis  D.  Johnson,  Zillah,   (deceased). 

Capt.  Sanford  G.  Jones,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Ernest  Kershaw,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  William  Lindsay,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Horace  S.  Rand,  Yakima. 

Capt.  Edwin  Rinker,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  George  Salzman,  Yakima. 

Capt.  W.  W.  Stratton,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Harry  Wirt,  Yakima. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  451 

Lieut.  Frank  Harrison,  Sunnyside. 

Lieut.   I.  E.  Benz,  Toppenish. 

Lieut.  Lyman  Bunting,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Dolph  Barnett,  Yakima. 

Capt.  Curtiss  Gilbert,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Lex  Gamble,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Walter  Tuesley,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  W.  H.  Boone,  Wiley  City. 

Capt.  W.  M.  Brown,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  W.  H.  Carver,  Yakima. 

Capt.  W.  K.  Cocklin,  Moxee. 

Lieut.  W.  G.  Cornett,  Yakima. 

Capt.  C.  T.  Dulin,  Yakima. 

Capt.  A.  J.  Helton,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  J.  P.  Louden,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Harry  A.  Makins,  Selah. 

Maj.  W.  L.  McClure,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Lloyd  Moffitt,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  J.  G.  Newgord,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  C.  A.  Riemcke,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  S.  J.  Rowland,  Toppenish. 

Lieut.  J.  R.  Shuman,    Sunnyside. 

Lieut.  H.  H.  Skinner,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Lonnie  Roberg,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Kenneth  Vaughn,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Lionel  Armstrong,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  S.  P.  Martin,  Yakima    (D.   S.  C).  ' 

Lieut.  O.  E.  Brashears,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  K.  C.  Bowers,  Yakima. 

Ensign  Charles  Westaby,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Cull  White,  Cowiche. 

Lieut.  Milton  White,  Cowiche. 

Lieut.   Roy  Slasor,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Ray  Venables,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Albert  Lyon,  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Forrest  Murdock,  Fruitvale. 

Lieut.  Fred  J.  W.  Soil.  Yakima. 

Lieut.  Fred  Clark,  Yakima. 

Capt.  C.  E.  Keeler,  Yakima. 

V.\KIM.\'S    HONOR   ROLL 

Of  the  2,354  men  who  have  gone  from  Yakima  County  to  serve  the  natiorr 
on  land,  on  sea  or  in  air,  seventy-eight  have  answered  the  great  call.  Of  those 
for  whom  the  final  "taps"  has  sounded,  forty  are  from  this  city,  while  the 
others  come  from  elsewhere  in  the  county.  They  have  died  bravely  on  the  field 
of  battle,  disappeared  into  those  mists  from  which  the  only  word  to  come  is 


452  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"missing,"  passed  away  in  illness  at  the  cantonments  or  camps,  but  one  and  all 
have  served.    Yakima's  honor  roll  contains  the  names  of : 

1 — Harrison  I.  Busey,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 

2 — Donald  K.  Thurmond,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 

3 — Walter  S.  Burnett,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 

4 — Edgar  L.  Hamilton,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 

5 — Elmer  F.  Ross,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 

6 — -Sgt.  Willis  Mason,  Yakima,  killed  in  accident. 

7 — Fritz   Maarten,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 

8 — Dave  Dukorsky,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 

9— Harold  S.  Wakefield,  Yakima,  died  of  disease.  ; 

10 — -William  Wharton,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
11 — Elwood  Hayes,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 
12 — Braden   Shallenberger,   Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
13 — ^Conrad  Hoff,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
14 — George  S.  Browning,  Yakima,  killed  in  accident. 
15 — Corp.  Preston  Myers,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 
16 — Walter  H.  Owens,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 
17 — O.  A.  Kingrey,  Yakima,  died  in  accident. 
18 — Russell  Digby,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
19 — Edward  Venn,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
20 — Lieut.  Dow  Cope,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
21 — Hugh  Grant,  Yakima,  missing  in  action. 
22 — Floyd  Painter,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 
23 — James  Ray  Wilkinson,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
24 — Fergus  D.  Shaw,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 
25 — John  Paul  White,  Yakima,  died  of  disease. 
26 — William  Morrow,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
27 — Robert  J.  Thompson,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
28 — George  L.   Newborg,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
29 — Ivan  Brokovich,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
30 — Steve  Plovich,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
31 — Bugler  William  D.  Yaden,  killed  in  action. 
32 — Bernard  Parkinson,  Yakima,  missing  in  action. 
33 — Ross  G.  Hoisington,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
3A — Herbert  Irwin,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
35 — Lieut.  Albert  Lyon,   Yakima,   died  of   disease. 
36 — Corp.  Logan  Wheeler,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
37 — Franklin  S.  Cross,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
38 — Corp.  Clinton  S.  Brown,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
39 — George  M.  Porter,  Yakima,  killed  in  action. 
40 — Eudore  Dubuque,  Yakima,   killed   in  action. 
41 — Emile  F.  Meystre,  Naches,  killed  in  action. 
42— George  B.  Gulp,  Naches,  killed  in  accident. 
43 — Frank  H.  Boyle,  Toppenish,  killed  in  action. 
44 — Russell  Barrett,  Toppenish.  missing  in  action. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  453 

45 — John   Tomlinson,   Toppenish,   died   of    disease. 

46 — Walter  Wade,  Toppenish,  killed  in  action. 

47— Thomas  Huntley,  Toppenish,  missing  in  action. 

48_Harry  Peterson,  Bickleton,  killed  in  action. 

49 — Otto  Warner,  Sunnyside,  died  of  disease. 

50 — Corp.  Malcolm  Crabtree,  Toppenish,  killed  in  action. 

51 — Perry  Lantz,  Sunnyside,  died  of  disease.  ' 

52— Allen  Ostrander,  Sunnyside,  died  of  disease. 

53 — Corp.  Cecil  Wommack,  Sunnyside,  killed  in  action. 

5.^ — W.  A.  Tegtemeyer,  Sunnyside,  died  of  disease. 

55_Charles  Rhine,  Wapato,  killed  in  action. 

56 — James   Schooley,  Zillah,  died  in  action. 

57— Lieut.  F.  D.  Johnson,  Zillah,  killed  in  action. 

58— Milford  G.  DeWolf,  Zillah,  killed  in  action. 

59— Ole  C.  Counts,  Harrah,  killed  in  action. 

60 — Barney  Mauch,  Harrah,  killed  in  action. 

61 — Sydney  Butts,  Union  Gap,  killed  in  accident. 

62 — Corp.  JuUus  Berndt,  Union  Gap,  killed  in  action. 

63 — Harry  T.  McDaniels,  Union  Gap,  missing  in  action. 

64 — Ira  Hixon,  Wide  Hollow,  killed  in  accident. 

65 — Ralph  W.  Larkin,  Harwood,  missing  in  action. 

66 — Eugene  Snyder,  Rimrock,  Tuscania  victim. 

67 — Helge  Dale,  Grandview,  killed  in  action. 

68 — Harry  Hayes,  Grandview,  died  of  disease. 

69 — Fred  Hayes,  Grandview,  killed  in  action. 

70 — George  S.  McLean,  Cowiche,  Tuscania  victim. 

71 — Rollo  Knowles,  White  Swan,  died  of  disease. 

72 — James  F.  Eglin,  Tampico,  died  of  disease. 

7Z — George  de  Gooyer,  Moxee,  died  of  disease. 

7-1 — John  H.  Remmerden,  Moxee,  killed  in  action. 

75 — Ferdinand  E.  Deeringhoff,  Moxee,  missing  in  action. 

76 — Henry  O.  Piendl,  Mabton,  killed  in  action. 

77 — Harry  Fenner,  Wide  Hollow,  killed  in  action. 

78 — DeWitt  Hagermann,  Naches,  killed  in  action. 


CHAPTER  VI 


SCHOOLS,  CHURCHES  AND  SOCIETIES  OF  YAKIMA 

SCHOOLS— STATISTICS      OF       1918 DIRECTORY       OF      TEACHERS.       1917-18 PRIVATE 

SCHOOLS WOODCOCK       ACADEMY THE        CHURCHES AHTANUmI CHURCHiES 

AND  PASTORS  OF  YAKIMA  AT  PRESENT  DATE — FRATERNAL  ORDERS YAKIMA  COM- 
MERCIAL CLUB — THE  STATE  FAIR — "REPUBLICS"  WRITE-UP  OF  FAIR HERALD's 

DESCRIPTION   OF  EVENTS,   ETC. 

It  would  be  but  commonplace  to  enlarge  upon  the  vital  importance  to  any 
genuine  American  community  of  the  instrumentalities  of  larger  growth  covered 
by  the  heading  of  this  cliapter.  More  vital  than  the  production  of  wealth  is  the 
disposition  to  be  made  of  it.  Stock  and  grain  and  lumber  and  coal  and  fruit 
and  irrigating  canals  are  all  well  and  good,  essential,  in  fact,  but  what  are  they 
all  for?  Obviously  they  have  no  use  except  as  ministering  to  life,  and  life  calls 
for 'the  social, 'moral,  intellectual,  and  esthetic  agencies  of  which  schools, 
churches,  and  social  and  cultural  organizations  are  the  expression. 

Yakima,  like  other  parts  of  the  state  and  of  the  Northwest,  has  developed 
rapidly  in  the  directions  indicated.  While  in  the  nature  of  things  a  new  com- 
munity must  devote  its  earliest  energies  to  reclaiming  land,  hewing  forests, 
o}>ening  mines,  laying  out  irrigating  canals,  importing  new  breeds  of  stock  and 
improved  varieties  of  grain — in  short,  the  purely  materialistic  concerns — it  is 
true  that  the  active-minded,  free-souled,  and  ambitious  builders  of  our  western 
communities  quickly  create  the  finer  activities  which  teacli  tl;e  proper  use  of  the 
material  and  so-called  practical. 

In  this  great  creation  of  the  refining  and  elevating  factors  of  life,  the 
western  woman  plays  a  leading  part.  She  is  an  institution  by  herself,  that 
western  woman.  Whether  because  in  pioneer  life  there  were  less  women  than 
men,  and  hence  their  relative  importance  was  increased,  or  that  pioneer  life, 
with  all  of  its  hardships,  had  the  capacity  to  develop  both  the  strength  and  the 
delicacy  of  feminine  nature — it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  typical  woman  of  a 
community  like  Yakima  or  Ellensburg,  or  the  smaller  places  within  these  coun- 
ties, has  acquired  a  power  of  initiative  and  leadership,  an  independence  of 
thought  and  action  and  a  disregard  of  shallow  conventionalities,  which,  though 
perhaps  somewhat  shocking  to  the  prudish  conceptions  of  more  stereotyped  re- 
gions, constitute  one  of  the  great  working  facts  of  western  life  and  of  Ameri- 
can democracy.  Hence  it  is  not  surprising  that  woman  suffrage,  prohibition, 
initiative,  referendum,  recall,  and  other  great  popular  movements  have  had  their 
birth  in  the  West.  The  activities  of  women  in  schools  and  churches,  as  well  as 
in  all  kinds  of  societies,  social,  literary  and  artistic,  have  a  great  field  in  our 
western  towns.  The  men,  too,  deserve  much  credit,  in  that  the  while  they  are 
454 


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HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  455 

<ievoted  to  making  the  money  (and  in  fact  are  not  usually  adapted  to  any  other 
function)  they  are  well  content  to  let  their  women  spend  it.  Possibly  they  can 
not  help  themselves,  but  it  is  true  that  the  average  western  man  takes  pride  and 
pleasure  in  seeing  the  judicious  use  of  his  money  made  by  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ters in  beautifying  the  home  and  in  promoting  public  movements.  While  the 
western  man  is  strong  on  "business,"  he  has  a  hulking  sense  of  religious  and 
esthetic  inferiority  in  the  face  of  a  religious  or  social  crisis,  and  willingly  abdi- 
cates in  favor  of  the  prime  minister;  viz.,  his  wife  or  daughter. 

All  these  general  views  and  conditions  have  ample  illustration  in  the  fine 
social  and  community  life  of  the  regions  covered  by  our  present  story.  And 
now  we  shall  endeavor  to  narrate  in  necessarily  brief  outline  the  essential  facts 
in  regard  to  the  educational,  religious  and  social  life  of  Yakima. 


Unlike  Ellensburg,  in  which  the  State  Normal  is  located,  or  Walla  Walla, 
in  which  there  are  several  private  institutions  of  notable  character,  the  educa- 
tional interest  of  Yakima  is  found  almost  entirely  in  the  public  schools,  of  the 
high  school  and  grammar  grades.  The  Catholics  maintain,  as  they  usually  do 
in  larger  towns,  an  academy  for  girls  and  another  for  boys,  both  excellent  in- 
stitutions, of  which  we  shall  write  further.  One  private  academy.  Woodcock 
Academy,  had  a  worthy  and  interesting  history,  but  was  absorbed  by  the  public 
school  system.  To  it,  too,  we  shall  devote  later  attention.  There  is  a  first-class 
business  college,  and  some  special  schools.  Aside  from  the  schools  just  named, 
the  entire  educational  forces  of  Yakima  County  work  through  the  channel  of 
the  public  schools. 

In  the  office  of  the  superintendent  of  Yakima  County  there  is  a  book  which 
may  truly  be  called  a  historic  relic  of  high  value.  It  is  the  first  record  of  the 
first  superintendent,  laying  out  the  original  school  districts.  George  W.  Parrish 
was  that  first  superintendent.  The  following  is  his  first  entry:  "I  was  appointed 
school  superintendent  by  the  county  commissioners  on  the  first  Monday  of 
February,  1868.  I  had  no  predecessor,  consequently  no  records  or  precedents 
in  the  county  by  which  to  act.  The  settlements  were  few  and  far  between.  It 
became  my  duty  to  divide  the  county  into  school  districts,  which  I  did,  making 
most  of  them  large,  contemplating  their  subdivision  as  the  public  welfare  might 
require.  The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  boundaries  and  numbers  of  the 
several  districts  of  Yakima  County,  W.  T.,  to-wit :" 

The  first  four  districts  were  laid  out  on  June  28,  1868.  We  quote  further 
the  language  of  the  report  in  regard  to  those  four  districts. 

District  No.  One  is  as  follows: 

"Application  for  its  formation  was  made  by  Mr.  F.  M.  Thorp.  A  notice 
of  its  boundaries  was  sent  to  him  on  the  28th  day  of  June,  1868.  It  is  bounded 
as  follows :  Commencing  on  Yakima  River  two  miles  south  of  the  Third  Stand- 
ard Parallel,  thence  due  east  to  Columbia  River,  thence  up  said  river  to  the 
Fourth  Standard  parallel  line,  thence  west  along  said  line  to  Range  20  east, 
thence  due  south  to  town  13  north  on  said  range,  thence  due  west  to  Yakima 
River,  thence  down  said  river  to  place  of  beginning. 


456  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

District  No.  Two: 

By  af)plication  notice  was  sent  to  Mr.  Walter  Lindsey  on  the  28th  day  of 
June,  1868.  It  is  bounded :  Commencing  on  Atahnam  River  at  the  crossing 
of  the  line  between  Ranges  17  and  18  east;  thence  north  along  said  line  to 
Matchez  River;  thence  down  said  river  to  Yakima  River;  thence  down  said 
river  to  Athanam  River;  thence  up  Atahnam  River  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

District  No.  Three: 

Notice  was  sent  to  Mr.  Joseph  Bowzer  on  the  28th  of  June,  1868.  It  is 
bounded  so  as  to  include  all  that  part  of  the  county  between  Njatchez  and 
Atahnam  rivers  west  of  the  line  between  Ranges  17  and  18. 

District  No.  Four: 

Notice  for  the  creation  of  District  No.  4  was  sent  to  G.  G.  Taylor  on  June 
28th,  1868.  It  begins  at  the  mouth  of  the  Natchez  River ;  thence  up  said  river 
to  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  and  along  the  range  to  the  divide 
between  Wenass  and  Umtanum  creeks ;  thence  to  the  Yakima  River  and  down 
said  river  to  place  of  beginning." 

District  No.  5  was  formed  later  and  notice  of  its  formation  sent  to  E. 
French  on  October  16,  1868.  It  included  all  the  country  north  and  east  of 
Yakima  River  and  south  of  District  No.  1.  Districts  6  and  7  were  laid  out 
soon  after  No.  5,  with  the  intention  of  including  the  rest  of  the  county.  But 
they  were  not  organized;  and  the  numbers  subsequently  appeared  with  differ- 
ent boundaries.  Hence  we  may  regard  the  first  five  districts  as  the  "charter  dis- 
tricts" of  Yakima  County.  As  may  be  seen  by  an  inspection  of  the  map.  Dis- 
trict No.  1  included  a  large  part  of  Benton  County,  a  considerable  part  of 
Kittitas,  and  the  broken  country  east  and  northeast  of  Selah  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river.  The  only  inhabited  part  of  it  at  that  time  was  the  Moxee  settlement, 
on  account  of  which,  in  fact,  it  was  established.  No.  2  embraced  the  region 
between  the  Atahnum  and  Naches,  thus  covering  the  site  of  Yakima,  Nob  Hill, 
the  Cowiche,  Wide  Hollow,  and  the  chief  part  of  the  Atahnum  country.  The 
Sunnyside,  Grandview,  Zillah,  Granger  and  allied  regions  came  in  No.  5. 

The  second  superintendent  was  C.  P.  Cooke,  one  of  the  best  educated  and 
most  honored  of  Yakima  pioneers,  who  came  to  the  Moxee  in  1867,  and  in 
1870  went  to  the  Kittitas,  settling  ten  miles  north  of  Ellensburg.  Mr.  Cooke 
made  many  changes  in  the  boundaries  of  the  districts.  In  1868  the  number  of 
pupils  reported  was  as  follows:  No.  1,  15;  No.  2,  31;  No.  3,  24;  Nb.  4,  23; 
No.  5,  23;  total  116.     In  1869  the  number  had  increased  to  130. 

A  list  of  the  teachers  receiving  certificates,  or  "licenses."  as  they  were  then 
called,  may  be  of  much  interest.  As  may  be  seen,  the  feminine  element  was  not 
so  marked  in  the  pedagogical  profession  then  as  now.  That  list  may  be  consid- 
ered the  advance  guard  of  Yakima  teachers. 

The  Hst  for  1869,  1870,  1871  and  1872,  was  this:  Philip  Long.  Mrs.  Martha 
H  .Mattoon,  James  Bland,  Libranis  Maxon,  Joseph  O.  Clark,  J.  P.  Marks.  G. 
W.  Parrish,  O.  Williams,  J.  R.  Filkin,  I.  W.  Hambleton,  N.  H.  Clayton,  Miss 
Letitia  Wakker,  Mrs.  I.  L.  Lewis,  Mr.  Frisbee,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Benton,  Miss  M. 
O'Neil,  Mr.  Mead,  Wm.  N.  Goff,  Mr.  E.  B.  Lewis,  Mrs.  S.  L.  Simpson,  J.  W. 
Masters,  P.  Kelly,  R.  M.  Beck,  J.  R.  Schnebly,  G.  W.  Pratt,  James  Beck, 
Thomas  Vaughn. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  457 

The  amount  of  school  tax  in  1867  was  zero;  in  1868,  $275.64;  in  1869, 
$404.76.  In  1874,  the  amount  had  risen  to  $1,408.46,  while  in  1875  it  was 
$1,653.06.  From  the  report  of  Superintendent  Parrish  in  1868  it  appears  that 
there  were  no  school  buildings  or  libraries. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  figures  just  given  are  for  the  entire  area 
embracing  the  three  present  counties.  They  certainly  make  a  remarkable  com- 
parison with  the  statistics  of  1917  and  1918,  a  half  century  later.  We  shall,  of 
course,  give  those  at  greater  length,  but  we  give  here  simply  for  comparison,  the 
census  of  1917  which  included  13,567  boys  and  girls  in  sixty-one  districts.  Thir- 
ty-six districts  maintained  more  than  one  department.  The  number  of  teachers 
was  386,  and  the  total  expenses  were  $451,895.27.  That  was  for  Yakima  County 
alone.  The  addition  of  Kittitas  and  Benton  would  add  fifty  per  cent,  or  more  to 
those  figures. 

The  first  school  in  the  Yakima  Valley,  according  to  Leonard  Thorp,  to 
whom  we  have  referred  often  as  an  authority,  was  a  private  school  for  the  chil- 
dren of  F.  M.  Thorp  at  his  place  in  the  Moxee.  The  teacher  was  Mrs.  Letitia 
Flett  Haines,  a  well-educated  young  woman  from  a  prominent  pioneer  family 
of  western  OTegon.  Her  husband  was  one  of  the  first  incomers  after  the 
Thorps.  They  had  a  little  girl,  who  with  the  Thorp  children  constituted  the  en- 
tire juvenile  population  of  the  Yakima  country.  According  to  Mr.  Thorp's 
remembrence  the  first  teacher  in  a  public  school  was  Martha  Beck.  The  loca- 
tion was  midway  between  Yakima  City  and  the  site  of  the  later  Nbrth  Yakima. 
That  must  have  been  in  1868.     Doctor  Clark  was  the  next  teacher. 

It  would  not  be  possible  to  enumerate  the  builders  who  contributed  year 
by  year  to  the  development  of  the  system  of  schools  as  they  have  come  to  be. 
One  of  the  most  often  referred  to  by  those  who  were  reared  in  Yakima  was 
Mrs.  Ella  Purker  Stair.  Not  only  a  capable  and  popular  teacher,  but  a  brilliant 
woman,  a  leader  in  all  social  and  philanthropic,  as  well  as  educational  activities, 
Mrs.  Stair  left  an  influence  and  a  name  which  is  cherished  by  hundreds  of  the 
present  mature  generation  of  Yakima.  She  was  born  in  Nebraska  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty  was  married  to  David  Stair.  Mr.  Stair  v;as  a  lawyer,  and  in 
1877  went  with  his  young  wife  to  Yakima  where  he  entered  upon  the  work  of 
his  profession.  But  like  many  other  professional  and  business  men  he  became 
enamoured  of  the  outdoor  life  of  the  fruit  rancher  and  established  a  ranch  on 
the  Ahtanum.  He  died  in  1896.  Mrs.  Stair  became  count}-  superintendent  in 
1884.  She  was  a  teacher  in  the  county  schools  and  then  became  principal  of 
the  high  school,  which  position  she  held  for  a  number  of  years. 

D.  C.  Reed  was  identified  for  a  number  of  years  with  the  schools  of  the 
county  and  city,  and  may  justly  be  named  as  one  of  the  most  constant  and 
effective  of  the  builders.  One  of  the  honored  educators  of  the  valley,  though 
not  a  teacher  in  Yakima,  was  B.  F.  Barge,  first  principal  of  the  State  Normal 
School  at  Ellensburg.  In  1894  Professor  Barge  resigned  his  position  in  the 
Normal,  after  three  years'  service,  and  took  up  his  home  at  Yakima.  There  he 
engaged  in  land  development  and  became  one  of  the  early  promoters  of  large- 
scale  irrigation  enterprises.  All  the  time,  however,  he  wr.s  an  active  force  in 
educational  lines.  He  was  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  a  number  of 
terms  and  a  constant  leader  in  educational  improvement. 


458  HISTORY  OF  YAKHIA  \-ALLEY 

As  a  general  view  of  the  Yakima  schools  at  a  date  intermediate  between 
the  beginnings  and  the  present  we  may  describe  them  as  they  existed  in  1902. 
At  that  time  there  were  three  brick  buildings.  In  one  the  high  school  was 
domiciled,  and  this  was  located  on  North  Third  Street  between  D  and  E.  An- 
other was  the  Central  School  on  South  Second  Street  between  Walnut  and 
Spruce.  The  Columbia  was  the  third  school  building,  on  North  Kittitas  Avenue 
between  B  and  C.  There  was  also  what  was  known  as  the  Lincoln  Annex,  part 
of  the  high  school.  There  was  still  another  northwest  of  town  known  as  the 
Fairview.  At  that  date  the  school  board  consisted  of  Prof.  B.  F.  Barge  as 
chairman ;  Ralph  R.  Nichols ;  Miles  Cannon ;  and  Robert  S.  Hough,  as  clerk. 
The  high  school  faculty  consisted  of  Mrs.  Ella  Stair,  principal ;  L.  M.  Seroggs, 
Eva  May,  Berdina  Hole,  Grace  Shannon,  Kate  McKinney,  Elizabeth  Prior  and 
Albertina  Rodman.  The  principal  of  the  Central  School  was  A.  W.  Schwartz, 
assisted  by  Clara  E.  Bullan,  Beulah  E.  Oilman,  Maude  L.  Patterson,  Charlotte 
Lum,  Anna  Jungst,  Minnie  Larsen  and  Carrie  Young.  Lulu  Meeds  was  prin- 
cipal of  the  Columbia  School,  and  her  teachers  were  Bessie  Aumiller,  Bessie 
Ballinger,  Avanelle  Cans,  Ethel  Burns,  Mrs.  Edna  Miller,  Jennie  Sherwood, 
Mary  Young  and  Lois  Whittle.  In  the  Lincoln  Annex.  Mrs.  Ella  Needham, 
Ella  Howland  and  Berdie  Moore  were  the  teachers.  In  the  Fairview,  Florence 
McWain  was  the  teacher. 

Turning  from  those  views  of  the  schools  at  the  beginning  and  the  middle 
•of  their  history  we  may  now  present  the  present-day  statistics.  Through  the 
kindness  of  Mrs.  Anna  R.  Nichols,  county  superintendent,  we  are  able  to  pre- 
sent these  figures  upon  the  present-day  conditions  for  the  county. 

ST.A.TISTICS    OF    1918 

Number  of  districts 60 

Number  of  high  schools 22 

Number  of  teachers 396 

School  census 14,118 

Enrollment  for  year 11,870 

Current  expenses S    451,895.27 

Value  of  school  buildings  and  grounds 1,275,828.0(? 

Value  of  apparatus,  furniture  and  books 166,752.00 

The  number  of  teachers  in  the  Yakima  city  schools,  including  the  high 
■school,  is  103.  The  high  school  building  of  the  early  period  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  and  the  present  spacious  and  stately  building  was  erected  in  1908. 

At  this  point  we  insert  a  list  of  the  present  districts,  with  names  of  schools 
and  number  of  teachers  in  each. 

SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  OF  Y.XKIMA  COUNTY,    1919-1920 

No.  of 
Dist.  No.        Name  of  Sclwo!.  Teachers. 

2  Union  Gap 4 

3  Marks 3 

5         Parker  Bottom  3 


MARQUETTE    SCHOOL,    YAKi:\[A 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  ^■ALLEY 

6  Ahtanum  City 4 

7  Yakima  City  Schools 105 

8  Armstrong   i 

9  Tampico i 

10  Cowiche   7 

11  Cowan    I 

14  Tieton 4 

15  Cleman   j 

24  Dorothy    i 

25  Fruitvale 3 

26  Wide  Hollow . /-^___.._  5 

28  Nob  Hill "  6 

29  Nile "'  I 

31  Liberty   4 

32  Zillah  City  Schools '_"  g 

33  South  Broadway 2 


34  Outlook 

35  Wanita 


36         Mabton  City  Schools 9 


37        Belma 

39         Selah  Schools 


52         Wenas 
54 


42  Canyon  Castle i 

49  Toppenish  City  Schools   26 

50  Springdale 7 

51  Orchardvale 3 

1 

Wapato  Schools 22 

57  East  Selah "__"_  2 

61  Donoho ^ 

63  Sunnyside  Schools 3Q 

67  Wheatland   '""   ""  i 

73  Small    ..____  1 

74  -  Lower   Tampico i 

81  Grandview    Schools    _   _ 17 

82  Wheatland    ----"_'"".""   \  1 

84  Pleasant    Valley i 

85  Spring  Creek 2 

86  East  Parker '_]l "  1 

87  Byron  _  j 

88  White   Swan   "_..'.._."_"  5 

89  Lower  Neches  High  School 9 

90  Moxee  Con.  Schools '  I5 

91  Naches   Citv   "  « 


92  Wendell  Phillips 7 

93  Upper  Wenas-Umptanum 2 

94  Granger  Schools 9 


460  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

96  Wiley    City   2  | 

97  Priest  Rapids 1  ( 

98  Lincoln 2  1 

99  Marcus  Whitman 2  ! 

100  Parker    3  1 

101  South  Naches 

102  Mt.  Clemans  

103  Oak  Creek 

104  Plain   View   

105  Alkali  Canyon 

106  Tietonview     4 

Believing  that  many  readers  in  the  future,  recognizing  the  great  part  per- 
formed in  the  upbuilding  of  the  different  communities  by  the  teachers,  will  be 
glad  to  have  a  directory  of  the  teachers  at  the  date  of  this  publication,  we  include 
also  such  a  directory. 

DIRECTORY   OF   TEACHERS   OF   YAKIMA    COUNTY,    1917-1918 

Mrs.  Anna  R.  Nichols,  Superintendent 
• — District  2 — Union  Gap — 
W.  H.  Zuber,  Principal,  Yakima,  112  South  Eleventh  Avenue. 
Ada  Dalton,  Yakima,  Route  2. 
Esther  Dingle,  Yakima,  112  South  Fourth  Street. 
Winnifred  Makens,  Union  Gap. 

— District  3— Marks  School — 
S.  W.  Bennington,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  5. 
Isabella  Getsch,  Yakima,  Route  1. 
Esther  Rutherford,  Yakima,  Route  5. 

— District  5 — Parker  Bottom  School— 

E.  J.  Williams,  Principal,  Wapato,  Route  2. 
Mrs.  Lillian  Swart,  Wapato,  Route  2. 
Isabelle  Hoffman,  Wapato,  Route  2. 

— District  6 — Ahtanum  City  School — 
W.  E.  Thomas,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  5. 
Rosalia  Strobach,  Yakima,  202  North  Naches. 
Charity  Neflf,  Yakima,  Route  5. 
Mollie  Brown,  Yakima,  Route  5. 

— District  7 — Yakima  City  Schools — 
A.  C.  Davis,  Superintendent,  Yakima,  702  South  Nintli  Avenue. 
High  School 

F.  J.  Dollinger,  Principal,  Hotel  Savoy,  Yakima. 
Elizabeth  Prior,  210  North  Third  Street. 
Jennie  S.  Webster,  5  North  Seventh  Street. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  461 


Frances  H.  Galloway,  7  North  Naches  Avenue. 

Alfaretta  M.  Gregg,  102  South  Xaches  Avenue. 

Foster  H.  Kreis,  111  North  Naches  Avenue. 

Lynn  H.  Smith,  210>4  South  Seventh  Avenue. 

Alice  M.  Tenneson,  115  Park  Avenue. 

Efifie  S.  Klise,  7  North  N&ches  Avenue. 

Herbert  H.  Trueblood,  203  South  Fourth  Street. 

Anna  M.  Whitney,  308  South  Seventh  Avenue. 

Knute  Christensen,  12  North  Naches  Avenue. 

Mabel  C.  Moysey,  Yakima,  Route  4. 

Otto  P.  Ramsey,  417  North  Miles  Avenue. 

Leslie  S.  Rosser,  15  South  Sixth  Street. 

Ruth  F.  Johnson,  Yakima,  Route  3. 

C.  A.  Palmer,  624  South  Eighteenth  Avenue. 

C.  S.  Cole,  1213  West  Chestnut  Street. 

Lillian  D.  Wheeler,  102  South  Naches  Avenue. 

J.  Adella  Hermann,  308  North  Second  Street. 

Louise  S.  Bragdon,  412  East  B  Street. 

Marie  Sander,  412  East  B  Street. 

J.  S.  Staley,  1408  East  Yakima  Avenue. 

Tempie  Spaulding,  207  North  Sixth  Street. 

Irene  L.  Stewart,  Baker  Avenue. 

Alice  M.  Hodge,  7  North  Naches  Avenue. 

Zoe  A.  Shafer,  7  South  Naches  Avenue. 

Martin  B.  Hevly,  12  North  Naches  Avenue. 

Bertha  Wills,  3  North  Naches  Avenue. 

G.  Ottaiano,  217  South  Eighth  Street. 

Mrs.  Alice  I.  Howatt,  401  North  Fourth  Street. 

Lillian  B.  Sylvester,  402  North  Second  Street. 

James  G.  Bailie,  305  South  Sixth  Street. 

Arthur  C.  Pierce,  Grand  Hotel. 

Barge  School 
Lulu  Meeds,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  4. 
Effie  D.  Jones,  605  North  Third  Street. 
Grace  M.  Brock,  416  North  Second  Street. 
Blanche  L.  Sundiff,  111  North  Naches  Avenue. 
Nettie  Dunning,  401  North  Fourth  Street. 
Bessie  Richardson,  112  South  Eighth  Street. 
Mabel  Ruscher,  Baker  Avenue. 
Anna  M.  Crawford,  307  North  Second  Street. 
Alpha  Roberts,  409  North  Second  Street. 

Central  School 
Carolyn  S.  Young,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  7. 
Ruth  Childs,  Yakima,  Route  2. 
Elizabeth  Waldron,  305  South  Sixth  Street. 
Nina  E.  Irish,  303  South  Sixth  Street. 


462  HISTORY  OF  YAKniA  VALLEY 

Minnie  Noble,  705  East  A  Street. 
Nellie  McKinney,  12  North  Eleventh  Avenue. 
Pearl  L.  Weeber,  116  Park  Avenue. 
Myrtle  J.  Peile,  303  South  Sixth  Street. 
Anna  Mattel,  12  South  Naches  Avenue. 
Jean  Porter,  305  South  Sixth  Street. 
Emma  D.  Scholes,  Yakima,  Route  6. 

Columbia  School 
S.  W.  Ness,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  3. 
Annabelle  Tufts,  713  North  Fourth  Street. 
Frances  Aiken,  Nob  Hill. 

Edith  W.  Rundstrom,  310>^  South  Sixth  Street. 
Grace  G.  Shrader,  Grendview  Avenue. 
Ella  L.  McGill,  409  North  Second  Street. 
Sallie  Smith,  Yakima,  Route  7. 
Myrtle  Calkins,  610  Thirteenth  Avenue  South. 
Caroline  Sharp,  410  East  B  Street. 
L.  Pearle  Hibarger,  116  North  Naches  Avenue. 
Sarah  N.  Danforth,  7  South  Naches  Avenue. 
Louise  DeGraff,  1411  West  Yakima  Avenue. 

Fairview  School 
L.  Maud  Bowman,  Principal,  5  North  Seventh  Street. 
Bessie  A.  White,  114  North  Eighth  Street. 
Rose  Rogers,  15  South  Sixth  Street. 
Ruth  Galbraith,  210  North  Third  Street. 
Edna  Clyne,   114  South  Eighth  Street. 
Mary  H.  Mason,  313  South  Fourth  Street. 
Kathleen  Sainsbury,  Baker  Avenue. 
Edna  C.  Skinner,  5  North  Seventh  Street. 
Anna  C.  Hahn,  112  North  Third  Street. 

Garfield  School 
Mary  V.  Barton,  Principal,  1511  West  Chestnut  Street. 
Emma  B.  Horsley,  3  North  Naches  Avenue. 
Emma  Johnson,  407  North  Second  Street. 
Ethel  Miller,  Yakima,  Route  3. 

Lincoln  School 
Fanny  A.  Smyser,  Principal,  329  East  A  Street. 
Edna  J.  Hunt,  316  North  Second  Avenue. 
Ernestine  Corkery,  401A  North  Fourth  Street. 
Alice  Wilhelm,  610  North  Naches  Avenue. 
Grace  Hall,  316  North  Second  Avenue. 
Anna  M.  Quigley,  312  North  Fourth  Street. 
Sarah  P.  Forman,  117  North  Fourth  Street. 


TIETON    SCHOOL 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY  463 

McKinley  School 
Grace  E.  Bigford,  Principal,  705  South  Fourteenth  Avenue. 
Mary  E.  Keppel,  Yakima,  Route  7. 
Ida  Cawdry,  311  South  Tenth  Avenue. 
Ruth  Duncan,  16  South  Naches  Avenue. 
Anne  C.  Yenney,  610  South  Thirteenth  Avenue. 
Mabel  Bostad,  3  North  Naches  Avenue. 
Anna  Miller,  424  South  Sixteenth  Avenue. 
Daisy  Burkholder,  Nob  Hill. 
Sadie  Leppert,  111  North  Naches  Avenue. 
Leila  Sutherland,  404  South  Seventh  Avenue. 

Summit  Viezv  School 
Grace  Shannon,  Principal,  Yakima  Route  4. 
Kate  Hitz,  401   North  Fourth  Street. 
Irene  Peckham,  7  South  Eighth  Street. 
Mabel  Hough,  706  East  Yakima  Avenue. 
Ethel  Bartholomew,  116  North  Naches  Avenue. 
Allene  White,  510  North  Second  Street. 
Rose  Kochendorfer,  Yakima,  Route  2. 
Ella  M.  Bandy,  Baker  Avenue. 
Clara  White,  1 14  North  Eighth  Street. 

—District  8 — Armstrong  School — 
Inez  Decoto,  Yakima,  Route  7,  care  of  W.  C.  Cope. 

District  9 — Tampico  School — 
Elizabeth  Hess,  Yakima,  Route  5. 

—District   10— Cowiche  High  School- 
Virgil  F.  Adams,  Principal,  Cowiche,  Wash. 
Harriot  Pugsley,  Tieton,  care  J.  O.  Strand. 
Viola  Rockett,  Cowiche. 
Emily  Simmons,  Cowiche. 
Gretchen  Case,  Cowiche. 

— Rimrock    School — 
Claribel  Glidden,  Rimrock. 
Mrs.  Carrie  Millard,  Rimrock. 

— District   11 — Cowan  School — 
Helen  Mclver,  Selah,  Route  1. 

— District  14 — Tieton  School — 
I.  W.  Bowman,  Principal,  Tieton. 
Clara  Christiansen,  Tieton. 
Beulah  Nord,  Tieton. 
Corine  Culmsee,  Tieton. 


464  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

— District  15 — Cleman  School — 
Minnie  M.  Jewell,  Selah,  Route  1. 

— District  2-1 — Dorothy  School — 
Mary  L.  Ganders,  Mabton. 

— District  25 — Fruitvale  School — 
Mae  L.  Mark,  Principal,  Yakima,  Box  977. 
Mildred  Watts,  Yakima,  Route  3. 
Myrtle  Steele,  Fourth  Avenue,  N]orth. 
Jessie  Stuart,  Yakima,  R.  3,  care  Mrs.  Dickey. 

—District  26— Wide  Hollow  School— 
J.  K.  Busch,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  4. 
Mrs.  N.  Gothberg,  Yakima,  Route  4. 
Rosella  Hamilton,  Yakima,  Route  4. 
Margaret  Hamilton,  Yakima,  Route  4. 
Mary  Glaspey,  Yakima,  Route  4. 

—District  28— Nob  Hill  School- 
Fred  G.  Weller,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  2. 
Mrs.  E.  W.  Bell,  703  South  Fourteenth  Avenue. 
Eva  Mabry,  512  North  First  Street. 
Mina  Matterson,  Yakima,  Route  7. 
Mrs.  Irene  Beedle,  207  South  Eleventh  Avenue. 
Delia  Scott,  1408  West  Yakima  Avenue. 

—District  29— Niile  School- 
Ethel  Langvvorthy,  Naches. 

— District  31 — Liberty  School — 
C.  M.  Turner,  Principal,  Outlook,  Route  1. 
Ruth  Moore,  Outlook,  Route  1. 
Margaret  Bowen,  Outlook,  Route  1. 
Ethel  Price.  Outlook,  Route  1. 

— District  2>2 — Zillah  School — 
J.  F.  Hargreaves,  Superintendent,  Zillah. 
E.  M.  Douglass,  Zillah. 
Gertrude  Acheson,  Zillah. 
Helen  Dunn,  Zillah. 
Silva  Smith,  Zillah. 
Anna  M.  Bell.  Zillah. 
Frank  Robertson,  Zillah. 
Dorothy  Williams,  Zillah. 

— District  33 — South  Broadway  School— 
A.  C.  Blodgett,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  7. 
Mrs.  A.  C.  Blodgett,  Yakima,  Route  7. 
Marie  Pierson,  Yakima,  Route  7. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  465 

— District  34 — Outlook  School — 
Marius  Hansome,  Superintendent,  Outlook,  Box  205. 
Harriet  T.  Hansome,  Outlook,  Box  205. 
Gertrude  Duffy,  Outlook. 
F.  L.  Buchanan,  Outlook. 
Lydia  O.  Golinger,  Outlook. 
Cora  Middleton,  Outlook. 
Elizabeth  Everett,  Outlook,  care  Sam  Enoch. 
Fanny  L.  Grant,  Outlook. 
Hattie  Gemmell,  Outlook. 
Maude  Scheyer,  Outlook. 

— District  35 — Wanita  School — 
Rose  Munson,  Principal,  Grandview,  Route  1. 
Frances  O.  Dudley,  Grandview,  Route  I. 

— District  36 — Mabton  City  Schools — 

E.  F.  Hultgrann,  Superintendent,  Mabton. 

O.  H.  Billings,  Principal  High  School,  Mabton. 
Caroline  E.  Bailey,  Mabton. 
Anna  Steendahl,  Mabton. 
Erma  Olin,  Mabton. 

— Washington  School — 
Mrs.  Louise  Vanney,  Principal,  Mabton. 
Grace  Carrell,  Mabton. 
Martha  Tufts,  Mabton. 
Belle  A.  Piendl,  Mabton. 

— District  37 — Belma  School — 

F.  E.  Dilling,  Principal,  Grandview,  Route  2. 
Edna  Young,  Mabton. 

Lenore  Martin,  Mabton. 

—District  39— Selah  Schools— 
A.  L.  Thomsen,  Superintendent,  Selah,  Route  2. 
F.  G.  Murdock,  Principal  High  School,  Selah. 
K.  K.  Thompson,  Yakima,  7  South  Sixteenth  Avenue. 
Nancy  Neighbors,  Yakima,  308  North  Second  Street. 
Sadie  Dunlap,  Selah. 

Harry  Sharpe,  Yakima,  811  Fourteenth  Avenue,  South. 
F.  C.  Fogelquist,  Selah,  Route  2. 
Franc  DeGraff,  Yakima,  1411  West  Yakima  Avenue. 
Vera  O.  Barkley,  Yakima,  304  South  Twelfth  Avenue. 
Meda  Bessey.  Selah,  Route  2. 

Veva  Benham,  Yakima,  404  South  Seventh  Street. 
Rachael  Schmidt,  Yakima,  405  Cherry  Street. 
(30) 


466  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

— Selah  Heights— 
Isabelle  Newgard,  Selah,  R.  2,  care  Mr.  Gore. 
—Pleasant  Hill- 
Jennie  Shuman,  Naches. 

— Taylor — 
Grace  Anderson,  Selah. 

— Extension — 
Mrs.  Bessie  Norton,  Selah,  Route  2. 

— District  42 — Canyon  Castle  School — 
Edith  L.  Day,  Yakima,  Route  3,  Box  434. 

— District  49 — Toppenish  City  Schools- 
E.  T.  Robinson,  Toppenish. 

— High  School — 
D.  F.  Olds,  Principal,  Toppenish. 
M.  O.  Monroe,  Toppenish. 
Bessie  N.  Saxton,  Toppenish. 
Leota  Trimble,  Toppenish. 
Florence  L.  Grime,  Toppenish. 
Flora  B.  Salladay,  Toppenish. 
Magdalen  Scott,  Toppenish. 

— Lincoln  School — 
W.  H.  Scale,  Principal,  Toppenish. 
Emily  Smith,  Toppenish. 
Laura  M.  Sperber,  Toppenish. 
Maria  Yeaman,  Toppenish. 
Gertrude  Link,  Toppenish. 
Helen  Jenks,  Toppenish. 
Celia  Upham,  Toppenish. 
Ethel  M.  Lichty,  Toppenish. 

— Garfield  School — 
H.  W.  Ehlert,  Principal,  Toppenish. 
Etta  H.  Tregloan,  Toppenish. 
Maude  S.  Wight,  Toppenish. 
Lena  H.  Glenn,  Toppenish. 
Mrs.  B.  Grace  Melrose,  Toppenish. 
Zetta  M.  Gage,  Toppenish. 
Lula  M.  Brown,  Toppenish. 

— McKinley  School — 
W.  E.  Weir,  Toppenish. 
May  Weir,  Toppenish. 

— District  50 — Springdale  School — 
Ella  D.  King,  Principal,  Jonathan. 
J.  C.  Martin,  Zillah,  Route  1. 


LINCOLN   SCHOOL,   TOPPENI 


GARFIELD    SCHOOL,    TOP 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  467 

Lola  M.  Davis,  Jonathan. 
Grace  A.  White,  Jonathan. 
Bertha  Hevly,  Jonathan. 
Mary  Oakes,  Jonathan. 
OHve  Mackay,  Jonathan. 

— District  51 — Orchardvale  School — 
L.  M.  Rowe,  Principal,  Granger,  Route  1. 
Frances  Witte,  Granger,  Route  1. 
Ada  L.  Rowe,  Granger,  Route  L 

— District  52 — Wenas  School — 
Dehlia  Johnson,  Selah,  Route  1. 

— District  5^1 — Wapato  Schools — 
C.  F.  Shangle,  Superintendent,  Wapato. 

— High  School — 
C.  A.  Arpke,  Principal,  Wapato. 
Gladys  L.  Keyes,  Wapato. 
Blanche  Morris,  Wapato. 
Nell  Ross  Brown,  Wapato. 
A.  W.  Wheeler,  Wapato. 

— Central  School — 
H.  C.  Vesper,  Principal,  Wapato. 
Mary  Bennett,  Wapato. 
Ida  Perkins,  Wapato. 
Lucile  Lincoln,  Wapato. 
Jessie  M.  Cobb,  Wapato. 
Myrtle  Keefe,  Wapato. 
Hazel  Cobb,  Wapato. 
Jenny  Olson,  Wapato. 

— Harrah  School — 
F.  G.  Bennett,  Principal,  Wapato. 
Leanah  Bailey,  Harrah. 
Marion  Selleck,  Harrah. 

— Bradshaw  School — 
Mrs.  Graham  Moore,  Wapato. 

— Liberty  School — 
Verl  Bardwell,  Wapato. 

— Guyette  School — 
Cordelia  Howland,  Wapato. 

— Le  Roue  School — 
Noella  Gendron,  Toppenish. 
Mrs.  Zula  Baisden,  Special  Teacher  in  Art,  etc. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

—District  57— East  Selah  School— 
J.  F.  Martin,  Principal,  Pomona. 
Alice  Love  Smith,  Pomona. 

—District  61 — Donoho  School — 
Mae  McDougall,  Bickleton. 

— District  63 — Sunnyside  Schools — 
O.  W.  Hoffman,  Superintendent,  Sunnyside. 

— -High  School — 
A.  O.  Rader,  Principal,  Sunnyside. 
Harriet  B.  Merritt,  Sunnyside. 
Virginia  Baker,  Sunnyside. 
Mabel  Treasher,  Sunnyside. 
Ruth  Dice,  Sunnyside. 
Enoch  Torpen,  Sunnyside. 
Martin  Brandon,  Sunnyside. 
Ethel  McAssey,  Sunnyside. 
Dorothy  Strachan,  Sunnyside. 

— Departmental — 
li.  C.  Hiches,  Principal,  Sunnyside. 
Mrs.  H.  C.  Hiches,  Sunnyside. 
Ethel  Scott,  Sunnyside. 

— Denny  Blaine — 
Avery  Walter,  Principal,  Sunnyside. 
Florence  Pratt,  Sunnyside. 
Mary  Brown,  Sunnyside. 
Winifred  Thomas,  Sunnyside. 
Grace -Moore,  Sunnyside. 
Eva  Scott  Nichoson,  Sunnyside. 
Verone  Schvvalbe,  Sunnyside. 
Lillabelle  Scott,  Sunnyside. 

— Washington  School — 
M.  A.  Thompson,  Sunnyside. 
Celia  Thompson,  Sunnyside. 
Beryl  Ring,  Sunnyside. 

— Maple  Grove  School — 
Forest  Bredon,  Sunnyside. 
Margaret  Chambers,  Sunnyside. 
Grace  Snyder,  Sunnyside. 

—Orchard  Ridges  School — 
Frances  Mcintosh,  Sunnyside. 


1 

. 

'**^2^**^ 

&^ 

1 

HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  469 

— Emerson  School — 
Ruth  Larson,  Sunnyside. 
Mary  I.  Stanyar,  Sunnyside. 

—District  67— Wheatland  School- 
Mrs.  Ray  R.  Colby,  Mabton,  Box  327. 

— District  7i — Small  School — 
Winifred  Howard,  Mabton. 

— District  7A — Lower  Tampico  School — 
Olivia  Eschbach,  Yakima,  Route  5. 

—District  78— Wilson  School- 
Helen  Schonhard,  Mabton,  Wash. 

— District  81 — Grandview  Schools — 
A.  C.  Kellogg,  Superintendent,  Grandview. 

— Central  School — 
D.  M.  Callaghan,  Principal,  Grandview. 
Mrs.  Harriet  Stow,  Grandview. 
Mildred  Robinson,  Grandview. 
Rosa  N.  Drew,  Grandview. 
H.  Kenneth  Ramnley,  Grandview. 
William  H.  Boyd,  Grandview. 
Anna  Corney,  Grandview. 
Ethel  Baker,  Grandview. 
Helen  Davidson,  Grandview. 
Luella  E.  Squibb,  Grandview. 
Nellie  Beck,  Grandview. 
Mary  Grant,  Grandview. 

— Euclid  School — 
Jennie  Rose,  Grandview. 
Jean  Ewart,  Grandview. 

— Bethany  School — 
Amelia  Johnson,  Grandview. 
Clara  Behnke,  Grandview. 

—District  82— Wheatland  School— 
L.  Fern  Brown,  Sunnyside. 

— District  84 — Pleasant  Valley  School — 
Nina  Pontius,  Yakima,  Box  1324. 

— District  85 — Spring  Creek  School — 
Lillian  A.  Graham,  Yakima,  Box  265. 

—District  86— East  Parker  School- 
Clara  M.  Johnson,  Wapato,  Route  2. 


470  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

— District  87 — Byron  School — 
J.  G.  Hill,  Byron. 

—District  88— White  Swan  School— 
C.  A.  Payne,  Principal,  White  Swan. 
Mrs.  Camilla  Payne,  White  Swan. 
Clara  Gordon,  White  Swan. 
Nina  Stearns,  White  Swan. 
Margaret  Row,  White  Swan. 

— District  89 — Lower  Niaches  High  School — 
W.  P.  Tyler,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  6. 
Lolo  L.  Cox,  315  North  Third  Avenue. 
Marianne  King,  308  North  Second  Street. 
Miriam  Moody,  308  North  Second  Street. 
Victoria  Tonnemaker,  Yakima,  General  Delivery. 
Helen  Marion,  315  North  Third  Avenue. 

— Central  School — 
Clare  L.  Martin,  301  South  Third  Street. 

— Dobie  School — 
Grace  Folsom,  Yakima,  Route  6. 

— Gleed  School — 
Genie  Berard,  707  North  First  Street. 

— District  90 — Moxee  Consolidated  Schools^ 
Arthur  L.  Larsen,  Superintendent,  Yakima,  Route  \. 

— Central  School — 
John  G.  Gaiser,  Principal,  Yakima,  Route  I. 
Guy  W.  Thompson,  Yakima,  Route  1. 
Mrs.  Beryl  Bruff,  Yakima,  501  South  Seventh  Avenue. 
Lena  Getsch,  Yakima,  Route  I. 
Audrey  Burtch,  Yakima,  Route  1. 
Sallie  Walker,  Moxee  City. 
R.  L.  Dailey,  Moxee  City. 

— Terrace  Heights — 
Ettie  Bruff,  Yakima,  501  South  Seventh  Avenue. 

— Riverside  School — 
Mrs.  Lucile  Needham,  Yakima,  Route  1. 

— Old  Moxee  School — 
Alle  Miller,  Yakima,  Route  1. 

— French  School — 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Morris,  Yakima,  501   South  Seventh  Avenue. 


riHLir   SCHOOL,   GRAXDVIEW 


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•Mi.,  I,T 


tmM 


HIGH    SCHOOL,   GRAXDVIEW 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  471 

— Moxee  City  School — 
Lulu  Thompson,  Yakima,  Route  1. 

— Artesia — 
Sally  Walker,  Moxee  City. 

—Black  Rock- 
Grace  Shaw,  Moxee  City. 
Elsie  Ainslie,  Moxee  City. 

— District  91 — Naches  City  School — 
J.  M.  Campbell,  Superintendent,  Niches. 
John  E.  Gabrielson,  Naches. 
Mabel  E.  Meyer,  Naches. 
Mrs.  Sue  Potter,  Naches. 
Verona  Armbruster,  Naches. 
Myra  R.  Harrold,  Naches. 
Mildred  L.  Campbell,  Naches. 
Olive  Jackson,  Naches. 

—District  92— Wendell  Phillips  Consolidated  Schools— 

E.  L.  Nichols,  Superintendent,  Sunnyside,  Route  1. 
J.  B.  Hergesheimer,  Sunnyside,  Route  1. 

Beatrice  H.  Carpenter,  Sunnyside,  Route  I. 
Laura  Sisson,  Sunnyside,  Route  I. 
Ella  Hood,  Sunnyside,  Route  1. 

— Green  Valley  School — 
Elda  Pratt,  Mabton,  Route  L 

— Riverside  School — 
Frankie  Dinsmore,  Sunnyside,  Route  1. 

— District  93— Upper  Wenas  School — 
Cecile  Burge,  Wenas. 

— Umptanum  School — 
Esther  Simmonds,  Ellensburg. 

— District  94 — Granger  Schools — 

F.  W.  Griffiths,  Superintendent  and  Principal  High  School,  Granger. 
A.  Eleanor  Schlots,  Granger. 

Frances  W.  Carlton,  Granger. 

— Central  Building — 
Irvin  D.  Latham,  Granger. 
Marie  Maddox,  Granger. 
Ruth  A.  Spencer,  Granger. 
Dorothy  de  la  Pole,  Granger. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

—Alfalfa  School— 
J.  A.  Winspear,  Alfalfa. 

— Satus  School — 
Erma  Northern,  Satus. 

— District  96 — Wiley  City  School — 
Mrs.  Grace  Oliver,  Wiley  City. 
Miss  Katherine  Foster,  Wiley  City. 

— District  97 — Priest  Rapids  School — 
Eleanor  Korth,  Priest  Rapids. 

— District  98 — Lincoln  School — 
Clara  M.  Vinup,  Principal,  Granger. 
Stella  Price,  Granger. 

— District  99 — Marcus  Whitman  School — 
Mrs.  Annie  Wilkins,  Naches. 

—District  100— Parker  School— 
C.  C.  Vesper,  Union  Gap. 
Viola  Lincoln,  Yakima. 
Florence  Oliver,  Selah. 

— District  101— South  Naches  School — 
Susie  Pickett,  Naches,  Route  1. 

— District  102— Mt.  Clemans  School — 
Gladys  Johnson,  Naches. 

— District  103 — Oak  Creek  School — 
Mrs.  Helen  T.  Bent,  Naches. 

— District  10^ — Plain  View  School — 
Mary  Geneva  Martin,  Mabton. 

— District  105 — Alkali  Canyon  School — 
Emma  Haviland,  Yakima. 

— District  106 — Tietonview  School — 
Martha  B.  Douglas,  Yakima,  Route  2. 
Catherine  Cowan,  Yakima,  Route  2. 

— Cottonwood   School — 
Verna  Eastman,  Harwood. 

— Willow  Lawn  School — 
Ina  Wright,  Yakima,  Route  2. 


ST.   PAUL'S   PAROCHIAL  SCHOOL,   YAKIMA 


— -^^fil^      -^^^ 


ST.   f^LIZABKTirS   HOSPITAL,  YAKIMA 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  475 


PRIVATE  SCHOOLS 


As  noted  before  the  private  schools  of  Yakima  County  consist  at  the  present 
time  mainly  of  a  group  of  schools  under  the  management  of  the  Catholic  de- 
nomination. 

As  given  in  the  county  superintendent's  report  these  schools  are  as  follows : 

Marquette  College  for  boys  of  academic  grade,  in  charge  of  Fathers  Buschore 
and  Brustin ;  St.  Joseph's  Academy,  in  charge  of  Sister  Joseph  of  Nazareth,  with 
Father  Armstrong;  St.  Paul's  Parochial  School,  in  charge  of  Sister  Mary 
Alphonsa.  All  the  above  are  in  Yakima.  Marquette  College  has  a  splendid 
stone  building,  the  erection  of  which  in  1910  was  largely  due  to  the  energy  and 
vision  of  Father  Conrad  Brustin,  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church.  Father 
Brustin,  a  native  of  Germany,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1889,  and  after  a 
varied  experience  as  student,  pastor,  and  teacher  in  St.  Louis,  Spokane,  St.  Regis 
Mission  at  Colville,  and  Seattle,  he  came  to  Yakima  as  pa.=tor  of  St.  Joseph's 
Church  in  1904.  Marquette  College  gives  instruction  from  fifth  grade  work  up 
to  the  high  school  and  has  a  present  attendance  of  eighty-five. 

St.  Joseph's  Academy  for  girls  was  established  in  the  early  days  of  1887  as 
an  Indian  school,  but  became  entirely  a  white  school  within  a  few  years.  It,  like 
Marquette  College,  is  splendidly  housed  and  equipped  and  in  a  position  to  impart 
high-grade  instruction,  especially  in  the  lines  of  music,  art,  and  language.  The 
enrollment  of  the  past  year  shows  three  hundred  pupils.  At  Moxee  City  there 
is  a  Catholic  school,  the  Holy  Rosary,  in  charge  of  Sister  Catherine. 

There  is  a  Seventh  Day  Adventist  school  at  Yakima  in  charge  of  R.  F.  Beail 
and  Lucy  Andrews. 

There  has  been  maintained  for  a  number  of  years  an  excellent  Kindergarten 
school  by  Alice  B.  Scudder. 

We  find  also  a  school  promoted  by  St.  Paul's  Lutheran  Church,  in  charge  of 
O.  M.  Mantey.  Besides  the  above  private  schools  we  find  in  the  Xaches  Valley 
{lie  Locust  Grove  Intermediate  School  in  charge  of  C.  S.  Channing  and  L.  I. 
Stiles.  At  Ft.  Simcoe  is  the  Government  Indian  School,  in  general  charge  of 
the  agent,  Donn  M.  Carr. 

The  Yakima  Business  College  is  one  of  the  notable  institutions  of  Yakima, 
and  in  its  field  is  one  of  the  leaders  in  eastern  Washington.  The  manager  and 
proprietor  is  Professor  S.  Van  Vleet.  This  accomplished  educator  came  from 
Aurora,  N.  Y.,  to  Yakima  in  1906.  He  established  the  business  college  soon  after 
his  arrival,  conducting  it  in  the  Union  Block  for  six  years.  It  has  been  for 
nearly  six  years  in  its  present  quarters  in  the  Clogg  Building.  The  usual  number 
of  students  is  150,  varying  a  good  deal,  as  business  colleges  are  apt  to,  with  the 
season  and  the  opportunities  for  employment  for  the  pupils.  The  constant  de- 
mand for  stenographers,  typewriters,  and  well  instructed  bookkeepers  is  met  to 
considerable  degree  by  Professor  Van  Vleet's  pupils,  and  thus  it  has  become  one 
of  the  business  necessities  and  assets  of  Yakima. 

In  many  respects  the  most  interesting  private  school  from  the  historical 
viewpoint  is  Woodcock  Academy,  well  known  to  all  pioneers.  It  was  located 
on  the  Athanum,  and  was  one  of  the  genuine  pioneer  academies,  of  the  New 
England  type.     After  serving  a  most  useful  purpose  for  a  number  of  years,  it 


474  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

became  clear  to  the  founders  that  the  development  of  the  high  school  idea 
characteristic  of  all  western  communities  was  such  as  to  supplant  the  private 
academy,  and  in  fact  make  it  unnecessary  by  fulfilling  its  educational  aims. 
While  the  high  schools  do  not  and  can  not  perform  the  religious  functions  which 
so  largely  engaged  the  motives  of  the  builders  of  denominational  institutions,  they 
have  taken  their  places  throughout  the  west,  with  the  exception  of  preparatory 
institutions  maintained  by  the  Catholic,  Episcopalian,  Adventist  and  Lutheran 
denominations.  Woodcock  Academy,  like  other  Congregational  academies  in  the 
state,  became  merged  into  the  public  school  system  of  its  locality.  This  academy 
held  such  a  unique  place  in  the  historj'  of  the  beautiful  Ahtanum  country  that 
we  are  fortunate  in  being  able  to  include  here  an  account  of  it  by  a  well  known 
citizen  of  Yakima,  best  qualified  to  do  this,  Mr.  Ernest  Woodcock. 

WOODCOCK  ACADEMY 

More  than  thirty-five  years  ago.  Dr.  G.  H.  Atkinson,  superintendent  of  Con- 
gregational work  in  Washington  and  Oregon,  and  a  well  known  pioneer,  urged 
the  establishment  of  a  Christian  school  in  the  Yakima  Valley,  and  suggested  the 
Ahtanum  Valley  as  the  most  suitable  location.  His  plans  were  warmly  seconded 
by  Deacon  Elisha  S.  Tanner  and  Deacon  Fenn  B.  Woodcock.  Only  the  last 
named  gentleman  lived  to  see  the  realization  of  the  long  cherished  plan. 

In  the  Fall  of  1889  the  Yakima  Association  of  Congregational  Churches  took 
up  the  matter  and  appointed  a  committee  to  receive  ofifers  of  money  and  land  for 
an  academy  to  be  located  within  the  bounds  of  the  Association,  at  the  point  giving 
the  most  encouragement.  Ellensburg,  North  Yakima,  and  Ahtanum  made  offers 
for  this  institution.  These  oft'ers  were  presented  at  the  meeting  of  the  asso- 
ciation in  the  Spring  of  1890.  That  of  Ahtanum  was  most  encouraging.  Sixty 
acres  of  good  land  was  oflfered  by  Fenn  B.  Woodcock  and  wife,  and  a  subscrip- 
tion in  money  and  labor  amounting  to  about  three  thousand  dollars  accompanied 
the  ofifer  of  land. 

The  association  voted  its  hearty  approval  of  the  proposition  to  found  such 
an  institution  and  approved  of  its  location  in  the  Ahtanum  Valley.  The  follow- 
ing board  of  trustees  was  secured  and  incorporated  in  1890:  Hon.  R.  K.  Nichols, 
president;  Rev.  S.  H.  Cheadle,  secretary;  Fenn  B.  Woodcock,  treasurer;  Rev. 
Samuel  Greene,  Rev.  Frank  T.  McConaughy,  Hon.  D.  W.  Stair,  Mr.  John  Cowan, 
Captain  J.  H.  Thomas  and  Dan  W.  Nelson.  In  the  carrying  out  of  their  trust, 
the  Ahtanum  Academy  was  completed  and  opened  for  school  in  September,  1892. 
In  January,  1897,  its  chief  founder,  Fenn  B.  Woodcock,  was  taken  to  his  rest, 
and  the  trustees  voted  to  commemorate  his  name  by  changing  the  corporate  name 
of  Ahtanum  Academy  to  that  of  Woodcock  Academy.  The  institution  was  car- 
ried on  for  thirteen  years.  During  this  time  the  following  were  principals: 
William  Heiney,  Frank  McCanaughy,  N.  P.  Hull,  J.  M.  Richardson,  O.  C.  Palmer, 
W.  L.  Dawson,  Rosine  M.  Edwards,  Ernest  Woodcock.  The  institution  had 
boarding  accommodations  and  was  well  attended.  Students  came  from  Yakima 
and  the  surrounding  valleys,  and  some  from  outside  the  state. 

At  the  present  time  the  only  thing  about  the  academy  of  worth  is  a  memory 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  Valley.     The  institution  had  its  day  and  did 


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JaM^^jB^^ 

WOODCOCK  ACADEMY,  AHTANUM 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  A'ALLEY  475 

a  good  work.  It  was  the  expression  of  Fenn  B.  Woodcock,  who  came  here 
from  Williamstown,  Massachusetts,  and  whose  home  was  near  Williams  Col- 
lege. So  when  the  opportunity  offered  it  was  natural  for  him  to  want  this  thing 
for  his  own  community.  He  carried  a  subscription  paper  with  him.  He  was 
not  a  public  speaker,  but  he  could  talk  to  one  or  two  people  at  a  time  on  the 
subject  of  academy  with  good  results.  It  was  his  attorney,  the  Hon.  W.  L.  Jones, 
who  got  up  all  the  legal  papers  in  connection  with  the  institution.  He  began  to 
talk  of  an  eight  thousand  dollar  building  and  equipment.  It  was  some  under- 
taking and  his  neighbors  wondered  how  he  was  going  to  do  it,  for  up, to  that  time 
a  six  hundred  dollar  public  school  building  and  a  two  thousand  dollar  church  was 
the  limit  in  the  way  of  construction  at  Ahtanum.  From  the  time  the  institution 
was  located  he  was  on  the  job  continually,  buying  supplies,  hiring  men,  paying 
bills.  He  was  out  of  debt  when  the  academy  started,  and  was  almost  broke 
when  he  died. 

Rev.  A.  J.  Bailey,  Rev.  Samuel  Green,  Rev.  S.  H.  Cheadle  and  Rev.  Frank 
McConaughy  devoted  their  untiring  energies  to  its  development.  During  the 
principalship  of  N.  P.  Hull  a  very  successful  Summer  school  was  held  at  the 
academy,  which  almost  every  teacher  in  Yakima  County  attended. 

During  the  last  five  or  six  years  the  instructors  were  largely  from  Whitman 
College :  Rosine  Edwards,  Mary  Dixon,  Lovina  Sherman  Wiley,  Ernest  Wood- 
cock, Etha  Woodcock,  Martha  Wiley,  Ollie  Crosno.  Often  their  salaries  were 
small  compared  to  what  they  could  have  had  elsewhere,  but  they  felt  that  the 
institution  needed  them. 

Senator  W.  L.  Jones  on  one  occasion  delivered  the  commencement  address. 
He  said  in  part:  "I  consider  it  a  great  honor  and  privilege  to  have  known 
intimately  Fenn  B.  Woodcock.  He  was  not  what  the  world  calls  great.  He 
made  no  pretentions  to  greatness.  To  him  right  living  was  the  supreme  motive 
of  his  life.  To  use  his  time,  his  energj'  and  his  means  to  elevate  the  world  in 
which  he  lived  was  his  great  purpose.  He  was  industrious  and  frugal.  He  was 
earnest  and  modest.  He  was  a  soldier  of  his  country.  Of  this  he  boasted  not. 
He  had  only  done  his  duty.  He  was  tndy  great  and  one  of  that  citizenship  that 
makes  this  nation  great.  This  institution  is  an  emanation  from  the  noble  nature 
of  this  man  and  those  of  this  community  like  him.  It  is  the  offspring  of  love 
and  the  product  of  individual  labor  and  sacrifice.  The  mere  establishment  of 
this  institution  is  but  little.  There  is  nothing  particularly  inspiring  about  that. 
There  are  no  great  buildings ;  there  is  no  great  concourse  of  students.  The  cir- 
cumstances of  its  establishment  constitute  its  worth ;  are  the  precious  jewels  in 
the  setting.  It  is  an  easy  thing  for  Carnegie  or  Rockefeller  to  establish  a  library 
or  endow  a  college.  If  we  had  their  wealth  we  could  do  the  same  with  just  as 
little  effort  and  just  as  little  sacrifice.  Did  you  ever  think  that  there  is  very 
little  real  worth  to  a  gift  that  does  not  involve  some  personal  sacrifice?  Yet  it 
is  so.  What  does  it  cost  Carnegie  to  found  a  library  or  Rockefeller  to  endow  a 
college?  Nothing.  They  make  no  sacrifice.  It  costs  the  mno  suffering,  no 
worry,  no  sleepless  nights ;  they  draw  a  check.  The  money  goes.  They  do  not 
miss  it,  they  think  no  more  about  it.  Not  so  with  Fenn  B.  Woodcock  and  those 
who  cooperated  with  him.     He  had  nothing  but  his  farm.     No,  that  was  not  all. 


476  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

He  had  also  determination  to  do  something  for  humanity  at  whatever  cost  or 
sacrifice.  The  founding  of  this  academy  was  determined  upon.  The  opportunities 
for  a  better  education  must  be  provided  for  the  boys  and  girls  of  this  community. 
There  was  no  large  bank  account  to  draw  against  and  yet  money  was  necessary 
to  erect  a  building  and  hire  teachers.  Farms  were  mortgaged  that  the  money 
might  be  forthcoming.  Mr.  Woodcock  mortgaged  his  farm.  The  mortgage 
must  be  paid.  How?  By  daily  toil  and  the  strictest  economy  and  by  daily  sac- 
rifice. Comforts  that  would  have  made  life  more  pleasant  were  not  enjoyed 
that  the  little  store  to  pay  ofi  the  mortgage  might  be  increased.  Yes,  indeed ; 
it  meant  something  to  him  and  his  family  and  to  those  who  cooperated  with  him 
to  establish  this  institution.  They  counted  the  cost,  they  knew  what  it  meant, 
but  they  made  the  sacrifice  cheerfully  and  willingly.  Hard  times  came  on.  We 
all  know  what  they  are.  We  have  not  yet  forgotten.  There  was  no  complaint. 
The  cost  had  been  counted.  The  toiling  and  sacrificing  went  on  cheerfully  and 
uncomplainingly.  Other  mortgages  were  put  on.  Greater  sacrifices  were  re- 
quired. Harder  toil  was  endured  that  the  institution  might  be  sustained.  Be- 
side such  unselfish  sacrifices  and  such  unremitting  toil  how  insignificant  appear 
the  gifts  of  those  multimillionaires.  How  noble  the  work.  How  heroic  the 
struggle.  How  precious  is  the  gift.  What  an  incentive  to  a  higher,  nobler  life." 
Like  most  of  the  other  denominational  academies  of  the  state,  this  institu- 
tion gave  way  to  the  public  high  school.  The  old  building  at  Ahtanum  at  the 
present  time  is  doing  its  bit  in  the  world's  greatest  war  as  headquarters  of  the 
Ahtanum  Auxiliary  of  the  Red  Cross. 

FENN  B.  WOODCOCK 

One  of  the  genuine  builders  of  all  that  has  been  of  the  best  in  the  business, 
in  the  intellectual,  the  social  and  the  religious  life  of  early  Yakima,  was  Fenn  B. 
Woodcock.  And  with  him  in  labor,  and  faith,  and  achievement,  history  must 
preserve  the  name  of  his  wife,  Frances  E.  Taylor  Woodcock,  who  with  him  laid 
enduring  foundations  upon  the  Ahtanum,  which  are  worthily  maintained  by  the 
son,  Ernest  Woodcock,  now  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Yakima. 

Fenn  B.  Woodcock  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1834.  Mrs.  Woodcock 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut.  Both  were  descended  from  a  long  line  of  New 
England  ancestry,  Mr.  Woodcock  tracing  his  lineage  to  John  Woodcock  who 
came  from  England  in  1635. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodcock  had  the  best  of  early  education,  both  being 
graduates  of  Hines  College,  Connecticut.  Both  engaged  for  a  number  of  years 
in  the  profession  of  teaching. 

Mr.  Woodcock  felt  the  lure  of  the  great  west,  which  drew  so  many  of  the 
active  spirits  of  the  older  states,  and  in  1857  he  removed  to  Minnesota.  There 
he  engaged  for  four  years  in  farming.  With  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he, 
like  most  of  the  young  men  of  the  country,  heard  the  call  for  service  in  the 
preservation  of  the  Union,  and  responded  to  President  Lincoln's  first  summons 
for  a  volunteer  army,  and  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Minnesota  Infantry.  His 
service  continued  throughout  the   four  years  of  the  war  and  he  bore  his  part 


iinbt  and  ye 
.s  were  mo;., 

irtgaged    his    Uirni.     The      ■ 
strictest  economy  and  by  >i; 
e  more  pleasant  were  no 
might  be  increased.     Ye 
.  to  those  who  cooperated 

?t,  they  l-new  what  ii  nic.:. 

Hard  times  came  on.    '^N 

■n.    There  was  no  complair 

i^cing  went  on  cheerfully  vir 

Greater  sacrifices  were  r^ 

on  might  be  sustained.     !;• 

foil  how  insignificant  ^npc- 

>  ..rk.    How  h 

T  higher,  noi 


FENN  B 
One  of  the  genuine  builders  of  ;:' 


•  111 

1  the  busine; 

ar-niia, 

wa^  c-.,.,- 

vement. 

hi?i 

who 

\vifh 

.vHiil.er  of  y,-.i- 

-o  many  of  thv 
a-  •  nesota.     There 

he  .    ,  r:.-n  Wnr  h' 

like  rnnst  ot   ih  _ 
preservation  of  :' 

i,,r      n      ^'^>luntee^       i..;      .      .^.iu  .>-^c      ,i       liil,l..'.y. 

itinued  throughou:  rmd  he  bore  his  pa, 


Je^v-xy^      J^^    yJ^ni-rJ  <^^7  <?''. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  477 

in  some  of  the  greatest  battles  of  the  war,  as  Vicksburg  aad  the  inarch  through 
Georgia  to  the  sea. 

Upon  the  expiration  of  the  war  Mr.  Woodcock  returned  to  Minnesota,  where 
he  resumed  farming  operations.  In  1871  he  returned  with  Mrs.  Woodcock  and 
their  two  sons,  Charles  and  Ernest,  both  bom  in  Minnesota,  to  his  old  home 
near  Williamstown,  Massachusetts.  There  he  remained  engaged  in  farming  for 
six  years.  During  all  that  time  he  was  craving  a  location  in  the  west  with  its 
wider  opportunities  and  freer  conditions.  A  visit  to  the  Philadelphia  exposition 
in  1876,  where  he  saw  the  products  of  the  Pacific  Northwest,  led  him  to  the 
decision  that  Oregon  or  Washington  was  the  place  for  him.  His  first  tentative 
location  in  1877  was  Forest  Grove,  Oregon,  but  within  a  lew  months  he  sought 
a  permanent  place  on  Puget  Sound.  A  colony  of  people  connected  with  the 
Congregational  church  was  just  then  in  process  of  establishment  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Skagit  river  and  Mr.  Woodcock  joined  himself  to  the  company  for  a  time. 

The  tremendous  difficulties  of  reclaiming  the  land  from  the  huge  timber 
and  entangling  undergrowth  induced  him  to  make  inquiries  in  regard  to  the  new 
lands  east  of  the  Cascade  mountains.  Mrs.  Woodcock,  when  a  girl,  had  known 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  S.  Tanner,  who  had  immigrated  to  Oregon  in  early  days  and 
who  had  located  on  the  Ahtanum  in  the  early  seventies.  With  a  view  to  another 
location,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodcock  entered  into  correspondence  with  Mr.  Tanner, 
as  a  result  of  which  they  went  to  the  Ahtanum  in  October,  1878.  They  there 
established  their  permanent  home.  Mr.  Woodcock  acquired  a  large  body  of 
land  and  entered  into  the  stock  business.  Of  the  noble  part  which  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Woodcock  bore  in  all  the  activities  of  the  growing  region,  many  now  living  can 
testify. 

Mr.  Woodcock  was  a  versatile  man  and  his  energy  and  philanthropy  were 
manifested  in  many  directions.  During  his  first  winter  in  Yakima  he  taught  the 
school  in  old  Yakima,  in  the  little  one  room  structure  of  ihe  first  days.  In  1879 
he,  in  conjunction  with  Messrs.  Shipley  and  Bailey  of  Forest  Grove,  Oregon, 
appraised  the  lands  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  in  Yakima  and  Kittitas 
counties.  Two  months  were  devoted  to  this  work,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
examination  they  made  a  very  optimistic  report,  especially  as  to  the  lands  of  what 
was  then  known  as  "Lower  Yakima,"  that  is,  below  Union  Gap.  The  great 
possibilities  in  that  section,  now  so  abundantly  fulfilled,  were  clearly  forecast  by 
Mr.  Woodcock  and  his  associates. 

Mr.  Woodcock  was  one  of  the  original  incorporators  of  the  joint  stock 
company  which  established  the  first,  in  fact,  the  only,  flouring  mill  in  North 
Yakima.  The  mill  was  so  successful  and  the  stock  reached  so  high  a  figure 
within  a  year  that  Mr.  Woodcock  sold  his  shares. 

We  have  given  under  other  captions  the  history  of  Mr.  Woodcock's  share 
in  building  the  Ahtanum  church  and  the  Ahtanum  academy,  subsequently  and 
fittingly  known  as  Woodcock  Academy.  The  academy  was  indeed  his  most  dis- 
tinctive monument.  Although  conditions  led  to  the  final  absorption  of  the 
academy  by  the  public  school  system,  the  outlay  of  time  and  labor  and  money 
which  Mr.  Woodcock  and  his  family  so  devotedly  and  unselfislily  made  was  by 
no  means  lost.     The  academy  fulfilled  a  great  mission  in  upbuilding  the  educa- 


478  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

tional  forces  of  the  community,  it  left  a  precious  heritage  to  the  Ahtanum,  and 
the  building  is  now  a  rallying  point  for  every  sort  of  progressive  and  patriotic 
enterprise. 

Mr.  Woodcock's  family  consisted  of  the  two  sons  already  named.  The 
elder,  Charles,  died  February  25,  1890. 

The  younger,  Ernest,  is  engaged  in  several  forms  of  active  business  enterprise 
with  his  office  in  Yakima.  His  home,  however,  is  one  of  the  old  places  of  Ahtanum. 
His  mother,  still  in  vigorous  health,  lives  in  the  beautiful  home  of  her  son,  and 
it  is  indeed  one  of  the  fitting  examples  of  due  recompense  in  this  world  that 
Madam  Woodcock,  after  her  years  of  pioneer  toil  and  deprivation,  is  now  sur- 
rounded by  all  the  comforts  of  modern  life. 

Mr.  Woodcock,  while  still  in  the  greatest  activity  and  at  an  age  when 
he  might  have  expected  many  more  years  of  service,  reached  the  limit  of  life  on 
January  25,  1897. 

In  his  passing  on  it  may  be  truly  said  that  the  Yakima  lost  one  of  her  ablest 
builders  and  one  of  her  noblest  men.  Of  him,  as  of  many  whose  lives  we  arc 
here  recording,  it  may  be  said,  "His  works  do  follow  him." 

THE  CHURCHES 

The  Yakima  churches  sprung  to  some  degree  from  the  Missionary  age.  In 
an  earlier  chapter  devoted  wholly  to  that  heroic  age  we  traced  the  passage  over 
from  the  missions  to  the  modern  churche?.  As  noted  in  missionar>'  history  the 
Catholic  Church  was  especially  prominent  in  Yakima.  St.  Joseph's  Catholic 
Church  grew  out  of  the  mission  on  the  Ahtanum.  It  was  founded  on  the  site 
of  the  old  mission  in  1871.  Two  years  later  a  new  organization  was  made  at 
Yakima  City.  In  1885  the  church  was  moved  to  North  Yakima.  With  it  went 
the  main  body  of  members.  In  1905  the  present  magnificent  stone  edifice  was 
erected,  perhaps  the  finest  of  the  several  fine  houses  of  worship  for  which  Yakima 
is  conspicuous.  Upon  the  completion  of  the  new  building  ihe  former,  which  had 
come  up  from  Yakima  City,  was  utilized  for  Marquette  College,  until  the  erec- 
tion of  the  school  building  in  1910.  A  notable  auxiliary  of  the  church  is  St. 
Joseph's  Hospital.  This  was  established  in  1889,  and  in  1913  a  splendid  hospital 
building  was  built  and  equipped  with  the  finest  appliances  and  with  efficient 
nurses.  St.  Joseph's  Parish  numbers  fourteen  hundred  members,  being  the 
largest  church  membership  in  central  Washington,  and,  outside  of  Spokane,  the 
largest  in  the  Inland  Empire. 

Although  St.  Joseph's  Church  is  the  oldest  in  the  city,  it  antedated  but 
slightly  the  Congregational  Church  on  the  Ahtanum.  That  oldest  of  all  the 
Protestant  churches  of  Yakima  after  the  missionary  era  recently  celebrated  its 
forty-fifth  anniversary.  So  much  of  interesting  history  gathers  around  the  rec- 
ords of  that  pioneer  church  that  we  know  many  readers  will  be  glad  to  read  an 
article  prepared  by  Mrs.  Frances  E.  Woodcock,  who  with  her  husband,  Fenn  B. 
Woodcock,  came  to  the  Ahtanum  in  1877.  Mr.  Woodcock  died  in  1897,  and  Mrs. 
Woodcock  is  still  living  at  the  beautiful  residence  of  her  son  upon  the  home  place. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodcock  were  known  to  all  old-timers  as  among  the  foremost  of 
the  builders  of  the  Valley.  They  reached  the  Ahtanum  four  years  after  the  found- 


PRKSBYTKRIAX     Cin'RCIl,    YAKIMA 


lOsKl'JIS   CATHOLIC   CllUKCU    AM'   rAIJSOXA' 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  479 

ing  of  the  church  and  did  their  part  nobly  both  in  church  and  secular  affairs. 
The  founders  of  the  church,  however,  were  the  members  of  one  of  the  noblest 
and  best  of  the  pioneer  families  of  old  Yakima.  These  were  Elisha  S.  Tanner 
and  his  family.  At  the  forty-fifth  anniversary  referred  to  above,  an  article 
prepared  some  years  earlier  by  Mrs.  M.  A.  Elliott  of  Walla  Walla  was  read. 
This  article  gives  so  clearly  some  of  the  essential  facts  about  not  only  the  church, 
but  the  pioneer  days  that  we  are  including  here  a  number  of  extracts. 

This  paper  was  prepared  for  the  Woman's  Missionary  Meeting  at  the 
Ahtanum  Academy  building  on  May  23,  1911,  at  the  time  of  the  Yakima  Asso- 
ciation, by  Mrs.  M.  A.  Elliott  for  Mrs.  F.  B.  Woodcock  and  Mrs.  Alice  Vivian, 
who  were  appointed  to  speak  upon  "Pioneer  Days  in  Yakima  Valley." 

AHTANUM 

The  pioneers  of  this  valley  were  obliged  to  come  by  way  of  the  Dalles  over 
the  old  Government  road  across  the  Yakima  Reservation — a  three  days  trip.  And 
it  is  said  that  on  the  way,  in  the  descent  of  a  long,  steep  hill,  it  was  necessary  to 
fasten  a  log  or  tree  to  the  back  wheels  of  the  vehicles  to  serve  the  purpose  of 
brakes.  This  was  over  fifteen  years  before  the  building  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad.    All  provisions  and  dry  goods  had  to  be  purchased  at  The  Dalles. 

In  1870  Mr.  Elisha  Tanner  and  family  came  to  this  valley  for  a  home. 
They  found  but  a  few  families  there.  The  names  of  Bland,  Stabler,  Filkins, 
Crosno  and  Wiley,  with  one  or  two  others  are  given.  Feeling  the  need  and 
importance  of  having  religious  services  on  the  Sabbath,  Mr.  Tanner  and  his 
young  daughter  Alice  (now  Mrs.  Vivian)  went  on  horseback  from  house  to 
house,  consulting  the  families  concerning  the  starting  of  a  Sunday  School,  which 
resulted  in  such  an  organization  in  Mr.  Tanner's  house  in  June,  1873.  It  was 
afterwards  held  in  the  schoolhouse.  Miss  Alice  v/as  the  fortunate  owner  of  a 
small  melodeon,  which  she  still  has  in  her  home. 

I  find  in  the  minutes  of  this  church  the  following  record  made  in  1874:  "It 
has  been  a  great  help  to  the  Sabbath  School  and  preaching  services  to  have  the 
loan  of  Miss  Alice  Tanner's  melodeon  and  her  free  services  as  chorister  and 
player  upon  the  instrument,  which  for  the  most  of  the  time  Deacon  Tanner  has 
conveyed  to  and  from  his  home  when  able  to  do  so." 

I  have  learned  a  little  more  about  that  melodeon  which  interested  me  much. 
In  1878,  eight  years  after  the  organization  of  the  Sabbath  School,  the  people 
were  warned  of  an  expected  outbreak  of  the  Oregon  Indians,  who  threatened 
to  exterminate  the  whites.  The  men  of  the  valley  at  once  prepared  a  place  of 
protection  and  defense,  by  enclosing  a  half  acre  with  a  thick  high  sod  wall  with 
holes  here  and  there  through  which  they  would  place  their  guns.  And  into  this 
fort  the  families  gathered  and  remained  until  all  danger  was  passed.  They  had 
hidden  many  of  their  household  goods  in  the  thick  brush.  The  first  Sabbath  in 
the  fort,  some  young  men  slipped  out  and  brought  in  the  melodeon  from  its  hiding 
place  in  the  bushes.  One  day,  while  in  the  fort  a  thick  cloud  of  dust  seen  on  the 
reservation  terrified  the  people,  who  thought  the  Indians  were  coming  down 
upon  them,  but  later  it  was  learned  from  a  Yakima  Indian  who,  when  seen 
coming  towards  the  fort,  Mr.  Tanner  went  out  and  interviewed,  that  the  dust 


480  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

was  caused  by  the  flight  of  the  Yakima  Indians  to  the  mountains,  fearing  the 
Oregon  Indians  and  unwilling  to  make  war  against  the  whites. 

Three  years  after  the  organization  of  the  Sabbath  School  on  April  19,  1873, 
these  workers  held  a  meeting  to  consider  the  expediency  of  organizing  a  Con- 
gregational Church  in  this  valley.  They  corresponded  with  Dr.  G.  H.  Atkinson, 
superintendent  of  mission  churches  in  Oregon  and  Washington,  and  acting  upon 
his  advice  they  met  together  May  11,  1873,  and  organized  a  church  of  nine  mem- 
bers, viz :  Mr.  Elisha  S.  Tanner,  Mrs.  Lucey  C.  Tanner,  Mr.  J.  R.  Filkins,  Mrs. 
E.  C.  Filkins,  Mr.  Eben  Pratt,  Mr.  Albert  J.  Thompson,  Mr.  T.  C.  Humphrey, 
Mr.  H.  M.  Humphrey,  Mr.  A.  J.  Pratt.  On  June  1st,  Mr.  James  Kesling  and 
Mrs.  Jane  Kesling  united  with  the  church  and  June  29th  Mrs.  Hanna  Pratt,  Mrs. 
Mary  Reed  and  Mrs.  N.  H.  Allen  became  members.  The  deacons  were  E.  S. 
Tanner,  James  Kesling.  Trustees  were  N.  C.  Goff,  J.  R.  Filkins,  H.  M.  Humphrey. 
Treasurer,  A.  J.  Pratt.  Of  the  first  members,  four,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kesling,  Mr. 
Eben  Pratt  and  Mrs.  Hannah  Pratt  were  residents  of  Yakima  City  (now  Old- 
town).  The  church  called  a  council,  inviting  the  churches  of  Astoria,  Salem, 
Forest  Grove,  Albany,  Oregon  City,  The  Dalles,  Portland,  East  Portland,  Seattle, 
and  Olympia,  to  meet  at  the  Oregon  Association  at  The  Dalles,  June  15,  and 
recognize  the  formation  of  this  church.  Deacon  E.  S.  Tanner  was  sent  to  this 
Association  and  after  presenting  his  statement  of  the  organization  of  the 
Ahtanum  Church — its  distance  from  other  towns,  prospect  of  permanence, 
articles  of  Faith  and  Covenant  (taken  from  the  Tabernacle  Church,  New  York 
City — Dr.  Thompson),  the  Council,  satisfied  with  the  wisdom  of  the  action,  voted 
to  send  Dr.  Atkinson  and  Rev.  T.  Condon  to  Ahtanum  to  extend  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship  of  the  sister  churches,  which  they  did  on  June  29  when  Dr.  Atkin- 
son gave  the  charge  to  the  church  and  the  deacons,  Mr.  E.  S.  Tanner  and  Mr. 
James  Kesling  were  ordained.  This  was  in  the  schoolhouse  where  the  Sabbath 
School  was  organized  and  where  they  continued  to  worship  eleven  years,  until 
the  erection  of  a  church  building  in  1884,  having  the  occasional  services  of  Father 
Eells  and  Father  Wilbur  as  they  visited  the  valley. 

In  the  church  records  of  1879,  Doctor  Atkinson  wrote :  "Many  immigrants 
came  into  this  valley  and  -several  ministers  preached  in  the  schoolhouse  as  they 
passed  through.  The  union  of  Christians  in  the  Sabbath  School  work  formed  a 
visible  bond  of  Christian   friendship  and  fellowship." 

In  1879  Deacon  Tanner  set  aside  five  acres  of  land  for  the  men  of  the 
church  to  cultivate  and  plant,  and  the  income  of  the  crops  to  be  used  for  church 
purposes. 

April  26,  1879,  Mr.  F.  B.  Woodcock  and  wife  were  admitted  by  letter 
and  ofur  dismissed  to  go  into  the  proposed  organization  of  a  church  at  Yakima 
City,  which  organization  was  effected  the  next  day,  October  27th. 

On  the  church  register  is  the  following  sad  record:  "Deacon  Elisha  S.  Tan- 
ner was  drowned  in  the  Naches  River  when  attempting  to  cross  at  Nelson's 
Ferry,  while  on  his  way  to  assist  in  the  ordination  of  Deacon  George  S.  Taylor 
of  the  Wenas  Congregational  Church."  "This  tragic  event  was  a  crashing  blow 
to  the  church  who  thus  lost  a  most  wise  and  faithful  leader."  June  16,  1883,  the 
site  for  the  church  building  and  parsonage  was  selected.  Deacon  Woodcock  and 


ii;sT  .\r.  K.  ciirKcii,  yakima 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  ^■ALLEV  481 

wife  giving  the  two  acres  upon  which  the  church  was  built  and  Mrs.  Tanner 
donating  five  acres  adjoining  for  the  parsonage  property. 

The  church  was  dedicated  September,  1884.  The  church  bell  was  pre- 
sented by  friends  and  relatives  of  Mrs.  Woodcock  and  Mrs.  Tanner,  in  Connec- 
ticut, through  the  efforts  of  Mrs.  Tanner's  brother,  Mr.  Samuel  Carter. 

The  Woman's  Missionary  Society  was  organized  July,  1887,  with  sixteen 
members,  by  Mrs.  Rev.  William  Dawson.  At  the  present  time,  May,  1911, 
about  five  hundred  dollars  has  been  contributed  by  this  Woman's  Missionarv 
Society  to  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

The  ministers  who  have  served  this  church  are:  Rev.  A.  Kelly,  Father 
Wilbur,  Father  Hells,  Doctor  Atkinson,  Revs.  Ellis  W.  Dixon,  L.  E.  Pang- 
burn,  William  E.  Dawson,  John  E.  Elliott,  F.  McConaughy,  J.  Cheadle,  D.  W. 
Wise,  L.  W.  Brintnall,  William  L.  Dawson,  A.  J.  Smith,  O.  Olmstead,  B.  D. 
Moon. 

The  Ahtanum  church  was  the  fourth  Congregational  church  in  Washington 
Territory.  The  first  was  at  Walla  Walla  in  1865;  the  second  at  Seattle,  1869; 
the  third  at  Olympia,  1873,  and  the  fourth  at  Ahtanum,  May  11,  1873.  At  the 
present  time  (May,  1911)  there  are  about  two  hundred  churches  in  the  state. 

November  19,  1895,  the  Yakima  Association  was  formed  at  the  Ahtanum 
church. 

As  the  mantle  of  Elijah  fell  upon  Elisha,  so  the  mantle  of  Elisha  Tanner 
fell  upon  Deacon  Fenn  B.  Woodcock.  All  who  knew  him  were  impressed  with 
his  Christ-like  spirit,  and  his  entire  consecration  to  the  service  of  his  Divine 
Master  and  the  good  of  his  fellowmen.  He  showed  his  faith  in  God  by  his 
works,  and  his  devotion  to  Christ  by  his  life  of  self-denial,  that  the  coming  set- 
tlers of  this  Ahtanum  Valley  might  have  the  privileges  of  a  house  of  worship 
and  the  services  of  a  Chri^ian  minister.  The  church  and  the  academy  building 
are  memorials  of  his  generosity  and  loving  interest  in  the  future  good  of  this 
community.  "Blessed  are  those  who  die  in  the  Lord — their  works  do  follow 
thine." 

Friends  in  Waverly,  Illinois,  contributed  $67.50  for  the  pulpit,  and  pulpit 
chairs.  The  pulpit  Bible  cost  four  dollars.  The  Sabbath  School  gave  $2.50, 
the  Bible  agent  gave  $1.00  and  the  church  paid  the  rest.  The  cost  of  the  church 
was  $1,894.75.  The  house  was  dedicated  free  from  debt.  The  chandelier  anci 
lamps  were  bought  with  money  from  a  Sabbath  School  in  Waterbury,  Connec- 
ticut, and  an  aunt  of  Mrs.  Woodcock  in  West  Winfield,  New  York. 

Mrs.  Tanner  loved  and  served  this  church  faithfully  until  God  took  her  to 
the  better  world.  The  above  was  read  by  Mrs.  Elliott,  and  the  article  by  Mrs. 
Woodcock  was  read  at  the  same  anniversay.  As  may  be  seen  it  follows  more  the 
line  of  personal  reminiscence,  while  the  article  by  Mrs.  Elliott  is  more  of  a  his- 
torical narrative.     We  give  here  Mrs.  Woodcock's  paper. 

Ahtanum,  May  26,  1918. 
There  have  been  many  changes   since   my   husband,  myself,  and  our  two 
sons,  came  by  the  way  of  The  Dalles,  over  the  old  Government  road  to  this 
valley  forty  years  ago.     The  valley  was  mostly  covered  with  sage,  and  the  dr}% 

(31) 


482  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

treeless  hills  were  anything  but  inviting.    Hardly  any  roads  and  very  few  houses. 

In  those  days  goods  and  groceries  had  to  be  purchased  at  The  Dalles  and 
drawn  here  by  teams,  a  six  days'  round  trip.  Five  dollars  was  the  price  of  a 
five-gallon  can -of  kerosene  oil,  and  much  of  it  leaked  out  before  it  got  here 

When  we  arrived  we  found  the  church  and  Sabbath  School  holding  services 
in  the  schoolhouse  which  was  then  on  the  back  road  near  Mr.  Westley  Gano's. 
For  several  years  we  went  every  Sunday  to  the  little  schoolhouse.  Settlers  kept 
coming  in  and  filling  up  the  house  until  it  was  thought  advisable  to  build  a 
church.  The  American  Congregational  Union  offered  to  loan  us  five  hundred 
dollars,  if  we  could  raise  the  rest.  Nearly  every  one  helped  a  little  and  some 
helped  bountifully.  To  our  great  joy  the  house  was  built  and  dedicated  Sep- 
tember 18,  1884.  Then  was  when  the  ladies  of  this  church  put  forth  their  best 
efforts  to  pay  the  five  hundred  dollar  loan  to  the  union.  We  raised  money 
mostly  by  giving  dinners,  with  none  of  the  conveniences  which  we  have  at  the 
present  day.  Instead  of  automobiles  and  telephones  now  used  in  soliciting  food 
for  the  dinner  it  required  a  whole  day  to  ride  in  a  lumber  wagon,  up  and  down 
the  valley,  and  instead  of  the  church  kitchen  and  dining-room  which  we  now 
have  (as  a  result  of  the  skillful  leadership  of  Mrs.  L.  B.  Palmer  at  a  later  date) 
we  used  a  part  of  the  vestibule  and  this  room.  Chairs,  tables,  dishes  and  all 
things  necessary  for  the  dinner  had  to  be  brought  from  their  homes.  With  much 
labor  but  with  willing  hearts  we  succeeded  in  paying  the  debt.  Then  our 
thoughts  turned  to  a  place  for  the  minister  to  live.  There  were  no  houses  to 
rent.     Cities  were  not  so  plentiful  then  as  now. 

We  were  looking  for  a  man  to  come  from  the  east  and  we  must  find  some 
place  for  him  to  live.  So  we  concluded  to  build  a  parsonage.  Again  the  Con- 
gregational Union  came  to  the  rescue  and  loaned  us  three  hundred  dollars.  IMr. 
Tanner,  before  he  died,  had  given  the  proceeds  of  five  acres  to  the  church  to 
help  pay  the  minister's  salary,  the  men  of  the  church  to  do  the  work  of  taking 
care  of  what  grew  upon  it.  Mrs.  Tanner  concluded  that  instead  of  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  five  acres  she  would  buy  five  acres,  where  the  parsonage  now  stands, 
of  Mr.  Woodcock,  and  give  it  to  the  church.  We  took  what  she  gave  and  made 
the  first  start  in  the  way  of  a  fund  to  build  the  building.  The  lumber  was 
bought  from  a  mill  up  in  the  mountains.  That  Fall  there  were  quantities  of 
rain  and  the  roads  got  pretty  icy,  so  much  so  that  people  did  not  like  to  go 
with  their  teams  after  the  lumber.  So  my  oldest  son  took  a  team  and  drew 
the  lumber  past  the  steep  slippery  places,  then  the  others  went  after  it  and 
brought  it  down,  but  the  lumber  was  too  wet  and  the  weather  too  cold  to  build 
until  Spring. 

In  the  meantime  the  minister  (Mr.  Dawson)  with  his  wife  and  son  h?d 
come.  What  was  to  be  done  with  him?  There  seemed  to  be  only  one  way  and 
that  was  for  the  Woodcocks  to  move  out  and  let  the  minister  in.  We  were 
living  where  the  Shockleys  do.  We  moved  into  the  back  of  the  house  and  gave 
them  the  front.  We  lived  that  way  until  the  parsonage  was  completed,  the  first 
of  June.  Then  there  was  plenty  for  every  one  to  do.  Besides  paying  for  the 
second  loan,  they  put  out  small  fruits,  fruit  trees  and  shade  trees,  both  for  the 
church  and  parsonage.     The  smaller  fruits  are  gone  but  many  of  the  fruit  and 


CHRISTIAN   CHUECH,   YAKIMA 


FIRST    BAPTIST    CIU'KCII,    YAKIMA 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY  483 

shade  trees  are  there  to  hear  witness  to  our  labors.  This  work  went  on  with 
willing  hearts  that  we  might  have  God's  house  and  God's  people  in  our  midst. 
Nearly  all  those  who  were  then  the  active  workers  in  the  start  have  passed 
away  and  we  who  are  here  are  enjoying  the  fruit  of  their  labor. 

Mrs.  F.  T.  Woodcock. 

At  the  present  date  all  the  leading  Christian  denominations  are  repre- 
sented in  Yakima.  None  of  the  others  has  had  the  historic  background  of  the 
St  Joseph's  Catholic  Church  or  the  Congregational  Church  of  Ahtanum.  Without 
undertaking  to  relate  the  history  of  any  of  these  churches  in  full  we  may  note  the 
churches  and  pastors  at  the  opening  of  the  century  and  at  the  present  date. 
In  1902  they  were  as  follows :  Congregational,  Rev.  H.  P.  James,  pastor ;  St. 
Michael's  Episcopal,  Rev.  H.  M.  Bartlett,  pastor;  First  Baptist,  Rev.  J.  J.  Tick- 
ner,  pastor;  Christian,  Rev.  A.  C.  Vail,  pastor;  First  Methodist,  Dr.  Henry, 
D.  D.,  pastor:  Lutheran,  Rev.  J.  Gihring,  pastor;  Presbyterian,  Rev.  F.  L. 
Hayden,  pastor;  St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic,  Rev.  Father  B.  Feusi,  pastor; 
Mennonite,  Rev.  J.  A.  Persell,  pastor ;  Dunkard,  Rev.  G.  E.  Wise,  pastor.  There 
were  strong  Christian  Science  and  Salvation  Army  organizations.  At  that  date 
most  of  the  churches  had  comparatively  small  and  inexpensive  edifices. 

A  great  change  has  taken  place  during  the  period  following  the  time  just 
noted.  Yakima  has  become  conspicuous  for  the  number  and  excellence  of  her 
church  buildings.  At  the  present  time  the  Presbyterian,  Baptist,  Methodist, 
Episcopalian,  Catholic,  Christian  and  Christian  Science  denominations  have 
houses  of  worship  of  conspicuous  architectual  beauty  as  well  as  interior  com- 
fort and  adaptability  to  the  varied  needs  of  a  church  home.  The  following  is 
the  complete  list  of  churches  with  their  pastors  at  the  present  date : 

CHURCHES    .\ND    P.\STORS    OF    Y.\KIMA    AT    PRESENT    DATE 

St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic,  Rev.  Father  Conrad  Brustin. 

First  Baptist,  Rev.  L.  J.  Sawyer. 

Calvary  Baptist,  Rev.  F.  C.  Whitney. 

Dunkard,  Rev.  George  A.  Wise. 

African   Methodist^  Rev.  S.  E.  Bailey. 

Episcopal,  Rev.  S.  J.  Mynard. 

Congregational,  Rev.  W.  D.  Robinson. 

Methodist  Episcopal,  Rev.  W.  F.  Ineson. 

Swedish  Lutheran,  Rev.  W.  J.  Jansen. 

German  Evangelical,  Rev.  Huntsinger. 

First  Christian,  Rev.  S.  G.  Buckman. 

Mennonite  Brethren  in  Christ,  Rev.  J.  G.  Grout 

Presbyterian,  Rev.  Edward  Campbell. 

Church  of  God,  Rev.  D.  M.  Clemens. 

English  Lutheran,  Rev.  Andrew  Engeret. 

Evangelical,  Rev.  H.  J.  Bittner. 

Nazarene.  Rev.  A.  M.  Bowes. 

German  Lutheran,  Rev.  F.  H.  K.  Soil. 


484  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ALLEY 

FRATERNAL    ORDERS 

Yakima  is  and  has  been  well  supplied  with  lodges  of  the  usual  orders. 
These  seem  to  have  come  in  with  the  town  and  grown  with  its  growth.  We 
find  named  in  the  various  books  and  papers  and  records  of  many  kinds,  the 
following  orders :  Elks,  North  Yakima  Lodge  No.  18 ;  Masons,  Yakima  Chap- 
ter No.  21,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Eastern  Star,  Syringa  Chapter  No.  38;  Knights 
of  The  Maccabees,  Yakima  Tent  No.  26;  Ladies  of  The  Maccabees,  Yakima 
Hive  No.  24;  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  North  Yakima  Encampment  No.  7, 
Yakima  Lodge  No.  22,  Isabel  Rebekah  No.  22;  Knights  of  Pythias,  North 
Yakima  No.  53;  Rathbone  Sisters,  North  Yakima  Temple  No.  31;  Woodman 
of  the  World,  Yakima  Camp  No.  89 ;  Women  of  \\'oodcraft.  Rustle  Circle  No. 
268;  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  North  Yakima  Camp  No.  5580;  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles,  North  Yakima  Aerie  No.  289;  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  North  Yakima  Lodge  NTo.  29;  Degree  of  Honor,  North  Star  Lodge 
No.  52;  Foresters  of  America,  Court  Florine  No.  50;  Improved  Order  of  Red 
Men,  Yakima  Tribe  No.  24;  Fraterial  Brotherhood,  North  Yakima  Lodge  No. 
266;  Royal  Neighbors,  Sunshine  Camp  N|o.  1520.  Most  of  the  lodges  named 
above  have  continued  from  their  founding  to  the  present.  One  of  the  orders 
to  which  special  attention  and  honor  should  always  be  given  is  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic.  The  Yakima  Post  has  been  a  strong  one,  but  the  great  ma- 
jority have  passed  on.  We  learn  from  a  record  prepared  by  a  post  commander 
that  there  have  been   148  members. 

YAKIMA    CO.\tMERCIAL    CLUE 

Perhaps  the  best  index  of  any  city,  particularly  in  a  new  country,  is  its 
Commerecial  Club,  or  Chamber  of   Commerce,   or  whatever  it  may  be  named. 

Yakima's  progress  may  in  large  measure  be  attributed  to  the  activity  and 
intelligence  of  its  Commercial  Club.  It  has  given  initiative  and  direction  to  the 
citizenship  of  the  city  in  connection  with  the  great  enterprises  and  public  mo\e- 
ments  from  stage  to  stage  of  development. 

The  genesis  of  the  Commercial  Club  may  be  said  to  have  been  in  the  Yakima 
Club  of  1890.  The  governing  board  of  that  organization  consisted  of  William 
Ker,  Edward  Whitson,  Fred  R.  Reed,  R.  M.  Vance  and  Dr.  Elmer  E.  Heg. 

Through  the  kindness  of  O.  C.  Soots,  who  became  secretary'  in  October. 
1918,  the  best  qualified  to  render  such  valuable  aid.  we  are  able  to  include  here 
an  authoritative  sketch  of  the  history  of  this   vital   organization. 

Looking  back  over  the  history  and  accomplishments  of  the  Yakima  Com- 
mercial Club,  one  feature  stands  out  most  prominently  and  that  is  a  record  of 
work  well  done  under  adverse  and  sometimes  embarrassing  financial  conditions 

Duri;ig  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  club  has  been  a  potent  influence  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  Yakima  Valley  and  there  has  scarcely  been  any  movement 
marking  a  progressive  step  by  the  community  that  the  .organization  has  not 
either  fostered  or  initiated.  Nor  do  the  records  reveal  a  single  instance  where 
its  indorsement  or  financial  support  has  been  given  to  an  unworthy  enterprise. 

It  was  in  1893  that  a  few  moving  spirits  got  together  and  conceived  the 
idea  of  a  club  designed  to  look  after  the  business  interests  of  Yakima — then  not 


MASONIC    TEMPLE,    YAKIMA 


HISTORY  OV  YAKBIA  \ALLEY  485 

mucli  more  than  a  wide  spot  in  the  road — to  lend  assistance  to  the  strugghng 
farmer  and  stockman,  and  to  lay  the  foundation  for  a  city  whose  importance  as 
a  trade  center  would  extend  throughout  central  Washington.  Such  men  as  J. 
D.  Medill,  present  postmaster;  E.  F.  Benson,  state  commissioner  of  agriculture: 
A.  B.  Weed,  George  Donald  and  W.  L.  Steinweg  had  a  vision  that  some  day 
the  rich  soil  of  the  Yakima  Valley  would  yield  abundant  returns  from  well 
watered  fruit,  vegetable  and  grain  tracts,  and  consequently,  to  achieve  results, 
there  should  be  cooperative  effort  put  forth  through  a  wide-awake  Commercial 
Club  such  as  then  existed  in  but  five  cities  of  the  state. 

Accordingly  negotiations  were  opened  with  the  Yakima  Social  Club  for 
the  purchase  of  its  lease,  furniture  and  equipment  of  quarters  on  the  third  floor 
of  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  Star  Clothing  Company  at  Second  and 
Main  streets,  and  which  was  at  that  time  perhaps  the  chief  temple  of  trade  and 
commerce  in  the  bailiwick  of  North  Yakima.  And  be  it  known  that  the  Social 
Club  was  no  ordinary  Lime  Kiln  affair,  for  its  initiation  fee  was  $100  and  its 
membership  was  composed  of  the  most  influential  business  men  and  farmers  of 
the  valley.  On  its  roster  were  some  blue-blooded  aristocrats  from  England  and 
some  early  settlers  who  literally  had  money  to  burn. 

It  is  said  that  details  of  the  transaction  were  largely  left  to  Mr.  Benson, 
who,  with  his  usual  trading  sagacity,  bargained  for  the  furnishings  and  lease 
for  $1,000,  with  the  understanding  that  each  Social  Club  member  in  good  stand- 
ing would  be  given  a  paid-up  membership  for  one  year  in  the  Yakima  Com- 
mercial Club.  .\nd  so  it  came  about  that  in  the  Fall  of  1893  the  Yakima  Social 
Club  was  absorbed  by  the  new  organization,  which  started  off  with  nearly  300 
members  and  with  club  quarters  second  to  none  in  the  Inland  Empire.  Col. 
W.  F.  Prosser,  who  died  several  years  ago,  was  the  first  president  and  J.  M. 
Gilbert,  secretary.  It  was  for  the  former  the  town  of  Prosser  was  named.  Mr. 
Gilbert  was  a  prosperous  Nob  Hill  rancher  who  later  removed  to  Syracuse, 
New  York. 

Official  records  of  the  club  for  a  number  of  years  are  missing  but  it  seems 
from  talks  with  several  of  the  older  members  that  most  of  its  energies  and 
resources  were  devoted  to  the  exploitation  of  this  "Garden  Spot  of  Plenty" 
with  a  view  to  attracting  desirable  homeseekers  and  investors,  and  in  this  work 
it  was  very  successful. 

When  the  Clogg  Building  was  completed  on  Yakima  Avenue  in  19*31, 
rooms  had  been  especially  designed  and  furnished  for  use  of  the  club.  Here 
enlarged  accommodations  made  it  possible  to  broaden  the  scope  of  activities  and 
extend  the  social  features  of  the  organization.  Many  projects  for  the  better- 
ment of  the  valley,  such  as  irrigation,  good  roads,  more  scientific  methods  of 
fruit  growing,  etc.,  were  promoted.  Office  executives  during  this  period  were 
Charles  F.  Bailey,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Gilbert ;  Fred  Chandler,  now  one  of  the 
most  successful  auto  dealers  in  the  state,  and  who  holds  the  record  for  length 
of  service,  having  been  on  the  job  from  1897  to  1905 ;  H.  P.  James,  club  secre- 
tary for  five  years  and  who,  as  a  token  of  esteem  for  faithful  and  efficient  serv- 
ice, was  made  a  life  member  by  vote  of  the  board  of  governors.  Upon  the  resig- 
nation of  Mr.  James,  Dr.  J.  F.  Barton  was  chosen  as  his  successor  in  March, 
1912.    On  account  of  ill  health.  Doctor  Barton  was  obliged  to  quit  after  serving 


486  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  A'ALLEY 

one  month.  Since  that  time  the  position  of  managing  secretary  has  been  filled 
by  the  following  gentlemen  in  the  order  given:  G.  S.  Ware,  April,  1912,  to 
March,  1913;  W.  B.  Owen,  to  August,  1914;  J.  A.  Harader,  to  July,  1916; 
H.  Y.  Saint,  to  August,  1917 ;  W.  W.  Stratton,  one  month  ;  C.  A.  Foresman,  to 
June,  1918;  Thomas  B.  Hill,  to  September,  1918. 

From  1896  to  date  the  administrative  affairs  of  the  club  have  been  guided  by 
Presidents  Edward  Whitson,  Alex  Miller,  O.  A.  Fechter,  George  Donald,  Dan 
Lesh,  W.  L.  Lemon,  H.  C.  Lucas.  R.  W.  Rundstrom,  H.  Y.  Saint.  H.  H.  Lom- 
bard, Frank  Horsley,  James  Leslie,  W.  A.  Bell,  R.  B.  Williamson,  Robert  Prior, 
R.  D.  Rovig,  R.  K.  Tiffany. 

Present  officers  of  the  club  are:  R.  K.  Tiff'any.  president;  W.  B.  Aud.i, 
treasurer;  Orpheus  C.  Soots,  secretary.  In  addition  to  the  officers  the  board 
of  trustees  is  composed  of  A.  H.  Huebner.  C.  R.  McKee,  W.  L.  Dimmick,  D.  H. 
French,  A.  J.  Gladson,  J.  T.  Harrah,  H.  J.  Medill,  J.  K.  Arrowsmith,  L.  A. 
Dash,  and  Frederick    Mercy,   the   first    four  being  vice-presidents. 

In  January,  1912,  an  important  epoch  was  entered  when  the  club  moved 
from  the  Clogg  Building  to  the  new  Masonic  office  building  at  the  corner  of 
Fourth  and  Yakima,  where  a  long  lease  had  been  secured  on  the  entire  fourth 
floor.  Shortly  thereafter  a  reorganization  was  effected  under  the  bureau  and 
budget  plan.  New  furniture  and  equipment  w^as  installed  at  a  cost  of  more 
than  $3,000  and  later  a  card  room  and  billiard  room  were  added  to  the  amuse- 
ment features  and  the  floor  space  remodeled  in  such  a  way  as  to  provide  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  modern  club  quarters  in  the  Northwest.  Two  hundred 
persons  can  be  comfortably  seated  in  the  assembly  room,  which  can  be  entirely 
shut  oft'  from  other  departments,  and  w^hich  is  equipped  with  leather  uphol- 
stered chairs,  floor  covering  and  lighting  fixtures  of  the  best  quality.  Here  it 
is  that  nearly  all  community  meetings  are  held,  averaging  one  for  every  week- 
day in  the  year. 

In  March,  1913,  the  club  began  an  active  campaign  for  a  road  across  the 
Cascade  Mountains  and,  through  Congressman  Warburton  and  interested 
communities,  finally  succeeded  in  getting  adequate  federal  and  state  aid  for  the 
Snoqualmie  Pass  highway.  Other  matters  coming  up  for  consideration  during 
1912-13  included  closer  cooperation  between  fruit  growers  and  shippers,  inter- 
est from  the  carriers  on  deferred  claims,  better  trackage  and  transportation 
facilities,  more  thorough  fruit  inspection  and  many  other  things  of  benefit  to 
the  orchardist  and  small  farmer;  joined  with  the  city  in  a  movement  for  a  new 
sewer  system ;  sought  and  obtained  a  reduction  in  long-distance  telephone  rates ; 
backed  the  passage  by  the  legislature  of  a  new  water  code  harmonizing  and 
simplifying  the  then  existing  irrigation  laws.  In  addition  to  these  far-reaching 
activities,  the  club  in  January,  1913,  sent  to  Olympia  a  committee  consisting  of 
H.  Y.  Saint,  L.  O.  Meigs,  Alex  Miller,  N.  C.  Richards  and  A.  J.  Splawn,  with 
full  authority  to  represent  the  city  in  the  matter  of  an  armory  appropriation. 
State  Fair  appropriation,  and  legislation  on  horticulture.  Concrete  results 
attest  the  success  of  this  committee. 

But  space  is  too  limited  to  attempt  even  a  brief  summary  of  the  manifold 
undertakings  by  the  Commercial  Club  in  the  last  seven  years.  Suffice  to  say  it 
has  not  only  succeeded  in  bringing  to  the  valley  the  beet   sugar  and   fruit   by- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY  487 

products  industries,  but  has  assisted  every  worth-while  movement  having  for 
its  object  the  upbuilding  of  town  and  country.  Aside  from  the  fact  that  it  has 
carried  on  a  systematic  program  of  material  development,  (he  club  has  devoted 
most  of  its  energies  since  the  declaration  of  war  to  those  things  which  rendered 
essential  aid  to  our  government,  and  it  is  now  working  on  fixed  plans  that  will 
facilitate  the  gigantic  task  of  reconstruction  when  the  Hun  has  finally  sur- 
rendered. 

THE  .ST.VTE    FAIR 

One  of  the  most  important  institutions  of  the  Yakima  Valley  is  the  State 
Fair.    A  brief  sketch  of  its  history  may  fittingly  find  a  place  at  this  point. 

The  first  popular  movements  in  the  direction  of  annual  exhibits  of  the 
products  of  the  region  carry  us  back  to  the  days  of  old  Yakima  City.  Legh  R. 
Freeman,  publisher  of  "Freeman's  Farmer,"  prior  to  the  incoming  of  the  rail- 
road and  the  removal  to  the  new  town,  was  one  of  the  constant  advocates  of  a 
local  fair. 

In  1890  and  onward  the  previous  rudimentary  fairs — some  of  them  too 
elaborate  to  be  termed  rudimentary — led  to  a  concentration  of  efforts  to  secure 
action  by  the  legislature  for  locating  a  State  Fair  at  Yakima.  There  was,  of 
course,  as  always  in  such  cases,  a  good  deal  of  "pulling  and  hauling"  in  the 
legislature,  but  public  opinion  throughout  the  state  rapidly  grew  to  the  consen- 
sus that  Yakima  was  unquestionably  the  place  for  such  an  institution.  The 
bill  providing  for  it  was  introduced  by  Representative  Webb  of  King  Countv. 
It  provided  for  an  agricultural  fair  for  promoting  agriculture,  stock-raising, 
horticulture,  mining,  mechanical  industries,  etc.  The  bill  provided  that  exhibi- 
tions be  given  at  or  near  North  Yakima,  beginning  the  last  Monday  in  Septem- 
ber of  each  year  and  continuing  five  days.  A  board  of  seven  commissioners 
was  provided  for,  and  this  board  was  authorised  to  purchase  not  less  than  a 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  (at  first  two  hundred  acres)  as  near  North 
Yakima  as  possible,  for  grounds  and  buildings.  An  appropriation  of  $40,000 
was  made  for  use  in  1893,  with  an  additional  $10,000  for  the  next  year.  This 
bill,  with  considerable  amendment  greatly  reducing  appropriation,  was  passed, 
received  the  governor's  signature,  and  became  a  law  on  March  15,  1893. 

In  the  Summer  and  Fall  of  1893  Yakima  County  raised  $10,000  by  taxa- 
tion with  which  land  was  purchased  and  deeded  to  the  state.  This  land  became 
the  permanent  location  and  upon  it  have  been  erected  the  buildings  and  struc- 
tures which  now  have  become  an  imposing  array,  built  partly  by  state  appro- 
priations, but  mainly  by  Yakima  County  and  city.  A  valuable  communication 
from  E.  F.  Benson,  state  commissioner  of  agriculture,  for  a  long  time  a  resi- 
dent of  the  Yakima  country,  and  one  of  the  foremost  builders  of  the  state,  is 
incorporated  at  this  point.  This  communication,  under  date  of  December  14, 
1918,  has  been  prepared  for  special  use  in  this  work: 

Chapter  134,  Session  Laws  of  1893.  provides  as  follows:  Section  1.  that 
the  public  good  requires  to  be  and  hereby  is  established,  a  state  institution  by 
the  name  of  the  "State  Fair  of  Washington;"  section  2,  that  it  is  the  object 
and  purpose  of  this  resolution  to  promote  and  further  the  advancement  of  all 
agricultural,  .-^tock-raising,  horticultural,  mining,  mechanical  and  industrial  pur- 


488  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

suits  in  this  state,  etc. ;  section  6,  the  State  Fair  Association  which  located  the 
buildings,  track,  etc.,  for  State  Fair  purposes  on  a  tract  of  land  containing  not 
less  than  120  acres,  to  be  in  one  solid  block  of  good  soil  with  ample  water,  as 
level  and  conveniently  located  near  the  railroad  shipping  point  at  North  Yakima, 
providing  said  tract  of  land  is  donated  to  the  state  of  Washington,  etc.  Ten 
thousand  dollars  was  appropriated  in  1893.  The  State  Fair  was  under  the  man- 
agement of  a  board  of  State  Fair  commissioners  appointed  by  the  governor, 
until  six  years  ago,  when  the  legislature  created  the  department  of  agriculture, 
abolished  the  State  Fair  commissioners,  and  placed  the  general  management 
and  direction  of  the  Fair  under  the  commissioner  of  agriculture. 

My  memory  is  that  only  one  State  Fair  has  been  missed  since  1893,  and 
that  was  in  1894,  when  the  money  having  been  used  up  for  the  previous  session, 
a  few  active  members  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  North  Yakima  put  on  a  local 
or  district  fair.  I  remember  very  well  the  members  of  that  committee.  They 
were  Mr.  O.  A.  Fechter,  chairman  o'f  our  committee,  the  late  Edward  Whitson, 
Mr.  Frank  Horsley  and  myself.  We  started  with  ten  dollars,  donated  by  a  cit- 
izen of  Yakima  to  pay  postage  and  everybody  donated  his  time,  and  we  cer- 
tainly did  have  one  of  the  best  district  fairs  I  have  ever  attended. 

Mr.  A.  B.  Weed  of  North  Yakima  was  the  member  of  the  legislature  from 
Yakima  County  when  the  fair  was  secured.  I  remember  very  well  the  enthusi- 
asm which  he  had  for  the  enterprise  at  the  time,  and  his  argument  as  to  the 
great  benefit  it  would  be  in  developing  the  agricultural  resources  of  all  that 
portion  of  the  state,  especially  that  more  nearly  tributary  or  available  to  North 
Yakima.  Among  the  most  active  directors  who  have  assisted  in  building  up 
the  fair  were  the  late  A.  J.  Splawn  and  Mr.  J.  E.  Shannon.  Mr.  Shannon  was 
on  the  board  for  several  years,  and  was  secretary  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  feature  of  outstanding  importance  at  this  time  is  that  the  fair  during 
the  past  two  years  has  very  nearly  paid  its  own  way  outside  of  the  improve- 
ments and  betterments  to  the  property  and  the  purchase  of  machinery  and  equip- 
ment. The  gross  receipts  from  the  fair  have  come  within  about  $2,000  of  pay- 
in.g  all  of  the  expense  during  the  past  two  years.  The  attendance  this  year 
was  approximately  fifty  thousand  and  the  gross  receipts  were  approximately 
$35,000  for  the  past  year. 

The  educational  features  of  the  fair  are  being  developed  and  during  the 
past  year  $11,000  was  expended  in  constructing  an  auditorium  building  equipped 
with  moving  picture  facilities.  A  more  cordial  cooperation  with  the  state  col- 
lege exists  now  than  perhaps  at  any  previous  time  and  the  value  of  the  fair  in 
connection  with  the  state  college  extension  work  and  the  various  agricultural 
clubs  is  becoming  one  of  the  very  important  features  of  the  fair.  This  year 
(1918)  twenty-six  counties  of  the  state  were  represented  by  these  clubs.  The 
good  roads  development  of  our  state  is  the  chief  foundation  underlying  the  suc- 
cess of  our  State  Fair.  During  September  when  the  fair  is  held,  there  is  no 
])art  of  the  state  whose  people  can  not  reach  the  fair  by  automobile  within  a 
little  more  than  one  day,  and  with  the  continued  good  roads  improvement,  we 
feel  very  sure  that  the  State  Fair  is  just  beginning  a  period  of  wonderful  suc- 
cess. It  has  heretofore  been  looked  upon  by  many  districts  of  the  state  as  being 
a  local  Yakima  Valley  institution.     It  has  now,  I  think,  for  the  first  time,  estab- 


T.  M.  C.  A.  BUILDING,  YAKTM 


ELKS   TEMPLE,    YAKIMA 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  \-ALLEY  489 

lishcd  its  reputation  as  being  a  state  institution  and  not  merely  a  Yakima  Valley 
affair.  The  building  up  of  livestock  and  the  assistance  of  the  State  College 
Extension  Department  are  two  of  the  most  important  features  of  the  fair  just 
now.  We  hope  for  a  more  general  exhibit  of  the  state's  resources  hereafter— 
not  only  agricultural,  but  mineral,  fisheries  and  manufactures  as  well. 
Very  truly  yours, 

E.  F.  Benson, 

Commissioner  of  Agriculture, 
per  F.  H.  Gloyd,  Secretary. 

To  give  a  view  of  the  fair  of  1918,  interesting  for  readers  of  years  to  come. 
we  incorporate  here  the  reports  in  the  "Evening  Republic"  of  September  20, 
1918,  and  the  "Morning  Herald"  of  the  next  day: 

"Republic,"  September  20,  1918: 

RIOT  OF    KCN    HERALD.S    INV.\SION    OF    F.\1R   GROUNDS    BV    ELKS    .\ND   THEIR    FRIENDS 

First  heat  of  the  free-for-all  pace  went  to  Lady  Hal,  in  2  :08i^  ;  May  Davis, 
second,  and  Mack  Fitzsimmons  third. 

Lady  Hal  won  the  second  heat  of  the  first  race  in  2:08>4:  Mack  Fitzsim- 
mons, second,  and  May  Davis,  third. 

Red  Star  won  the  first  heat  in  the  2:19  trot,  for  which  the  purse  is  $500, 
in  2:09^1..     Cavalier  Gale  was  second,  Complete  third. 

.Second  heat  of  the  second  race — Cavalier  Gale,  first,  in  2:08'4;  Red  Star 
second ;  Bonfire,  third. 


Elks,  Elks,  everywhere — and  not  a  one  to  shoot  1  That's  the  situation  at 
the  State  Fair  today.  Elks'  Day,  where  the  members  of  the  herd  have  gathered 
for  their  annual  riot  of  fun  and  to  run  the  annual  Elks'  Derby,  always  the  chief 
social  event  of  the  races. 

Neither  town  nor  fair  crowd  was  left  in  doubt  as  to  the  character  of  the 
day.  Promptly  at  12  :30  the  Elks'  horn  band,  led  by  L.  G.  Hays,  as  color-bearer, 
and  followed  by  a  delegation  of  Elks  carrying  the  order's  multi-starred  service 
flag,  left  the  temple  to  parade  up  and  down  Yakima  Avenue.  Upon  their  re- 
turn to  the  temple  the  parade  line  formed  again,  this  time  with  the  band  from 
the  United  States  Naval  Training  station  at  its  head,  and  left  for  the  Fair- 
grouds.  Most  of  the  Elks  chose  the  pleasanter  alternative  of  going  by  automo- 
bile, so  the  band  was  followed  by  a  long  line  of  automobiles,  most  of  which 
were  gay  with  the  national  colors  and  the  Elks'  emblems. 

TOMORROW    IS   P.\TRI()TIC   D.W 

Commandant  Miller  Freeman  of  the  Training  Station,  and  Miss  Pauline 
Turner,  a  Bremerton  yeomanette,  who  is  here  to  sing  with  the  band,  were  in 
the  honor  place  at  the  head  of  the  line  and  were  greeted  with  the  cheers  and 
applause  which  have  marked  the  course  of  the  Naval  band  wherever  that  joy- 
ous aggregation  of  young  sailors  has  appeared. 

Tomorrow,  the  closing  day  of  the  Fair,  will  be  Patriotic  day.     Great  as  has 


490  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

been  the  success  of  the  Fair  so  far,  Secretary  Frank  Aleredith  promises  that  it 
will  pass  into  history  in  a  final  blaze  of  glory  occasioned  by  the  fireworks  which 
will  mark  the  end  of  the  Fair.  From  Governor  Lister  to  the  least  employe  of 
the  Fair,  all  are  convinced  that  the  1918  Fair  is  The  Fair,  insofar  as  this  state 
is  concerned. 

FAIR  OFFICIALS   PLEASED 

"Certainly  this  is  the  best  Fair  I  have  seen  in  Yakima,"  said  Governor 
Lister,  after  viewing  the  display  yesterday.  "While  some  of  the  departments 
are  not  as  strongly  represented  as  they  have  been  in  the  past,  the  fair  is  better 
balanced,  the  displays  are  more  diversified,  the  interest  in  the  fair  is  greater, 
and  it  is  more  educational.  It  is  a  fine  thing  for  the  farmers  of  the  state  to 
come  here  and  get  the  lessons  which  one  may  derive  from  the  fair  and,  at  the 
same  time,  have  a  wonderfully  enjoyable  day.  No  one  who  sees  the  1918  fair 
has  any  doubt  but  what  it  is  a  State  Fair." 

Commissioner  E.  F.  Benson  is  as  enthusiastic  and  a  bit  more  boyish  in  his 
exurberant  expression  of  it.  "Yes,  sire-ee !"  he  says,  "this  is  some  fair.  Why, 
I'm  almost  satisfied  myself.  Of  course  we'll  have  a  bigger  and  better  fair  next 
year — that  goes  without  saying — but  this  year's  fair  is  the  biggest  and  best  yet  I" 

E.  E.  Flood,  of  Spokane,  and  Dr.  Granville  Lowther,  members  of  the 
State  Fair  advisory  board,  are  ready  to  add  their  forceful  commendations  to  the 
general  praise  chorus  for  the  1918  exhibition  which  has  attracted  more  people 
than  any  previous  State  Fair  ever  held  here. 

ATTENDA.XCE    KEEPS    UP 

"Well,"  exclaimed  Auditor  F.  B.  Fuller  last  evening  after  the  5  o'clock 
check-up  on  admissions  at  both  gates,  "this  certainly  beats  anything  I  ever  saw ! 
Between  8  o'clock  yesterday  morning — Governor's  Day — and  5  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  6,500  cash  admissions  were  recorded  between  the  two  gates. 

"This  showing  for  nine  hours  demonstrates  that  every  day  this  year  has 
been  in  advance  of  the  corresponding  day  in  1917,  at  which  time  the  gates 
showed  for  this  same  date  9,082  for  the  entire  day  and  night  run.  In  the  6,500 
of  today  we  are  not  including  the  admissions  by  season  ticket  nor  the  night 
shift  after  5  o'clock.  Since  there  were  something  like  1,500  season  tickets  sold, 
it  is  easily  seen  that  we  have  beaten  our  own  record  of  a  year  ago." 

RESULTS   OF   THE    RACES 

Results  of  yesterday's  races  are: 

Bertie  Seattle  won  the  final  heat  of  the  2:24  pace  in  2:10)4;  Joe  McK., 
second;  Baron  Regent,  third. 

Dean  Swift  won  the  second  heat  of  the  special  race  in  2 :08j4  :  W'allacc 
Hal,   second ;   May   Davis,   third. 

Dean  Swift  won  the  third  heat  of  the  special  race  in  2:085j  :  Guy  Boy,  sec- 
ond; Wallace  Hal,  third. 

The  third  race,  a  $200  selling  event  for  a  purse  of  $75,  three  furlongs,  was 
won  by  On  Parole  in  36  seconds ;  Shortcut,  second ;  Passe  2d,  third. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKOJA  VALLEY  491 

The  fourth  event,  a  $200  selling  race  for  a  purse  of  $150,  was  won  by  Far 
Cnthay,  in  1 :43  ;  Leo  H.,  second ;  Hazel  C,  third. 

The  track  was  fast  and  the  animals  in  fettle.  The  performance  of  Bertie 
Seattle  brought  forth  much  admiration  from  the  horse  lovers  present.  On  Pa- 
role has  taken  two  races,  and  he,  too,  attracted  considerable  attention.  Old 
horsemen  say  that  he  is  a  sure  comer. 

BENTON    COUNTV   EXHIBIT 

Benton  County,  first  over  the  top  in  the  contest  of  county  exhibits,  has  a 
wonderful  display  not  only  as  to  diversity,  quantity  and  arrangements,  but  in 
quality  as  well.  A  sunburst,  the  slanting  rays  of  which  are  represented  by  tall 
sheaves  of  wheat,  oats,  barley  and  grasses,  with  three  half-circles  of  red  and 
white  grapes,  the  lower  half  circle  of  which  is  made  from  Flame  Tokays,  and 
behind  all  this  a  lighted  electric  lamp,  forms  the  nucleus  of  the  exhibit,  which 
occupies  a  space  of  30  by  15  feet. 

The  display  is  made  up  of  six  varieties  of  field  corn,  three  varieties  of  sugar 
corn,  three  varieties  of  popcorn,  eighteen  varieties  of  dry  grain,  ten  varieties 
of  fresh  grains,  fourteen  varieties  of  forage  crops,  five  varieties  of  wild  grasses. 
There  are  twenty-seven  varieties  of  fruit,  besides  melons,  squashes,  pumpkins, 
ejjg  plant,  hops,  corn,  spuds,  sweet  potatoes,  sugar  beets  and  mangels,  as  well 
as  a  varied  assortment  of  turnips,  carrots,  parsnips,  tomatoes,  pie  citron,  string 
beans  and  some  delicious  strawberries. 

Among  those  who  donated  the  exhibits  and  otherwise  helped  to  make  the 
display  the  success  it  is,  are :  Fred  Servoss,  Henry  Page,  S.  M.  Ross,  Fred 
Johnson,  Joseph  Martin,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Ross,  Mrs.  T.  J.  Chalcraft,  William 
Starkey,  Guy  Heberling,  E.  N.  Loveland  and  R.  E.  Carpenter. 

SECOND    COUNTV    DISPLAY 

Pierce  County's  display,  the  winner  of  the  second  prize  in  the  contest,  in 
charge  of  County  Horticultural  Commissioner  Henry  Huff  and  William  B. 
Hawthorne,  is  the  regulation  shelf -style  exhibit,  but  is  nonetheless  creditable. 
Mr.  HuiT  says  most  emphatically  that  if  it  were  not  for  a  sheaf  of  grain  which 
was  lost  and  which  cost  five  points.  Pierce  County  would  have  won  the  first 
prize — yes,  sir-ee  ! 

There  are  thirty-five  varieties  of  grains  and  seeds,  twenty  varieties  of 
fruits  and  ninety  varieties  of  vegetables,  all  of  which  are  in  a  splendid  state  of 
preservation.  There  are  six  celery  plants  of  special  beauty  from  Puyallup  and 
two  boxes  of  curly  kale  from  the  same  place.  There  are  many  varieties  of  ferns 
and  Chinese  wall  flowers  grown  in  Pierce  County:  eleven  varieties  of  potatoes 
which  look  hard  to  beat,  but  good  to  eat ;  blackberries,  raspberries,  beets,  man- 
gels, five  varieties  of  field  and  three  varieties  of  sugar  corn ;  the  grain  on  dis- 
play scored  98  points  in  bundles  and  100  in  sheathed  grains.  Those  who  con- 
tributed to  the  success  of  the  exhibit  with  displays  of  various  kinds  are:  William 
Shultz  and  Jacob  Stelling  of  Puyallup:  G.  W.  Richards  of  Steilacoom.  Henry 
Benthien  of  Fife,  Mrs.  Catherine  Hawthorne  and  a  sister.  Miss  Anderson,  of 
Sumner,  and  also  the  Commercial  clubs  of  Tacoma,   Puvallup  and  Sumner. 

'•Herald,"  September  21,  1918: 


492  HISTORY  OF  VAKi:\lA  A'ALLEY 

Yakima  people  have  loyally  supported  the  Washington  State  Fair  this 
year.  The  largest  attendance  this  week  was  on  Yakima  day,  though  Thursday's 
total  was  10,301,  including  Seattle  and  Spokane  visitors.  Yesterday  the  at- 
tendance fell  off  considerably,  more  noticeable  on  account  of  immense  crowds 
the  previous  days.  The  check  at  both  gates  up  to  5  o'clock  was  3,607  paid  ad- 
missions. 

During  the  afternoon  the  Elks  mad;  merry  in  the  grandstand  with  a  saucy 
band,  which  ran  in  competition  with  the  United  States  Naval  Band,  which  in 
turn  responded  to  their  fun. 

Several  stunts  were  pulled  by  the  Elks.  Several  of  them  assisted  in  lead- 
ing the  stock  as  it  paraded  on  the  race  course  back  and  forth  past  the  grand- 
stand. One  of  the  stunts  pulled  off  by  the  Elks  was  the  attempt  of  a  number 
of  men  to  ride  the  burro  Jazzbo.  Hal  Bowen,  by  taking  ahold  of  the  burro's 
ears  and  buckling  his  feet  under  the  animal  succeeded  in  staying  the  longest 
and  won  the  five  dollar  prize  that  was  offered.  This  was  turned  over  to  the 
Red  Cross. 

elks'  derby 

The  interest  of  the  Elks  came  to  a  high  point  when  the  derby  was  an- 
nounced. There  was  considerable  betting  on  the  event  and  those  who  learned 
the  "inside"  of  each  contestant's  mount  were  positive  that  they  had  the  right 
jockey  picked.  There  were  some  surprises,  however,  for  the  wise  ones  and 
many  who  bet  on  the  "sure  things"  had  considerable  explaining  to  do  to  their 
friends. 

Harr}'  Snively  won  the  event  and  took  60  per  cent,  of  the  $200  purse  and 
entrance  money.  I.  J.  Bounds  was  second  and  Robert  Prior  third.  Snively 
rode  Leo  H,  one  of  the  fastest  horses  in  the  stables.  Bounds  had  figured  on 
getting  the  mount  but  through  some  mysterious  maneuver  was  "beat  to  it." 

Prior  rode  Far  Cathay,  a  very  fast  mare,  but  the  rider's  weight  told  on  her. 
Bounds  also  had  a  stable  steed  of  class.  Second  money  was  30  per  cent,  and 
third,  10  per  cent. 

The  time  was  1 :56  for  the  one  and  one-sixteenth  miles,  and  the  event 
proved  one  of  the  most  exciting  finishes  of  the  week's  racing. 

POULTRY    .\WARDS 

The  feathered  tribe  under  H.  H.  Collier's  care  has  been  a  splendid  exhibit 
in  many  lines.  It  is  one  of  Mr.  Collier's  ambitions  that  before  another  fair  he 
may  be  able  to  have  a  new  home  for  the  birds.  The  days  have  been  a  little  warm 
for  them,  evidenced  by  their  panting,  but  nevertheless  they  have  had  spirit 
enough  to  call  attention  to  their  awards. 

-Miss  Lucy  Scudder  with  her  Buff'  Orpingtons  won  the  honor  of  having 
the  best  pen  in  the  show.  Miss  Scudder  has  been  breeding  Buff'  Orpingtons  for 
several  years,  has  kept  the  stock  up  to  a  high  standard  and  has  won  in  practi- 
cally all  the  Pacifict  Coast  shows.  Mrs.  Fred  Peterson  of  Chehalis,  was  second 
and  Charles  E.  Buttles  of  Wenatchee,  third. 

Other  special  awards  made  by  Judge  W.  W.  Coats  of  Vancouver,  B.  C, 
are  as  follows : 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  A'ALLEY  493 

Best  displays  of  Plymouth  Rocks  (Barred  excepted)— Mrs.  Fred  Peterson, 
first ;  W.  P.  West,  Tacoma,  second :  A.  Hartley,  Fernhill,  third. 

Best  displaly  Barred  Rocks— T.  J.  Kegley,  Olympia,  first. 

Best  display  Wyandottes— Milton  Morton,  first;  Fred  A.  Johnson,  Tacoma. 
second  and  third. 

Best  display  of  Orpingtons— Lucy  R.  Scudder,  first;  Mrs.  J.  X.  Critzer, 
Spokane,  second. 

Best  display  of  Rhode  Island  Reds— C.  E.  Buttles,  first;  Deppner  &  Son, 
Spokane,  second:  Claude  E.  Stewart,  Wenatchee.  third. 

Best  display  of  Leghorns  (Whites  excepted)— Miller  Bros.,  first,  second 
and  third. 

Best  display  of  Single  Comb  White  Leghorns— Aliller  Bros.,  first;  W.  J. 
Moore,  Spokane,  second. 

Best  display  of  Minorcas— Dr.  W.  M.  Falkemech,  Spokane,  first. 

Best  display  of  Campines,  etc. — Miller  Bros.,  first. 

Best  display  of  Bantams— C.  H.  Burnett,  Seattle,  first ;  Miller  Bros.,  second 
and  third. 

Best  Parti-Colored  Fowl  in  show— C.  E.  Buttles,  first  and  second;  T.  J. 
Kegley,  third. 

Best  solid  colored  fowl  in  show— Airs.  Ellen  B.  Wade,  first;  Milton  Mor- 
ton, second ;  Miller  Brothers,  third. 

Best  display  of  Sussex — A.  Eckstrom,  Bremerton,  first. 

Largest  display  in  show— Miller  Brothers,  first ;  Fred  A.  Johnson,  Tacoma, 
second  ;  W.  R.  Krause,  Yakima,  third. 

INTEREST    IX    CHILD   WELF.\RE 

Those  in  charge  of  the  Child  Welfare  work  at  the  fair  feel  that  greater 
results  in  reaching,  or  coming  in  touch  with  parents  have  been  attained  this 
year.  All  the  supply  of  pamphlets  on  social  hygiene  for  parents  have  been  ex- 
hausted, the  clinics  which  have  been  held  free  of  charge  by  Doctors  Bline, 
Ketchum  and  Sickenga  have  been  well  attended,  and  the  day  nursery  with  its 
cozy,  clean  accommodations  has  been  a  very  popular  place.  As  many  as  one 
hundred  babies  were  accommodated  there  in  one  day. 

The  three  jar  exhibit  of  canned  products  from  county  canning  clubs  makes 
a  tempting  display  in  one  corner  of  the  Machinery  Building,  as  380  girls  from 
twenty-seven  counties  sent  350  jars  of  stuff.  The  best  twelve  jars  of  the  whole 
exhibit  have  been  selected  to  be  sent  to  Washington,  D.  C,  for  display.  In  this 
collection  are  three  cans  of  salmon,  two  of  beets,  and  one  each  of  corn,  beef, 
beans,  greens,  carrots,  cauliflower  and  cherries.  The  second  best  twelve  that 
go  to  the  Washington  State  College  are  composed  of  two  of  beans,  one  each  of 
wild  blackberries,  rabbit,  chicken,  corn,  beets,  tomatoes,  peas,  cherries,  greens 
and  salmon. 

.\UCT10X    OFF    CANNED    FRUIT 

Most  of  the  collection  is  in  pint  cans,  exceedingly  appetizing  to  look  at, 
and  guaranteed  to  kce]i,  when  one  thinks  of  the  experts  that  canned  them.  The 
remainder  of  the  exhibit  will  be  auctioned  oft'  this  afternoon  hv  Commissioner 


494  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  A'ALLEY 

of  Agriculture  E.  F.  Benson,  directly  after  the  last  race,  the  benefit  to  go  for 
the  Belgian  Baby  fund,  which  the  girls  hope  to  swell  to  a  considerable  amount. 
This  auction  will  be  an  opportunity  for  many  to  buy  canned  products  that  they 
could  not  get  otherwise. 

Of  course,  a  great  deal  of  interest  is  felt  in  the  result  of  the  canning  con- 
test, which  will  be  decided  this  afternoon,  the  winning  teams  going  to  the  next 
Spokane  Interstate  Fair,  and  to  the  Oregon  State  Fair  at  Salem  next  week. 
Decisions  have  been  made  in  the  pig  club  contests,  resulting  in  Whitman  County 
being  first,  Klickitat  second,  and  Spokane  third.  In  the  sheep  club  contest, 
Thurston  County  was  first,  Benton  second,  and  Columbia  third.  In  the  boys' 
and  girls'  exhibits,  Yakima  County  was  first,  Benton  second,  Spokane  third, 
and  Grays  Harbor  fourth.  The  sweepstakes  prize  went  also  to  the  counties  as 
named. 

PROSSER    BOV    WTNS    ON    CORN 

For  the  fifty  best  ears  of  select  seed  corn  grown  by  a  boy,  William  Starkey 
of  Prosser  won  first  premium.  Julia  Boone  and  Gladys  Rummings  of  Cheney 
were  first  and  second  for  the  best  five  canned  vegetables,  put  up  by  girls  over 
15.  Under  15  years  of  age  Martha  and  Jean  ]\IcAuley  of  this  city  won  the  pre- 
miums for  canned  vegetables. 

Yesterday  morning  Robert  Krohn  and  members  of  the  county  clubs  had 
their  daily  frolic  of  games,  folk  dances  and  songs  on  the  floor  under  the  tent 
where  the  dancing  is  held  later  in  the  day.  It  attracted  much  attention  and 
their  games  were  so  enticing  that  gradually  a  number  of  the  spectators  joined 
them  in  their  play,  and  others  of  older  ages,  remarked  that  they  used  to  play 
those  same  games  when  they  were  children. 

FIREWORKS   TONIGHT 

Those  who  saw  the  fireworks  on  Tuesday  night  will  vouch  for  their  great 
beauty  and  anticipate  seeing  another  glorious  bunch  of  them  set  ofif  tonight, 
as  a  fitting  close  to  a  week  that  has  been  full  of  good  clean  entertainment,  and 
features  of  great  educational  value.  If  anything  the  fireworks  this  evening 
will  surpass  those  of  Tuesday  evening.  There  will  be  a  change  in  the  stories 
the  set  pieces  illustrate  and  interspersed  will  be  the  rockets,  signals  and  torches 
that  caused  so  much  admiration  the  other  night,  .\nother  attraction  for  today 
is  the  auto  race,  the  last  thing  on  the  speed  program. 

HUM.\NE    DISPL.W    PRETTV 

The  display  of  the  Humane  Society  has  attracted  much  attention  for  its 
artistic  arrangement.  There  has  been  a  marked  interest  in  the  literature  and 
the  work  of  the  society.  The  half  hour  of  lantern  slides  and  talk  on  humane 
work  by  Mrs.  J.  C.  Nichols  of  Seattle,  has  called  out  a  good  attendance.  Tnc 
society  has  had  two  ponies  collecting  money  for  the  Red  Star  Society  to  be  sent 
to  the  aid  of  animals  wounded  on  the  battlefields  in  France  while  in  action. 
The  little  banks  will  be  opened  tonight  and  contents  counted,  the  money  then 
being  turned  over  to  one  of  the  local  banks  for  transmission  to  the  society  head- 
quarters at  Albany,  New  York. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKI.MA  \'ALL1:Y  495 

A  world's  trotting  record  was  broken  on  the  race  track  at  the  State  Fair 
grounds  yesterday,  when  Cavalier  Gale,  son  of  the  old  trotter  Barongale,  him- 
self a  colt  champion  in  his  day,  circled  the  track  in  2:08^4,  clipping  a  full  sec- 
ond from  the  fastest  time  ever  credited  to  a  hobbled  trotter.  The  diagonal 
gaited  ones  that  wear  the  straps  are  few  enough  these  days,  since  the  pacer  has 
come  into  increased  popularity,  and  as  Judge  McNair  of  the  races  says,  the 
broken  record  was  made  so  long  ago  that  many  had  forgotten  there  was  such  a 
mark.  Cavalier  Gale  was  driven  by  Fred  Woodcock,  a  well  known  driver  here, 
and  it  was  in  the  second  heat  that  he  opened  up  wide  enough  to  show  his  speed 
and  set  the  new  figures. 

week's  .aver.\ge  good 

The  Yakima  track  contributed  something  to  the  good  performance  of  the 
trotter  for  it  was  "bullet  fast"  as  the  pharse  goes,  and  has  been  so  all  week. 
This  is  manifested  by  the  report  made  up  to  last  night  by  Judge  McNair  to  be 
sent  in  to  the  governing  association.  There  have  been,  up  to  last  night,  forty- 
eight  heats  contested  on  the  track  this  week  by  harness  horses  and  the  average 
of  speed  for  the  number  is  2:09  3-5.  This  is  a  splendid  showing.  It  is  a  tribute 
to  the  work  of  Con  Hohmeyer,  who  has  the  track  in  charge  and  who  kept  it  in 
that  condition  throughout  the  week  for  the  sport  offering.  Another  day  re- 
mains with  a  nice  program,  to  be  followed  by  a  special  ten-mile  free-for-all 
automobile  contest. 

Lady  Hal  was  driven  to  victory  yesterday  at  the  State  Fair  races  in  the 
free-for-all  pace  by  a  green  driver,  D.  J.  McDonald,  of  Winnipeg,  who  pur- 
chased the  animal  at  Chehalis  before  coming  here.  This  is  the  first  event  in 
which  Mr.  McDonald  ever  drove  for  money,  but  he  showed  a  steady  nerve  in 
competing  for  the  $700  purse.  Lady  Hal  went  under  the  wire  the  first  three 
heats  and  was  easily  the  master  of  the  field.  The  best  time  was  ZiO?^^.  Dick 
Mayburn  was  scratched,  a  fact  which  took  from  the  interest  in  the  event. 

Lady  Hal  goes  from  here  to  Salem,  where  she  will  compete  for  a  $2,000 
])urse  against  a  field  of  fast  California  horses  and  others.  McDonald,  who  is 
a  well-to-do  lumberman,  is  said  to  have  paid  $1,500  for  the  animal,  buving  it 
from  D.  E.  Witt. 

H.  H.  Helman,  a  well-known  driver  here,  drove  Alack  Fitzsimmons,  a 
speedy  animal,  against  McDonald.  Mack  Fitzsimmons  came  in  second  and 
May  Davis  third. 

Lady  Hal  was  trained  by  J.  J.  Carson,  a  veteran  trainer.  He  is  the  man 
who  trained  College  Gent,  the  animal  that  won  the  free-for-all  pace  here  at  the 
fair  last  year. 

c.\v.\lier  g.\le  wins 

Cavalier  Gale  took  the  2:19  trot,  winning  the  second  and  third  heats.  Red 
Star  had  the  better  of  the  argument  in  the  first  heat,  with  Cavalier  Gale  second, 
but  the  latter  easily  showed  his  ability  over  the  field  after  the  first  event.  Com- 
plete and  Bon  Fire  did  not  worry  either  of  the  two  leading  horses  at  any  time. 
The  second  heat,  which  was  the  fastest  one,  was  driven  in  2:08%. 

Lady  Major  won  the  Indian  Handicap  of  five  furlongs.  The  purse  was 
$75.     Kid  Morcll  took  second  and  Joiner  C  ran  third.     The  time  was   1  -.OSli. 


CHAPTER    VII 
THE  PRESS  OF  THE  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

THE  FIRST   PAPER — ADVS.   IN   THE   FIRST  ISSUE  OF  THE  "rECORd" THE  "sIGNAL'' 

THE    "localizer" DEATH    OF    D.    J.    SCHNEBLY THE    "SPECTATOR"    AND    ITS 

EDITORS LATER    NEWSPAPERS    AND    SPECIAL    PUBLICATIONS    OF    YAKIMA    AND 

ELLENSBURG — TRANSIENT    PAPERS    OF    YAKIMA    AND    ELLENSBURG — PAPERS    OF 
THE  OTHER  TOWNS — THE  PRESS   IN   THE  SMALLER  TOWNS  OF   YAKIMA  COUNTY 

THE    PRESS    IN     BENTON     COUNTY PROSSER    PAPERS — INDIAN^     CAYUSE    AND 

COYOTE IRRIGATED  LANDS    NEAR   PROSSER THE   NORTHERN    PACIFIC   COMPANY' 

PROSSER PROSSER's   WATER  POWER HORSE    HEAVEN    COUNTRY KIONA  AND 

— BENTON  CITY  PAPERS KENNEWICK  PAPERS KENNEWICK  ON  THE  COLUMBIA 

We  refer  in  various  chapters  of  this  work  to  the  newspapers  and  make 
many  extracts,  of  editorials,  as  well  as  news  items  and  advertisements.  Our 
aim  in  this  chapter  is  to  give  as  nearly  as  may  he,  a  comprehensive  summary 
of  the  journalistic  history  of  the  valley.  For  the  sake  of  unity  we  shall  cover 
the  entire  valley  embracing  Yakima,  Kittitas  and  Benton  counties,  in  the  one 
general  survey.  While  different  journals  have  had  each  its  special  locality  to 
promote  and  its  special  constituency  to  please  and  profit,  and  incidentally  to 
profit  by,  the  general  conditions  throughout  the  valley  have  been  similar.  In 
several  instances,  too,  there  has  been  considerable  transference  of  the  leading 
journalists  from  one  section  to  another.  Hence  we  believe  that  our  judgment 
will  be  sustained  by  our  readers  in  embracing  in  one  chapter  the  newspaper 
history  of  the  whole  valley. 

There  are  a  number  of  men  in  the  dift'erent  towns,  some  still  actively  en- 
gaged in  newspaper  work,  who  were  here  at  the  beginning.  From  these  men, 
and  from  others  who  came  later,  and  in  some  instances  from  the  children  of 
the  first  journalists,  we  have  derived  the  data  from  which  this  chapter  is  com- 
posed. We  can  not  within  the  limits  of  our  space  give  extended  narratives  of 
all  the  journals  of  the  valley.  It  will  be  our  aim  to  give  the  leading  place  in 
the  story  to  the  pioneer  papers  and  those  which  by  reason  of  location  and  man- 
agement have  been  the  chief  expression  of  the  newspaper  life  of  their  commu- 
nities. We  shall  then  give  an  enumeration  of  the  later  papers  with  their 
founders.  We  have  been  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  from  Mr.  C.  B.  Bagley  of 
Seattle  some  of  the  earliest  issues  of  the  pioneer  papers  of  the  Yakima  Valley. 
Mr.  Bagley  was  the  editor  of  the  "Courier"  in  the  early  days  and  he  had  a  suffi- 
cient regard  for  the  historian  to  preserve  his  exchanges.  Pie  has  without  ques- 
tion the  best  private  collection  of  old  papers  of  any  one  in  the  state.  Through 
his  courtesy  we  have  had  access  to  his  files.  We  have  understood  from  tlic 
publishers  of  both  Yakima  and  EUensburg  that  some  of  the  earliest  issues  are 
unattainable  in  those  cities. 

496 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  497 

THE     FIRST    PAPER 

In  Mr.  Bagley's  collection  we  find  a  copy  of  the  first  paper  published  in 
Yakima.  This  is  the  "Yakima  Record."  The  date  of  Number  1,  Volume  1,  is 
September  6,  1879.  It  was  published  by  the  Record  Publishing  Company,  Rich- 
ard V.  Chadd  being  general  manager.  Mr.  Chadd  is  undoubtedly  entitled  to 
the  distinction  of  being  the  trail  breaker  of  all  the  newspaper  men  of  Yakima. 
Not  only  was  he  the  first  in  Yakima  City,  but,  as  founder  of  the  "Kittitas 
Standard"  in  Ellensburg,  of  which  the  first  number  was  issued  on  June  16, 
1883,  he  was  first  in  that  part  of  the  valley  also. 

As  we  are  sure  that  our  readers  will  enjoy  a  sight  of  the  editorial  page  of 
that  first  Yakima  paper,  we  reproduce  it  here.  Some  of  the  news  items  also 
will  be  "iTiighty  interestin'  readin'  ",  as  Horace  Greeley  would  say.  We  ac- 
cordingly include  some  of  them. 


"We  trust  that  those  who  subscribe  toward  starting  the  paper  will  now 
come  forward  and  pay  in  their  quota.  W'e  have  complied  with  our  terms  of 
the  agreement,  and  will  do  so  in  the  future.  There  remains  yet  a  small  amount 
due  the  type  foundry  in  San  Francisco.  We  have  promised  to  pay  this  imme- 
diately. Our  own  means  have  become  exhausted  and  we  are  compelled  to  ask 
the  subscribers  to  pay  up.  There  is  sufficient  of  the  original  subscription  money 
yet  unpaid  to  meet  this  obligation,  and  therefore  we  trust  our  friends  will  not 
cause  us  to  forfeit  our  promise  to  the  type  founders.  We  shall  shortly  publish 
the  names  of  those  parties  who  have  paid,  and  whose  just  spirit  of  enterprise 
and  liberality  has  enabled  us  to  do  what  has  been  done.  Those  gentlemen  have 
long  felt  the  need  of  a  newspaper  in  this  locality  to  properly  represent  the  ad- 
vantages of  this  county  as  a  desirable  place  for  settlement  to  immigrants  now 
seeking  this  Territory  in  search  of  homes.  It  will  be  our  aim  not  to  disappoint 
them  in  this  respect.  At  least  we  shall  try  to  fulfill  that  duty.  It  will  be  a 
pleasant  task,  too,  for  we  have  seldom  visited  a  locality  which  holds  more  in- 
ducements to  the  farmer  or  agriculturist  than  Yakima  County." 


"We  do  not  propose  to  make  any  apology  at  this  early  day,  but  if  ever  a 
man  has  been  bothered  with  vexatious  and  unnecessary  delay  we  are  that  indi- 
vidual. First  our  ink  roller  melted  down,  and  we  had  to  send  it  back  to  The 
Dalles  to  have  it  re-cast.  We  received  it  a  week  ago  Friday  last,  made  a  few 
swift  remarks  about  our  business  (something  which  they  knew  very  little  about) 
and  ten  days  have  expired  and  our  roller  is  not  here.  Then  on  unpacking  we 
discovered  that  the  column  rules  had  been  left  behind.  We  have  written  a  dozen 
letters  to  hurry  them  up,  and  they  are  not  here  yet.  Finally  we  borrowed  some 
labor-saving  rule  of  Mr.  Bell,  of  Ellensburgh,  and  by  piecing  out  with  'ad' 
rules,  succeeded  in  manufacturing  columns.  If  we  have  not  a  small  dose  of— 
ginger — we  don't  know  who  has,  without  taking  in  consideration  minor  vexa- 
tions." 


"Nearly  four  months  ago,  in  a  conversation  with  one  of  the  principal  citi- 
zens of  this  county,  at  Goldendale,  the  subject  was  broached  of  startins  a  new-;- 


498  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ALLEY 

paper  in  Yakima.  We  frankly  told  him  we  hadn't  the  means  ourself  to  accom- 
pHsh  our  aim.  He  told  us  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  raising  sufficient  to 
start.  The  subject  had  been  mentioned  incidentally  to  us  sometime  previously, 
but  nothing  looking  toward  doing  anything  had  been  accomplished  till  the 
above  conversation  occurred.  Shortly  after  this  we  came  to  Yakima  to  look 
at  the  field.  It  was  a  matter  of  surprise  to  us  that  it  had  not  been  occupied  long 
previously.  The  people  know  how  we  accomplished  our  purpose.  They  have 
liberally  encouraged  this  enterprise,  knowing  with  certainty  that  their  means 
have  been  well  invested  in  something  which  will  be  of  advantage  to  the  whole 
community.  They  have  performed  their  portion  of  the  enterprise,  it  remains 
to  do  our  part.  Today  we  present  our  readers  with  the  first  number  of  the 
"Yakima  Record."  If  we  do  say  it  ourself,  there  is  not  a  neater  paper  in  the 
Territory.  As  to  what  shall  appear  in  it  from  time  to  time  we  shall  let  the 
future  tell,  and  our  readers  be  the  judges.  Of  one  thing  they  can  rest  assured 
that  nothing  shall  appear  in  it  to  offend  the  most  modest.  On  political  questions 
we  shall  maintain  an  independent  position — support  whom  we  please,  provided 
he  is  honest  and  capable.  Our  principal  aim,  however,  will  be  to  write  up  the 
vast  and  varied  resources  of  this  region,  hoping  thereby  to  attract  to  our  midst 
a  frugal  and  industrious  population.  Hoping  this  programme  will  suit  we  make 
our  bow  to  the  public." 


"Upon  mature  deliberation  we  have  concluded  to  fix  the  rates  of  subscrip- 
tion at  the  following  figures:  One  year,  if  paid  in  advance,  $3;  if  not  in  ad- 
vance, $4;  six  months,  in  advance,  $1.50:  if  not  in  advance,  $2;  three  months, 
in  advance,  $1  ;  and  if  not  in  advance,  $1.25.  We  thus  make  it  quite  a  consid- 
eration to  pay  in  advance.  We  shall  not  deviate  from  this  to  friend  or  foe.  So 
send  in  subscriptions  and  send  the  money  along.     It  saves  keeping  books." 


"Shot  at.^ — On  Monday  night  last  as  Mr.  Wallace  Rose,  who  resides  on 
the  Wenas,  was  riding  up  the  creek,  and  when  about  six  miles  above  Cam- 
eron's, some  unknown  assassin  fired  upon  him  from  the  thick  brush  at  the  side 
of  the  road.  The  ball  passed  through  his  hat.  Rose  immediately  spurred  up 
his  horse,  attempting  to  get  out  of  the  way,  but  before  he  could  do  so  another 
shot  was  fired  at  him.  Mr.  Rose  cannot  conceive  who  it  was,  as  he  does  not 
think  he  has  an  enemy  in  the  world.  There  are  various  opinions  in  the  neigh- 
borhood concerning  the  matter,  but  most  agree  on  one  point,  and  that  is,  the 
shots  were  intended  for  another  person,  but  in  the  imperfect  light  of  the  moon 
the  assassin  mistook  his  man.  Some  of  the  neighbors  the  next  morning  went 
to  the  spot  and  endeavored  to  track  the  fellow.  The  tracks  where  he  stood  on 
the  soft  ground  in  the  bushes  were  plain  to  be  seen,  but  on  striking  hard  ground 
they  disappeared." 


"H.\r.o  CuMTUx. — For  several  days  past  our  office  has  been  an  object  of 
intense  curiosity  upon  the  part  of  the  Indians.  They  took  the  press  for  some 
sort  of  a  new-fangled  cannon.  One  old  fellow  in  particular  asked  us  if  the 
type  was  bullets.  Our  answer  was  'Nowitka.'  We  asked  him  if  he  "Cumtuxed?' 
and  he  'Halo-ed'  in  short  metre." 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY  499 

"On  Saturday  night,  October  U,  1879,  at  the  courthouse  in  Yakima  City, 
there  will  be  a  meeting  to  organize  a  Pioneer  Association  for  Yakima  County, 
of  all  persons  who  resided  in  said  county  on  the  day  the  first  issue  of  this  paper 
was  published.  Turn  out  all  professions  and  pursuits.  Come,  ye  honest  sons 
of  toil!  Come,  ye  who  have  braved  the  storms  of  pioneer  life!  Come,  ye 
whose  matchless  valor  has  never  quailed  before  war-whoops  and  scalping- 
knives!  Come  one,  come  everybody,  and  let  us  add  to  the  renown  of  the  great 
Yakima  X'alley,  by  organizing  a  permanent  society  which  will  be  a  perpetual 
monument  to  those  who  first  penetrated  the  sage  land  of  Yakima  and  brought 
order  out  of  chaos,  and  made  the  so-called  "desert  blossom  as  the  rose."  " 


"Rough  on  Tiie.m. — A  couple  of  our  young  gentlemen  friends,  who  reside 
on  the  Wenas,  not  long  ago  concluded  to  give  their  young  lady  friends  a  treat 
in  the  shape  of  a  pleasure  ride  to  town.  Accordingly  they  hitched  up  their  team, 
and  after  getting  the  girls  all  comfortably  tucked  in  the  wagon,  all  proceeded 
joyously  on  their  way  to  town.  Arriving  here  safely  they  visited  the  stores 
and  after  purchasing  a  few  'goodies'  concluded  to  go  to  the  photographers  and 
have  their  pictures  taken.  This  was  finally  done  to  their  satisfaction,  and  they 
joyfully  wended  their  way  homeward,  but,  mind  you,  it  was  late  in  the  after- 
noon, and  they  had  the  wicked  Naches  to  ford.  Everything  was  lovely  till  this 
was  reached  and  there  the  'tug  of  war'  began.  The  river  was  higher  than  it  is 
now  and  much  more  difficult  to  ford,  besides  it  was  late.  In  crossing,  their 
team  stalled  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  Persuasion,  coaxing  nor  whipping  could 
not  move  them  an  inch,  and  finally  the  young  men  were  compelled  to  jump  in 
the  water  and  carry  the  young  ladies  ashore.  This  was  a  ticklish  job  taking 
everything  into  consideration,  but  it  was  finally  done  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
parties.  The  boys  then  proceeded  to  get  their  wagon  and  team  out  of  the  difli- 
culty.  In  doing  this  they  got  a  glorious  ducking,  but  they  had  good  grit  and 
stuck  to  it  till  everything  was  ashore  once  more,  when  they  proceeded  home- 
ward.    It  was  rough  on  the  boys  but  fun  for  the  girls.     Now  guess  who  it  was." 


""Agext  Api'f)iXTED. — We  are  pleased  to  note  that  the  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington Colony  Land  Company  have  appointed  our  townsman,  E.  P.  Boyls,  as 
their  local  agent  at  this  jilace.  Through  the  efforts  of  this  company  is  mainly 
attributable  the  settlement  of  various  localities  in  this  section.  The  object  of 
this  company  is  to  receive  lands  and  sell  them;  locate  colonies  thereon,  and  to 
publish  books,  papers  and  documents  relating  thereto.  These  are  circulated  in 
the  east,  and  thus  an  excellent  medium  of  advertising  the  country  afforded. 
Mr.  Boyls,  the  agent  here,  is  duly  authorized  to  transact  all  business  in  the  way 
of  selling  or  advertising  for  sale  all  lands  entrusted  to  the  company  to  be  dis- 
posed of.  The  company  has  been  duly  incorporated,  and  is  officered  by  men  in 
whom  the  people  have  confidence,  William  A.  Lewis  being  president  and  W.  W. 
Gibbs  secretary.  In  a  future  issue  we  shall  have  more  to  say  concerning  its 
workings." 


'"The  'Si'dKAX.' — This   favorite   light   draft   boat,   which   has  been   laid  up 
opposite  Ccliln    f(ir  the  past   eight   month-,  took   her  place  on  the   Snake   River 


500 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


Line  on  Mondav  last,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Alfred  Pingston.  Si  Smith 
goes  on  her  as  pilot,  John  Anderson  as  chief  engineer  and  McCammon  as  purser. 
It  is  said  that  she  will  carry  fifteen  tons  more  freight  than  the  'Gates,'  but 
DeHuff  has  no  idea  she  is  her  equal  for  speed.  She  took  up  84^  tons  in  fifteen 
hours  and  that  was  a  capital  run  for  her.  Her  trade  is  Snake  River  exclusively, 
as  the  amount  of  grain  to  be  shipped  from  the  Tukanon  Landing  alone  this 
year  is  in  excess  of  10,000  tons,  according  to  the  best  authorities.  Much  of 
this  can  be  gotten  out  in  the  next  sixty  days,  if  the  water  does  not 
run  down  too  rapidly  in  the  meantime.  Shippers  are  slow  at  sending 
along  their  grain  as  yet,  on  account  of  the  low  prices ;  but  they  can't  do  better 
than  to  ship  now  and  pay  the  storage  in  Portland,  thus  availing  themselves  of 
the  chances  of  a  rise  in  the  market,  should  the  boom  take  place  during  the 
usual  freeze  up.  This  they  could  not  do  if  they  stored  their  grain  at  home 
during  the  Winter  months,  or  at  warehouses  on  the  river,  as  in  seasons  that 
are  past. — "Inland  Empire.'  " 


Much  light  is  cast  on  conditions  by  a  perusal  of  advertisements.  We  ac- 
cordingly add  here  a  part  of  the  advertisements  of  the  first  number  of  the 
"Record." 


The  Latest 

New  Goods  and  Late  Novelties  1 

P.  T.  Gervais 

Keeps    on    Hand    a    Well     Selected 

Stock  of 

Staple   and   Fancy   Goods,   Hats   and 

Caps,  Gents"  and  Boys'  Clothing, 

Boots  and  Shoes 

In  Short  a  Large  Variety  of  General 

Merchandise ! 

"Quick  Sales  and  Small  Profits" 


Thanking  customers  for  past  fa- 
vors, I  hope  to  merit  a  continuance  of 
the  same. 

P.   T.  Gervais. 

The  Cheapest   Place  to   Trade 
is  at 
Shoud}-  &  Stewarts 
EUensburgh.  W.  T. 
Wholesale   and   Retail   Establishment. 
The  largest  and  best  stock  in  Yaki- 
ma   County.      And    Sold    Cheap    for 
Cash. 


J.  W.  Goodwin  W.  J.  Goodwin 

Goodwin  Brothers 
Blacksmiths    and   Horseshoers 
Main  Street,  Y'akima  City 

All  kinds  of  Jobbing  Work  prompt- 
ly   executed.      Repairing   a    specialty. 

Canaday's  Mill 
Near  EUensburgh,  W.  T. 
Milton    &    Robt.    N.    Canaday,    Pro- 
prietors. 
The    proprietors   beg   leave    to    an- 
nounce that  they  are  now  prepared  to 
furnish  a  fir.st-class  article  in  Flour. 
Custom    work   promjjtly   attended   to. 

Humboldt's  Saloon 

EUensburgh,  W.  T. 

Is   the    Place    Where   You    Can    Get 

the  Best 

Beer,  Wines  and  Liquor 

Call  and  Sample. 

.\lso  the  l-'est  Brands  of  Cigars  Kept 

on  Hand. 

W".  H.  Packwood.  Propr 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


501 


The  Yakima  rianing  Mills! 
Welch  &  -Millican,  Proprietors 
Is  ready  to  do  all  kinds  of  work  in 
their  line  of  business,  such  as  con- 
tracting and  building  houses  of  all  de- 
scription, sizes  and  styles,  by  contract 
or  otherwise. 

Planing  wide  lumber,  tongue  and 
grooving,  flooring,  making  rustic  or 
siding  and  moulding  of  all  sizes  and 
descriptions. 

Door  and  window  frames,  and  job 
work  to  suit  the  times. 

Finishing  lumber  and  moulding  of 
all  kinds  kept  for  sale. 

Repairing  done  at  short  notice  and 
at  low  figures. 

L.  F.  Gardener  &  Sons, 

Blacksmiths  and  Horseshoers, 

Cor.    Broadway   and   Garden    Row 

Goldendale,  W.  T. 

Custom  and  logging  work  promptly 

done.     The   making  of    fine   spurs   a 

specialty.        Orders       from      abroad 

promptly  filled. 

The  New  Restaurant  &  Hotel 

Louis  Adams,  Proprietor. 

The    above    hotel    is    kept    on    the 

European   plan.     The   beds   are   nen: 

and  clean  and  clear  of  vermin. 

Terms : 

Meals  and  Beds,  25  cts.  and  Upwards 

Travellers  can  be  Assured  of  Every 

Attention. 


City  Hotel 
Main  Street,         Yakima  City,  W.  T. 
David  Guilland,   Proprietor 
The  above  well-known  hotel  is  al- 
ways open  to  the  traveling  public.  The 
cuisine  department  is  under  the  im- 
mediate supervision  of  the  landlady, 
who  keeps  its  tables  supplied  with  the 
best  the  market  aiifords. 
Prices  Moderate  to  Suit  the  Times 
Patrons  can  rely  upon  being  treated 
with   courtesy,   and    securing   a   quiet 
and  respectable  resort. 


Gem  Saloon 
^lain  Street,  Yakima  City. 
Al.  Churchill,  Proprietor. 
The  above  popular  place  of  resort 
has  recently  been  refitted  and  refur- 
nished throughout,  and  none  but  the 
best   brands   of   Wines,    Liquors   and 
Cigars  are  furnished  to  patrons.    Call 
and  sample. 

Yakima  City  Brewery! 
First   Street.  Yakima   City. 

The  undersigned  would  respectful- 
ly inform  the  citizens  of  Yakima  City 
and  vicinity  that  he  will  always  keei) 
on  hand  a  superior  quality  of  Lager 
Beer. 

A  Share  of  Public  Patronage  is 

Solicited. 

Chas.   Schanno,   Prop'r. 


In  18S3  Mr.  Chadd  sold  the  "Record"  to  Capt.  C.  M.  Holton,  who  adopted 
for  the  paper  the  name  of  "Yakima  Republican."  Captain  Holton  was  a  news- 
paper man  of  great  energy  and  of  somewhat  strong  likes  and  dislikes  which 
he  did  not  scruple  to  express.  The  policy  of  the  "Republican"  under  his  man- 
agement was  to  support  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  in  the  somewhat  bitter 
controversy  in  regard  to  its  land  grant  and  the  removal  of  the  city  to  the  new 
site   of    Xorth    Yakima. 

The  "Republican"  was  conducted  on  that  historic  migration  from  Yakima 
City  in  1885  and  located  in  the  new  town,  by  Captain  Holton,  who  disposed 
of  the  paper  to  L.  E.  Sperry.     In  the  meantime,  in   1889,  the  name  "  Yakima 


502  HISTORY  OF  YAKDIA  WALLEY 

Republic"  was  adopted.  In  1898  Col.  W.  W.  Robertson  became  owner  and 
editor,  and  of  his  conspicuous  ability  and  success  in  the  management  no 
Yakima'  reader  needs  to  be  told.  In  October,  1903,  the  "Daily  Republic"  was 
established,  the  first  permanent  daily  in  the  valley.  While  the  "Republic"  has 
been  known  from  the  beginning  as  a  republican  paper,  it  has  been  quite  inde- 
pendent, and  its  editor  is  in  the  habit  of  using  strong  and  expressive  language 
in  which  to  embody  his  convictions  on  all  lines,  political,  social,  literary,  and 
religious.  The  "Republic"  is  recognized  throughout  the  Northwest  as  one  of 
the  leading  journalistic   factors  of  the  state. 

THE  "signal" 

The  "Record"  naturally  could  not  monopolize  so  inviting  a  field  for  any 
long  time,  and  in  1883  a  rival  appeared. 

This  was  the  "Yakima  Signal.'  Here,  too,  Mr.  Bagley's  invaluable  col- 
lection comes  to  our  assistance,  and  we  have  before  us  Number  1  of  \'olume 
1  of  the  "Signal."  The  editors  and  proprietors  were  J.  yi.  and  Mrs.  V.  D. 
Adams. 

Mr.  Adams  is  recalled  by  every  one  that  knew  him  as  a  man  of  great 
force  and  ability,  one  of  the  most  accomplished  newspaper  men  of  the  state. 
We  have  had  occasion  in  several  places  in  this  work  to  refer  to  Mr.  Adams 
and  his  attitude  in  the  railroad  war.  He  founded  his  paper  at  a  pivotal  time 
both  in  the  history'of  Yakima  and  the  state  (Territory)  as  well  as  of  the  coun- 
try at  large.  Locally,  it  was  just  the  beginning  of  the  "Big  Boom"  and  of 
the  first  connection  by  rail  between  the  Territory  and  the  east.  Nationally  it 
was  the  era  both  of  tremendous  internal  development  and  of  the  alignment  of 
anti-monopoly  and  populistic  forces  against  the  aggressions  of  corporate 
wealth.  Mr.  Adams  was  the  champion  of  these  anti-monopoly  forces.  .Al- 
though he  had  been  a  republican  and  continued  for  some  time  to  attend  con- 
ventions of  that  party,  he  was  known  as  an  independent  leader  and  as  time 
passed  he  broke  loose  from  his  party  moorings  and  became  the  acknowledged 
leader  of  the  fusion  elements  which  in  1884  and  1886  seated  C.  S.  Voorhees 
as  delegate  to  Congress. 

The  "Signal"  was  an  eight-page  paper  and  contained  much  news  from 
home  and  abroad.  Its  editorial  page  has  much  matter  worthy  of  preserva- 
tion here.  We  accordingly  make  liberal  extracts.  It  will  be  seen  that  some 
of  these  editorials  bear  upon  the  railroad  question. 

"Upon  this  the  first  Saturday  of  the  new  year  we  place  before  the  public 
the  first  number  of  the  "Yakima  Signal."  It  has  now  been  several  months 
since  our  primary  steps  were  taken  in  this  direction  and  although  we  have 
studiously  avoided  making  any  public  announcement  of  an  intention  to  begin 
its  publication  at  an  earlier  date  the  public  of  this  vicinity  have  nevertheless 
been  for  some  time  expecting  the  "Signal"  to  make  its  appearance.  Unfor- 
tunately, and  without  any  fault  or  omission  on  our  jKirt.  we  have  encountered 
several  vexatious  obstacles  which  have  occasioned  unavoidable  delay.  We  re- 
solved at  the  outset  that  before  calling  upon  the  public  for  support;  or,  in 
other  words,    that  before   attempting   to   publish   a   newspaper   we    would    first 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  503 

supply  our  establishment  with  all  of  the  mechanical  appliances  necessary  for 
publishing  a  paper  large  enough  and  in  other  respects  good  enough  to  merit 
respect  at  home  and  reflect  credit  abroad  upon  the  intelligent  and  generous 
people  from  whose  county  it  shall  emanate  and  upon  whom  it  must  mainly 
rely  for  support.  Remotely  and  unfavorably  situated  as  we  are  with  refer- 
ence to  transportation  facilities,  the  gathering  together  of  a  large  stock  of 
printing  office  appurtenances  is  no  light  undertaking  at  best.  Our  delay  ha.-. 
been  occasioned  in  the  main,  however,  by  certain  unpardonable  blunders  on 
the  part  of  certain  careless  type-foundrymen  of  San  Francisco,  to  whom  we 
reserve  the  privilege  of  paying  our  respects  at  some  future  time. 

"As  to  the  'Signal's'  merits  as  a  journal  we  shall  leave  it  to  the  public 
to  judge  for  themselves.  It  is  at  least  not  our  purpose  to  put  forth  in  this  con- 
nection any  extravagant  promises.  We  shall  only  agree  to  take  the  fullest 
possible  advantage  of  our  opportunities  and  do  at  all  times  the  very  best  that 
circumstances  will  permit.  However  well  or  poorly  we  may  succeed,  our  read- 
ers may  rely  upon  it  that  an  earnest,  patient  eflfort  will  be  made  to  make  the 
'Signal"  in  every  respect  a  readable,  reliable  newspaper — not  only  one  of  the 
largest  but  also  one  of  the  best  published  in  the  Northwest.  Each  issue,  in 
addition  to  local  news,  will  contain  a  synopsis  of  the  news  of  the  week,  gath- 
ered together  from  all  parts  of  Washington  Territory,  from  all  parts  of  the 
Pacific  Coast,  and  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States — thus  making  it,  in 
effect, 

'A   faithful  map  of  busy  life. 
Its    fluctuations    and    its    vast    concerns.' 

"Editorially  the  'Signal'  will  be  an  independent  exponent  of  whatever  it 
may  conceive  to  be  right  and  an  uncompromising  antagonist  of  whatever  it 
may  conceive  to  be  wrong;  and  in  forming  its  conceptions  of  right  and  wrong 
it  will  be  governed  by  the  interests  of  no  party,  sect,  combination,  corpora- 
tion or  clique.  Having  once  placed  upon  our  subscription  books  the  names 
of  confiding  citizens  and  received  their  money  in  payment  for  an  honest  news- 
paper, it  will  not  feel  at  liberty  to  afterwards  enter  into  any  agreement  with 
third  parties  by  which  its  utterances  upon  any  subject  may  be  hampered  or 
controlled.  Believing  that  the  obligations  of  a  newspaper  to  its  readers  are 
no  less  sacred  than  are  the  obligations  of  a  lawyer  to  his  clients,  it  will  be 
editorially  true  to  its  readers  and  will  subsist  upon  the  legitimate  profits  of 
journalism  or  perish  for  want  of  support. 

"Are  the  people  ready  for  such  a  journal?  Will  they  step  forward  and 
aid  us  in  our  undertaking?     We  shall  await  their  answer." 


"A  new  railroad  land  office  has  recently  been  started  at  Sprague  for  the 
sale  of  Northern  Pacific  lands.  The  agent  located  there  has  been  instructed 
to  sell  no  first-class  agricultural  lands  for  less  than  four  dollars  per  acre.  Some 
of  it  is  sold  for  prices  considerably  higher  than  four  dollars  per  acre,  thus 
making  the  average  charge  four  and  a  half  dollars.  One-eighth  of  each  tract 
purchased  is  required  to  be  broken  the  first  year,  one-fifth  of  the  purchase 
money  being  required  in  advance,   the  balance   within  five  years  at  seven  per 


504  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

cent,  interest.  Some  people  consider  these  terms  very  generous  on  the  part 
of  the  company.  Let  us  see:  Putting  the  average  price  paid  for  the  land  at 
four  dollars  (and  this  is  no  doubt  one  or  two  dollars  lower  than  the  average 
actually  is)  the  company  receives  for  each  640  acre  section  the  snug  little  sum 
of  $2,560.  Immediately  opposite  each  mile  of  the  company's  railroad  they 
receive  from  the  government  forty  sections  of  land — twehty  sections  on  each 
side.  Multiplying  the  amount  received  for  each  section  by  forty  we  get  the 
amount  of  land  donated  by  the  government  (in  the  shape  of  public  lands) 
'to  aid'  in  building  each  mile  of  this  road.  It  amounts  to  $102,400.  For  gen- 
erosity's sake  we  will  knock  ofif  the  $2,400,  leaving  an  even  $100,000  worth 
of  land  opposite  each  mile  of  road.  It  may  be  pleaded  that  a  great  portion  of 
the  land  will  not  sell  for  as  much  as  four  dollars  an  acre,  owing  to  its  being 
mountainous  and  unfit  for  farming.  This  is  true.  But  all  such  portions  of 
the  grant  that  are  not  agricultural  in  character  may  be  classed  either  as  timber 
lands  or  as  grazing  lands  and  as  such  will  not  likely  be  valued  by  the  company 
at  less  than  from  one  to  two  and  a  half  dollars  an  acre.  The  government  tim- 
ber land  is  not  purchasable  for  less  than  $2.50  per  acre  and  there  is  no  law 
under  which  grazing  land  can  be  purchased  from  the  government  for  less, 
than  $1.25  per  acre.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  company  would  place  a  valuation 
upon  its  lands  lower  than  these  figures,  if  as  low.  But  in  order  to  make  abund- 
ant allowance  for  all  such  lands  we  will  make  a  further  reduction  of  one-half 
of  the  above  amount,  leaving  the  valuation  of  the  grant  for  each  mile  $50,0(K)' 
instead  of  $100,000.  Railroads  may  be  built  through  almost  any  part  of  the 
United  States  for  $25,000  a  mile,  and  most  roads  cost  even  less  than  that. 

"If  these  figures  are  correct  (and  they  are  surely  not  wanting  in  liberality 
to  the  company)  the  land  grant  will  not  only  pay  for  constructing  the  road 
but  will  leave  a  surplus  of  $25,000  per  mile  1  Considering  that  this  immense 
sum  of  money  will  be  mostly  drawn  from  the  scanty  earnings  of  poor,  hard- 
working settlers  we  can  not  help  thinking  of  the  old  adage  which  declares  that 
the  chief  instrument  which  operates  to  keep  poor  people  poor  is  their  pov- 
erty ;  for  it  is  indeed  too  true  that  'to  those  who  have  much,  much  is  given.' 

"The  high  price  charged  by  the  company  for  the  land  is  not,  however^ 
the  worst  feature  in  the  case.  The  announcement  is  made  of  a  sale  of  nearly 
all  the  land  of  the  N.  P.  R.  R.  in  Minnesota  and  Dakota,  east  of  the  Missouri 
River,  amounting  to  nearly  three  million  acres,  to  English  and  Boston  capi- 
talists. The  price  agreed  on  is  four  dollars  per  acre,  to  be  paid  in  preferred 
stock  of  the  company,  which  will  be  retired. 

"It  would  seem  from  this  and  from  numerous  announcements  of  similar 
purchasers  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States  that  the  English  landlord  is 
not  satisfied  with  having  his  brawny  foot  upon  the  necks  of  the  Irish  peasantry 
but  that  he  is  also  finding  room  there  under  the  American  settler  upon  what 
ought  to  be  the  public  domain.  Over  in  Uncle  Sam's  'land  of  the  free'  the- 
English  land  shark  will  find  a  broad  field  for  the  exercise  of  his  relentless 
cupidity.  He  will  find  in  connection  with  the  public  lands  one  set  of  laws  for 
the  rich  and  another  for  the  poor.  He  will  find  that  the  settler's  claim  is  made 
forfeitable  upon  slight  technicalities  while  a  railroad  company  is  permitted  'to- 
have  and  to  hold'  land  enough  to  found  an  empire  regardless  of  the  fact  that 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  X'ALLEY  505 

under  its  contract  with  the  government  all  of  its  claim  thereto  has  been  clearly 
forfeited." 


••Just  south  of  Yakima  City  lies  a  large  section  of  country  in  which  is  in- 
cluded what  most  people  would  at  once  concede  to  be  the  very  finest  body  of 
agricultural  land  in  Washington  Territory.  Some  of  this  land  is  covered  with 
a  heavy  growth  of  sagebrush  and  the  remainder  by  tall,  luxuriant  ryegrass. 
Properly  speaking  it  is  the  Toppenish  Valley,  the  one  in  which  our  town  is  sit- 
uated being  the  valley  of  the  Ahtanum.  The  Toppenish  Valley  is  not  only 
traversed  by  a  large  unfailing  stream  of  that  name  but  also  by  the  Satus,  a 
clear,  sparkling  river  which  flows  from  the  Simcoe  Mountains  across  the  valley 
and  empties  into  the  Yakima  some  eight  miles  above  the  valley's  southern 
boundary.  On  the  whole  of  this  vast  and  magnificent  valley  there  is  not  to  be 
found  a  single  white  settler.  In  fact  one  may  travel  over  thousands  of  acre'= 
of  it  without  seeing  a  single  living  being  save  here  and  there  a  jack-rabbit  scamp- 
ering through  the  tall  grass,  a  badger  burrowing  in  the  mellow  loam,  a  wild 
curlew  screaming  its  lonely  blast  high  up  in  the  warm  sunshine,  or  perhaps  a 
drowsy  little  owl  that  sits  nodding  its  useless  life  aw-ay  or  haply  complaining 
to  the  moon,  like  the  owl  in  the  Eleg}-,  for  being  occasionally  molested  in  its 
ancient  solitary  reign. 

"But  why  has  not  this  delightful  country  been  made  the  home  of  thousands 
of  happy,  industrious  people?  Why  is  it  left  as  an  abode  for  the  owl  and  the 
badger?  Why  has  the  great  throng  of  home-seekers  passed  over  it  and  located 
in  less  favored  places?  It  is  because  this  beautiful  valley  is  included  in  the 
reservation  of  the  Yakima  Indians.  But  where  are  the  Indians?  Why  are  they 
not  cultivating  it  and  Rowing  prosperous  and  wealthy  from  its  products? 
Simply  because  it  is  not  in  the  nature  of  most  Indians  to  do  these  things ;  because 
most  of  them,  clad  in  blankets  and  with  painted  faces,  would  rather  rove  among 
the  far-of¥  mountains  or  loaf  around  some  town  where  they  can  stand  and  gaze 
in  listless  stupidity  upon  the  varied  industrial  operations  of  white  men.  Once 
in  a  while,  however,  we  find  among  them  a  worthy  individual  who  is  making 
a  commendable  effort  to  overcome  the  wild  promptings  of  his  original  nature 
and  act  like  a  white  man.  Such  individuals  are  deserving  of  praise  and  en- 
couragement. Even  the  most  worthless  member  of  the  tribe  is  not  deserving 
of  blame  or  abuse  for  being  what  he  is.  He  is  precisely  what  a  combination  of 
circumstances  over  which  he  had  no  control  have  resulted  in  making  him.  He 
is  an  Indian ;  and  being  an  Indian  he  is  the  legitimate  heir  of  savage  life  while 
the  white  man  is  the  heir  of  a  remote  line  of  civilized  ancestry.  Hence  it  is 
that  when  we  come  across  a  white  man  possessed  of  no  better  sense  of  man- 
ners than  an  Indian  we  think  much  less  of  him  than  we  do  of  the  Indian.  It 
seems  to  us  the  very  height  of  senselessness  to  bemean  the  Indian  for  not  being 
a  white  man.  The  part  of  wisdom  is  to  take  the  Indian  as  we  find  him  and 
do  all  in  our  power  to  make  him  what  he  should  be. 

"To  this  end  it  is  generally  conceded  by  Western  people  that  there  should 
be  a  radical  departure  from  the  present  Indian  policy;  that  these  nondescript 
wards  of  the  nation  should  be  given  lands  in  severalty  and  made  self-support- 


506  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ALLEY 

ing :  that  to  encourage  cultivation  of  the  soil,  the  soil  should  belong  to  the  cul- 
tivator instead  of  to  the  tribe  in  general ;  and  that  such  reservation  lands  as  may 
be  left  after  each  Indian  shall  have  been  supplied  should  be  made  subject  to 
acquisition  by  white  settlers. 

"A  movement  has  recently  been  inaugurated  by  our  citizens  looking  to  the 
opening  up,  on  this  principle,  of  that  portion  of  the  Yakima  Reservation  which 
includes  the  fine  agricultural  land  above  alluded  to.  This  movement,  if  wisely 
and  judiciously  carried  forward,  might  result  in  hastening  desired  action  on 
the  part  of  Congress  and  the  "Signal"  will  watch  its  progress  with  interest, 
believing  it  to  be  a  matter  of  paramount  importance  to   Yakima  County." 


The  "Signal"  was  opposed,  of  course,  to  the  removal  of  the  town  to  North 
Yakima,  but  perforce  had  to  go  along  with  the  rest  of  the  reluctant  citizens  of 
the  "Old  Town." 

x\h.  Adams  had  made  a  deal  with  James  R.  Coe  for  the  transfer  of  the 
"Signal"  and  was  just  on  the  eve  of  moving  in  1886  to  the  new  town,  when 
some  evil-minded  enemy  blew 'up  the  "Signal"  Building. 

Mr.  Coe  is  a  resident  of  Yakima  at  the  present  time  and  he  detailed  to  the 
author  most  interestingly  the  event  of  the  blowing  up  of  the  building  and  the 
hopeless  scattering  of  the  type.  However,  what  was  left  of  the  paper  was  moved 
according  to  plan,  and  Mr.  Coe  became  established  there  in  1889  as  the  second 
newspaper  man  in  North  Yakima.  In  1888  he  had  a  transient  paper,  the 
"Democrat."  In  1889  he  joined  with  E.  M.  Reed  in  the  union  of  his  former 
enterprise  with  the  "Yakima  Herald."  In  1893  Mr.  Coe  sold  his  interest  in  the 
"Herald"  to  his  partner,  Mr.  Reed,  who  in  turn,  in  September,  1897,  sold  to 
George  F.  Tuesley  and  C.  F.  Bailey.  In  1898  Mr.  Bailey  disposed  of  his  share 
of  the  business  to  Robert  McComb.  In  Februarj-,  1904,  E.  L.  Boardman 
bought  out  Mr.  McComb.  Messrs.  Tuesley  and  Boardman  published  the  "Her- 
ald" for  a  few  months,  when  Mr.  Boardman  retired.  Mr.  Tuesley  conducted  the 
paper  until  April  1,  1912,  when  W.  W.  Robertson  acquired  the  paper  and 
has  continued  the  management  in  conjunction  with  the  "Republic."  The 
"Herald"  became  a  morning  paper  in  1905.  At  present  date  it  holds  the  morn- 
ing field  and  the  "Republic"  the  field  of  the  afternoon.  Thus  we  find  the  lead- 
ing newspaper  interest  and  influence  in  Yakima  the  resultant  of  two  lines  of 
succession  blending  at  last  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Robertson.  The  "Weekly 
Herald"  was  merged  with  the  "Weekly  Republic"  in   1912. 

The  former  of  these  lines  was  the  Record-Republican-Republic  line,  un- 
der ihe  successive  management  of  Messrs.  Chadd,  Holton,  Sperry,  Robertson. 
the  latter  was  the  Signal-Democrat-Herald  line  of  succession,  with  the  man- 
agement in  Messrs.  Adams,  Coe,  Coe  and  Reed,  Tuesley  and  Bailey,  Tuesley 
and  McComb,  Tuesley  and  Boardman,  and  Robertson.  It  makes  a  most  inter- 
esting   history. 

W'e  learned  from  Mv.  Coe  the  character  of  the  sudden  and  tragic  death 
of  the  brilliant  and  influential  first  editor  of  the  "Signal,"  J.  M.  Adams.  After 
disposing  of  his  paper  he  went  to  Spokane  to  live.  In  1893  he  was  in  North 
Yakima,  and  while  in  Mr.  Coe's  office,  was  taken  with  a  sudden  hemorrhage, 
fell  to  the  floor  and  almost  immediately  expired.     He  was  in  the  prime  of  life 


HISTORY  ()!•   YAKIMA  WVLLEY  507 

and  his  death  was  a  great  loss  to  the  journalistic  profession.  It  was  rather  a 
singular  coincidence  that  Mr.  Chadd,  the  pioneer  of  all  the  journalists,  had 
previously  been  called  with  an  equal  suddenness.  He  died  in  his  office  at  Ellens- 
burg,  stricken  with  a  cerebral  attack  on  September  10,  1885,  just  following  the 
great  demonstration  connected  with  the  presence  in  the  town  of  Delegate 
Charles  \'oorhees. 

As  we  have  seen,  Mr.  Chadd  went  from  Yakima  to  Ellensburgh  in  1883, 
and  on  June  16th,  issued  the  first  number  of  the  "Kittitas  Standard."  We 
have  copious  extracts  from  the  "Standard,"  editorials,  news,  and  advertise- 
ments, in  the  chapters  on  Kittitas  County  and  Ellensburg,  in  Part  III.  We 
present  here,  however,  the  Salutatory,  as  it  may  be  called,  in  Number  2,  on 
June  22,  1883.  The  first  number  of  the  "Standard"  was  fragmentary  on  ac- 
count of  some  untoward  circumstances,  and  hence  the  issue  of  June  23d  was 
practically  the  first.     The  announcement  is  as   follows: 

"We  want  correspondents  from  every  nook  and  dale  of  this  section.  We 
want  the  'Standard'  to  take  the  lead  in  advertising  the  resources  of  this  section, 
and  we  mean  it  shall.  Our  friends  can  aid  us  materially  if  they  only  will.  Send 
along  every  item  you  can  think  of,  no  matter  what  it  is.  We  will  put  it  in  shape 
for  publication.  N!ow  then  let  us  all  put  our  shoulders  to  the  wheel,  and  see 
what  can  be  done  for  this  section.  You  now  have  a  paper  to  aid  your  eiiforts — 
one  which  will  be  for  this  section  first,  last  and  all  the  time.  This  will 
be  our  programme  for  the  future,  and  one  to  which  we  will  strictly  adhere.  We 
realize  that  this  section  of  our  Territory  is  second  to  none  in  capability  of  de- 
velopment. In  the  past  we  have  sought  to  make  known  its  resources,  and  now 
that  we  are  here  propose  to  devote  our  whole  time  and  attention  to  this  sub- 
ject. Friends  can  contribute  material  aid.  Write  for  the  paper.  Take  it,  and 
then  send  it  abroad  to  friends." 


"Today  we  present  the  'Standard'  entire,  and  we  hope  in  a  week  or  two 
to  have  things  running  smoothly.  We  have  worked  night  and  day  upon  the 
present  issue,  and  labored  under  a  series  of  vexations  which  would  make  a 
parson  swear  but  we  did  keep  our  temper.  We  trust  the  people  will  welcome 
the  'Standard'  with  warm  and  open  hearts.  It  shall  be  our  aim  to  make  it  a 
welcome  visitor  to  every  fireside  in  the  valley." 


THE    "localizer." 

Next  in  point  of  time  and  first  in  many  respects  of  the  newspapers  was  the 
"Kittitas  Localizer."  In  the  same  station  among  newspaper  men  was  its  man- 
ager and  editor,  David  J.  Schnebly. 

Mr.  Schnebly  was  one  of  the  truly  great  pioneers  of  the  Northwest.  He 
was  already  in  elderly  life  when  he  entered  upon  his  journalistic  career  in 
Ellensburgh.  But  his  life  had  been  devoted  to  the  newspaper  profession.  He 
had  gone  to  Oregon  in  1850  and  became  the  editor  of  the  "Oregon  Spectator,"' 
the  first  paper  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  Mr.  Schnebly  was  an  editorial  writer  of 
great   power  and   discrimination.      He   was   more   scholarly   and    dignified    than 


508  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  WVLLEY 

was  the  case  with  a  good  many  of  his  professional  brethren.  That  fact,  how- 
ever, did  not  in  any  degree  lessen  the  vigor  of  his  opinions  or  the  sting  of  his 
criticisms. 

The  first  number  of  the  "Localizer"  appeared  on  July  12,  1883.  Thus  it  was 
less  than  a  month  younger  than  the  "Standard." 

A  cjuaint  story  is  told  in  the  little  History  of  Kittitas  Valley  by  the  children 
of  the  sixth  grade  of  the  Edison  school.  It  is  to  this  efTect:  "Mr.  Sclinebly 
owned  the  'Localizer'  and  Mr.  Chadd  the  'Standard.'  Each  man  said  that  his 
paper  was  first.  Mr.  J.  R.  Wallace  wrote  for  both  papers.  He  would  write 
an  item  for  one  paper  against  the  other,  then  would  go  to  the  other  and  write 
something  against  the  one  he  had  written  just  before.  It  was  a  long  time  before 
Mr.  Schnebly  or  Mr.  Chadd  knew  this." 

The  great  fire  of  July  4,  1889,  destroyed  almost  the  entire  property  of  the 
"Localizer,"  including  the  files.  Though  Mr.  Schnebly  made  every  possible 
effort  to  replace  them  from  miscellaneous  sources,  he  never  got  a  perfect  file. 
Most  of  the  issues,  though  not  the  first,  are  in  possession  of  his  daughter,  ^Irs. 
J.  B.  Davidson. 

We  have  made  extracts  from  some  of  the  numbers  which  appear  in  the 
chapter  on  Ellensburg. 

.After  the  fire  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  "Ellensburg  Local- 
izer." 

In  1898,  the  management  passed  into  the  hands  of  F.  D.  Schnebly.  In  1903 
the  paper  became  the  property  of  A.  S.  and  U.  M.  Randall,  who  were  also  the 
publishers  of  the  "Cascade  Miner"  at  Roslyn.  In  1905  Randall  Brothers  estab- 
lished a  daily,  the  "Evening  Localizer." 

On  July  1,  1909,  there  was  still  another  transfer  and  the  "Localizer"  was 
acquired  by  the  managers  of  the  "Record-Press"  and  continued  as  the  weekly 
issue  of  that  paper  and  the  "Evening  Record"  till  October  1,  1918. 

We  have  given  thus  in  bare  outline  the  important  history  of  the  ''Localizer." 

On  account  of  inability  to  secure  the  first  numbers  from  which  to  procure 
extracts  of  editorial  matter,  we  incorporate  here  Mr.  Schnebly's  valedictory  and 
some  data  relative  to  the  life  of  Mr.  Schnebly  and  his  wife,  herself  one  of  the 
choicest  products  of  the  pioneer  age,  together  with  a  sketch  of  that  unique  pub- 
lication, the  "Oregon  Spectator."  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schnebly  were  so  identified 
with  pioneer  history  in  all  its  phases,  as  well  as  specifically  with  the  newspaper 
history,  that  these  articles  cast  light  upon  the  entire  course  of  the  upbuilding  of 
the  Northwest. 

.ST.VTEMENT. 

"With  this  issue  the  'Localizer'  becomes  the  property  of  Mr.  F.  D. 
Schnebly,  who  has  purchased  the  plant  and  good  will  of  the  paper  and  will  en- 
deavor to  conduct  it  along  lines  that  will  merit  for  it  the  support  and  good  will 
of  all." 


V.\LEDICTORY 


"The  'Localizer'  was  first  issued  July  13,  1883,  and  from  its  beginning  had 
never  missed  an  issue.     Since  1845,  when  on  leaving  Marshall  College,   Penn- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  509 

sylvania,  I  bought  the  Mercersburg,  Pennsylvania,  'Journal,'  I  have  been  almost 
continually  in  editorial  work.  After  four  years  of  successful  work  on  the 
'lounial,'  I  was  affected  by  the  first  stages  of  the  western  fever,  and  selling 
the  paper  moved  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  which  was  then  considered  quite  far  west. 
Taking  hold  of  the  'Peoria  Transcript'  and  the  'Daily  Champion'  until  1850, 
I  went  still  further  west  to  the  then  Oregon  Territory.  Here  I  became  con- 
nected with  the  'Oregon  Spectator,'  which  was  the  first  paper  in  Oregon  and  the 
only  one  then  in  the  Northwest.  Later  on,  selling  and  moving  in  1861,  to  Walla 
Walla,  I  was,  until  coming  to  Ellensburg,  engaged  more  or  less  in  journalistic 
work. 

"Looking  back  through  the  years  that  are  past,  I  can  but  note  the  many 
changes  of  the  last  half  century.  Forests  have  been  leveled,  cities  grown  up, 
political  parties  risen  and  fallen,  and  wars  changed  the  geography  of  the  world. 
All  these  events  have  been  noted  in  their  turn  and  now  on  account  of  failing 
eyesight  and  declining  years  I  take  leave  of  the  'Localizer.'  I  have  labored  to 
benefit  Ellensburg  and  our  county,  and  I  hope  have  been  successful.  Having 
attained  four  score  years  and  two  months,  I  now  lay  down  my  pen  and  leave 
the  work  to  younger  hands. 

"Bespeaking  your  continueil  kind  treatment  and  patronage  for  my  suc- 
<-essor,  I  bid  you,  my  readers,  an  aft'ectionate   farewell. 

"D.   J.    SCHNEBLY." 


DEATH   OF  D.    J.    SCHNEBLY 

"David  J.  Schnebly,  so  well  known  throughout  the  valley  as  'Grandfather 
Schnebly',  passed  away  peacefully  on  Saturday  last  (January  5,  1901).  He 
was  the  editor  of  this  paper  up  to  1898,  completing  a  term  of  fifty  years  in 
active  journalism. 

"Mr.  Schnebly  was  born  in  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  February  6,  1818. 
Was  a  graduate  of  Marshall  College,  Mercersburg,  Pennsylvania.  After  leav- 
ing college,  he  bought  the  'Mercersburg  Journal,'  which  he  edited  for  about 
four  years.  He  moved  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged  in  editorial 
work  on  various  papers  of  that  city.  In  the  Spring  of  1850  he  crossed  the 
plains  to  Oregon  and  located  at  Oregon  City,  where  on  August  12,  1850,  he 
took  charge  of  the  'Spectator,'  then  owned  by  Maj.  Robert  Moore,  purchasing 
it  the  following  year  and  publishing  it  until  1855.  In  1850  Mr.  Schnebly  was 
publishing  the  only  newspaper  in  the  state  of  Oregon.  This  pioneer  paper  had 
liL'cn  founded  by  the  missionaries  when  Oregon  was  almost  a  wilderness,  and 
the  red  man   formed  the  major  part  of  her  population. 

"Mr.  Schnebly  was  married  at  Linn  City,  Oregon,  November  20,  1851,  to 
Margaretta  A.  Painter,  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Philip  Painter,  of  St.  Gene- 
vieve, Missouri.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Rev.  George 
Atkinson,  at  the  residence  of  Miss  Painter's  grandfather,  Maj.  Robert  Moore. 
!\lr.  and  Mrs.  Schnebly  moved  to  Walla  Walla  in  1861.  During  his  residence 
in  that  city  he  was  connected  at  different  times  with  the  'Union,'  'Statesman,' 
and   other  papers. 

"In  1871  he  came  to  Kittitas  \'allc_\-  where  he  purchased  the  'Localizer.' 
In  1S98  he  sold  the  \r<i\Kr  to  F.  D.  Schnebly.  the  jiresent  editor.  Notwithstanding 


510  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  WVLLEY 

his  age,  which  was  fast  approaching  eighty-three,  Air.  Schnebly  always  took  an 
active  interest  in  journalism  and  was  a  vigorous  writer  to  the  last. 

"His  wife  and  three  children  survive  him,  Philip  Henry,  Charles  P.,  and 
Jean  C.  Davidson,  of  Ellensburg.  The  late  Mrs.  Mary  V.  Adams,  of  San 
Diego,  California,  was  also  a  daughter.  The  deceased  leaves  twenty-two  grand- 
children to  revere  his  memorv." 


PIOXEEE    JOURN.XLIS.M 

"  'Ellensburg  Localizer,' 
February  6th,   1892. 

"Today  the  editor  and  projjrietor  of  this  paper  begins  his  seventy-tifth 
year.  It  is  forty-seven  years  since  he  entered  the  field  of  journalism  in  Mer- 
cersburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  he  has  been  in  the  business  the  major  part  of  the 
lime  since.  Having  immigrated  to  Oregon  in  1850  he  took  charge  of  the  'Ore- 
gon Spectator,'  the  only  paper  in  Oregon  at  that  time,  and  indeed  the  only  one 
in  the  Northwest.  The  paper  was  established  at  Oregon  City  in  1845.  by  the 
missionaries.  Rev.  Jason  Lee  being  the  prime  mover  in  its  establishment.  It 
was  run  for  five  years  with  different  editors — Col.  William  T'Vault,  Judge 
.Aaron  E.  Wait,  Gen.  George  L.  Curn,-  and  Rev.  W'ilson  Blain.  The  latter 
handed  the  editorial  shears  over  to  us.  The  plant  became  the  property  of  Hon. 
Robert  Moore,  who  employed  us  to  manage  it  for  him  one  year.  At  the  end 
of  the  year  we  purchased  it.  In  1854  the  plant  was  sold  to  Dr.  William  L. 
Adams,  who  changed  its  name  to  that  of  'The  Argus.'  The  old  press,  a  Wash- 
ington, is  still  in  Oregon.  The  'Spectator'  had  a  fine  time  clipping  the  news 
from  exchanges  which  came  around  the  Horn  and  arrived  here  twice  a  year. 
There  was  no  editorial  piracy  charged  against  the  editor  of  the  'Spectator.' 
The  papers  came  by  sailing  vessels.  The  'New  York  Tribune'  and  'Herald' 
were  among  our  exchanges.  After  we  got  through  with  them  they  were  loaned 
to  anxious  parties  who  wanted  to  get  the  news.  It  is  now  nearly  nine  years 
that  we  have  run  the  'Localizer.'  it  having  issued  its  first  number  July  12,  1883. 
Ellensburgh  was  but  a  small  village  then  with  a  store  and  post  office.  The 
original  store  stood  on  Third  Street  nearly  in  front  of  Hanson  &  Company's 
saloon,  and  in  its  first  days  was  known  as  the  Robbers'  Roost,  a  name  familiar 
to  all  the  old  .settlers  in  Kittitas  Valley." 

SKKTCH     OF    "SPFXT.VTOR"     from     B.^NCR0FT'S     HISTORY    OF    THE     NORTHWE.ST 

(Page  575,  footnote  5.) 

"There  had  been  a  small  press  in  California  since  1834.  but  no  newspajjer 
was  published  until  after  the  American  conquest,  six  months  later  than  the 
I)ublication  of  the  Oregon  newspaper.  The  'Spectator'  was  a  semi-monthly 
journal  of  four  pages,  15  by  11  inches  in  size,  containing  four  columns  each, 
printed  in  clear  type  and  a  tasteful  style,  by  John  Fleming,  a  practical  printer 
and  an  immigrant  of  1844.  The  paper  was  first  edited  by  the  president  of  the 
Oregon  Printing  Association,  W.  G.  T'Vault,  after  whom  several  other  editors 
were  emjjloycd  and   removed  in  f|uick   succession   for  holding  opinions  adverse 


HISTORY  OF  YAKl.MA  \ALLEY  511 

to  the  controlling-  power  in  the  association.  The  general  aim  of  the  'Spectator' 
was.  while  advocating  good  morals,  temperance  and  education,  to  pursue  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  with  unremitting,  if  often  covert,  hostility;  and  in  this 
respect  it  might  be  considered  the  organ  of  the  American  merchant  class  against 
tfie  British  merchants.  T'Vault  was  dismissed  at  the  end  of  ten  weeks  for 
being  too  lenient.  H.  A.  G.  Lee  then  issued  nine  numbers,  and  was  dismissed 
for  publishing  some  articles  reflecting  with  good  reason  on  the  course  of  the 
American  merchants  toward  the  colonists:  and  several  numbers  appeared  with- 
out any  ostensible  editor,  when  in  October,  1846,  George  L.  Curry,  an  immi- 
grant of  that  year,  took  the  chair.  He  pursued  the  plan  of  allowing  both  sides 
a  fair  hearing,  and  after  successfully  conducting  the  paper  a  longer  time  than 
anv  of  his  predecessors,  was  dismissed  for  publishing  some  resolutions  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  of  1849,  reflecting  on  the  Methodist  candidate  for 
the  important  office  of  Oregon  delegate  to  Congress.  He  was  succeeded  by 
A.  E.  Wait,  and  subsequently  by  Wilson  Blain. 

"In  1850  the  paper  and  press  were  sold  to  Robert  Moore,  who  employed 
Blain  for  a  time  to  edit  it,  but  displaced  him  by  D.  J.  Schnebly,  who  soon  be- 
came proprietor,  and  associated  with  himself  C.  P.  Culver  as  editor.     In  March, 

1854.  the  paper  was  sold  to  C.  L.  Goodrich,  and  by  him  discontinued  in  March, 

1855.  It  was  published  semi-monthly  until  September,  1850,  when  it  changed 
to  a  weekly ;  and  was  printed  on  one  of  Hoe's  Washington  presses.  Its  first 
printer,  John  Fleming,  went  from  Ohio  to  Oregon  in  1844,  and  continued  to 
reside  in  Oregon  City  till  the  time  of  his  death,  December  2,  1872,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  He  left  a  family  in  Ohio,  to  whom  he  never  returned.  He 
was  esteemed  in  his  adopted  home  as  an  honorable  and  exemplary  man.  He 
was  .appointed  postmaster  in  1856.  Associated  with  Fleming  for  a  time  was 
T.  F.  McElroy,  who  after  Fleming's  retirement  from  business  formed  with 
C.  W.  Smith  a  partnership  as  printers  and  publishers.  These  were  succeeded  in 
the  publishing  department  by  T.  D.  Watson  and  G.  D.  R.  Boyd,  and  they  were 
succeeded  by  Boyd  alone.  Having  outlived  colonial  times  and  seen  Oregon 
City  dwindle  from  the  first  town  in  Oregon  to  the  rank  of  second  or  third,  the 
press  and  material  of  the  'Spectator'  were  sold  in  1855  to  publish  a  paper  under 
another  name,  and  for  political  purposes.  That  paper  became  finally  merged 
in  another  at  Salem,  and  the  old  'Spectator'  press  was  taken  to  Roseburg  to 
■■tart  a  paper  at  that  place,  and  finally  to  Eugene  City,  where  it  remains. 

"The  type  and  material  were  carried  to  Portland  to  be  used  in  the  publi- 
cation of  the  'Daily  Union,'  for  a  short  time,  after  which  it  was  taken  to  As- 
toria, where  it  was  used  to  print  the  'Marine  Gazette,'  in  which  Gray's  History 
of  Oregon  first  appeared.  On  the  termination  of  that  journal,  what  was  left  of 
the  material  of  the  'Spectator'  was  taken  back  to  Oregon  City.  The  authorities 
through  which  I  have  followed  the  course  of  Oregon's  first  press  are  'Portland 
Oregonian,'  March  25,  1854;  'Olympia  Columbian,'  September  10,  1853; 
'Olympia  Pioneer  and  Democrat,'  March  18,  1854 ;  Parrish's  Oregon  Anecdotes, 
MS.,  5,  6;  Lane's  Nar.,  MS.,  5,  6;  Oregon  Pioneer  Association,  Trans.,  1875, 
page  72;  'Portland  Weekly  Oregonian,'  December  26,  1868;  'Olympia  Tran- 
script,' December  26,  1868;  Evans'  History  of  Oregon,  MS.,  333:  Applegate's 
Views  of  History,  MS.,  5;  Brown's  Willamette  Valley,  MS..  34;  Pickett's  Paris 


512  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

Exposition,  10;  'Oregon  City  Weekly  Enterprise,'  December  19,  1868;  'Solano 
(California)  Herald,'  January  9,  1869;  'Olympia  (Washington)  Standard,' 
January  2,  1869;  Niks'  Reg.",  Ixx.  340-1;  S.  F.  Alta,  March  15,  1855;  'Sac. 
Union,'  April  10,  1855;  'Portland  West  Shore,'  November,  1878.  The  general 
news  chronicle  in  the  'Spectator'  was  usually  at  least  six  months  old,  and  was 
obtained  from  papers  brought  out  by  the  annual  immigrations,  from  the  Sand- 
wich Island  papers  brought  over  in  chance  sailing  vessels,  or  through  the  cor- 
respondence and  mail  of  the  fur  company,  which  arrived  once  or  twice  a  year 
overland  from  Canada,  or  by  the  annual  vessel  from  England.  But  the  intelli- 
gence conveyed  was  read  as  eagerly  as  if  the  events  had  but  just  transpired,  and 
by  the  extracts  published,  it  is  easy  to  gather  what  kind  of  news  was  considered 
most  important." 

THE   OREGON    "SPECTATOR"    AND   ITS    EDITORS 

"The  first  copy  of  the  first  paper  in  the  Northwest,  the  Oregon  'Specta- 
tor,' was  published  at  Oregon  City,  Oregon  Territory,  Thursday,  February  5, 
1846.  Its  motto :  'Westward  the  Star  of  Empire  Takes  Its  Way.'  The  first 
page  of  the  paper  is  largely  taken  up  with  printing  the  Oirganic  Laws  of  Oregon, 
with  amendments.  This  paper  was  established  largely  through  the  efforts  of 
Rev.  Jason  Lee  and  other  missionaries,  and  the  first  copy  contains  an  eulogy 
on  Reverend  Lee,  who  jjassed  away  at  his  old  home  in  the  east  in  1845,  aged 
forty-two  years,  while  on  a  mission  to  solicit  funds  for  the  Oregon  Institute,  a 
mission  founded  in  behalf  of  the  degraded  and  suffering  Indians  of  Oregon. 
The  paper  was  owned  by  a  joint  stock  company,  and  its  first  editor  was  \\'. 
T'Vault.  Its  politics  was  non-partisan,  and  its  news  was  brought  around  the 
Horn  twice  a  year,  the  'New  York  Tribune'  and  'Herald'  being  among  the  ex- 
changes. Numerous  changes  were  made  in  its  editorial  staff  between  1846  and 
1850.  During  that  period  we  find,  as  its  editors,  the  names  of  W.  T'Vauh, 
Judge  Aaron  E.  Wait,  Gen.  George  L.  Curry  and  Rev.  Wilson  Blain.  In  1850 
Maj.  Robert  Moore,  of  Linn  City,  purchased  the  paper.  We  are  indebted  to 
David  J.  Schnebly,  an  old  editor  from  Peoria,  Illinois,  who  became  its  editor 
In  1850,  and  who  preserved  copies  of  the  paper,  for  the  information  contained 
in  this  article. 

"The  old  press  on  which  the  'Spectator'  was  printed,  was  a  Washington 
press  and  is  still  in  Oregon.  Mr.  Schnebly  became  sole  proprietor  of  the  'Spec- 
tator' in  1851,  and  continued  to  edit  and  publish  it  until  1854,  when  the  plant 
was  sold  to  Dr.  William  L.  Adams,  who  changed  its  name  to  that  of  'The  Argus.'  " 

LATER     NEWSPAPERS    .\ND    SPECIAL     PUBLICATIONS     OF    YAKIMA     AND    ELLENSBURG 

The  above  journals  and  journalists  may  be  regarded  as  constituting  the 
charter  membership  of  the  permanent  weekly  and  daily  papers  and  managers 
of  the  two  principal  cities  of  the  valley.  There  have,  however,  been  many 
others,  some  that  have  filled  special  fields,  some  of  early  date  which  have  been 
discontinued,   and  others  of  later  date  yet  in  existence. 

Of  the  first  named,  special  publications,  the  earliest  was  "Freeman's 
Farmer."  Both  by  reason  of  this  publication  in  itself  and  the  personality  of  the 
manager-editor,  the  "Farmer"  is  worthy  of  special  record.  It  was  a  monthly 
magazine  and  the  manager  was  Legh  Richmond  Freeman.     ]\Ir.  Freeman  was 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY  513 

born  at  Culpepper  Court  House  December  4,  1842.  He  was  a  man  of  marked 
individuality  and  of  thorough  education.  His  wife,  Mary  Whitaker  Freeman, 
was  equally  accomplished  and  as  associate  editor  of  the  "Farmer"  played  an 
equally  worthy  part  with  her  husband  in  conducting  the  magazine,  and  in 
helping  create  a  high  literary  standard  in  the  field. 

The  "Farmer"  had  a  cufious  history.  Its  lineal  ancestor,  the  "Northwest 
Farm  and  Home,"  was  founded  at  Fort  Kearney,  Nebraska,  in  1847,  by  James 
E.  Johnson.  Mr.  Freeman  acquired  the  publication  while  still  only  a  boy,  in 
1859.  He  changed  the  name  to  "Freeman's  Farmer."  He  then  started  west 
with  it.  It  was  no  doubt  printed  in  more  places  than  any  other  publication  in 
the  United  States.  The  names  of  twenty-five  cities  and  towns,  all  the  way  from 
Fort  Kearney  to  Yakima,  appear  on  the  headings  of  the  "Farmer." 

Mr.  Freeman  followed  the  railroads  westward,  though  he  was  several 
times  in  Washington  Territory  before  becoming  permanently  located.  He  was 
a  regular  correspondent  for  eastern  papers  from  the  rapidly  developing  regions 
of  the  west,  and  was  well  known  upon  the  lecture  platform  for  his  description? 
of  the  new  lands. 

The  "Farmer"  became  located  at  the  "Old  Town,"  February  14,  1884,  and 
was  moved  to  North  Yakima  in  1886.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freeman  and  their 
magazine  were  strong  factors  in  organizing  the  farming  communities  in  methods 
of  profitable  and  intelligent  cooperation  and  production. 

Mr.  Freeman  took  a  leading  part  in  the  formation  of  agricultural  societies, 
the  State  Fair,  and  the  beginnings  of  Federal  irrigating.  He  was  of  anti-mo- 
nopoly politics  and  in  1897  and  1910  was  a  candidate  for  senator  on  that  plat- 
form.    In  1911,  Mr.  Freeman  started  a  weekly,  the  "Free  Press." 

Upon  his  death,  Mrs.  Freeman  took  charge  of  the  "Farmer"  and  continued 
it  till  1917.  The  last  monthly  issue  was  for  March,  1917.  The  property  was 
then  acquired  by  C.  A.  Smith,  who  now  publishes  it  as  a  weekly  under  the  name 
of  "Yakima  Valley  Farmer." 

Doubtless  the  next  journalistic  enterprise  in  Yakima  that  would  occur  to 
those  familiar  with  the  history  of  the  place  would  be  the  "Weekly  Epigram." 
This  paper  well  deserved  its  name,  for  its  editorial  pages  usually  had  about  as 
pungent,  sometimes  stinging  forms  of  expression  as  ink  and  type  could  well 
accomplish.  The  "Epigram"  came  into  existence  September  25,  1893.  The 
publishers  and  proprietors  were  I.  T.  and  Agnes  C.  Harsell. 

In  the  first  number  we  find  the  following  announcement:  "The  'Epigram' 
shall  be  given  free  to  all  who  are  too  poor  or  who  do  not  care  to  pay  the  sub- 
scription price.  If  you  can't  afiford  it  and  want  the  paper  come  in  and  we  will 
give  you  a  clear  receipt  for  a  year." 

In  1898,  J.  D.  Medill,  now  postmaster  of  Yakima,  became  owner  and  man- 
ager. Mr.  Medill  was  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  came  to  the  state  of  Washington 
in  the  year  of  statehood,  locating  at  Tacoma.  In  1892  he  removed  to  North 
Yakima.  In  1895  Mr.  Medill  undertook  the  venture  of  a  daily  paper,  the 
"Yakima  Daily  Times."  This  "Times"  was,  however,  a  little  ahead  of  the 
times,  and  the  result  was  its  discontinuance  after  two  years  of  endeavor.  Hav- 
ing acquired  the  "Epigram"  in  1897,  Mr.  Medill  consolidated  it  with  the 
"Times"  and  for  a  year  maintained  Mr.  Harsell  in  charge  as  manager.     With 

(33) 


514  HISTORY  OF  YAKQrA  \ALLEY 

the  issue  of  May  14,  1898,  Mr.  Medill  became  sole  manager.  With  the  opening 
of  the  next  year  the  name  became  the  "Yakima  Democrat."  In  1904,  it  ab- 
sorbed the  "Yakima  Washingtonian"  and  considerably  increased  its  constituency 
thereby.  The  "Democrat"  was  true  to  its  name  and  being  the  only  paper  of 
that  political  faith  in  the  Yakima  Valley  it  had  a  distinctive  field.  In  1911  Mr. 
Medill  disposed  of  his  interests  to  F.  C.  Whitney  and  Son.  The  new  proprie- 
tors changed  the  name  to  the  "Yakima  Independent."  Under  the  new  manage- 
ment, the  paper  became  the  special  advocate  of  woman  suffrage  and  prohibi- 
tion. Its  proprietor  is  at  the  present  time  the  pastor  of  a  Baptist  church.  Un- 
like some  managers  he  demonstrates  the  possibility  of  uniting  secular  enter- 
prise with  religious — and  succeeding  with  both.  Mr.  Whitney  and  others  who 
labored  in  the  carrying  out  of  the  two  great  reforms  named  above  have  cer- 
tainly had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  a  tremendous  victory  for  the  causes  which 
they  advocated.  Yakima  County  has  been  the  foremost  in  advocating  and  vot- 
ing for  both  woman  suft'rage  and  prohibition.  The  former  was  thoroughly 
established  several  years  ago  by  constitutional  amendment,  and  by  the  over- 
whelming support  of  the  "Bone-dry  law"  in  the  referendum  in  the  election  of 
November  5,  1918,  the  last  hope  of  "John  Barleycorn"  in  the  state  is  gone 
along  with  the  Kaiser  and  Sultan  and  other  Troglodytes. 

Besides  the  publications  named,  there  have  been  two  weeklies  of  special 
fields  and  later  dates.  The  earlier  of  these  was  the  "Northwest  Forum,"  a 
paper  of  socialistic  politics,  founded  in  1905  by  S.  H.  Harrison,  published  on 
Friday  of  each  week.  The  other  was  the  "Free  Press,"  founded  in  1911  by 
Legh  Freeman  and  published  each  Saturday. 

Turning  again  from  Yakima  to  Ellensburg  we  discover  the  next  paper  in 
order  of  time  after  the  "Standard"  and  the  "Localizer"  to  be  the  "Ellensburg 
Capital." 

This  paper,  still  one  of  the  prominent  journals  of  the  Valley,  was  founded 
October  11,  1887,  by  A.  N.  Hamilton.  The  name  of  the  paper  was  a  pointer 
in  the  direction  of  the  expectations  of  the  proprietor  and  his  fellow  citizens  as 
to  the  future  official  status  of  the  metropolis  of  the  Kittitas.  But  alas,  like 
many  of  the  hopes  of  "mice  and  men,"  which  the  Scottish  bard  assures  us,  and 
with  more  truth  than  in  some  of  his  sayings,  "gang  aft  agley,"'  this  hope  was 
dissipated  and  all  the  "capital"  Ellensburgers  have  to  fill  the  cavity  with  is  the 
name  of  a  newspaper,  a  city  block,  and  an  addition.  In  June,  1889,  A.  H.  Stul- 
fauth,  formerly  a  San  Francisco  journalist,  landed  in  Ellensburgh.  Becoming 
convinced  of  the  promising  future  of  the  city  and  the  valley,  he  bought  a  half 
interest  in  the  "Capital."  In  1899  he  acquired  the  remaining  interest  and  has 
continued  to  conduct  the  paper  as  a  first-class  weekly,  independent  in  politics, 
and  yet  republican  in  policies  and  sympathies. 

Next  in  time  of  the  journals  of  Ellensburg  came  the  "Ellensburg  Register." 
The  fir.st  issue  came  out  on  May  21,  1889.  A.  A.  Batterson  was  publisher  and 
editor.  We  have  found  files  of  this  paper  in  the  city  library  which  are  of  high 
value  in  securing  facts  belonging  to  the  period  of  the  "Register's"  existence. 

On  September  20,  1890,  yet  another  journalistic  venture  was  launched. 
This  was  the  "Washington  Sentinel."  Mr.  Batterson  was  also  the  founder  of 
this  paper.     Within  a  short  time,  however,  he  admitted  to  partnership  a  man 


HISTORY  nv  YAKIMA  VALLEY  515 

widely  known  for  has  intellectual  ability  and  brilliant  wit:  Frank  Reeves,  later 
a  leader  in  public  life  in  Wenatchee. 

On  October  10,  1890.  the  "Register"  and  "Sentinel"  were  consolidated 
under  the  name,  the  'Washington  State  Sentinel."  While  the  paper  was  of 
short  duration  it  was  in  its  time  one  of  the  best  weeklies  in  the  county,  and  its 
files  are  of  especial  value  in  the  preparation  of  such  a  work  as  this. 

Following  closely  upon  the  "Register"  came  one  of  the  notable  products 
of  journalistic  growth,  the  "Dawn."  This  publication  was  first  a  monthly,  be- 
ginning in  November,  1893.  On  August  4,  1894,  it  appeared  as  a  weekly.  The 
name  first  employed  was  the  "Reformers'  Dawn."  Later  it  became  the  "Ellen.?- 
burg  Dawn."  This  publication,  founded  and  conducted  by  Robert  A.  Turner, 
now  postmaster  at  Ellensburg,  was  one  of  the  many  voices  which  expressed  the 
rising  movement  of  political  reform  of  the  period  nearly  coincident  with  the 
hard  times  from  1890  to  1896.  When  people  are  hard  up  they  begin  to  think 
and  to  wonder  if  they  are  having  a  fair  deal.  It  is  one  of  the  glories  of  our 
land  that  citizens  can  think  without  resorting  to  Bolshevism. 

The  monthly  was  issued  at  Mr.  Turner's  home  on  East  Capital  Avenue 
from  Nbvember,  1893,  to  August,  1894,    when  the  weekly  edition  was  started. 

Thenceforward  for  several  months  both  editions  were  issued  from  Mr. 
Turner's  otSce  in  the  Cadwell  Block  on  Pearl  Street.  The  monthly  was  a 
double  column  publication  of   from  eight  to  sixteen  pages. 

On  January  17,  1914,  Mr.  Turner  leased  the  "Dawn"  to  Arthur  L.  Slem- 
mons  and  J.  D.  Mathews,  and  they  conducted  it  along  the  same  lines  as  it 
formerly  followed.  Mr.  Slenmons  died  in  1916.  On  March  11,  1914,  Mr. 
Turner  became  postmaster  at  Ellensburg,  his  commission  being  renewed  in 
1918. 

The  "Dawn"  had  a  line  of  successors ;  the  "Kittitas  County  Democrat,"  the 
"Inter-Mountain  Register,"  the  "Kittitas  County  Independent,"  and  the  "Twice- 
a-Week-News." 

The  publication  has  now  been  suspended,  though  the  printing  plant  is  still 
maintained. 

The  progress  of  our  history  now  brings  us  to  the  "Evening  Record,"  the 
latest  and  in  many  respects  the  most  important  of  all  the  newspapers  of  the 
Kittitas  Valley.  This  is  the  only  dally  in  the  history  of  the  Kittitas  Country, 
except  for  the  short  period  of  the  "Evening  Localizer."  It  came  into  existence 
as  the  "Record  Press"  in  1906.  J.  C.  Kaynor  and  W.  S.  Zimmerman,  then 
equal  partners,  acquired  the  "Localizer"  July  1,  1909.  At  that  date  Mr.  Kaynor 
became  business  manager  of  the  "Record"  and  in  February,  1912,  he  acquired 
the  interests  of  Mr.  Zimmerman  and  became  editor  and  manager. 

At  present  date  the  "Record"  is  published  by  the  Record  Publishing  Com- 
pany, one  of  the  best  equipped  publishing  enterprises  in  central  Washington. 
J.  C.  Kaynor  is  editor  and  manager  and   H.   G.   Kaynor  is  secretary-treasurer. 

TR.\N.SIENT    PAPERS    OF    Y.AKIMA   AND    ELLENSBURG 

Several  early  papers  came  into  being,  valuable  from  the  standpoint  of  their 
aims  and  field,   and  worthy  of  preservation   for  the  historical   record,  but  too 


516  HISTORY  ( )!•   YAKIMA  \ALLEY 

ephemeral  to  play  any  considerable  part  in  the  affairs  of  their  respective  com- 
munities. Of  these  we  may  name  the  "Yakima  Sun"  of  1885  which  took  for  it^ 
main  aim  the  maintenance  of  the  town  at  Yakima  City  instead  of  moving  to  the 
new  site,  and  the  "Yakima  Argus"  of  the  same  period. 

At  Ellensburg  was  a  little  paper,  in  reality  consisting  of  typewritten  sheets, 
known  as  the  "Kittitas  Wau-Wau."  This  had  but  two  issues,  and  those  were 
in  the  Summer  of  1879.  The  writers  were  H.  M.  Bryant  and  A.  A.  Bell.  They 
were  conducting  a  pioneer  store  and  got  the  little  paper  out  mainly  as  an  ad- 
vertisement of  their  own  business.     It  was  distributed  gratuitously. 

Of  somewhat  more  real  journalistic  pretensions  was  the  "Gospel  Preacher" 
of  Ellensburg,  of  considerably  later  date,  being  undertaken  in  1893,  by  Rev. 
W.  W.  Stone,  pastor  of  the  Christian  Church.  The  aim  of  this  little  paper  was 
to  further  the  work  of  the  church.  It  is  said  to  have  been  quite  an  accessory-  of 
the  religious  work,  and  to  have  been  maintained  for  two  years,  when  Mr.  Stone 
left  the  place. 

P.VI'ERS   OF  THE   OTHER   TOWNS 

We  shall  endeavor  to  encompass  in  this  section  a  brief  view  of  the  various 
newspapers  of  the  other  towns  in  the  Valley  all  the  way  from  Roslyn  to  Ken- 
newick.  These  papers  are  all  weeklies.  Like  those  of  the  two  chief  cities  of 
the  Valley  these  have  undergone  the  changes  and  coalescences  which  seem  to  be 
the  common  lot  of  newspapers  in  this  world  of  vicissitudes. 

We  may  properly  begin  at  the  extreme  upper  end  of  the  valley,  for  here 
we  find  the  oldest  and  largest  of  all  the  towns  next  to  Yakima  and  Ellensburg. 
This  is  Roslyn.  Here  moreover,  we  find  the  oldest  of  all  the  papers,  outside 
of  the  two  chief  cities.  The  first  paper,  indeed,  of  the  "Coal  City"  is  no  longer 
in  existence.  That  was  the  "Roslyn  News,"  started  in  September,  1890.  It 
was  short-lived.     The  first  permanent  paper  was  the  "Cascade  Miner." 

John  B.  Armstrong,  formerly  of  Ellensburg,  was  the  founder  of  the 
"Miner,"  which  has  continued  to  be  the  foremost  journal  of  the  coal  center. 
The  paper  was  first  known  as  the  "Roslyn  Aliner"  and  the  first  number  ap- 
peared in  1896,  September  14th. 

With  the  first  number  of  1899  Amasa  S.  Randall  became  owner  and  man- 
ager of  the  "Miner."  A  few  months  later  Mr.  Randall  admitted  to  partnership 
his  brother,  U.  M.  Randall.  They  established  a  printing  firm  known  as  the 
Cascade  Printing  and  Publishing  Company.  At  the  same  time  they  changed 
the  name  of  the  paper  to  "Cascade  Miner."  Subsequently  Randall  Brothers 
acquired  the  "Cle  Elum  Echo"  and  the  "Ellensburg  Localizer,"  blending  those 
papers  with  the  "Miner."  In  1909  they  disposed  of  the  "Localizer"  to  the  pub- 
lishers of  the  "Record  Press,"  of  which  it  became  the  weekly  issue. 

At  present  date  the  "Miner"  is  edited  and  managed  by  Harry  B.  Averill. 
It  is  published  by  the  Miner-Echo  Publishing  Company. 

It  is  but  a  short  step  from  Roslyn  to  its  nearest  of  kin,  Cle  Elum.  They  are 
partners  in  the  fundamental  business  on  which  each  depends,  that  is  the  coal 
business.  But  though  so  near  and  so  intimately  related  they  are  very  difterent 
in  appearance. 

The  ap])carance  of  Cle   Elum,   indeed,  has  not   been   determined   since   the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \' ALLEY  517 

destructive  fire  of  July,  1918.  But  the  known  energy  of  the  people  is  an  assur- 
ance that  the  town  will  rise  from  her  ashes  to  a  larger  life. 

The  paper  at  this  city  is  the  "Cle  Elum  Echo."  The  "Echo"  is  a  most 
creditable  weekly  paper.  It  was  founded  in  1902  by  A.  A.  Batterson,  founder 
of  the  "Register"  and  "Sentinel"  at  Ellensburg.  At  present  date  the  "Echo" 
is  under  the  same  ownership  and  management  as  the  "Miner"  of  Roslyn.  Harry 
B.  Averill  is  editor  and  manager,  and  the  Miner-Echo  Publishing  Company  is 
the  Publisher.  A  great  deal  of  credit  is  due  the  manager  and  publishers  for  the 
targe  service  which  they  render  the  community  in  the  maintenance  of  these 
representative  publications.  They  have  done  much  to  make  known  to  the  coun- 
try the  resources  and  conditions  of  the  important  portion  of  Kittitas  County 
where  they  are  located.     In  politics  they  are  republican. 

It  does  not  appear  that  there  have  been  any  papers  published  outside  of 
those  named  above,  in  Kittitas  County,  with  the  exception  of  the  "Kittitas 
Spokesman."  This  was  established  at  Kittitas  in  1912  by  George  B.  Cleland. 
It  was  independent  in  politics.     Its  publication  has  not  been  maintained. 

THE    PRE.SS    IN    THE    SM.\LLER    TOWNS    OF    VAKIMA    COUNTY 

Passing  again  through  the  long  and  tortuous  Yakima  canyon  we  emerge 
into  the  Selah  country,  filled  with  all  the  evidences  of  prosperity.  Here,  though 
the  population  is  but  small,  we  find  a  weekly  paper.  It  is  the  "Yakima  Valley 
Optimist."  We  protest  that  the  publisher  has  taken  something  too  easy.  Why 
did  he  not  take  something  that  would  require  an  effort?  Anybody  could  be  an 
optimist  in  Selah.  The  paper  was  first  known  as  the  "Selah  Optimist."  Then 
through  living  in  that  jewel  of  a  place  its  optimism  became  so  far-reaching  as 
to  include  the  whole  valley.  The  paper  was  founded  in  1912  by  Charles  E.- 
Kingston.    In  politics  the  "Optimist"  follows  the  doctrines  of  the  G.  O.  P. 

Passing  from  Selah,  at  the  vestibule  of  the  middle  Valley,  to  the  numerous 
towns  of  the  great  country  below  Union  Gap,  we  find  a  generous  supply  of 
well  edited  and  well  managed  weekly  papers.  The  oldest  of  these  is  the  "Sun- 
nyside  Sun."  This  prominent  paper  of  the  largest  town  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river  was  founded  by  Yancy  Freeman  in  1901.  At  present  date  A.  S.  Hill- 
yer  is  editor  and  manager.  The  character  of  the  country  around  Sunnyside 
and  the  habits  of  thought  and  taste  of  the  people  in  both  city  and  town  are 
such  as  to  call  for  high-grade  local  papers.  The  "Sun,"  with  its  suggestive 
name,  well  portrayed  by  its  heading  with  Old  Sol  beaming  joyfully  across  an 
irrigated  field,  seems  to  measure  up  to  the  call.  There  has  been  one  other 
weekly  paper  at  Sunnyside,  the  "Observer"  founded  in  1906  by  Hal  S.  Smith. 
It  has  not  been  continued  to  the  present. 

The  "Sunnyside  Times,"  of  which  A.  M.  Murfin  is  editor,  was  founded  by 
L.  W.  ]\liller  and  George  W.  Hopp,  now  of  the  "Camas  Post." 

There  are  two  first-class  papers  at  Toppenish,  the  largest  town  in  the 
county  next  to  the  metropolis.  The  older  of  these  is  the  "Toppenish  Review," 
founded  by  G.  A.  McArthur,  now  of  the  "Zillah  Free  Press."  Both  the  "Review" 
and  the  "Tribune"  are  owned  by  F.  A.  Williams,  and  conducted  by  George  M. 
Allen,  who  came  in   1912.     We  find  several   recent  editorials  in  the   "Review" 


518  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

putting  certain  things  so  pointedly  and  fittingly  that  we  are  inserting  them  here. 
Two  of  these,  it  will  be  noted,  deal  with  local  matters,  while  the  others  per- 
tain to  the  world  affairs  which  are  now  absorbing  all  men's  attention  every- 
where.    From  the  issue  of  November  15,  1918,  we  quote: 

FUTURE  IS   BRIGHT 

"Agricultural  communities  such  as  our  own,  were  the  last  to  benefit  from 
war  prosperity  and  they  should  be  the  last  to  suffer  from  its  disappearance. 
We  were  not  helped  by  artificially  created  industries  and  we  will  not  be  injured 
by  the  shutting  down  of  factories  and  the  discharge  of  large  numbers  of  wage 
earners.  ISTo  enterprise  in  this  whole  valley  can  properly  be  described  as  a  war 
industry.  Our  products  are  needed  in  peace  just  as  they  were  needed  in  war, 
and  the  food  conditions  prevailing  throughout  the  world,  indicate  beyond  ques- 
tion that  the  demand  for  years  to  come  will  exceed  the  supply.  Powder  and 
shot  and  shell  have  been  dethroned  with  the  Kaiser,  but  wheat  and  potatoes 
and  sugar  and  all  other  food  products  emerge  from  the  war  with  added  millions 
of  willing  subjects  ready  and  anxious  to  give  them  allegiance. 

"There  should  be  no  fear  of  the  future  for  the  Yakima  Valley.  Prices 
doubtless  will  be  modified  with  the  passing  of  time  and  the  return  of  normal 
conditions.  But  there  should  be  steady  and  satisfactory  profits  from  every 
phase  of  agricultural  industry  for  an  indefinite  number  of  years  to  come. 

"Generally  speaking,  business  in  the  valley  was  never  better.  Conditions 
growing  out  of  the  early  boom  times  have  been  liquidated  and  the  valley  is  in 
a  firm  financial  condition.  Nearly  everyone  has  money  invested  in  government 
securities,  and  the  future,  in  every  respect,  is  bright  with  promise. 

"This  part  of  the  country  has  carried  its  full  share  of  the  war  burden 
and  has  given  generously  of  its  men  and  of  its  money.  It  has  performed  its 
duty  to  the  country  and  by  humanity  and  has  every  right  and  reason  to  look 
forward  to  a  splendid  era  of  happiness  and  prosperity." 

NEW    DEVELOPMENT 

"Interest  in  the  war  has  served  to  turn  attention  from  the  importance  of 
the  development  work  now  in  progress  on  the  reservation.  A  large  era  of  new 
land,  probably  not  less  than  20,000  acres,  is  now  being  brought  under  ditch,  and 
most  of  it  will  be  ready  for  crops  next  spring.  The  funds  for  this  work  were 
appropriated  by  the  Government  as  a  direct  result  of  the  effort  made  by  the 
commercial  organizations  and  citizens  of  the  reservation.  No  other  project  in 
the  country  has  received  like  recognition  by  the  Government  during  the  war 
period,  a  fact  which  speaks  in  no  uncertain  way  of  the  high  regard  in  which 
this  district  is  held  at  Washington.  The  new  land  is  coming  under  ditch  pri- 
marily as  a  war  measure,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  national  food  sup- 
pl\'.     It  will  be  needed,  however,  in  peace  equally  as  in  war." 

RUNNING   TRUE   TO    FORM 

"Germany  runs  true  to  form  even  in  the  midst  of  adversity.  The  ink 
scarcely  was  drj-  on  the  armistice  papers  when  a  plea  for  food  was  addressed 


HIGH    SCHOOL,    TOPPEXISH 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  519 

to  the  United  States  by  the  Germany  secretary  of  state.  There  was  nothing 
in  the  plea  in  behalf  of  Turkey,  Bulgaria  or  Austria-Hungary,  all  of  them 
dupes  and  victims  of  German  perfidy.  Germany  has  no  further  need  or  use 
for  her  former  tools.  The  war  is  over  and  they  all  are  hungrj'.  But  Germany 
would  eat  at  the  first  table  and  allow  her  companions  in  crime  and  misery  to 
shift  for  themselves.  The  allies  will  doubtless  see  to  it  that  the  Germans  do 
not  starve,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  all  of  Europe  and  much  of  Asia, 
are  just  as  hungry  as  Germany  and  Germany  is  primarily  responsible  for  that 
condition. 

"When  the  needs  of  England,  France,  Belgium,  Italy,  Serbia,  Roumania, 
Russia  and  all  the  rest  of  the  world  that  is  in  want  are  fully  met,  let  Germany 
have  any  surplus  that  may  be  left.  If  there  is  not  food  enough  in  the  world 
to  supply  everyone,  let  those  who  created  the  starvation  conditions  take  the  con- 
sequences of  their  own  crimes.     Generosity  should  not  come  ahead  of  justice." 

The  other  paper  at  Toppenish  is  the  "Toppenish  Tribune."  This  paper 
was  established  in  1910,  by  T.  J.  Marony  and  Mrs.  W.  G.  Fulton.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  Clara  L.  Hutchinson  is  business  manager.  We  find  in  the  "Tribune" 
of  November  12,  1918,  so  readable  a  report  of  the  event  celebrated  all  over 
America  and  a  large  part  of  the  world,  the  Victory  Celebration,  that  we  are 
incorporating  it  here  as  a  sample  of  its  numberless  counterparts  throughout  the 
land : 

"Toppenish  gave  full  vent  to  a  long  repressed  desire  to  stand  up  and  yell 
on  Monday  morning,  when  the  news  flashed  over  the  wire  than  the  Germans 
had  surrendered  and  the  war  had  come  to  an  end.  Previous  peace  reports, 
which  set  other  communities  by  the  ears  were  discounted  locally.  The  fake 
report  sent  out  by  the  United  Press  was  received  in  full  by  the  "Tribune"  last 
Friday,  but  a  careful  analysis  of  the  text  indicated  its  fishy  character  and  no 
attention  was  paid  to  it. 

"Monday  morning's  news,  however,  was  of  a  sufficient  character.  The 
first  bulletins  were  given  full  credit  and  when  the  confirmation  came  officially 
the  town  turned  loose,  and  from  4  A.  M.  throughout  the  day  the  celebration  of 
the  downfall  of  the  Kaiser  and  the  return  of  peace  continued. 

"By  5  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  streets  were  filled  with  an  enthusiastic 
crowd  brought  to  the  center  of  the  city  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  sounding 
of  the  fire  siren.  An  impromptu  parade  was  formed,  and  autos  with  horns 
blowing  and  every  possible  noise  making  apparatus  in  operation,  drove  up  and 
down  the  principal  streets. 

"The  'Tribune'  appeared  on  the  streets  with  an  extra  at  9  o'clock  and  the 
hundreds  of  copies  printed  were  eagerly  snatched  up  and  there  was  much  dis- 
appointment when  the  edition  had  been  exhausted. 

PEACE    CELEBRATION 

"Citizens  got  together  early  in  the  morning  and  arranged  for  an  impromptu 
peace  celebration  at  the  depot  park  to  take  place  at  noon.  An  auto  parade  pre- 
ceded the  program  of  singing  and  speaking  which  brought  out  almost  the  en- 
tire  population. 

"The  address  of   the  day  on   'Peace  and   Its   Meaning.'   was  delivered  by 


520  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  ^^\LLEY 

Rev.  C.  E.  Miller,  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Church.  Mr.  Aliller  spoke  eloquently 
of  the  deep  significance  of  the  gathering,  which  he  pictured  as  typifying  an  out- 
burst of  joy  world-wide  in  its  scope.  He  gave  due  praise  to  the  men  who  had 
carried  the  war  to  a  successful  conclusion,  and  reminded  his  hearers  that  the 
end  of  the  war  brings  great  and  added  responsibilities  which  must  be  faced  by 
every  citizen. 

"In  concluding  his  address  the  minister  called  the  roll  of  the  four  Toppen- 
ish  boys  who  have  answered  the  last  call  in  the  performance  of  their  duty,  the 
list  including  Malcolm  Crabtree,  Walter  Wade,  John  Tomlinson  and  Frank 
Boyle.  The  audience  uncovered  and  stood  with  bowed  heads  as  the  names 
were  called. 

MUSICAL   PROGRAM 

"A  musical  program,  hastily  arranged  but  of  unusual  excellence,  was  a 
feature  of  the  occasion.  Mrs.  Wright  sang  the  'Star  Spangled  Banner'  most 
effectively,  and  Mrs.  W^oodard,  musical  instructor  in  the  public  schools,  ren- 
dered a  patriotic  number,  'Emblem  of  Liberty,'  in  a  manner  that  made  an  in- 
stant appeal.  Mrs.  Woodard  also  sang  'Keep  the  Home  Fires  Burning,'  with 
the  audience  joining  enthusiastically  in  the  chorus.  Mr.  .Anderson  sang  a  pa- 
triotic number  in  his  usual  splendid  voice. 

"Rev.  Curtis  gave  the  invocation  at  the  opening  of  the  exercises,  which  con- 
cluded with  the  benediction  pronounced  by  Father  Fisser. 

BONFIRE    AT    NIGHT 

"Mayor  Ruft'ner  issued  a  proclamation  during  the  morning  calling  on  the 
people  to  observe  the  day  as  a  holiday,  and  thereafter  the  stores  and  other  busi- 
ness places  were  closed.  In  the  evening  a  big  crowd  assembled  at  the  open 
square  opposite  the  Hotel  Washington  and  enjoyed  a  big  victory  bonfire  ar- 
ranged by  Sam  Kiefer  with  a  committee  of  assistants.  The  crowd  lingered 
about  the  streets  until  a  late  hour,  apparently  reluctant  to  see  the  day  that  had 
witnessed  the  windup  of  the  war  come  to  an  end." 

Turning  from  Toppenish  to  its  next  sister  on  the  east  we  find  a  paper  at 
Mabton  which  has  reached  the  age  of  fourteen.  This  is  the  "Mabton 
Chronicle,"  also  republican  in  politics.  This  excellent  weekly  was  the  oft'- 
spring  of  Bernard  C.  Pacius  in  1904.  At  the  present  time  W.  F.  Fowler  is 
editor. 

As  an  example  of  what  is  taking  place  all  over  country,  we  are  preserving 
a  record  from  the  "Chronicle"  of  November  8,  1918,  of  the  Mabton  boys  in  the 
service  of  their  country  and  the  part  of  the  town  in  war  work  contributions. 

Only  $1,500  for  Soldier  ^Morale 


TII.\T    IS    ALL    mabton    IS    ASKED   TO    CONTRIBUTE    TO    THE    WAR    WORKERS   IN    THIS 

drive 

"The  drive  for  financing  the  United  War  Work  Campaign  will  begin  next 
Monday.  Charles  D.  Donnelly  is  manager  of  the  local  work  and  Mrs.  Nathan 
Sohn  will  have  charge  of  the  part  the  women  will  take  in  the  drive.     A  meet- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY 


521 


ing  was  held  Thursday  to  complete  arrangements  and  organize  teams  for 
soliciting. 

"Mabton's  alloted  share  is  $1,500,  and  it  is  planned  to  raise  that  amount 
or  more  the  first  day-  The  purpose  of  the  campaign  is  to  raise  the  sum  of 
$170,500,000  for  the  combined  use  of  the  American  Library  Association,  the 
Jewish  Welfare  Board  of  the  United  States  Army  and  Navy,  the  National 
Catholic  War  Council,  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Salvation  Army,  the 
War  Camp  Community  Service,  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and 
the   Young  Women's   Christian  Association. 

"Xow  that  the  war  is  apparently  nearly  over,  the  necessity  for  the 
activities  of  these  various  organizations  has  increased.  It  is  thought  that  it 
will  take  two  years  before  the  vast  armies  are  demobilized,  and  during  that 
time  the  boys  will  need  more  than  ever  the  ministrations  of  these  patriotic 
societies. 

"The  people  have  been  investing  their  dollars  in  bonds  that  bear  a  small 
rate  of  interest.  Now  they  are  asked  to  give  a  few  dollars  without  the  expec- 
tation of  momentary  gain,  but  which  will  bear  a  big  return  in  good  accomp- 
lished. Nothing  is  too  good  for  our  boys.  Give  the  glad  hand  to  the  solicitors 
and  show  them  that  we  can  give  as  well  as  invest." 

MORE    STARS    FOR    MABTON's    FLAG 

"The  list  of  soldiers  from  Alabton  has  grown  to  102  names,  as  the  re- 
sponse to  the  call  for  additions  and  corrections  was  prompt.  It  is  desired  that 
the  names  be  only  of  boys  whose  home  is  in  Mabton,  who  enlisted  from  Mab- 
ton,  or  whose  parents  reside  in  Mabton.  A  soldier  in  Camp  Lewis  sent  the 
editor  several  names,  some  of  which,  however,  could  not  be  used  as  they  did 
not  come  in  any  of  the  above  classes.  If  you  can  correct  or  add  to  the  present 
list,  please  do  so. 


John  Scott 
Robert  Scott 
Lester  KauiTman 
Raymond  Series 
Henry    Piendl 
Bruce  Beckett 
Cecil    Winnie 
Clayton   Winnie 
Harry  Smyth 
Harry  Kimble 
Gerald  Hall 
A.  J.  Bush 
Edward   B.   Brewer 
James  Cleman 
Colin    .\.    Fowler 
George  W.   Fowler 
William   B.  Fowler 
James  G.  Fowler 
Earl  Young 


William    Cash 
Carl  Herold 
Rollie   Berry 
Earl  Dwinnell 
Edw^ard   Bartlett 
Edward   Sellers 
Harry  Wells 
Wesley   Clark 
Austin   Warner 
Arthur   Perusse 
Albert   l"'erusse 
Eric  Lundy 
Edward   Denend 
Ralph  Thomas 
Walter    Berg 
Oscar  Halverson 
Joe  St.  Hillaire 
Clifford  W.  Allen 
Ward  Burfield 


Robert    Browning 
J.  Harvey  Green 
W.  L.  Gray 
Earl    McGinnis 
Edwin  P.  Snyder 
Herman  K.  Flower 
Camillus  F.  Flower 
Gordan  Meldrum 
Claude  Brallier 
Virgil  Wommack 
Verne  Cooke 
Albert  Roy  Hagle 
Bert  V.  Hagle 
Lestock  Des  Brisay 
Earl  Finley 
Hobson   Finley 
Stanley  Ross 
Adam  Livingston 
Ceroid  Manning 


522 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


Arthur  Dustin 
Willis  Nelson 
Ona  Zyph 
H.  W.  Hare 
Hugh   Grey 
Ona  Smith 
Charles  F.  Story 
Clyde  Rogers 
Frank  Davis 
Elmer  Davis 
Alger  Dilley 
Earl  Bradford 
Allison  C.   Presson 
John  Zyph 
Harold  Aiken 


Melvin  Langdale 
(ieorge  Des  Brisay 
Rufus  Des  Brisay 
D.  M.  Buffington 
Raymond  Kays 
Howard  Crow 
Harry  Hedemark 
Elza  R.  Dunnington 
Clarence  Tweetin 
Marvin  Tweetin 
Ernest  Wright 
Victor  D.  Wright 
Roy  Allison 
Clinton  Winnie 
Roy  M.  Wandling 


Ervin  N.  Erickson 
C.  H.  Bunch 
Dale  C.  Smith 
Earl  Bradford 
Ralph  Orlando 
Robert  Doane 
Albert  Doane 
Wheeler  Pratt 
Ivan  Pratt 
Oscar  Barron 
William  Barron 
Henry  Barron 
Ted  Sparks 
Paul  Otey 
Floyd  Leach." 


Over  the  Top  the  First  Day. 


RED  CROSS    NOTES 

"Twenty  convalescent  robes  have  been  sent  to  the  Mabton  Red  Cross  to  be 
finished  by  November  15th.  The  work  rooms  in  the  city  hall  are  open  daily, 
where  the  ladies,  properly  masked,  are  endeavoring  to  complete  the  quota  in  the 
given  time. 

"The  Yakima  Red  Cross  has  received  an  allotment  of  1,600  pajama  suits  to 
be  made  from  a  pattern  cut  by  the  surgeon  general,  for  relief  of  the  American 
wounded  soldiers  at  home  and  abroad.  The  Mabton  chapter  will  aid  in  filling 
this  order." 

"Mabton  has  sad  hearts  and  gold  stars  for  its  service  flag.  Virgil  Wom- 
mack,  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  O.  Wommack  and  a  grandson  of  C.  Muller,  Sr.,  has 
been  reported  killed  in  action.  He  was  a  mere  boy  when  he  enlisted  early  in  the 
war.  Ray  Kays,  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Kays,  died  suddenly  of  pneumonia 
last  week  in  a  training  camp.  Henry  Barron  has  made  the  supreme  sacrifice, 
and  fears  are  entertained  that  Henry  Piendl  has  been  killed  or  is  seriously 
wounded.     More  will  be  printed  of  these  boys  later." 

The  next  sister  of  Toppenish  is  Wapato  toward  the  north.  Here  we  find  the 
"Wapato  Independent,"  founded  in  1906  by  William  Verran.  In  1909  William 
Verran  became  editor,  and  is  acting  as  manager  at  the  present  date.  The  "Inde- 
pendent" is  republican  in  its  political  proclivities.  It  is  worthy  of  special  com- 
mendation for  its  ambition  and  energy  in  publishing  matter  descriptive  of  the 
section  in  which  it  is  located.  The  "Development  Number,"  of  December  15, 
1911,  is  worthy  of  a  metropolitan  journal.  We  have  made  much  use  of  this 
number  in  our  chapter  on  the  Reservation.  As  giving  a  view  of  the  aims  and 
the  spirit  of  the  publication  we  are  incorporating  here  the  editorial  announce- 
ment of  the  special  number. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKI.MA  VALLEY  523 


OUR  SPECIAL 


"This  issue  of  the  'Wapato  Independent'  is  one  intended  to  exploit  Wapato 
and  the  Reservation.  We  have  been  to  much  time  and  expense  to  make  the 
issue  one  that  will  be  of  value  to  all  seeking  information  pertaining  to  this  lo- 
cality, and  have  been  successful  in  obtaining  all  matter  printed  from  an  absolutely 
authentic  source.  In  this  respect  we  are  under  deep  obligation  to  S.  A.  M. 
Young,  Indian  agent  at  Fort  Simcoe,  J.  W.  Martin,  resident  engineer  of  the 
Indian  Bureau,  Alex  E.  McCredy,  O.  S.  Gossard,  C.  W.  Higgins,  and  the  many 
others  who  have  contributed  to  make  the  issue  of  December  15th  what  we  be- 
lieve to  be  one  of  the  best  exploitation  numbers  ever  issued  in  the  Yakima 
Valley. 

"To  these  gentlemen  for  their  many  courtesies  we  are  thankful. 

"It  was  made  possible  through  them  to  give  our  readers  information  per- 
taining to  the  reservation  and  its  industries  practically  impossible  to  secure  from 
any  other  source.  We  trust  our  readers  will  appreciate  this  fact  as  well  as  us, 
for  it  is  seldom  that  so  much  valuable  information  is  contained  beneath  one 
cover  and  which  can  be  referred  to  at  any  time  in  the  future. 

"The  issuing  of  this  special  number  of  the  'Independent'  has  not  been  under- 
taken as  a  money-making  proposition.  It  has  cost  all  and  possibly  more  than 
can  possibly  be  received  to  get  the  paper  out,  but  we  believe  this  immense  area 
of  irrigable  land  embraced  in  the  Yakima  Indian  Reservation  well  worth  exploit- 
ing at  whatever  cost.  To  undertake  such  an  edition  in  a  town  the  size  of 
Wapato  required  some  courage,  but  the  local  merchants,  always  loyal,  have  come 
forward  generously  in  support  of  the  exploitation  number  and  it  will  be  seen  that 
nearly  all  of  the  advertising  matter  is  confined  to  the  town  from  which  the  paper 
issues.     For  this  spirit  we  are  also  indebted. 

"We  wish  to  urge  upon  our  readers  the  many  good  points  in  this  issue. 
The  authentic  information  it  contains  may  be  just  what  your  friends  in  other 
states  would  wish  to  read.  If  you  do  not  care  to  forward  the  regular  copy  of 
the  paper  you  receive  to  your  friends,  come  to  the  office  and  purchase  as  many 
as  you  like.  We  will  have  a  liberal  supply,  but  it  is  wise  to  come  early  as  the 
demand  will  be  great.  Remember  that  from  no  other  source  would  you  be 
able  to  .secure  as  much  information  pertaining  to  the  reservation  and  the 
authenticity  of  such  information  can  not  be  question. 

"Again  thanking  those  who  have  assisted  us  in  making  this  edition  all  that 
we  aimed  to  have  it,  we  hope  that  all  our  readers  will  appreciate  our  efforts." 

From  the  towns  on  the  Reservation  we  retrace  our  steps  and  cross  to  the 
north  side  of  the  Yakima  River.  Here  we  find  three  more  towns  in  addition 
to  the  metropolis,  Sunnyside — each  the  location  of  a  newspaper,  Zillah,  Granger 
and  Grandview. 

The  representative  of  the  press  at  the  first-named  is  the  "Zillah  Free 
Press."  This  was  founded  in  1910  by  A.  S.  Hillyer,  now  editor  of  the  "Sunny- 
side  Sun."  The  "Free  Press  is  republican  in  politics.  G.  A.  McArthur  be- 
came editor  and  proprietor  in  April,  1918. 

At  Granger  we  find  another  typical  weekly,  the  "Granger  Enterprise." 
George  P.  Eaton  was  the  founder  of  this  newspaper  and  the  year  of  its  birth 


524  HISTORY  Ul-   YAKIMA  VALLEY 

was  1912.     It  has  been  active  in  promoting  the  interests  of  the  splendid  region 
of  its  location.     The  "Enterprise"  is  an  independent  in  politics. 

Passing  by  Sunnyside,  the  journals  of  which  we  have  already  noted,  and 
reaching  that  most  attractive  little  city  of  Grandview,  we  find  a  bright,  active, 
well-conducted  weekly  paper,  the  "Grandview  Herald."  This  exponent  of  the. 
public  life  of  its  section  came  upon  the  stage  of  action  in  1909,  C.  D.  Foster 
being  owner  and  manager.  Mr.  Foster  still  retains  the  ownership,  while  the 
publisher  is  Fred  R.  Hawn.  The  "Herald"  belongs  to  the  independent  in 
politics.  As  preserving  an  interesting  glimpse  at  local  conditions  and  spirit, 
which  can  hardly  fail  to  be  of  interest  to  future  readers,  we  are  including  here 
a  few  extracts  from  the  pages  of  the  "Herald"  of  September  6,  1918: 

Pl.ws  Complete  for  Registering 


.ASSISTANTS  .\ND  PL.ACES  OF  REGISTR.\TION    N.AMED  BY  REG1STR.\R  HOWELE 

"Following  are  the  registrars  appointed  by  Chief  Registrar  T.  W.  Howell 
for  his  district,  which  comprises  12  precincts,  together  with  the  place  of  regis- 
tration : 

Alfalfa — A.  J-  Harris,  Alfalfa  schoolhouse.  Glade — E.  L.  Mace,  Mace 
schoolhouse.  Wheatland — W.  H.  Masty,  Smith  schoolhouse.  Byron — E.  E. 
McMillan,  McMillan  store.  Mabton  Rural — C.  B.  Cox,  Mabton  high  school. 
Mabton— J.  W.  Crow,  City  Hall.  Wendell  Phillips— H.  E.  Hager,  W'endell 
Phillips  schoolhouse.  Belma — N.  J.  Miller,  Belma  schoolhouse.  Wanita — J-  H. 
Fry,  Wanita  schoolhouse.  South  Grandview — Farwell  Morris,  Euclid  school - 
house.  Grandview — Emery  Morse,  D.  O.  Robertson's  office.  North  Grand- 
view — R.  R.  Wardall,  A.  E.  Lowe's  residence.  Thursday,  September  12.  from 
7  a  .m.  to  9  p.  m.,  is  the  day.     Register." 

P.\TRi()Ts  Will  Register.     Others  Must 


LIVELY   DEB.\TE   DEVELOPS   AT   BUSINESS    MEN  S    MEETING 

"There  were  things  doing  at  the  meeting  of  the  Business  Men's  .Yssociation 
Tuesday  evening  at  the  Central  Hotel. 

I  "The  largest  crowd  the  members  had  seen  in  montlis  sat  down  to  the  table 

and  took  an  active  part  in  the  discussion  which  began  with  the  matter  of  pro- 
viding a  sprinkling  wagon  for  the  town  and  ended  two  hours  later  with  a  few 
brief  remarks  from  newcomers  to  the  community  and  a  motion  to  adjourn. 

"It  was  explained  by  Frank  Ames,  local  manager  for  the  Standard  Oil 
Company,  that  his  company  had  a  number  of  tank  wagons,  replaced  by  auto- 
mobile equipment  which  could  be  purchased  reasonably  and  equipped  without 
much  expense.     It  was  voted  to  refer  action  on  the  matter  to  the  town  council. 

"Messrs.  Parchen  and  Morris  reported  that  they  had  brought  the  matter 
of  the  enlargement  and  betterment  of  the  road  east  from  the  Murray  corner 
to  the  Grandview  pumping  plant  lands  to  the  attention  of  the  county  commis- 
sioners, who  made  no  promises  for  immediate  action.  The  consensus  of  opinion 
was  to  the  effect  that  if  this  road  could  be  improved  the  matter  of  keeping  in 
touch  with  this  district  would  take  care  of  itself. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  525 

"E.  T-  Haasze  reported  that  an  average  of  ten  campers  every  day  had  made 
use  of  the  public  camping  ground  and  also  submitted  a  proposition,  which  was 
unanimously  carried,  to  have  photographs  made  of  the  camp  grounds  for  dis- 
tribution, through  the  kindness  of  A.  F.  Wehe,  state  executive  committeeman 
of  the  Yellowstone  Trail,  and  Samuel  Hill,  president  of  the  Evergreen  Highway 
Association,  to  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  register  placed  on  the  camp 
grounds  by  Mr.  Haasze  showed  names  ranging  from  West  Salem,  Ohio,  to 
Spanaway  Lake,  near  Tacoma,  Washington. 

"A.  J.  Thiele,  the  new  cashier  of  the  Grandview  State  Bank,  recently  from 
Spokane  and  Russell  Parker,  associated  with  E.  J.  Haasze  and  Thomas  R. 
Robinson  in  the  fruit  business,  formerly  of  Seattle,  who  were  present  at  the 
meeting  were  called  on  by  President  Haskins  as  was  E.  R.  McDonald  who  had 
not  met  with  the  association   for  several  months. 

"It  was  the  opinion  of  every  man  present  that  the  association  had  made  an 
excellent  start   for  its  Fall  and  Winter  work." 

THE    PRESS    IX    BENTON    COUNTY 

As  the  youngest  and  smallest  in  population  of  the  counties  of  the  Valley, 
it  can  not  be  expected  that  Benton  County  will  offer  to  view  as  many  papers 
as  her  associate  counties.  It  is,  however,  true  that  the  ratio  of  papers  and 
readers  to  population  is  equal  to  that  of  either  of  the  others.  Unlike  the  two 
older  counties,  Benton  County  has  two  towns  of  approximately  the  same  size 
and  essentially  the  same  conditions  and  productions,  Prosser  and  Kennewick. 

Prosser  is  the  older,  is  the  county  seat,  and  has  a  longer  background  of 
history.     This  general  fact  applies  to  the  journalistic  history  also. 

PROSSER  PAPERS 

The  first  paper  in  Prosser  was  the  '"Prosser  American,"  published  by 
Messrs.  James  and  Freeman. 

The  newspapers  of  the  present  day  in  Prosser  are  the  "Independent- 
Record"  and  the  "Republican-Bulletin." 

The  earlier  of  the  two  traces  its  ancestry  to  the  "Prosser  Record,"  whose 
first  number  bore  date  of  December  29,  1893.  Unfortunately  the  files  of  this 
oldest  existing  paper,  in  what  is  now  Benton  County,  are  no  longer  available. 
The  other  parent  was  the  "Benton  Independent,"  established  on  November  6, 
1909.     The  consolidation  was  effected  May  1,  1913. 

The  "Record"  was  owned  and  managed  by  George  Boomer,  his  wife  Alice 
being  associated  with  him  in  management.  Mr.  Boomer  was  a  man  of  high 
mental  and  moral  character  and  had  the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  associated. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  Mrs.  Boomer,  a  gifted  and  attractive  woman.  Their 
political  views,  however,  were  not  acceptable  to  the  majority  of  their  fellow 
townsmen,   for  they  were  pronounced  socialists. 

The  last  number  of  the  "Record"  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Boomer 
was  of  May  14,  1909.  As  illustrative  both  of  the  personality  of  this  pioneer 
newspaper  man  of  Prosser  and  of  the  conditions  in  the  comnuniity,  we  insert 
here  the  "Vale"  of  the  retiring  editor. 

"From  the  Prosser  Record, 
"May  14,  1909. 


526  HISTORY-  (  )1--  YAKIMA  N' ALLEY 


"vale 


"It  is  with  sincere  regret  that  we  this  week  announce  that  'The  Record" 
after  this  date  passes  into  other  hands.  For  almost  six  years  to  a  day  we  have 
labored  hard  to  make  "The  Record'  the  best  family  newspaper  in  the  lower 
Yakima  Valley  and  our  efforts  have  been  crowned  with  unusual  success.  Com- 
ing here  when  Prosser  was  just  beginning  to  change  its  baby  habiliments  for 
the  garments  of  strong  youth,  we  have  watched  and  attempted  to  encourage 
the  growth  of  Prosser  and  the  whole  lower  Valley  with  all  that  interest  that 
attaches  to  those  things  in  which  one  moves  and  among  which  one  lives.  During 
our  labors  here  this  little  village  has  grown  into  a  city  of  the  third  class  and 
the  stretches  of  desert  at  our  doors  have  blossomed  into  gardens  and  orchards. 

"Perhaps  our  guidance  of  'The  Record,'  the  oldest  paper  in  this  immediate 
part  of  the  state,  has  had  but  little  to  do  with  the  growth  and  development  of 
this  section,  but  we  will  at  least  add  to  our  remembrance  of  our  editorship  by 
assuming  that  some  of  the  things  we  have  done  have  tended  to  the  upbuilding 
of  our  neighborhood,  not  alone  in  numbers,  but  in  civic  pride,  neighborly 
honesty  and  a  stronger  faith  in  the  right  of  the  people  to  do  as  they  think  best  tor 
themselves,  without  having  to  first  seek  permission  from  professional  politicians 
or  private  plunderbunds. 

"Assuming  charge  of  a  democratic  paper,  as  we  did,  and  immediately  mak- 
ing its  editorial  columns  a  vehicle  for  socialist  thought,  we  can  not  fittingly 
express  our  kindly  feelings  for  the  many  who,  through  these  years,  though  not 
agreeing  with  us  always  politically,  have  stood  loyally  by  us.  We  have  tried 
to  give  our  readers  a  paper  upon  which  they  could  depend,  both  in  news  and 
opinions.  We  have  made  mistakes,  perhaps,  but  they  were  honest  mistakes. 
As  far  as  our  intentions  and  endeavors  are  concerned  we  have  nothing  to  regret. 

"During  the  past  six  years  'The  Record'  was  the  first  paper  in  the  valley 
to  print  eight  pages  at  home.  It  was  the  first  to  install  power  and  the  first  to 
abandon  the  costly  hand  composition  in  favor  of  machine   work. 

"All  this  was  necessary  to  keep  pace  with  the  rapid  growth  of  the  country. 
Today  'The  Record'  is  read  every  week  by  over  4,000  people  and  while  we  are 
satisfied  in  some  measure  by  that  accomplishment  we  wish  we  could  have  done 
twice  as  much. 

"Regardless  as  to  whether  or  not  we  have  made  a  financial  success  during 
these  years,  we  at  least  hope  that  among  the  thousands  that  read  'The  Record' 
some  at  least  have  had  their  thoughts  turned  to  the  necessity  of  a  change  of  our 
present  political  and  economic  uncertainties  to  conditions  of  security  for  them- 
selves and  their  children.  If,  as  a  result  of  our  humble  efforts,  there  are  a 
few  men  and  women  who  can  see  more  clearly  the  necessity  of  greater  security 
in  the  right  to  live  that  socialism  only  can  guarantee,  we  are  content,  whether 
we  have  made  money  or  not. 

"We  wish  to  thank  the  merchants  and  others  who  have  so  liberally  patron- 
ized us  in  the  past.  We  have  endeavored  to  give  exceedingly  good  service 
for  all  values  received.  Mr.  Haines,  who  is  to  succeed  us,  signifies  his  inten- 
tion of  conducting  an  independent  paper.  If  he  maintains  that  position  ener- 
getically and  impartially  we  trust  that  our  friends  will  confer  on  him  the  same 
courtesies  and  kindnesses  they  have  vouchsafed  to  us. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  527 

"As  to  our  immediate  future  it  is  more  or  less  uncertain.  The  demands 
upon  Mr.  Boomer's  time  for  lectures  will  probably  continue  and  he  will  devote 
most  of  his  efi'orts  to  that  for  a  few  months  at  least.  Prosser  will  still  be  our 
home  and  if  a  theater  is  built  we  will  probably  interest  ourselves  in  that.  So 
many  words  of  friendship  and  good  wishes  have  been  extended  to  us  during 
the  past  week  that  though  we  will  enjoy  the  rest  cessation  from  continuous  edi- 
torial duties  will  bring,  we  nevertheless  will  keenly  feel  the  breaking  of  neigh- 
borly ties  in  case  we  should  find  it  necessary  to  make  our  home  elsewhere. 

"May  the  growth  of  Prosser  as  a  city  of  homes  be  endless,  and  may  the 
seeds  of  social  and  economic  truths  we  have  tried  to  sow  result  in  at  least  a  few 
sturdy  plants  of  healthy  growth. 

"Many  of  our  subscribers  we  never  have  met,  but  their  names  on  the  sub- 
scription book  have  become  almost  personalities  themselves.  We  realize  that 
our  political  opinions  have  at  times  shocked  many  of  them.  Realizing  that,  we 
appreciate  the  fact  that  they  are  still  our  subscribers. 

"We  again  thank  the  very,  very  many  whose  friendship  has  enabled  us  to 
accomplish  what  little  we  have. 

"George  E.  Boomer, 
"Alice  Boomer." 
The  "Record"  was  acquired  and  managed  by  Alfred  Haynes  for  four  years. 
We  insert  his  salutatory  as  well  fitting  in  with  the  farewell  of  the  preceding  man- 
ager. 

"From  'The  Prosser  Record,' 
"May  14,  1909. 

"With  this  issue  'The  Record'  goes  to  its  readers  under  new  proprietorship. 
It  is  not  our  intention  just  here  to  say  what  changes  may  be  contemplated,  other 
than  that  'The  Record'  from  this  issue  on  will  be  known  to  its  readers  as  an 
independent  paper,  broad  enough  in  its  principles  to  uphold  the  right  and  re- 
prove the  wrong  in  whatever  political  party  or  set  such  principles  may  become 
involved. 

"Believing  in  the  great  future  ahead  of  the  city  of  Prosser  and  vicinity,  it  is 
our  desire  to  give  precedence  to  all  matters  of  local  interest  and  county  happen- 
ings in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  'The  Record'  a  necessity  in  every  home  in  the 
city  and  county.  But  we  do  not  expect  to  attain  this  end  by  our  own  indi- 
vidual efforts,  and  for  this  purpose  the  cooperation  of  those  who  already  are 
subscribers  and  those  who  may  become  such,  is  earnestly  solicited. 

"In  our  business  relations  with  the  patrons  of  'The  Record,'  efficiency, 
promptness  and  honorable  dealings  to  all  is  assured,  and  all  that  we  hope  for  is 
a  fair  share  of  your  patronage. 

"To  our  subscribers  we  would  say  that  as  soon  as  possible  we  expect  to 
revise  our  mailing  list,  so  please  take  note  of  your  wrapper  and  if  you  see  that 
you  are  in  arrears,  it  will  be  greatly  appreciated  if  you  will  attend  to  the  same 
at  once,  and  this  will  be  the  first  step  towards  lightening  the  editor's  burden 
and  making  the  paper  a  success.  There  is  a  very  strict  postal  law  that  forbids 
us  sending  papers  to  subscribers  who  are  more  than  one  year  in  arrears. 

"G.  Alfred  Haynes, 
"Editor  and  Proprietor." 


528  HISTORY  OF  VAKI^FA  \'ALLEY 

The  "Independent"  came  into  existence  in  1909,  and  C.  B.  Michener  was 
the  editor-manager  for  several  years.  On  May  1,  1913,  the  "Record"  and  "Inde- 
pendent" were  joined  under  the  management  of  C.  B.  Michener  and  C.  E.  Rusk 
Both  men  were  possessed  of  high  abilities  and  advanced  political  and  economic 
ideals  and  aims.  Under  them  the  "Independent-Record"  became  one  of  the 
conspicuous  weeklies  of  the  Valley.  Air.  Rusk  is  now  receiver  of  the  L'nited 
States  Land  Office  at  Yakima. 

In  April,  1915,  W.  R.  Sproull,  who  had  been  connected  for  some  years 
with  the  "Republican-Bulletin,"  acquired  the  "Independent-Record"  and  is  con- 
ducting it  at  this  date  with  marked  ability  and  success.  As  one  of  the  strong 
newspaper  forces  in  the  Valley,  Mr.  Sproull  is  well  fitted  to  give  a  view  of  the 
influences  of  the  papers  in  this  part  of  the  Valley. 

Tracing  the  lineage  of  the  "Republican-Bulletin,"  we  find  that  the  older 
parent,  the  "Bulletin,"  came  into  existence  at  the  hands  of  H.  G.  Guild  on  June 
26,  1902.     It  was  first  christened  the  "Prosser  Falls  Bulletin." 

Some  extracts  from  the  first  issue  will  convey  to  the  reader  the  "feel"  of 
that  time  in  the  history  of  Prosser. 

"From  the  'Prosser  Bulletin,' 
"June  26,  1902. 

"S.\LUT.\T0RV 

"The  Prosser  Falls  'Bulletin'  makes  its  bow  to  the  public.  We  have  added 
the  name  'falls'  to  suggest  to  readers  remote  from  Prosser  that  we  have  water 
power  here  that  will  figure  largely  in  the  prosperity  of  the  future  Prosser.  We 
have  no  rash  promises  to  make.  Promises  are  easily  broken  at  best.  We  are 
here  among  you  to  stay  and  grow  up  with  the  town.  We  shall  at  all  times  be 
found  w-orking  cheerfully  and  assiduously  for  the  upbuilding  of  legitimate 
Prosser.  Politically,  the  'Bulletin'  is  of  the  'Teddy'  Roosevelt  stripe,  and  will 
be  found  in  line  with  the  republican  party.  The  'Bulletin'  has  been  kindly  re- 
ceived by  the  good  people  of  Prosser,  and  it  will  try  to  merit  their  patronage 
and  good  will  by  truthfully  conserving  the  best  interests  of  the  town  and  sur- 
rounding country.  We  believe  that  Prosser  will  have  5,000  people  in  less  than 
five  years.  The  'Bulletin'  hopes  it  may.  Let  us  all  set  up  the  '5,000  in  five 
years'  mark,  and  work  for  it.  The  'Bulletin'  comes  here  as  the  organ  of  no 
faction  or  clique,  and  will  try  to  represent  all  interests  fairly.  W^e  have  made 
no  bombastic  assertions  as  to  what  the  'Bulletin'  would  be.  We  present  it  as 
it  is,  with  no  apologies.  We  do  hope,  however,  to  improve  it  as  business  shall 
warrant.  As  a  final  statement,  we  wish  to  say  that  the  'Bulletin'  is  wholly 
owned  and  controlled  by  the  undersigned. 

"H.  G.  Guild." 

"Commercial  men.  as  a  class,  are  the  keenest  and  altogether  the  most  com- 
petent people  to  'size  up'  a  town  we  know.  It  has  been  our  privilege  to  inter- 
view many  of  this  class  the  past  few  weeks,  and  we  state  a  truth  when  we  say 
that  without  a  single  exception  they  all  unite  in  predicting  a  grand  future  for 
Prosser. 

"One  is  im]jresse(l  by  the  general  appearance  of  the  people  that  this  is  cer- 
tainly a   healthful   countrv.     Nowhere  on   this  northwest   coast   can   one   find  a 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  529 

more  robust  appearing  lot  of  persons.     Health   is   a  great  blessing,  and  those 
who  come  to  this  section  for  pure  air  will  find  it  well  oxygenized." 

"SALUT.\TORV    NO.    2. 

"Prosser  has  a  new  $6,000  schoolhouse  and  the  old  one  is  being  used  for 
primary  grades.  The  new  building  has  all  modern  appliances.  Aside  from  the 
large  school  rooms,  it  contains  a  library  and  teachers'  room.  This  school  has  a 
four  years'  course,  and  a  pupil  graduating  from  it  should  be  competent  to  enter 
any  college.  Prosser  is  proud  of  its  public  school.  Washington,  in  fact,  has 
the  best  school  system  of  any  state  west  of  the  Missouri  River." 

"While  the  winds  are  a  trifle  disagreeable  at  times,  and  it  gets  pretty  warm 
during  the  day,  the  nights  are  invariably  cool  and  the  people  are  healthy  and 
rugged.  As  soon  as  the  sun  sets  in  the  Summer  time,  the  atmosphere  cools 
very  rapidly  and  the  evenings  are  very  pleasant.  These  are  the  only  real 
climatic  disadvantages  and  this  section  comes  as  near  being  all  right  as  any 
of  them. 

"The  Falls  at  Prosser  have  a  total  fall  of  23  feet  in  a  distance  of  300  yards, 
ample  power  to  run  the  largest  factories.  It  is  hinted  that  the  proposed  electric 
railroad  from  North  Yakima  to  Prosser,  via  Sunnyside,  will  get  its  power  at 
Prosser.     Prosser  is  'willing."     But  she  won't  stop  growing  for  anybody." 

"HOW    HORSE    HE.WEN    H.\PPENED 

"James  Kinney  of  this  city,  who  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  Yakima  Valley,  says  that  he  named  Horse  Heaven  in  1881. 
Formerly  it  was  called  the  Bedrock  Springs  country.  Mr.  Kinney  was  going 
down  the  valley  on  the  occasion  of  the  naming  of  the  country  aforementioned, 
and  having  camped  one  night  below  Prosser,  awoke  the  next  morning  to  find 
that  his  animals  had  strayed  and  the  tracks  led  up  the  mountainside  and  over 
into  an  upland  plain  beautiful  to  behold,  and  there  he  found  the  runaway  horses 
cropping  the  succulent  bunchgrass  with  apparent  great  relish.  'Surely,  this  is 
Horse  Heaven,'  quoth  Mr.  Kinney  to  himself.  The  name  sounded  appropriate, 
and  in  spite  of  some  efTorts  to  call  it  'Columbia  Plains,'  Mr.  Kinney's  name 
stuck,  and  thus  it  is  known,  and  that  is  how  the  name  of  Horse  Heaven  hap- 
pened." 

"iXDI./^N,    CAVUSE    AXD  COYOTE 

"An  Indian,  who  lives  near  Prosser,  came  to  town  the  other  day  with  a 
young  coyote  ingeniously  tied  up  in  an  old  gunny  sack,  behind  his  saddle.  The 
Indian  was  old,  but  smiling,  and  apparently  satisfied  with  life  as  he  found  it. 
He  was  mounted  on  a  sleepy,  lazy  looking  cayuse,  and  the  three,  the  Indian,  the 
cayuse  and  the  coyote,  would  have  been  a  proper  subject  for  a  prize  photograph. 
Then,  come  to  think  of  it,  what  a  fitting  combination.  The  Indian  represent- 
ing, as  he  did,  the  primitive  type  of  civilization  of  this  age,  in  this  country;  the 
cayuse  representing  the  same  type  in  its  species ;  the  coyote  representing  the 
untamed  vagabond  of  the  hills,  the  outlaw,  the  Ishmaelite  of  its  species. 

"The  Indian  was  unconscious  of  the  fitness  of  the  blend.  In  making  the 
combination  there   was   no   intention,   nothing    further   than    was   urged   by   th-» 

(34) 


530  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

law  of  necessity,  the  object  uppermost  in  his  mind  being  to  get  a  dollar  for  the 
coyote,  having  conceived  the  thought  that  some  white  man  would  like  the  tick- 
ridden  howler  from  the  hills  as  a  pet  for  his  children.  With  the  writer  there 
would  be  no  satisfaction  in  watching  the  constant  pacing  to  and  fro  of  a  captive 
coyote.  They  were  designed  by  nature  to  be  free,  and  any  one  who  has  read 
Seton  Thompson's  stories  of  wild  animals  could  not  well  perform  the  duty  of 
jailer  to  a  captive  coyote. 

"Some  one  of  the  group  who  was  watching  the  picture  of  Indian,  cayuse 
and  coyote,  said:  'Poor  coyote.'  'Hallo,  poor  coyote,'  replied  the  Indian. 
'Him  heap  killum  sheep.'  The  Indian  in  his  contempt  for  compassion  for  the 
coyote,  gave  the  white  man's  reason  for  passing  the  sentence  of  outlawry  upon 
the  whole  coyote  tribe." 

IRRIG.XTED   L.\NDS    NEAR    PROSSER 

"The  Sunnyside  Irrigation  Canal,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  successful 
of  its  kind  on  the  coast,  is  building  down  the  valley  and  is  expected  to  be 
opposite  Prosser  by  next  Fall.  It  will  open  to  cultivation  about  20,000  acres 
of  choice  grass  and  fruit  lands.  The  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company  has 
five  miles  of  ditch  on  the  south  side  of  the  Yakima  River  above  Prosser,  and 
five  miles  of  ditch  below  the  town.  Along  its  course  are  some  of  the  finest 
irrigated  farms,  orchards  and  meadows  in  eastern  Washington,  and  these  lands 
are  very  valuable." 

THE    NORTHERN    PACIFIC    COMPANY 

"Prosser  is  a  railway  town  on  the  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  and  an 
average  of  twenty  trains  pass  through  it  daily.  The  Northern  Pacific  Com- 
pany has  a  neat  depot,  an  express  office,  freight  warehouse,  and  employs  a  day 
and  night  agent  and  operator,  and  an  additional  freight  agent  during  the  day 
time.  The  company's  employes  are  competent  and  obliging  men  and  it  is  a 
matter  of  common  remark  that  the  conductors  and  brakemen  on  the  road  are 
not  only  ordinarily  courteous,  but  are  painstaking  in  their  efiforts  to  inform  the 
traveling  public  and  provide  for  their  comfort.  The  Northern  Pacific  is  one 
of  the  greatest  systems  extant,  and  much  of  Prosser's  prosperity  as  a  town, 
and  the  improvement  and  value  of  the  adjacent  farm  country  about  it,  is  due 
to  the  enterprise  of  this  splendid  system  in  intelligently  distributing  immigra- 
tion along  its  line  in  Washington.  Its  low  rate  to  homeseekers  from  St.  Paul 
westward  has  filled  up  many  a  heretofore  sparsely  settled  section  in  Washington. 

"The  'Bulletin'  takes  no  stock  in  the  howl  against  railroads  that  are  doing 
as  much  for  the  country  as  the  Northern  Pacific.  Let  the  Northern  Pacific, 
with  its  splendid  equipment,  be  removed  ten  miles  from  Prosser,  and  what  would 
the  town  be,  or  ever  amount  to,  thus  isolated?  The  management  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  take  a  live  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  towns  along  its  line,  and  its 
policy  is  to  aid  in  building  up  such  stations.  One  of  the  company's  officials 
who  always  has  a  good  word  for  Prosser,  is  "Sir.  A.  D.  Charlton,  general 
passenger  agent,  at  Portland." 

PROSSER 

"Is  a  thriving  town  of  about  500  inhabitants  and  has  a  fine  natural  loca- 
tion.    It  is  50  miles  from  the  county  seat  at  North  Yakima,  and  is  40  miles  west 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  531 

from  Kennewick,  the  most  eastern  town  in  the  country.  It  is  the  natural  busi- 
ness center  for  a  large  area  of  territory.  It  is  located  near  the  falls  of  the 
Yakima  River,  which  will  develop  over  900  horsepower.  Prosser  has  two  hotels, 
the  Lape  and  Riverside  houses,  one  restaurant,  one  bank,  two  livery  stables, 
three  general  stores,  one  hardware  and  furniture  store,  two  drug  stores,  one 
meat  market,  one  barber  shop,  one  jewelry  store,  .one  blacksmith  shop,  three 
saloons,  two  newspapers,  two  churches,  two  lumber  and  coal  yards,  a  millinery 
store,  harness  shop,  brick  yard,  undertaker's  shop,  a  grist  mill,  pumping  station 
for  an  irrigation  company,  an  electric  light  plant,  four  real  estate  offices,  a 
Chinese  laundry,  three  confectionery  and  soft  drink  dispensaries,  several  secret 
societies  and  a  number  of  contemplated  business  ventures." 

prosser's  water  power 

"Remember,  in  considering  Prosser's  future,  that  it  has  one  of  the  finest 
water  powers  in  this  state.  We  have  the  power  at  our  door  for  various  manu- 
factories. We  have  the  wool  at  hand  in  the  country  about  Prosser  to  furnish 
a  mill  with  all  the  raw  material  for  the  manufacture  of  the  best  of  woolen 
goods.  Niowhere  can  cheaper  or  better  power  be  had,  and  with  the  wool  at 
a  mill's  door,  it  would  seem  that  the  necessary  capital  and  experience  ought 
soon  to  be  forthcoming. 

"The  falls  at  present  furnish  power  for  the  pumps  of  the  irrigation  com- 
pany, Kemp  &  Taylor's  flouring  mill  and  the  electric  light  company.  Every 
person  who  sees  the  tremendous  water  pow-er  here  practically  idle,  realizes  with- 
out much  effort  the  importance  and  commercial  value  of  same  if  utilized.  It 
seems  as  if  the  Creator  intended  this  to  be  a  center  for  the  sons  of  men  to 
found  a  prosperous  city,  and  so  endowed  it  beneficently,  first  with  a  beautiful 
natural  location,  and  then  with  a  splendid  water  povver  to  turn  the  spindles  and 
operate  the  shuttles  of  the  near  in  the  estimate  of  Prosser's  future  by  both  the 
citizen  and  the  stranger,  the  existence  of  its  excellent  water  power  figures  very 
materially  in  the  conclusion  arrived  at. 

"Only  the  other  day,  a  level-headed  commercial  man,  in  speaking  of 
Prosser's  future,  very  tersely  said :  'That  water  power  alone  ought  to  make 
this  the  best  town  between  Tacoma  and  Spokane  inside  of  ten  years,'  and  the 
drummer  put  it  right,  and  several  of  the  boys  have  bought  Prosser  lots  to  back 
their  judgment.  Too  much  within  the  bounds  of  truth  can  not  be  said  in  favor 
of  Prosser's  water  power." 

HORSE  HE.WEN   COUNTRY 

"From  the  Yakima  River,  near  Prosser,  the  hills  to  the  south  rise  abruptly 
to  a  height  of  1,000  feet.  Gaining  this  eminence  and  turning  about,  one  sees 
to  the  northeast  the  Rattlesnake  Hills  gradually  rising  until  their  irregular  line 
blends  with  the  horizon.  Looking  to  the  west  one  beholds  the  great  valley  of 
the  Yakima,  w^th  Mounts  Adams  and  Tacoma  in  the  distance,  robed  in  spotless 
white,  while  the  timbered  Cascade  Range,  which  divides  eastern  from  western 
Washington,  can  be  traced  in  its  northerly  course  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 
Meandering  down  the  valley,  and  visible  for  miles  upon  miles,  flows  the  Yakima 
River,  its  silver  waters  gleaming  in  the  afternoon  sunlight,  a  thing  of  beauty. 


532  HISTORY  Ol'    YAKIMA  \  ALLEY 

On  the  south  bank  of  this  splendid  mountain  stream,  which  is  fed  by  the  springs 
and  rivulets  of  the  Cascades,  nestles  the  growing  little  city  of  Prosser,  a  place 
whose  future  is  assured.  Up  and  down  the  river  are  fine  farms  and  green 
fields  of  alfalfa;  orchards  and  gardens  catch  the  eye  and  show  the  viewer  what 
irrigation  will  do  for  the  valley.  Looking  toward  the  south  and  east,  there 
spreads  before  the  beholder  a  great  plateau  of  bunch  grass,  sage  brush  and  green 
wheat  fields,  from  this  height,  apparently  as  level  as  a  barn  floor.  To  the  east 
the  Horse  Heaven  section  extends  beyond  Kiona,  thence  south  at  least  20  miles 
to  the  Columbia  River,  and  westward  a  distance  of  from  50  to  75  miles.  As 
one  gets  near  the  Columbia  River  the  land  becomes  sandy,  and  the  rich  soil  of 
Horse  Heaven  proper  is  lacking.  In  no  country  is  there  a  more  prolific  soil 
for  wheat,  vegetables  and  fruit.  The  area  of  wheat  soil  in  Horse  Heaven  has 
been  variously  estimated  to  contain   from  250.000  to  300,000  acres. 

"We  quote  from  a  pamphlet  recently  issued  on  the  "Horse  Heaven  Wheat 
Belt': 

"  "This  land  is  especially  adapted  to  wheat  raising,  the  wheat  production 
being  dry  and  hard  and  bringing  the  highest  market  price  for  export  milling 
purposes.  Wheat  yields  from  20  to  30  bushels  per  acre,  depending  upon  the 
knowledge  and  effort  of  the  farmer.  Some  farmers  only  plow  the  ground  once 
in  four  to  seven  years,  and  the  grain  brings  a  volunteer  crop  each  year — the  yield 
of  a  volunteer  crop  brings  from  9  to  20  bushels  per  acre.  The  wheat  is 
harvested  and  threshed  with  the  California  combined  machine,  and  in  no  place 
in  the  United  States  can  wheat  be  raised  with  less  expense.  Four  men  and 
thirty  horses  will  cut,  thresh  and  sack  35  to  40  acres  per  day.  Some  machines 
cut  2,000  acres  in  one  season.  A  farmer  can  get  his  wheat  cut,  threshed  and 
sacked  for  $1.50  per  acre,  and  the  machine  company  boards  all  the  men  and 
pays  all  expense.  This  combined  machine  heads  the  grain,  elevates  it  into  the 
threshing  machine,  threshes  and  runs  the  wheat  through  a  fanning  mill  into 
sacks  which  are  then  dumped  in  winrows  in  the  field.  The  straw  from  the 
machine  is  scattered  over  the  field  and  plowed  under  or  left  in  bunches  ready 
for  burning  just  as  desired.  One  man  drives  the  horses  on  the  machine,  one 
attends  to  the  header,  one  to  the  separator,  and  still  another  one  sews  the  sacks 
and  dumps  them  in  winrows.  This  wonderful  machine,  all  complete,  costs,  de- 
pending on  the  size,  from  $1,600  to  $1,800,  and  the  actual  expense  to  the  farmer 
who  owns  a  machine,  to  get  his  crop  in  sack,  does  not  exceed  50  cents  per  acre. 

"A  'Bulletin'  reporter  drove  through  a  portion  of  this  wonderful  country 
one  day  last  week  and  is  enthusiastic  in  his  praise  of  it.  Without  doubt  it  is  a 
world  beater.  Let  any  unprejudiced  man  go  over  this  section  and  he  is  the 
rankest  pessimist  on  earth  if  he  fails  to  be  impressed  with  the  idea  that  it  is 
destined  to  be  one  of  the  richest  sections  on  the  coast.  The  reporter  saw  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  Spring  and  Fall  grain,  waving  in  the  breeze,  that  can  not  lie 
equalled  in  any  wheat  country  in  the  United  States.  The  grain  is  now  a  rich 
dark  green,  and  the  visitor's  first  and  last  impression  is  that  it  is  an  extra  healthy 
growth.  Thousands  of  acres  are  being  jjlowed  this  year  up  there:  new  farm 
houses,  niDsily  unpretentious,  as  is  the  case  in  all  newly  settled  sections,  are 
going  uj)  ill  every  direction.  Farming  in  the  Horse  Heaven  country  is  not  an 
experiment.     Several  Prosseritcs  h:\\e  made  their  start  in  life,  and  a  good  on? 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  W-VLLEY  533 

at  that,  raising  wheat  in  Horse  Heaven.  Many  persons  who  bought  railroad 
land  a  few  years  ago  at  from  50  cents  to  $1.00  per  acre,  have  made  big  money 
this  season  by  selling  it  at  $5  to  $7  per  acre,  and  this  in  addition  to  the  cash 
received  for  their  wheat  crops  during  occupation  of  the  land.  Thousands  of 
acres  have  changed  hands  since  last  Spring  and  the  market  is  growing  stififer 
every  day.  This  is  a  fact  that  any  one  will  tell  you.  That  Horse  Heaven  is 
a  fine  wheat  countr}-  all  will  concede.  There  is  no  controversy  anywhere  about 
that. 

"Now,  as  to  what  it  will  do  in  other  lines  of  agriculture  can  not  be  better 
illustrated  anywhere  than  by  a  visit  to  the  farm  of  Mr.  L.  Jacquot,  in  section 
20,  township  8  north,  range  26  east,  in  whom  the  'Bulletin'  reporter  found  a 
former  Washington  County,  Oregon,  market  gardener.  Mr.  Jacquot  formerly 
raised  garden  stuff  for  the  Portland  market,  and  thoroughly  understands  the 
art.  He  has  about  an  acre  enclosed  by  a  picket  fence,  making  it  rabbit  proof. 
Of  this  tract  every  available  foot  of  ground  not  occupied  by  his  house  was 
planted  to  some  sort  of  vegetable.  There  were  peas,  corn,  cabbage,  turnips, 
radishes,  kale,  carrots,  beets,  lettuce,  parsnips,  onions,  tomatoes,  beans,  rutabagas 
and  squashes ;  also  strawberries,  all  growing  finely — as  w^ell  as,  if  not  better 
than  such  growths  on  irrigated  lands.  I\Ir.  Jacquot  was  enthusiastic  about  his 
vegetables.  T  never  saw  beets  to  equal  these,'  he  said,  pointing  to  a  bed  of  that 
species.  T  think  it  is  the  best  bed  of  beets  in  the  state."  When  asked  how  he 
prepared  the  soil  to  raise  so  fine  a  garden,  Mr.  Jacquot  said  T  plowed  it 
from  10  to  11  inches  deep.  This  done,  the  soil  will  do  the  rest.  I  cultivate 
potatoes  just  as  soon  as  they  appear  above  the  ground,  then  let  them  alone. 
The  soil  is  loose  and  nature  matures  them.  I  have  been  using  new  potatoes 
since  the  9th  of  June.'  Mr.  Jacquot  will  have  been  on  his  ranch  two  years 
next  October.  He  set  out  strawberries  last  spring  and  he  show-ed  the  reporter 
a  number  of  ripe  berries  on  the  vines.  Raspberries  and  blackberries  do  well 
there.  Mr.  Jacquot  has  over  300  young  chickens.  This  seems  to  be  a  good 
country  for  poultry.  Incubators  are  used  by  several  Horse  Heaven  house- 
wives with  great  success  in  hatching  chicks.  A  large  percentage  of  those 
hatched  reach  maturity.  About  the  garden  proposition,  ]\lr.  Jacquot  was  par- 
ticular to  impress  the  reporter  with  the  fact  that  not  one  drop  of  water,  other 
than  that  which  fell  from  the  sky,  had  ever  been  put  upon  his  garden.  If  any 
one  doubts  that  the  finest  vegetables  can  be  raised  in  Horse  Heaven  without 
irrigation,  let  him  go  up  to  Mr.  Jacquot's  ranch,  section,  town  and  range  afore- 
said, and  see  for  himself.  As  to  fruit  trees,  old  settlers  have  demonstrated  that 
apricots  and  prunes  will  do  well  in  Horse  Heaven.  Small  fruits  also  do  well 
when  ke[)t  from  the  rabbits,  which  can  easilv  be  done  by  proper  and  inexpensive 
fencing. 

".\s  to  the  faith  that  non-residents  have  in  the  Horse  Heaven  country  we 
desire  to  instance  the  case  of  .Mr.  Martin  Weller,  of  Waitsburg,  this  state: 

"Mr.  Weller  owns  7,6S0  acres  in  Horse  Heaven,  and  1,920  in  Rattlesnake. 
He  has  6,000  acres  under  the  plow,  most  of  which  has  been  reclaimed  this 
season.  .Altogether  he  has  9,760  acres  of  as  good  grain  land  as  any  one  could 
wish,  and  he  has  thus  far  this  year  spent  over  $3,000  for  plowing  alone.  Next 
season  he  will  have  an  immense  acreage  in  wheat,  and  with  ordinary  good  luck 


534  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

will  make  a  cleanup  of  $20  pieces  that  will  be  worth  talking  about.  Mr.  Weller 
has  for  years  been  a  successful  farmer  in  the  Walla  Walla  country.  The  fact 
that  Mr.  Weller,  a  non-resident,  has  invested  so  heavily  in  Horse  Heaven  and 
Rattlesnake  lands,  and  that  he  proposes  to  farm  it  for  the  money  there  is  in 
wheat  raising,  and  taking  into  consideration  the  further  fact  that  Mr.  Weller 
is  regarded  as  a  shrewd  business  man,  is  itself  significant  of  his  faith  in  Horse 
Heaven  soil.  There  are  many  homesteads  left  in  the  above  country,  and  the 
young  man  or  young  woman  who  fails  to  get  one  of  these  wheat  tracts  from 
Uncle  Sam  will  regret  it." 

We  find  the  issue  of  the  "Bulletin"  of  August  6,  1903,  to  carry  the  heading 
of  H.  G.  Guild  and  Son.  The  son  was  H.  H.  Guild.  On  November  19,  1903, 
the  name  of  A.  C.  Verity  appears  as  manager.  We  incorporate  here  the  farewell 
and  the  greeting  at  time  of  the  transfer.  E.  L.  Boardman  acquired  the  paper 
with  the  issue  of  September  1,  1904.  The  name  then  became  "Prosser  Bulletin." 
"From  the  'Prosser  Falls  Bulletin,'  November  19,  1903. 


"We  have  sold  the  'Prosser  Falls  Bulletin'  to  Mr.  Arton  E.  Verity,  late  of 
St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  All  subscriptions  are  due  and  payable  to  him.  Our 
reason  for  selling  is  that  we  wish  to  engage  in  other  business.  We  wish  to 
thank  the  good  people  of  Prosser  who  have  assisted  us  to  establish  the  'Bulletin' 
on  so  firm  a  foundation,  and  we  bespeak  a  liberal  patronage  for  our  successor, 
who  is  a  good  newspaper  man  and  comes  well  recommended.  For  the  informa- 
tion of  our  friends  we  wish  to  state  that  we  expect  to  remain  in  Prosser. 

H.  G.  Guild." 

GREETINGS 

"The  undersigned,  Arton  E.  Verity,  formerly  of  the  'St.  Paul  (Minn.) 
Daily  Globe,'  has  purchased  the  'Prosser  Falls  Bulletin'  from  its  former  owner, 
H.  G.  Guild. 

"He  feels  that  the  policy  of  the  new  management  may  be  completely  stated 
in  the  broad  announcement  that  the  'Bulletin'  will  continue  to  aid  the  upbuilding 
of  the  city,  county  and  state  and  to  resist  the  efforts  of  those  who  would  tear 
down  existing  forms  of  government. 

"Such  a  policy  naturally  means  that  the  paper  will  be  liberal  and  pro- 
gressive in  its  treatment  of  local  topics,  working  for  harmony  in  all  things ; 
and  in  its  state  and  national  policy,  soundly  republican,  not  hide-bound,  but  with 
the  party  in  all  the  great  principles  which  have,  under  republican  management, 
built  up  the  nation,  reserving  the  right  to  criticise  some  of  the  questionable 
ideas  which  creep  into  party  planks  and  which  are  hardly  on  the  plane  of  the 
general  broad  and  liberal  policy  of  the  party. 

"But  politics  will  be  of  secondary  importance  in  the  'Bulletin.'  The  paper's 
mission  is  not  to  'save  the  nation,'  but  to  do  its  little  mite  toward  shaping  and 
chronicling  events  of  the  city  and  county.  The  old  saw.  'take  care  of  the  dimes 
and  the  dollars  will  take  care  of  themselves,'  may  be  paraphrased  into  'take  care 
of  the  city  and  the  nation  will  take  care  of  itself,'  and  express  the  'Bulletin's' 
belief  to  a  nicety. 

'"So  the  'Bulletin'  proposes  to  go  humbly  on  its  career  as  a  country  news- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  535 

paper,  in  patient  and  confident  belief  that  Prosser  is  destined  for  greater  things 
and  that  the  next  few  years  will  see  remarkable  growth  in  population  in  Prosser 
and  vicinity. 

"In  the  meantime  the  paper  will  try  to  keep  pace  with  the  improvement. 
Mechanically  and  editorially  it  hopes  to  grow  too.  It  hopes  to  see  its  field  and 
influence  broaden  and  already  notes  the  beginning  of  that  growth  in  a  generous 
increase  in  the  subscription  list  during  this,  the  first  week  under  the  new 
management. 

"In  its  commercial  printing  the  office  will  especially  try  to  keep  up  with  the 
times,  guaranteeing  high  grade  work  to  all  customers  and  believing  that  the 
best  is  none  too  good  for  Prosser  business  men. 

"As  editor,  the  undersigned  hopes  to  enjoy  pleasant  relations  with  the 
people  of  Prosser  and  of  Yakima  County  for  many  years  to  come. 

"Arton  E.  Verity." 

The  other  parent  of  this  journalistic  family,  the  "Republican,"  appears  first 
in  history  as  the  "Benton  County  Republican."  The  date  of  its  birth  was 
October  19,  1906.  There  have  been  rapid  changes  in  its  management.  P.  A. 
Durant  was  the  father  of  the  paper,  and  the  Prosser  Publishing  Company  car- 
ried on  the  publication.  Of  that  company,  Thomas  Cavanaugh  was  president, 
Guy  H.  Pearl  was  treasurer,  and  A.  F.  Hills  was  secretary. 

On  November  6,  1907,  the  combination  of  the  "Republican-Bulletin"  was 
eft'ected  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Boardman.  In  the  issue  of  June  24, 
1908,  we  find  the  name  of  Halsey  R.  Watson  at  the  masthead  as  editor  and 
manager.  On  July  10,  1910,  R.  J.  Dawson  became  editor.  He  was  followed  by 
W.  R.  Sproull,  who  had  been  for  a  year  or  more  one  of  the  stafif.  Mr.  Sproull 
continued  in  charge  four  years,  then  eft'ected  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Allison. 
As  already  noted  Mr.  Sproull  closed  his  connection  with  the  paper  and  became 
proprietor  and  manager  of  the  "Independent-Record,"  in  April,  1915.  At 
present  date  the  editor  and  publisher  of  the  "Republican-Bulletin"  is  Walter  E. 
Tyler,  assisted  by  Mrs.  M.  Mahoney. 

KIONA    .\ND    BENTON    CITY    PAPERS 

"In  1907  a  paper  was  launched  at  Kiona,  the  'Enterprise,'  published  and 
edited  by  French  and  French.  In  1911  Mr.  Dudley  undertook  the  establish- 
ment of  the  'Benton  City  NIews.'  This  was  succeeded  by  the  'Benton  City 
Herald,'  Mr.  Hawn,  editor  and  proprietor.  These  journalistic  efforts  were 
short-lived,  but  did  much  while  existing  to  promote  local  interest. 

KENNEWICK    PAPERS 

From  the  county  seat  we  turn  to  the  town  on  the  Columbia  River,  Kenne- 
wick.  The  first  paper  in  Kennewick  was  the  "Columbian,"  established  in  1893 
by  Winfield  Harper.  Here  we  now  find  the  "Courier-Reporter"  in  possession 
of  the  field.  This  paper  is  also  a  combination  of  two  predecessors,  the  "Courier," 
founded  in  1902  and  the  "Reporter"  founded  in  1908.  The  union  of  the  two 
was  effected  in  1913  and  at  present  date  the  paper  is  published  by  the  Kenne- 
wick Printing  Company,  and  A.  R.  Gardner  is  editor  and  manager. 


536  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  ancestor  of  the  "Courier"  line  was  the  "Columbia  Courier,"  trans- 
ferred from  Milton,  Oregon,  to  Kennewick  in  1902,  by  E.  P.  Greene,  one  of 
the  unique  characters  of  early  journalism.  Mr.  Greene  was  a  man  of  great 
natural  force  and  brain  power  and  established  that  paper  at  Kennewick  at  a 
time  of  business  revival  and  generally  auspicious  conditions  in  the  town.  As 
casting  light  upon  fhe  journalistic  enterprise  as  well  as  on  the  conditions  in 
Kennewick  at  that  date  we  are  reproducing  here  the  "Courier's  Announcement" 
and  a  description  of  Kennewick  in  the  first  number,  March  27,  1902: 

"With  this  number  the  old  'Columbia  Courier'  becomes  a  local  newspaper, 
published  at  the  town  of  Kennewick  on  the  Columbia,  Yakima  County,  Wash- 
ington. 

"It  is  not  without  some  feelings  of  sadness  that  I  change  locations  ami 
associations  after  three  years'  fellowship  with  a  noble  and  loving  company. 
But  I  have  chosen  this  course,  and  from  a  material  point  of  view,  I  doubt  not, 
have  chosen  wisely. 

"To  my  new  constituency  I  make  the  most  graceful  bow  I  am  capable  of. 
I  came  here  to  give  you  the  best  local  newspaper  in  my  power.  No,  not  to 
give  it  to  you,  but  to  sell  it.     Not  many  of  us  are  here  simply  for  our  health. 

"I  shall  not  attempt  the  impossible  task  of  trying  to  please  all  of  you,  but 
shall  do  the  best  I  can,  as  I  see  it,  to  give  you  a  representative  paper,  and  shall 
guard  against  all  forms  of  favoritism.  It  will  be  my  aim  to  do  more  than  merely 
chronicle  the  various  local  news.  I  am  so  constituted  that  I  must  be  more  than 
a  news-gathering  machine,  or  an  automaton,  and  I  am  glad  I  am. 

"There  is  a  kind  of  circumlocution  common  to  newspaper  speech  that  I 
can  not  conveniently  adopt.  When  I  have  anything  to  say,  I  say  it  in  the  first 
person  and  singular  number.  The  abomination  euphoniously  styled  "the  edi- 
torial We,'  is  all  right  for  a  paper  with  a  chip  on  its  shoulder  and  a  gun  in  its 
pocket;  but  if  I  have  lost  any  fights  I  am  not  hunting  them  up. 

"I  have  a  large  faith  in  the  future  of  this  town  and  the  country  around  it. 
Whatever  I  can  do  to  assist  you  in  bringing  possibilities  to  pass  will  be  cheer- 
fully done. 

"If  you  have  given  such  matters  any  attention  you  must  acknowledge  that 
faithful,  energetic  newspaper  service  is  the  best  possible  agency  to  promote  the 
growth  and  development  of  a  new  town,  or  an  old  one.  It  does  a  large  amount 
of  free  advertising  for  every  enterprise  of  the  town,  but  it  can  not  do  it  all  free. 
A  poor  paper  is  little  better  than  no  paper,  and  a  paper  without  support  is  bound 
to  be  a  poor  one. 

"I  don't  w-ant  the  earth,  but  I  do  want  a  little  piece  of  it,  and  I  want  it 
right  here  at  Kennewick.     We  can  help  each  other.     I'll  try  to  do  my  part. 

"As  to  politics,  I  have  an  idea  that  one  party  is  about  as  bad  as  another,  if 
not  worse.  But  more  than  that,  I  am  not  here  for  politics,  but  for  Kennewick 
and  Pea  Greene.  I  have  had  about  all  the  amusement  with  politics  that  I  can 
afford. 

"With  these  few  remarks,  we'll  proceed  to  saw  wood. 

"Yours  for  Kennewick, 

"E.  P.  Greene." 
I'Vom  "The  Courier.' 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY  537 


KENNEWICK    ON    THE    COLUMBIA 


"Kennewick,  the  future  metropolis  of  central  Washington,  is  situated  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  famous  Yakima  County.  It  has  a  beautiful  loca- 
tion on  the  Columbia  River,  and  is  on  the  main  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad. 

"Some  years  ago  a  number  of  supposed  capitalists  organized  an  irrigation 
company  and  proceeded  to  develop  the  desert.  A  canal  was  dug,  townsite 
platted,  a  $15,000  hotel  built,  and  for  a  time  Kennewick  cut  quite  a  swath. 
There  were  several  stores,  a  newspaper  ('The  Kennewick  Columbian')  and  the 
1)00111  held  up  long  enough  to  prove  what  irrigation  and  good  management  can 
ilo  for  this  entire  section. 

"And  then  came  the  days  of  panic.  The  company's  business  went  into  the 
hands  of  a  receiver,  and  was  found  to  be  in  such  shape  that  it  was  not  advisable 
to  continue.  The  town  became  nearly  depopulated,  and  remained  in  that  con- 
dition till  quite  recently. 

"Some  time  ago  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  got  control  of  the 
old  company's  holdings,  and  in  February  work  was  commenced  on  the  canal. 
People  who  have  faith  in  the  proposition  under  the  new  management  soon 
rented  or  bought  every  available  building  and  Kennewick  is  again  on  the  up 
grade. 

"The  company's  methods  have  nothing  of  the  nature  of  'the  boom.'  In 
fact  they  are  making  no  effort  at  all  to  get  people  here  until  the  lands  are  platted 
and  ready  for  improvement,  which  may  take  30  or  60  days. 

"I  believe  it  is  now  virtually  settled  that  the  old  townsite,  between  the  rail- 
road and  the  river,  will  be  vacated,  and  a  new  one  be  platted  just  south  of  the 
track.     This  will  be  a  decided  improvement  over  the  old  location. 

"The  splendid  triumphs  of  irrigation  in  other  sections  of  Yakima  County 
give  ample  assurance  of  the  success  that  is  now  in  store  for  this  part  of  it. 

"And  the  future  has  something  more  in  store  than  irrigation.  As  the  state 
develops  to  the  north,  east  and  west  of  this  place,  many  of  its  products  will 
inevitably  pass  through  this  immediate  vicinity.  It  is  not  a  very  heavy  strain 
on  the  imagination,  to  expect  Columbia  River  navigation,  and  that  the  business 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  will  increase  very  rapidly  in  the  next  few  years. 

"No  one  but  railroad  companies  can,  of  course,  know  very  much  about 
their  plans,  and  yet  it  does  not  look  unreasonable  that  before  all  of  us  die,  the 
N.  P.  will  have  a  line  down  the  Columbia  on  the  north  side.  When  this  comes 
to  pass,  it  is  also  not  unreasonable  to  imagine  Kennewick  to  be  very  "close  in" 
at  this  end  of  the  line. 

"This  much  is  certain :  Kennewick  will  within  the  next  sixty  days  be  a 
thriving  competitor  for  some  of  the  prosperity  that  is  so  abundant  throughout 
the  entire  state. 

"I  am  under  the  impression  that  there  is  no  other  place  in  the  northwest 
where  irrigation  promises  greater  successes  than   it  does  here. 

"After  putting  the  above  article  in  type  Mr.  W.  C.  Sampson,  who  will 
have  the  local  oversight  of  the  company's  lands,  informed  me  that  work  on  the 
townsite  plat  would  begin  this  week.  This  means  that  Kennewick  is  already  put- 
ting on  airs." 


538  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \''ALLEY 

Following  "Pea  Greene,"  who  went  to  Pasco,  C.  O.  Anderson  became 
editor  and  manager  of  the  "Courier"  during  1903  and  in  1904  till  August  5th. 
With  that  issue  Will  J.  Shaughnessey  succeeded  to  the  control  of  the  paper. 

The  "Kennewick  Reporter"  was  founded  by  Scott  Z.  Henderson,  formerly 
of  Walla  Walla  and  for  some  time  a  lawyer  at  Kermewick,  and  later  known 
throughout  the  state  as  assistant  attorney-general.  Associated  with  Air.  Hen- 
derson were  Messrs.  Reed  and  Tripp,  the  latter  of  whom  is  still  connected  with 
the  publication  department.  In  1909  the  editorial  chair  was  acquired  by  A.  R. 
Gardner,  then  quite  a  young  man,  having  gone  in  for  a  journalistic  career,  fol- 
lowing his  college  days  at  Whitman  College,  at  Walla  Walla. 

Mr.  Gardner  has  become  more  intimately  identified  with  the  affairs  of 
Kennewick  and  the  entire  region  than  any  other  newspaper  man  of  the  entire 
region.  His  activity  in  all  matters  of  public  interest,  his  literary  ability,  and 
his  capacity  to  conduct  a  first-class  local  paper,  have  been  so  pronounced  as  to 
constitute  one  of  the  working  influences  of  the  lower  Yakima  Valley. 

The  "Courier-Reporter"  is  staunchly  republican,  though  independently  so. 

Turning  from  the  two  larger  towns  of  Benton  County,  we  find  in  the  three 
pleasant  and  prosperous  little  places  on  the  Columbia  River,  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Yakima,  some  newspaper  history. 

The  oldest  newspaper  of  this  section  is  the  "Richland  Advocate."  This 
dates  its  origin  to  the  year  1906,  at  the  hands  of  T.  E.  McCrosky.  It  also  is  of 
republican  politics.  It  has  passed  through  sundry  hands,  but  at  present  date  is 
edited  and  managed  by  Perry  Willoughby.  This  experienced  "knight  of  the 
quill"  may  well  be  considered  a  pioneer  of  journalism.  In  1908  he  founded  the 
"Hanford  Columbian,"  no  longer  in  existence.  He  also  launched  the  "Hover 
Sunshine"  in  the  ambitious  little  place  on  the  river  below  Kennewick.  It,  too, 
proved  to  be  premature  and  no  longer  is  in  operation. 

Among  other  newspaper  people  in  the  Columbia  River  section,  we  must 
record  the  names  of  E.  L.  McLoughlin  and  Mrs.  Bryce  of  Hanford,  connected 
with  the  "Columbian." 

At  present  date  the  only  paper  at  the  upper  end  of  the  river  section  is  the 
"White  Blufts  Spokesman."  This  dates  to  1908,  and  is  edited  and  managed 
by  E.  J.  O'Larey. 

In  concluding  this  necessarily  rapid  review  of  the  newspapers  of  the  valley 
it  is  of  interest  to  note  that  there  are  now  in  existence  in  the  three  counties, 
three  dailies  and  nineteen  weeklies.  All  the  existing  issues  are  either  inde- 
pendent or  republican  in  politics. 

It  is  not  inappropriate  to  note  that  by  the  latest  Newspaper  Directory  the 
state  of  Washington  had  in  1914,  four  hundred  publications  of  all  sorts,  and 
that  in  the  entire  United  States  there  were  24,527  dailies,  weeklies,  semi- 
monthlies and  monthlies,  quarterlies  and  annuals. 


CHAPTER   VIII 
THE  YAKIMA   INDIAN   RESERVATION 

OUTLINE   OF    HISTORY    OF   THE    RESERVATION— ALLOTMENT   OF   LAND    IN    SEVERALTY 

IRRIGATION    ON    THE    RESERVATION — FACTS    FROM     GOVERNMENT    REPORTS — 

STORAGE    WATER PRINCIPAL    CROPS CENSUS    OF     CROPS.     1916-17-18 WHAT 

CHIEF     WATERS     SAYS — INDIANS    ARE     WELL    PLEASED — EQUAL     RIGHTS     WITH 
WHITES EXTRACTS  FROM   ARTICLE  BY  SUPERINTENDENT  S.  A.    M.  YOUNG 

The  Reservation  holds  a  unique  and  important  place  in  the  history  and  in 
the  present  development  of  the  Yakima  Valley.  As  a  feature  of  historic  inter- 
est it  is  the  especial  connecting  link  between  the  native  race  and  the  present 
age.  As  we  have  seen  in  the  chapter  on  Indian  Wars,  the  Yakima  Reservation, 
with  the  Nez  Perce  and  Umatilla  reservations,  was  set  aside  for  the  Indians  at 
the  end  of  the  wars  of  the  decade  of  the  fifties.  We  have  given  in  that  chap- 
ter the  treaty  by  which  the  Reservation  was  laid  out.  This  great  body  of 
land,  with  its  Indian  population,  has  had  the  ordinary  history  of  such  a  reser- 
vation, but  it  has  had  a  number  of  other  features  which  have  made  it  much 
more  than  simply  an  Indian  reservation.  In  the  first  place  the  tract  of  land 
assigned  to  the  Indians  is  the  largest  and  in  many  respects,  by  reason  of  soil, 
climate,  and  location,  the  best  of  the  several  divisions  of  the  valley.  Second, 
by  reason  of  the  development  of  the  Government  irrigation  enterprises,  it  has  a 
possible  future  industrially  second  to  no  other  region  in  the  valley,  or  in  the 
entire  Northwest.  Third,  by  reason  of  the  development  side  by  side  of  red 
race  and  white,  and  the  peculiar  interlockings  of  business  and  social  connec- 
tions, such  as  probably  no  other  reservation  in  the  whole  United  States  offers, 
this  Reservation  seems  to  have  the  potency  within  itself  to  work  out  some  solu- 
tions of  the  "Indian  problems"  and  become  an  object  lesson  in  policy.  Yet  an- 
other reason  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  agricultural  and  horticultural  possi- 
bilities of  the  reservation  produced  by  the  coexistence  of  available  soil  and  a 
vast  irrigation  system  have  led  to  the  starting  of  several  promising  towns,  one 
of  which,  Toppenish,  ranks  next  to  Yakima  and  EUensburg  of  all  the  towns 
of  the  valley,  while  two  others,  Mabton  and  Wapato,  are  on  the  high  road  to 
commercial  development. 

OUTLINE    OF    HISTORY    OF    THE    RESERV.\TI0N 

Special  interest  also  gathers  around  two  of  the  agents  who  had  not  only 
such  long  terms,  but  such  marked  characters  as  to  almost  justify  us  in  the 
statement  that  their  histor>-  was  that  of  the  Reservation.  These  were  Father 
Wilbur  and  Jay  Lynch.  The  former  was  superintendent  of  the  Reservation 
schools  four  years  and  agent  sixteen  years.  The  latter  was  agent  under  three 
539 


540  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ALLEY 

separate  appointments  a  total  of  eighteen  years.  The  two  administrations  to- 
gether compose  a  total  of  thirty-four  years  out  of  a  total  period,  from  the  estab- 
lishment of  Fort  Simcoe  in  1856  to  the  present  date,  of  sixty-two  years.  Hence 
it  could  not  well  be  otherwise  than  that  these  two  men  should  have  stamped 
their  personalities  upon  the  Reservation  beyond  any  others.  Major  Lynch  is 
living  at  this  date  in  Yakima  in  a  beautiful  suburban  home,  where  he  is  de- 
servedly enjoying  well-earned  repose  after  his  busy  life.  From  him  the  author 
obtained  much  valuable  matter. 

We  have  referred  to  the  establishment  of  Fort  Simcoe  as  though  that  were 
the  date  of   founding  of  the  Reservation. 

That  is  not  strictly  the  case.  The  fort  was  constructed  in  the  Fall  of  1856, 
but  it  was  not  till  1858  that  there  was  a  resident  agent  at  that  point.  The  site 
of  the  fort  is  a  superb  one.  It  was  selected  by  reason  of  a  region  of  springs 
known  among  the  Indians  as  "Mool  Mool."  At  that  point,  too,  there  is  a  beau- 
tiful grove  of  oaks,  the  finest  of  that  long  belt  which  rather  curiously  runs  at 
just  about  a  certain  distance  from  the  mountains  north  and  south  across  the 
upper  stretches  of  all  the  tributaries  of  the  Yakima.  The  site  of  the  fort  is 
about  seven  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  plain  on  which  Wapato  and  Toppenish 
are  located,  and  from  the  fort  the  vast  expanse  of  level  land  eastward  melts 
away  in  the  shimmering  distances  into  the  desert  ridges,  all  their  arid  desola- 
tion clothed  in  azure  beauty. 

The  buildings  at  the  fort  were  very  expensive,  having  been  constructed 
from  timbers  brought  around  Cape  Horn,  transported  from  Portland  to  The 
Dalles  and  thence  hauled  to  the  fort.  It  is  said  that  the  agent's  residence  cost 
$60,000  and  that  the  total  cost  of  the  buildings  at  Fort  Simcoe  was  $300,000. 
The  author  recalls  with  great  interest  a  visit  by  himself  to  the  fort  in  1880  when 
Father  ^^■ilbur  was  still  there,  and  the  bounteous  hospitality  that  was  dispensed 
in  the  great  roomy  home  of  that  free  handed  and  large  hearted  agent.  So  sound 
and  well  constructed  were  those  first  buildings  that  they  are  practically  as 
good  as  new  now,  sixty  years  old. 

Andrew  J.  Bolen,  whose  murder  in  1855  precipitated  the  Indian  War,  w-as 
the  first  Indian  agent  in  the  valley,  but  his  location  was  at  The  Dalles  and 
there  was  no  definite  establishment  of  any  kind  in  the  Yakima.  Simcoe  was 
chosen  as  the  location  of  a  fort  and  then  as  an  agency  upon  the  advice  of  Col- 
onel Wright  who  urged  the  w^arm  climate  and  favorable  conditions  of  all  sorts 
as  making  it  suitable  beyond  any  other.  At  the  time  of  establishing  Fort  Sim- 
coe, R.  H.  Lounsdale  was  general  superintendent,  located  at  The  Dalles.  A.  A. 
Bancroft  became  the  first  resident  agent,  and  that  was  in  1861.  In  1861  James 
H.  Wilbur  became  superintendent  of  schools.  It  is  generally  said  that  there 
was  much  graft  and  dishonesty  in  those  first  short  administrations.  To  a  man 
like  Father  Wilbur  anything  short  of  complete  rectitude  was  so  obnoxious  that 
he  had  no  hesitation  in  making  his  sentiments  known.  The  result  was  that  he 
was  "fired"  as  superintendent  of  schools. 

P>ut  he  was  no  sort  of  man  to  be  shoved  aside  in  such  manner.  lie 
promptly  went  to  Washington,  laid  the  whole  case  before  President  Lincoln, 
and  did  it  with  such  efifect  that  he  returned  with  a  commission  as  agent  in  his 
pocket.    That  was  in  1864.    He  speedily  dispossessed  the  former  agent,  and  for 


GOVERNilEXT    STATION,    YAKIMA    KESERVATIOX,    FOREST    1!ESERVE 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY  541 

sixteen  years  ruled  the  Reservation  with  a  strong  hand  and  yet  with  a  heart 
overflowing  with  sympathy  and  good  will.  So  many  stories  are  told  of  Father 
Wilbur  as  to  make  a  volume  in  themselves. 

Beyond  any  of  the  frontier  preachers  he  seems  to  have  stamped  himself 
upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  people.  As  Indian  agent  he  occupied  quite  a 
different  role,  but  one  for  which  he  was  equally  fitted. 

The  author  saw  him  only  when  he  had  become  somewhat  advanced  in 
years,  but  even  then  he  was  a  man  of  superb  physique,  about  six  feet  two  in 
height  and  weighing  nearly  300  pounds.  He  was  of  dark  complexion,  with  a 
clear,  keen  black  eye,  and  with  a  face  which  was  a  curious  mingling  of  humor, 
kindness  and  firmness. 

As  illustrating  something  of  his  manners  and  methods  we  quote  from 
A.  J.  Splawn  as  follows: 

■'Wilbur,  through  his  excellent  service  at  Fort  Simcoe,  gained  the  confi- 
dence of  the  authorities  at  Washington  and  when,  in  1873,  a  commission  wns 
appointed  to  meet  at  Linkville,  Wilbur  was  named  to  serve  on  it  with  A.  B. 
Meacham  and  T.  B.  Odeneal.  Meacham  refused  to  act  with  Wilbur  and 
Odeneal,  so  two  other  men  were  appointed.  They  failed  to  make  any  treaty. 
I  am  not  alone  in  thinking  that,  had  Wilbur  been  present  and  Meacham  many 
miles  away,  the  life  of  Gen.  E.  R.  S.  Canby  would  not  have  been  sacrificed. 
The  Indians  had  faith  in  Wilbur,  but  none  in  Meacham. 

"Whatever  he  might  have  been  at  times,  Wilbur  was  always  a  Methodist. 
He  built  churches  and  turned  out  Methodist  preachers  from  among  the  Indians. 
In  his  zeal  to  Christianize  his  wards,  he  would  preach  for  them  in  the  church 
houses  and  pray  with  them  in  their  wigwams.  He  was  certainly  a  crusader. 
Sometimes  he  would  bribe  an  Indian  to  go  to  church  on  Sunday  by  plowing 
for  him  a  day  in  the  fields,  and  as  the  agent  was  a  giant  of  a  man,  able  to  do  a 
splendid  day's  work,  the  Indians  were  only  too  glad  to  attend  church  under 
these  conditions. 

"When  Father  Napoleon  St.  Onge,  in  1867,  was  sent  to  reestablish  the  St. 
Joseph  Mission  in  the  Ahtanum,  which  had  been  burned  by  the  Oregon  Vol- 
unteers in  the  Indian  War  of  1855-56,  a  religious  rivalry  at  once  sprang  up 
between  him  and  Wilbur.  There  were  already  many  Catholics  among  the  In- 
dians, as  the  mission  had  been  in  existence  seven  or  eight  years  previous  to  the 
outbreak,  and  the  priest  was  a  brilliant  and  worthy  man.  While  some  of  the 
Catholic  Indians  had  subsequently  joined  the  Methodist  Church,  they  were 
now  returning  to  the  mission.  So  dissatisfied  did  Wilbur  become  at  this  state 
of  afl:"airs,  that  he  made  a  trip  to  Washington,  D.  C,  in  1870  to  lay  the  matter 
before  the  Indian  department,  with  the  result  that  President  Grant  issued  an 
order  allotting  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Yakima  Indians  to  the  Methodist 
Church.  Father  St.  O'nge  left  the  mission,  but  the  Catholic  work  was  continued 
there  by  the  Jesuits.    Wilbur,  however,  had  won  his  point  and  he  maintained  it. 

"There  is  no  possible  question  of  the  earnest  effort  Father  Wilbur  made  to 
Ijenefit  the  Indians  as  he  saw  it.  It  is  equally  true  that,  had  he  made  the  same 
investment  of  time  and  labor  among  his  own  race,  there  would  have  been  much 
more  to  show  for  it.  After  a  pretty  long  observation  of  the  Indian,  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that,  where  he  sees  a  worldly  advantage  in  it  he  will 
stick  to  Christianity;  but,  if  not,  his  religious  ardor  quickly  cools. 


542  HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY 

"Father  Wilbur  once  told  me  a  story  which  shows  the  characteristics  of 
the  man.  In  his  church  work  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  in  the  early  days  when 
settlers  were  few  and  far  between,  he  was  requested  to  preach  on  a  certain 
Sabbath  in  the  Santiam  district.  He  started  out  on  horseback  with  a  hard 
day's  ride  before  him.  Rain  began  to  pour  in  torrents  and  darkness  came  on 
before  he  had  reached  his  destination.  Seeing  at  last  a  light,  he  rode  up  and 
halloed.  The  door  opened  and  a  voice  inquired  what  he  wanted.  'A  place  to 
stay  over  night,'  said  Wilbur.  'I  can  not  tind  my  way  farther  in  the  darkness.' 
The  answer  came  back,  'We  can  not  keep  you,  but  about  a  mile  further  on 
you  will  find  another  house.  Perhaps  they  can  accommodate  you  there.' 
'Thanks  for  your  kind  information,'  said  Wilbur.  'I  expect  to  preach  in  this 
neighborhood  tomorrow.  This  action  of  yours  will  furnish  me  the  text  for  my 
sermon.'  When  the  man  learned  who  the  stranger  was,  he  said,  'Why,  Wilbur, 
I  am  a  member  of  your  church.  Come  right  in.  I  will  take  your  horse  to  the 
stable.'  But  the  rider  quickly  replied,  'No  sir,  if  you  would  not  care  for  the 
poorest  hireling  who  might  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  travel  this  way  on  a  dark 
and  stormy  night  such  as  this,  your  roof  can  not  shelter  James  H.  Wilbur.' 
And  he  rode  on  to  find  more  hospitable  people. 

"Father  Wilbur  came  nearer  representing  the  type  of  Bayard  of  old,  a 
man  without  fear  and  without  reproach,  than  any  one  I  ever  knew.  While  the 
Indians  sometimes  got  angry  at  him  for  his  autocratic  methods,  they  realized 
that  he  had  their  interests  at  heart,  and  they  knew  him  to  be  fair  and  good. 
His  credulity  was  often  imposed  upon,  it  is  true,  by  men  from  time  to  time  ar- 
rested for  infringement  of  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Reservation.  If  the 
culprits  did  not  already  know,  they  soon  learned  Wilbur's  weakness  for  a  con- 
vert. The  prisoners  would  ask  to  attend  prayers,  profess  to  repent  of  their 
sins  and  sometimes  join  his  church,  a  line  of  conduct  which  never  failed  to 
bring  about  their  release,  with  presents  thrown  in.  That  he  favored  the  Meth- 
odist Indian  there  is  no  doubt.  He  had  little  use  for  the  Catholic  red  man  and 
still  less  for  the  wild,  blanket  Indian  who  still  clung  to  his  ancient  ceremony  and 
believed  in  his  tam-man-a-was.  That  he  faithfully  endeavored  to  Christianize 
them  all  by  making  Methodists  of  them,  no  one  will  deny :  and  he  failed  only 
because,  nature,  a  stronger  force,  was  working  against  him. 

"I  had  always  supposed,  and  others  had  the  same  idea,  that  Wilbur  had  at 
one  time,  before  entering  the  ministry,  been  a  policeman  on  the  Bowery  in 
New  York,  but  now  that  I  come  to  write  of  him,  I  can  not  say  that  he  actualh- 
ever  told  me  so.  I  do  recall,  however,  that  he  spoke  about  having  to  handle 
toughs,  and  we  assumed  that  he  meant  in  the  Tenderloin.  He  certainly  knew 
the  trick,  wherever  he  learned  it.  Two  Indian  friends  of  mine,  while  on  a 
visit  to  some  of  their  natives  near  the  agency,  got  hold  of  some  whisky  and 
became  troublesome.  They  were  fine  specimens  of  their  race,  both  athletes 
priding  themselves  on  their  wrestling,  and  good  fellows  except  for  their  weak- 
ness for  fire  water.  Word  came  to  Father  Wilbur  of  the  racket  they  were 
making,  and  he  dispatched  two  of  his  Indian  policemen  to  bring  them  into  the 
agency.  In  a  short  time,  the  policemen  returned  without  the  prisoners,  but 
showing  signs  of  having  tried  to  make  the  arrest.  Wilbur  himself  mounted  his 
mule — he  weighed  300  pounds  and  could  not  find  horses  strong  enough  to  carry 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  543 

him— and,  with  two  other  Indians,  immediately  set  out  for  the  scene  of  the 
disturbance.  The  boisterous  Indians  came  out  promptly,  thinking  to  treat  him 
as  they  had  the  policemen.  Father  Wilbur  just  took  one  in  each  hand  by  the 
neck  and  bumped  their  heads  together  until  the  blood  ran  from  their  noses; 
after  which  they  went  to  jail  meekly  enough.  Word  of  this  exploit  was  carried 
from  mouth  to  mouth  through  the  tribes  and  no  one,  after  that,  cared  to  meas- 
ure strength  with  the  powerful  agent.  The  Indians  that  received  the  chastise- 
ment, laughingly  told  me  about  it,  saying  that  Wilbur  was  not  human,  but  part 
an-e-hoo-e   (bear)." 

Another  story  of  Father  Wilbur  is  derived  from  a  book  by  Father  Ken- 
nedy, another  pioneer  Methodist  preacher. 

"The  Indians  at  once  feared  and  loved  him.  While  at  the  agency  one  time 
he  told  us  the  following  story:  A  German  brought  a  wagon  of  liquor  onto 
the  Reservation  and  began  selling  to  the  Indians.  Down  near  the  Satus  River, 
twelve  miles  away  from  Fort  Simcoe,  he  built  his  booth — set  a  tent — fixed  a 
counter  and  shelves — put  his  stock  in  and  was  dealing  out  the  'fire  water'  as 
independently  as  if  wholly  protected  by  law.  Some  of  the  Indians  were  get- 
ting drunk  when  Father  Wilbur  discovered  it.  He  sent  word  to  the  sheriff  of 
Yakima  County  to  go  down  there  and  arrest  the  intruder.  The  sheriiif  (I  well 
knew  him)  sent  word  back  that  he  knew  that  young  German  too  well.  That, 
having  a  large  family  on  his  hands  to  support  he  must  let  out  that  job  to  some 
one  else;  that  he  could  have  it  if  he  desired.  Next  morning  Father  Wilbur 
saddled  his  riding  mule,  took  a  good  riding  horse  with  saddle  and  some  ropes 
tied  on  behind.  Then  he  called  to  his  aid  an  Indian  with  saddle  horse.  To- 
gether they  rode  in  sight  of  the  booth ;  they  dismounted  and  tied  the  three  horses 
to  trees.  Father  Wilbur  then  gave  instruction  to  the  Indian  to  stay  by  the 
horses,  ropes  in  hand,  and  come  to  help  when  called.  With  no  kind  of  weapon, 
he  approached  the  place.  The  proprietor  was  ready  for  him — recognizing  the 
agent — and  had  a  double-barrel  shotgun  loaded  and  lying  across  his  counter. 
When  Wilbur  got  within  forty  feet  the  German  took  up  the  shotgun,  saying, 
'if  you  come  any  farther  I  will  kill  you.'  Wilbur  stopped;  stood  with  a  steady 
eye  upon  him,  spoke  not  a  word.  The  German  began  to  pour  out  a  volley  of 
oaths,  and  after  he  was  exhausted  with  cursing  he  took  up  a  whisky  bottle, 
poured  some  out  into  a  glass  and  drank  it.  While  engaged  in  that  act,  Wilbur 
sprang,  like  a  cat  upon  a  mouse,  right  upon  that  demon — threw  him  backward 
on  the  ground,  and  was  over  him.  But  the  German  was  a  young  and  very  stout 
man — he  threw  his  hand  back  to  his  belt,  grabbed  his  sheath  knife,  and  made  his 
aim  at  Wilbur's  side.  Seeing  the  move,  he  brought  his  foot  with  such  force 
against  the  man's  arm  that  the  knife  flew  clear  across  the  booth.  Now  the 
Indian  was  on  hand,  and  with  the  ropes  they  securely  tied  the  man,  brought  the 
horse,  lifted  him  into  the  saddle,  and  soon  were  out  on  the  road;  and  within  two 
hours  they  had  the  'demon'  locked  safely  in  the  guard  house.  Once  a  day  Father 
Wilbur  would  go  to  his  cell  and  take  in  bread  and  water.  The  man  would  curse. 
On  going  in  on  the  third  day,  he  called  to  Wilbur:  'I  have  acted  like  a  fool,  iMr. 
Wilbur,  now  if  you  will  release  me  I  will  go  down  to  my  store  of  'fire  water,' 
pour  out  the  last  drop  of  it,  go  home,  and  live  like  a  man  the  balance  of  my 
life.'     Til  take  you  at  your  word,'  said  Wilbur.     He  saddled  the  horses  and 


544  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  two  rode  down  to  the  twelve-mile  place.  True  to  his  word  that  German 
poured  out  all  his  whiskey,  then  telling  Father  Wilbur  'good-bye,'  turned  away 
to  go  home  to  the  Spokane  country.  'Hold,'  said  Wilbur,  'you  will  need  money 
on  your  journey,  here  is  twenty  dollars — go  now,  and  God  bless  you.' 

"About  ten  years  after  Father  Wilbur  was  over  in  the  Palouse  country  on 
a  preaching  tour.  Held  night  meeting  at  a  certain  place.  At  the  close  of  the 
meeting  a  good  looking,  strong  young  man  came  forward  to  shake  his  hand. 
'Father  Wilbur,  I  suppose  you  will  not  recognize  me.  I  am  far  from  the  place 
where  you  last  saw  me,  and  a  very  different  man:  thanks  to  God  and  yourself. 
I'm  the  man  who  tried  to  ruin  your  Indians  with  liquor,  and  you  kept  me  on 
bread  and  water  for  three  days.  That  little  experience  made  me  the  man  I 
now  am.  Come  back  here,  I  want  to  introduce  you  to  my  wife  and  children.' 
He  had  kept  his  word,  and  was  now  the  strongest  man  in  that  church." 

Upon  the  retirement  of  Father  Wilbur  in  1884,  there  were  several  ap- 
pointees, none  of  whom  had  long  terms.  In  the  order  in  which  they  came, 
these  agents  were  Captain  Burns,  General  Milroy,  Captain  Thomas  Priestly, 
W.  L.  Stabler,  Major  Jay  Lynch  for  four  years  beginning  in  1890.  Then  came 
L.  T.  Ervin  for  a  short  time,  and  then  reappointment  of  Major  Jay  Lynch  again 
in  1897.  In  1902  a  chance  was  made  by  which  Indian  agents  came  under  civil 
service  rules.  The  official  designation  by  the  term  agent  was  succeeded  by  that 
of  superintendent.  The  salary  was  the  same.  Major  Lynch  continued  under 
the  name  of  superintendent  till  the  year  1909.  In  that  year  S.  A.  ]\1.  Young 
was  appointed.  He  helfl  the  position  three  years  and  was  succeeded  by  Don  M. 
Carr.  who  is  still  superintendent. 

.■\LLOTMEXT    OF    l..\.\D    IN    SEVEK.\LTV 

Perhaps  the  most  important  step  taken  during  Mr.  Lynch's  incumbency 
was  that  of  assigning  lands  to  the  Indians  in  severalty  and  thus  gradually 
breaking  up  the  reservation  system.  This  policy  came  into  vogue  generally 
throughout  the  country  during  the  i>eriod  of  the  administrations  of  Cleveland 
and  Harrison.  It  is  obviously  the  only  way  to  secure  the  development  of  a 
sense  of  responsibility  and  the  other  moral  and  mental  qualities  which  will  fit 
Indians  for  citizenship.  The  Reservation  system,  while  unavoidable  as  a  trans- 
ition stage,  had  serious  defects.  To  our  national  shame  be  it  said,  the  Indian 
service  was  the  prey  of  grafters  and  pirates  to  a  greater  degree  than  any  other 
service. 

Even  when  there  were  agents  of  high  character — as  they  generally  were — 
the  opportunity  for  plunder  by  contractors  and  hangers-on  and  political  cor- 
morants in  general  were  so  great  that  both  the  Government  and  the  Indians 
were  swindled  at  almost  every  turn.  The  manner  in  which  these  gambling 
and  whiskey  pirates  and  the  outwardly  more  respectable  but  inwardly  more  base 
political  pirates,  looted  the  Government  and  debased  the  wards  of  the  Goven\- 
ment,  oftentimes  being  the  chief  causes  of  Indian  wars,  in  which  innocent  settlers 
were  the  chief  sufferers — is  so  atrocious  as  to  make  one  temporarily  lose  faith  in 
our  government.  Happily  justice  and  right  got  the  upper  hand  in  time.  Philan- 
thropists in  the  press  and  on  the  platform  kept  rousing  the  conscience  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  545 

people  and  turning  the  searchlight  of  publicity  upon  the  shady  transactions  of  the 
group  of  freebooters.  In  Congress  men  like  Dawes  and  Haskell  and  others  kept 
the  subject  hot,  and  successive  secretaries  of  the  interior  and  commissioners  of 
Indian  affairs,  framed  plans  which  eventuated  in  better  laws  and  better  adminis- 
tration. While  much  is  still  to  be  desired,  yet  the  improvement  in  the  last  quarter 
century  has  been  so  marked  that  we  seem  truly  to  be  in  a  new  era. 

The  laws  providing  for  allotments  of  land  on  the  Reservation  are  of  so  much 
interest  and  value  that  we  include  parts  here. 

— Public  Acts  of  Fifty-eighth  Congress,  Third  Session,  I904-5 — 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
be,  and  he  is  hereby,  authorized  and  directed,  as  hereinafter  provided,  to  sell  or 
dispose  of  unallotted  lands  embraced  in  the  Yakima  Indian  Reservation  proper, 
in  the  state  of  Washington,  set  aside  and  established  by  treaty  with  the  Yakima 
Nation  of  Indians  dated  June  eighth,  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty-five;  Provided, 
That  the  claim  of  said  Indians  to  the  tract  of  land  adjoining  their  present  reser- 
valtion  on  the  west,  excluded  by  erroneous  boundary  survey  and  containing 
approxijnately  two  hundred  and  ninety-three  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  acres,  according  to  the  findings,  after  examination,  of  Mr.  E.  C.  Barnard, 
topographer  of  the  Geological  Survey,  approved  by  the  Secretary  of  the  In- 
terior April  seventh,  nineteen  hundred,  is  hereby  recognized,  and  the  said 
tract  shall  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the  Yakima  Indian  Reservaiton  for  the  pur- 
poses of  this  act :  Provided,  further.  That  where  valid  rights  have  been  acquired 
prior  to  March  fifth,  nineteen  hundred  and  four,  to  lands  within  said  tract  by 
bona  fide  settlers  or  purchasers  under  the  public-land  laws,  such  rights  shall 
not  be  abridged,  and  any  claim  of  said  Indians  to  these  lands  is  hereby  declared 
to  be  fully  compensated  for  by  the  expenditure  of  money  heretofore  made  for 
their  benefit  and  in  the  construction  of  irrigation  works  on  the  Yakima  Indian 
Reservation. 

Sec.  2.  That  allotments  of  land  shall  be  made,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  to  any  Indians  entitled  thereto,  including  children  now 
living,  bom  since  the  completion  of  the  existing  allotments,  who  have  not  here- 
tofore received  such  allotments.  The  Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  also  authorized 
to  reserve  such  lands  as  he  may  deem  necessary  or  desirable  in  connection  with 
the  construction  of  contemplated  irrigation  systems,  or  lands  crossed  by  exist- 
ing irrigation  ditches ;  also  lands  necessary  for  agency,  school,  and  religious 
purposes ;  also  such  tract  or  tracts  of  grazing  and  timber  lands  as  may  be  deemed 
expedient  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  Indians  of  said  reservation  in  common ; 
Provided,  That  such  reserved  lands,  or  any  portion  thereof  may  be  classified, 
appraised,  and  disposed  of  from  time  to  time  under  the  terms  and  provisions 
of  this  act. 

Sec.  3.  That  the  residue  of  the  lands  of  said  reservation,  that  is,  the 
lands  not  allotted  and  not  reserved — shall  be  classified  under  the  direction  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  as  irrigable  lands,  grazing  lands,  timber  lands, 
mineral  lands,  or  arid  lands    and  shall  be    appraised    under  their    appropriate 

(35) 


546  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  X'ALLEY 

classes  by  legal  subdivisions,  with  the  exception  of  the  mineral  lands,  which 
need  not  be  appraised,  and  the  timber  of  the  lands  classified  as  timber  lands 
shall  be  appraised  separately  from  the  land.  The  basis  for  the  appraisal  of  the 
timber,  shall  be  the  amount  of  standing  merchantable  timber  thereon,  which 
shall  be  ascertained  and  reported. 

Upon  completion  of  the  classification  and  appraisements  the  irrigable, 
grazing,  and  arid  lands,  and  the  timbered  lands  upon  the  completion  of  the 
classification,  appraisement,  and  the  sale  and  removal  of  the  timber  therefrom, 
shall  be  disposed  of  under  the  general  provisions  of  the  homestead  laws  of  the 
United  States,  and  shall  be  opened  to  settlement  and  entry  at  not  less  than 
their  appraised  value  by  proclamation  of  the  President,  which  proclamation 
shall  prescribe  the  manner  in  which  these  lands  shall  be  settled  upon,  occupied, 
and  entered  by  persons  entitled  to  make  entry  thereof,  and  no  person  shall  be 
permitted  to  settle  upon,  occupy,  or  enter  any  said  lands,  except  as  prescribed  in 
such  proclamation,  until  after  the  expiration  of  sixty  days  from  the  time  when 
the  same  are  opened  to  settlement  and  entry;  Provided,  That  the  rights  of  hon- 
orably discharged  Union  soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  late  Civil  and  Spanish  wars 
and  the  Philippine  insurrection,  as  defined  and  described  in  sections  twenty- 
three  hundred  and  four  and  twenty-three  hundred  and  five  of  the  Revised  Stat- 
utes, as  amended  by  the  act  of  March  first,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  shall  not 
be  abridged :  Provided  further.  That  the  price  of  said  lands  when  entered  shall 
be  that  fixed  by  the  appraisement  or  by  the  President,  as  herein  provided  for, 
which  shall  be  paid  in  accordance  with  rules  and  regulations  to  be  prescribed  by 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  upon  the  following  terms:  One-fifth  of  the  pur- 
chase price  to  be  paid  in  cash  at  the  time  of  entry,  and  the  balance  in  five  equal 
annual  instalments,  to  be  paid  in  one,  two,  three,  four,  and  five  years,  respec- 
tively, from  and  after  the  date  of  entry.  In  case  any  entryman  fails  to  make 
the  annual  payments,  or  any  of  them,  promptly  when  due,  all  lights  in  and  to 
the  land  covered  by  this  entry  shall  cease,  and  any  payments  theretofore  made 
shall  be  forfeited  and  the  entr)-  cancelled,  and  the  lands  shall  be  reoffered  for 
sale  and  entry ;  And  provided  further,  That  the  lands  embraced  within  such 
cancelled  entry  shall  after  the  cancellation  of  such  entry,  be  subject  to  entry 
under  the  provisions  of  the  homestead  law,  at  the  appraised  value  until  other- 
wise directed  by  the  President,  as  herein  provided. 

When  the  entryman  shall  have  complied  with  all  the  requirements  and 
terms  of  the  homestead  laws  as  to  settlement  and  residence  and  shall  have 
made  all  the  required  payments  aforesaid,  he  shall  be  entitled  to  a  patent  for 
the  lands  entered:  Provided,  That  the  entrymen  shall  make  his  final  proofs  in 
accordance  with  the  homestead  laws  within  six  years ;  and  that  aliens  who  have 
declared  their  intention  to  become  citizens  of  the  United  States  may  become 
such  entrymen,  but  before  making  final  proof  and  receiving  patent  they  must 
have  received  their  full  naturalization  papers:  Provided  further:  That  the 
fees  and  commissions  to  be  paid  in  connection  with  such  entries  and  final  proofs 
shall  be  the  same  as  those  now  provided  by  law  where  the  price  of  the  land  is 
one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  acre:  And  provided  further,  That  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior  may,  in  his  discretion,  limit  the  quantity  of  irrigable  land 
that  may  be  taken  by  any  entryman  to  eighty  acres,  but  not  less  than  that  quan- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY  547 

tity ;  And  provided  further,  That  when,  in  the  judgment  of  the  President,  no 
more  of  the  said  land  can  be  disposed  of  at  the  appraised  price,  he  may,  by 
proclamation,  to  be  repeated  at  his  discretion,  sell  from  time  to  time,  the  re- 
maining lands  subject  to  the  provisions  of  the  homestead  law,  or  otherwise  as 
he  may  deem  most  advantageous,  at  such  price  or  prices,  in  such  manner,  upon 
such  conditions,  with  such  restrictions,  and  upon  such  terms  as  he  may  deem 
best  for  all  the  interests  concerned. 

The  timber  on  lands  classified  as  timber  lands  shall  be  sold  at  not  less  than 
its  appraised  value,  under  sealed  proposals  in  accordance  with  such  rules  and 
regulations  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  may  prescribe. 

The  lands  classified  as  mineral  lands  shall  be  subject  to  location  and  dis- 
posal under  the  mineral-land  laws  of  the  United  States:  Provided,  That  lands 
not  classified  as  mineral  may  also  be  located  and  entered  as  mineral  lands,  sub- 
ject to  approval  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  conditioned  upon  the  pay- 
ment, within  one  year  from  the  date  when  located,  of  the  appraised  value  of  the 
lands  per  acre  fixed  prior  to  the  date  of  such  location,  but  at  not  less  than  the 
price  fixed  by  existing  law  for  mineral  lands ;  Provided  further,  That  no  such 
mineral  locations  shall  be  permitted  on  any  lands  allotted  to  Indians  in  severalty 
or  reserved  for  any  purpose  as  herein  authorized. 

Sec.  4.  That  the  proceeds  arising  from  the  sale  and  disposition  of  the 
lands  aforesaid,  including  the  sums  paid  for  mineral  lands,  exclusive  of  the 
customary  fees  and  commissions,  shall,  after  deducting  the  expenses  incurred 
from  time  to  time  in  connection  with  the  appraisements  and  sales,  be  deposited 
in  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States  to  the  credit  of  the  Indians-  belonging  and 
having  tribal  rights  on  the  Yakima  Reservation  and  shall  be  expended  for  their 
benefit  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  in  the  construction, 
completion,  and  maintenance  of  irrigation  ditches,  purchase  of  wagons,  horses, 
farm  implements,  materials  for  houses,  and  other  necessary  and  useful  articles, 
as  may  be  deemed  best  to  promote  their  welfare  and  aid  them  in  the  adoption  of 
civilized  pursuits  and  in  improving  and  building  homes  for  themselves  on  their 
allotments :  Provided,  That  a  portion  of  the  proceeds  may  be  paid  to  the  Indian^ 
in  cash  per  capita,  share  and  share  alike,  if  in  the  opinion  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  Interior  such  payments  will  further  tend  to  improve  the  condition  and  ad- 
vance the  progress  of  said  Indians,  but  not  otherwise. 

Sec.  5.  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  hereby  authorized  in  the 
cases  of  entrymen  and  purchasers  of  lands  now  irrigated  or  that  may  be  here- 
after irrigated  from  systems  constructed  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians,  to  re- 
quire such  annual  proportionate  payments  to  be  made  as  may  be  just  and 
equitable  for  the  maintenance  of  said  systems :  Provided,  That  in  appraising 
the  value  of  irrigable  lands,  such  sum  per  acre  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
may  deem  proper,  to  be  determined  as  nearly  as  may  be  by  the  total  cost  of  the 
irrigation  system  or  systems,  shall  be  added  as  the  proportionate  share  of  the 
cost  of  placing  water  on  said  lands,  and  when  the  entryman  or  purchaser  shall 
have  paid  in  full  the  appraised  value  of  the  land,  including  the  cost  of  providing 
water  therefor,  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  shall  give  to  him  such  evidence  of 
title  in  writing  to  a  perpetual  water  right  as  may  be  deemed  suitable :  Provided. 
That  the  Secretary  of  the   Interior  shall  have   power  to  determine   and   direct 


548  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

when  the  management  and  operation  of  such  irrigation  works  shall  pass  to  the 
owners  of  the  lands  irrigated  thereby,  to  be  maintained  at  their  expense,  under 
such  forms  of  organization  and  under  such  rules  and  regulations  as  may  be  ac- 
ceptable to  him:  Provided  also,  That  the  title  to  and  the  management  and 
operation  of  the  reservoirs,  and  the  works  necessary  for  their  protection  and 
operation,  shall  remain  in  the  Government  until  otherwise  provided  by  Con- 
gress. 

Sec.  6.  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  hereby  vested  with  full 
power  and  authority  to  make  all  needful  rules  and  regulations  as  to  manner  of 
sale,  notice  of  same,  and  other  matters  incident  to  the  carrying  out  of  the  pro- 
visions of  this  act,  and  with  authority  to  reappraise  and  reclassify  said  lands 
if  deemed  necessar)'  from  time  to  time,  and  to  continue  making  sales  of  the 
same,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  until  all  of  the  lands  shall 
have  been  disposed  of. 

Sec.  7.  That  nothing  in  this  act  contained  shall  be  construed  to  bind  the 
United  States  to  find  purchasers  for  any  of  said  lands,  it  being  the  purpose  of 
this  act  merely  to  have  the  United  States  to  act  as  trustee  for  said  Indians 
in  the  disposition  and  sales  of  said  lands  and  to  expend  or  pay  o\er  to  them  the 
proceeds  derived  from  the  sales  as  her-ein  provided. 

Sec.  8.  That  to  enable  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  to  classify  and  ap- 
praise the  aforesaid  lands  as  in  this  act  provided,  and  to  conduct  the  sales  there- 
of, and  to  define  and  mark  the  boundaries  of  the  western  portion  of  said  reser- 
vation, including  the  adjoining  tract  of  two  hundred  and  ninety-three  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  thirty-seven  acres,  to  which  the  claim  of  the  Indians  is,  by 
this  act,  recognized,  as  above  set  out,  and  to  complete  the  surveys  thereof,  the 
sum  of  fifty-three  thousand  dollars,  or  so  much  thereof  as  may  be  necessary,  is 
hereby  appropriated  from  any  moneys  in  the  treasurj-  not  otherwise  appropri- 
ated, the  same  to  be  reimbursed  from  the  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  the  aforesaid 
lands :  Provided,  That  when  funds  shall  have  been  procured  from  the  first  sales 
of  the  land  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  may  use  such  portion  thereof  as  may  be 
actually  necessary  in  conducting  future  sales  and  otherwise  carrying  out  the 
provisions  of  this  act. 

Approved,  December  21,  1904. 

Major  Lynch  tells  us  that  the  Indians  did  not  at  first  take  to  the  allot- 
ment idea  at  all.  To  a  civilized  man  this  seems  strange,  but  upon  reflection  it 
is  readily  seen  that  the  very  effect — an  evil  though  unavoidable  one — of  the 
Reservation  system  has  been  to  destroy  the  ambition  for  individual  holdings  and 
improvements. 

Major  Lynch  entered  upon  the  task  of  making  assignments  almost  im- 
mediately upon  his  first  appointment  in  1890. 

Special  agents  were  sent  by  the  Government  to  execute  the  details  of  the 
work.  Major  Lynch  summoned  meetings  of  the  head  men  of  the  tribe  and  pa- 
tiently went  over  all  the  details.  White  Swan,  perhaps  the  most  dominant  and 
influential  Indian  since  the  time  of  Kamiakin,  led  the  opposition  to  allotments. 
The  prevailing  idea  with  him  and  his  followers  seems  to  have  been  that  the 
allotment  plan  would  break  up  the  unity  of  action  and  hence  the  means  of  self- 
defense  by  the  tribe, — a  very  mistaken,  but  from  the  Indian's  \iewpoint,  a  very 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  549 

natural  idea.  There  was  at  first  almost  hopeless  confusion  in  carrying  out  the 
process  of  allotments. 

In  response  to  the  urgent  representations  of  Major  Lynch  the  Government 
sent  Colonel  Rankin  as  a  special  allotment  agent,  and  gradually  order  came 
out  of  confusion. 

Some  Indians  tore  up  the  surveyor's  stakes  and  otherwise  impeded  the  pro- 
cess. There  were  some  counter  claims  as  to  special  location.  In  general,  how- 
ever, there  was  not  so  much  conflict  over  locations  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected. By  a  sort  of  common  consent  the  Indians  had  had  for  years  a  recog- 
nized habitat  belonging  to  a  family.  They  were  already  distributed  pretty 
much  according  to  convenience  and  preference,  and  when  after  long  weeks  and 
months  of  arguing  and  explaining  they  consented  to  allotments  they  were  gen- 
erally ready   to  designate  their  specific  locations. 

IRRIGATION   ON   THE   RESERNATION 

The  next  great  question  confronting  Major  Lynch  was  irrigation.  Of  the 
vast  body  of  land  about  sixty-five  miles  by  forty  miles,  and  embracing  about 
1,100,000  acres,  about  200,000  acres  are  irrigable.  Something  over  a  quarter 
million  acres  have  been  alloted  in  individual  tracts.  The  natural  facilities  for 
irrigation  on  a  great  scale  are  all  there — snowy  mountains,  culminating  I'n  the 
stupendous,  glacier-encircled  bulk  of  Adams  in  the  southwest  corner — -numer- 
ous rapid  streams,  lands  of  uniform  slope,  natural  drainage — every  condition, 
in  fact,  marking  out  the  valleys  of  the  Simcoe,  Toppenish  and  Satus  as  an 
ideal  location  for  a  great  irrigation  system. 

Major  Lynch  tells  us  that  an  erroneous  survey  during  the  time  of  Agent 
Stabler  cut  oflf  300,000  acres  from  the  heads  of  some  of  the  mountain  streams 
on  the  west  from  the  Reservation  and  caused  difficulties  in  commanding  the 
sources  of  water  supply.  Many  troubles  and  complications  arose  by  reason  of 
pressure  from  the  railroad  company,  private  irrigation  companies,  state  de- 
mands, and  schemes  of  all  sorts  for  control  of  desirable  locations  on  the  Reser- 
vation. As  a  result  of  legal  proceedings  the  Government  put  bounds  to  the 
railroad  and  state  aggressions. 

Laws  were  passed  allowing  the  location  of  town  sites  by  conferring  patents 
upon  Indian  allottees  by  which  they  might  convey  their  lands  at  certain  points. 
In  pursuance  of  those  laws,  Toppenish,  Mabton  and  Wapato  were  established 
in  about  1902,  and  have  had  a  rapid  growth.  As  a  result  of  the  gathering  of 
white  business  men  in  these  towns  the  demand  for  a  comprehensive  system  of 
irrigation  became  insistent.  In  1898  the  leasing  of  farm  lands  was  inaugurated 
by  Government,  and  this  situation  made  yet  more  imperative  the  call  for  water. 
Into  the  voluminous  projects  and  discussions,  national,  state  and  local,  we  can 
not  enter.  Believing  that  there  was  danger  of  the  Indians  losing  their  rights 
Major  Lynch  clung  tenaciously  to  securing  for  them  a  distribution  system  as 
part  of  their  inalienable  guaranties.  Much  credit  for  preserving  those  essen- 
tial rights  to  the  Indians  must  be  accorded  to  Mr.  L.  V.  McWhorter  and  the 
Indian  Rights  Association. 

The  United  States  Reclamation  Service  recommended  charging  part  of 
the  expense  of  the  Reservoir  system  to  the  Reservation  lands.     Major  Lynch 


550  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

succeeded  in  getting  a  modification  of  that  plan  so  that  the  Government  made 
an  appropriation  of  $600,000,  by  which  the  Indians  were  to  grant  the  water 
to  the  control  of  the  Reclamation  service,  but  were  to  receive  in  part  free  water 
rights. 

The  final  law  dealing  with  the  subject  was  that  of  August  1,  1914,  by  which 
each  allotment  was  granted  a  free  water-right  to  one-half  of  its  area.  By  offi- 
cial ruling  this  right  has  been  declared  to  attach  to  all  successors  of  lands  under 
Indian  titles.  This  provision  will  have  a  most  important  bearing  on  the  agri- 
cultural growth  of  the  Reservation.  For  by  reason  of  this  smaller  irrigation 
expense,  as  well  as  the  fact  that  the  lay  of  the  land  is  such  as  to  reduce  all  ex- 
penses to  a  minimum,  the  Reservation  will  have  no  rival  in  net  profit  of  produc- 
tion. 

As  a  summary  of  the  present  situation  regarding  the  distribution  of  water 
and  the  character  of  the  different  holdings,  with  allied  data  of  value,  we  include 
here  some  statistics  from  a  folder  issued  by  the  Commercial  Club  of  Toppenish 
in  August,  1918. 

FACTS  FROM  GOVERNMENT  REPORTS 

The  following  statistics  concerning  the  Wapato  unit  of  the  Reservation 
project  are  given  in  L^nited  States  Government  figures. 

Acres,  120,000. 

Number  of  allotments,  1,800. 

Area  now  irrigated,  53,000  acres. 

Area  sold  by  Indians  or  patented  in  fee,  22,720  acres,  of  which  20,000 
acres  were  sold  prior  to  the  act  of  May  18.  1916,  which  authorized  the  insertion 
of  a  lien  to  cover  water  charges. 

Number  of  allotments,  or  parts  of  allotments  sold,  310. 

556  miles  of  canals  and  laterals,  and  44  miles  of  drainage  canals  have 
been  constructed. 

Construction  cost  to  June  30,  1917,  is  $486,838.46. 

Operation  and  maintenance  cost  to  June  30,  1917.  $212,774.33. 

Irrigable  lands  within  the  Wapato  unit  may  be  divided  into  four  classes. 

1.  Owned  by  Indians  under  trust  patents  in  which  repayment  for  water 
charges  may  be  made  from  their  share  of  tribal  or  other  funds,  or  (the  irriga- 
tion charges  will  constitute  a  lien  against  their  land).     .\ct  of   1916. 

2.  Patented  in  fee  to  Indians  prior  to  the  act  of  May  18.  1916,  which 
places  the  land  in  the  same  class  as  that  owned  by  whites,  as  shown  in  Class  3. 

3.  Owned  by  whites  and  purchased  prior  to  May  18,  1916,  for  which  ar- 
rangements for  repayment  of  irrigation  charges  is  to  be  made  in  accordance 
with  the  provisions  of  the  act  of  that  date. 

4.  Patented  in  fee  since  May  18,  1916,  which  patents  include  a  lien  for  the 
irrigation  charges. 

STORAGE    WATER 

The  Reclamation  service  has  built  or  has  in  process  of  construction  storage 
reservoirs  with  capacity  as  follows : 

Kachess,  210,000  acre  feet,  completed. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  551 

Keechelus,  152,000  acre  feet,  90%  completed. 

Bumping  Lake,  34,000  acre  feet,  completed. 

Cle   Elum,  25,000  acre  feet,  temporary  crib  dam. 

Clear  Creek,  1,700  acre  feet,  completed. 

Tieton,  185,000  acre  feet,  15%  completed. 

Future  plans  contemplate  the  construction  of  a  permanent  dam  at  Lake 
Cle  Elum,  making  a  reservoir  of  496,000  acre  feet  capacity,  and  possibly  one  at 
Pleasant  Valley  on  the  American  River  with  a  capacity  of  50,000  acre  feet,  so 
that  the  maximum  ultimate  storage  development  may  reach  approximately 
1,126,000  acre  feet.  The  Reclamation  service  has  also  completed,  or  has  well 
under  way,  the  construction  of  canals  and  distributing  systems  of  the  Tieton 
unit  covering  34,000  acres,  the  Sunnyside  unit  covering  109,000  acres,  and 
future  plans  contemplate  the  construction  of  Kittitas  unit  to  cover  82,000 
acres,  the  High  Line  unit,  150,000  acres,  and  the  Benton  unit,  100,000  acre.s. 
Final  location  may  change  considerably  the  relative  and  total  area  under  units 
yet  to  be  built. 

The  Wapato,  or  Reservation  unit,  by  reason  of  its  topography  and  other 
natural  advantages,  can  be  placed  under  cultivation  more  quickly  and  at  less 
expense  than  any  other  unit  of  the  project,  and  its  completion  is  logically  the 
next  step  in  the  general  project  plan. 

The  storage  now  developed  by  the  Reclamation  service  is  insufficient  to 
meet  the  full  requirements  of  the  Wapato  unit,  the  Reclamation  units  when 
completed,  and  of  those  canals  which  have  purchased  water  under  the  Warren 
act  (36  Stats.  925). 

Estimates  of  cost  of  storage  and  of  division,  distribution  and  drainage 
have  been  made,  based  on  present  prices  for  labor  and  materials.  Both  labor 
and  material  markets  are  very  unstable  on  account  of  war  conditions,  and  it  is 
understood  that  the  amount  to  be  reimbursed  shall  be  the  actual  cost  of  con- 
struction. 

Engineers  of  the  Indian  service  estimate  that  the  average  cost  per  acre  for 
diversion,  drainage  and  distribution  system  will  be  $35.00  (an  increase  of  $10.00 
per  acre  on  account  of  present  prices  for  labor  and  materials).  It  is  understood 
that  the  actual  cost  of  this  part  of  the  work  will  be  assessed  against  every  acre 
of  irrigable  land  under  the  completed  Wapato  unit.  Engineers  of  the  Reclama- 
tion service  estimate  that  it  will  cost  $5.40  per  acre  foot  for  a  perpetual  right 
to  the  use  of  water  to  be  furnished  annually  to  the  Wapato  unit,  in  addition  to 
the  720  cubic  second  feet  provided  by  the  act  of  August  1,  1914.  This  supply 
will  consist  of  combined  storage  and  natural  flow,  it  being  understood  that  the 
proportion  of  natural  and  impounded  vk^aters  will  vary  from  season  to  season, 
and  will  accord  with  the  proportions  of  the  elements  of  such  supply  for  other 
units  and  contractors  under  Sections  2  and  3  of  the  Warren  act  of  Yakima 
project.  In  the  final  determination  of  the  cost  of  the  additional  water  supply 
the  natural  flow  element  shall  be  a  free  element  reducing  the  average  combined 
acre  foot  cost.  Such  water  supply  costs  will  be  charged  against  all  irrigable 
lands  within  the  Wapato  unit,  except  the  forty  acres  of  each  allotment  to  which 
is  apportioned  water  free  of  storage  charges  from  the  aforesaid  720  cubic  feet 
per  second. 


552  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

From  the  same  publication  we  derive  a  valuable  summary  of  the  kinds  of 
crops  and  area  devoted  to  each,  at  the  present  time. 

PRINCIPAL  CROPS 

The  reservation  lands  are  adapted  to  almost  any  crop  grown  in  the  tem- 
perate zone.  The  principal  products  are  alfalfa,  potatoes,  sugar  beets,  grains 
of  all  kinds,  beans,  peas,  watermelons,  canteloupes,  hops,  onions,  garden  truck, 
clover  hay  and  clover  seed,  garden  vegetable  seed  and  livestock. 


The  dairying  industry,  due  to  the  splendid  crops  of  alfalfa,  corn  and  other 
feed  products  has  grown  to  large  proportions.  The  dairymen  are  rapidly 
building  up  herds  of  first  grade  milk  producing  stock  and  the  industry  is  prov- 
ing highly  profitable  to  those  engaged  in  it.  The  development  of  the  dairying 
industry  has  been  such  that  the  largest  butter,  cheese  and  milk  condensing  plant 
in  central  Washington  has  been  built  in  Toppenish  under  the  direction  and  own- 
ership of  the  Mutual  Creamery  Company. 

SUG.\R    BEETS 

The  sugar  beet  industry  inaugurated  two  years  ago  has  already  grown  to 
large  proportions.  The  reservation  lands  are  singularly  adapted  to  this  prod- 
uct. Crops  averaging  well  over  twenty  tons  to  the  acre  were  common  for  the 
season  of  1917,  and  the  average  for  the  district  according  to  the  investigations 
of  experts  was  the  largest  for  the  entire  United  States.  For  the  current  year 
approximately  3,000  acres  of  reservation  lands  have  been  planted  to  sugar 
beets. 

POT.\TOES 

The  Yakima  Indian  Reservation  is  known  as  "The  Home  of  the  Great  Big 
Baked  Potato."  The  Northern  Pacific  dining  car  service,  until  war  conditions 
ruled  the  Big  Baked  Potato  of?  their  menus,  obtained  a  large  part  of  its  supply 
of  that  popular  table  delicacy  from  the  Reservation  lands.  The  potato  acreage 
this  year  is  already  in  excess  of  3,000  acres.  Yields  of  the  tubers  vary  from 
eight  tons  to  twelve  tons  per  acre. 

OTHER    CROPS 

Alfalfa  hay  still  claims  the  largest  acreage  on  the  reservation  lands,  the 
crops  averaging  five  tons  to  the  acre.  Three  cuttings  are  made  each  year  with 
a  valuable  pasture  asset  left  for  sheep  and  cattle  in  the  late  Fall. 

Under  pressure  of  war  conditions  there  has  been  a  large  increase  in  plant- 
ings of  wheat,  oats,  corn  and  barley.  All  of  these  grains  yield  remarkably  well 
and  have  proven  a  great  source  of  profit  to  the  growers. 

A  complete  crop  census  of  the  Reservation  prepared  by  the  United  States 
Indian  service  for  the  years  of  1916,  1917  and  1918  will  be  found  in  the  accom- 
panying tabulation. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY  553 


YAKIMA    INDIAN    RESERVATION,    YAKIMA,    WASHINGTON,  CENSUS    OF    CROPS,    ETC., 

1916,  1917,  1918 

1916  1917  1918 

Name  of  Crop,  etc.                              Acres.  Acres.  Acres. 

Alfalfa    (old)    20,549  20,238  19,946 

Alfalfa   (new)   743  2,213  2,992 

Alfalfa,  seeded  with  Grain 4,650  4,333  5,611 

Bearing  Orchard — 

(Clean)   1,083  1,194  855 

(In  Alfalfa) 1,279  1,408  1,979 

(In  Grain)   151  253  144 

(Other  Crops) 140  94  164 

Young  Orchard — 

(Clean  Cultivation)    380  108  51 

(In   Alfalfa)    109  201  30 

(In  Grain)   178  186  108 

(Other  Crops) 182  98  53 

Clover    1,471  1,347  1,068 

Pasture    1,692  2,396  2,582 

Barlev    1,056  1,955  2,291 

Wheat    3,864  8,724  13,386 

Oats  1,428  1,324  1,163 

Corn    1,961  2,569  2,347 

Potatoes    2,321  }>j72  3,626 

Beans 475  313 

Peas    — -  57!  2 

Timothy    1,290  738  385 

Rye 52  30  54 

Cantaloupes    1  166 

I   1,163  445 

Watermelons    J  325 

Hops    47  51  51 

Onions 142  307  225 

Truck    768  637  405 

Nursery    220  192  105 

Sugar  Beets  — -  1.552  2,843 

Miscellaneous  Crops 1,204  830  1,211 


Total  Acres 48,123        57,707        64,481 


554  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Livestock —  No.  No.  Nio. 

Horses  3,440  4,115  4,463 

Milk  Cows  2,032  2,376  2,547 

Steers    1,137  3M  469 

Other  Cattle 3,671  4,103  4,028 

Hogs    4,737  3,303  4,983 

Sheep 9,910  7,999  8,745 

Poultry    35,323  36,8r>4  36,701 

Silos  - 20  32  48 

Respectfully  submitted, 

L.  M.  Holt, 
Superintendent  of  Irrigation. 

The  present  population  of  the  Reservation  is  about  three  thousand  of  fidl 
or  part  Indian  blood.  It  is  believed  by  many  close  observers  of  both  races  that 
the  gradual  absorption  of  the  Indians  by  the  whites  through  marriages  is  only 
a  question  of  time.  Already,  we  are  told,  one-half  of  the  so-called  Indian  pop- 
ulation is  of  mixed  blood.  At  nearly  every  one  of  the  townsites  the  Indians 
are  large  owners  and  in  many  cases  have  wealth  and  culture  which  put  them 
on  a  par  with  their  white  neighbors.  The  townsites  have  been  largely  on  lands 
owned  by  Indian  or  half-breed  women  and  girls.  In  most  instances  these 
women  have  become  well  educated  and  cultivated  and  point  the  way  to  a  pro- 
cess of  evolution  by  which  the  "Indian  Problem,"  so  far  as  Yakima  is  con- 
cerned, seems  in  a  fair  way  to  solve  itself. 

We  are  told  by  Mr.  Samuel  McCaw  of  Wapato  and  Mr.  Frank  Olney  of 
Toppenish  that  a  good  many  of  the  Indians  are  "making  good"  in  farming  or 
other  lines  of  enterprise. 

Yet  it  is  true  that  the  majority  are  leasing,  not  working  their  lands.  These 
lands  command  so  high  a  rental  as  to  make  a  good  income  for  the  owners.  This 
condition  offers  a  great  temptation  to  the  owners  to  draw  revenues  from  rent- 
ing and  thus  live  in  idleness. 

At  the  best,  even  with  the  encouraging  improvement  of  the  past  few  years 
most  of  the  natives,  even  of  the  mixed  blood,  are  improvident  and  desultory  in 
their  habits,  and  easily  open  to  the  seductions  of  intemperance  and  unchastity. 
And,  even  with  the  general  good  tone  among  the  white  residents,  there  are 
always  some  who  will  encourage  these  weaknesses,  with  the  ulterior  aim  of 
gratifying  their  own  lecherous  natures  or  of  beating  the  Indians  out  of  their 
property.  The  Indian  lands  are  in  great  demand  and  rentals  run  from  $3  or 
$4  to  $12  or  $15  per  acre  for  the  season,  according  to  location  and  quality.  The 
Japanese  gardeners,  who  are  past  masters  in  intensive  production,  as  well  as  in 
ability  in  making  good  bargains,  pay  the  highest  rent,  but  they  secure  the  best 
land  and  make  the  largest  net  profits.  They  pay  as  high  as  $15  an  acre,  some- 
times even  higher  for  choice  locations.  They  raise  cantaloupes,  melons,  berries 
and  high-class  "truck,"  of  which  there  are  almost  incredible  quantities  produced. 

The  whites  make  no  effort  to  compete  with  the  skillful  Japs  in  those  lines, 
and  devote  themselves  generally   to  wheat   anil   hay   land,   for  which    they   pay 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  555 

from  $4.00  to  $8.00  an  acre.  The  output  and  value  of  products  from  the  four 
stations  of  Toppenish,  Mabton,  Alfalfa,  and  Wapato,  for  recent  seasons  are 
as  follows: 

Shipments  from  the  Reservation  each  year  amount  to  about  8,000  cars, 
including  hay,  grain,  melons,  potatoes,  fruit,  livestock,  dairy  products,  nursery 
stock,  etc.,  all  products  of  the  soil. 


Engineer  L.  JM.  Holt,  superintendent  of  Irrigation  L'^nited  States  Indian 
Service  on  the  Yakima  Reservation,  reports  as   follows: 

"The  estimated  value  of  crops,  made  in  July,  1915,  was  $30.00  per  acre, 
but  this  estimate  I  have  recently  revised  owing  to  the  fact  that  prices  have  been 
much  higher  than  I  estimated  in  July.  My  revised  figures  are  $38.00  per  acre. 
If  the  total  area  irrigated  by  the  government  ditches  and  slough  ditches  arc 
based  on  that  figure,  the  total  value  of  the  crops  produced  on  the  Wapato 
project  is  $1,599,112.  If  the  project  had  been  completed  the  crops  on  the 
120,000  acres  would  have  had  a  value  of  $4,560,000,  or  more  than  sufficient  to 
pay  for  the  distribution  system  and  necessary  storage  in  one  year,  and  practi- 
cally equal  to  one-half  the  value  of  crops  produced  in  the  entire  Yakima  Valley." 

Of  interest  in  connection  with  the  products  of  the  region  is  an  extract 
from  the  Toppenish  "Review"  of  November  13,  1918: 

"The  Yakima  Valley  Potato  Growers  Association  will  market  the  sea- 
son's crop  of  spuds  from  3,000  acres  of  land  and  totaling  an  output  of  1,250 
cars  and  more  through  the  firm  of  Denny  &  Company,  distributors,  of  Chicago. 
The  first  announcement  of  the  big  deal  was  made  in  'The  Review'  last  week,  since 
which  time  an  agreement  has  been  made  between  the  company  and  the  growers 
which  makes  Toppenish  the  headquarters  for  handling  the  pool,  which  includes 
about  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  valley  potato  crop. 

"The  growers  will  be  represented  throughout  the  transaction  by  Hans 
Benz,  head  of  the  Benz  Brothers  Corporation,  and  a  recognized  authority  in  the 
spud  game,  both  from  a  growing  and  selling  standpoint.  Denny  &  Company, 
the  marketing  end  of  the  deal,  have  their  headquarters  at  Chicago,  but  their 
marketing  facilities  are  almost  as  wide  as  the  country.  They  reach  into  Cali- 
fornia and  Texas  and  cover  the  entire  Mississippi  Valley. 

"It  is  the  purpose  of  the  fompany  to  sell  the  valley  spuds  strictly  on  grades, 
including  firsts,  seconds,  and  a  special  brand  of  'Yakima  Bakers,'  such  as  in  pre- 
war days  were  featured  on  N.  P.  menu  cards. 

"Those  on  the  inside  believe  the  arrangement  will  solve  the  potato  prob- 
lem for  the  season,  and  insure  the  growers  an  average  of  $40.00  for  their  crop. 
There  is  an  admitted  shortage  of  potatoes  throughout  the  country  and  the  val- 
ley surplus  is  regarded  as  the  best  shipping  spud  obtainable.  They  will  be  fed 
to  the  market  as  conditions  warrant  and  no  risk  of  rushing  the  crop  too  rapidly 
will  be  taken.  The  distributors  have  ample  storage  facilities  in  the  west  as  also 
in  the  middle  east.  They  can  care  for  several  hundred  car  loads  for  an  in- 
definite period  in  that  manner  if  necessary. 

"The  deal  completed  this  week  is  the  outcome  of  negotiations  extending 
over  a  lengthy  period  and  is  regarded  as  satisfactory  by  all  interested." 


556  HISTORY  t)F  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Tlie  most  interesting  object  lesson  of  the  gradual  assumption  by  the  In- 
dians of  business  enterprises  is  found  in  the  American  State  Bank  at  Wapato. 
of  which  V.  A.  Olney  is  president  and  Samuel  McCaw  is  cashier.  The  personnel 
of  this  bank,  both  stockholders  and  officers,  is  entirely  Indian.  Their  business, 
however,  is  not  confined  to  the  red  race.  They  conduct  a  high-class  busines.s 
with  all  comers,  and  many  of  their  depositors  and  borrowers  are  white  men. 
A  full  account  of  this  bank  is  given  in  Leslie's  magazine  of  a  recent  date.  Mr. 
McCaw  was  brought  up  among  wild  Indians  on  the  Ahtanum,  but  when  a  boy 
of  ten  attracted  the  favorable  attention  of  some  one  who  knew  of  the  Govern- 
ment Indian  School  at  Forest  Grove.  Oregon.  There  he  secured  an  elementary 
education.  Then  the  ambitious  young  boy  went  east  where  he  completed  an 
academic  and  then  a  college  course  at  Whittier  College,  Indiana.  Following 
that  he  was  in  a  banking  house  in  Chicago  for  five  years,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  his  old  home  and  was  for  twenty-three  years  the  cashier  of  the  Yakima 
National  Bank  at  Yakima.  In  1917  he  entered  upon  the  enterprise  of  banking 
at  Wapato.  The  results  thus  far  have  been  such  as  to  amply  justify  the  ven- 
ture. His  associates  in  the  enterprise  are  several  members  of  the  Olney  family 
on  the  Reservation,  descendants  of  Nathan  Olney,  a  former  Indian  agent  in  Ore- 
gon and  one  of  the  first  settlers  on  the  Ahtanum. 

As  another  illustration  of  the  transition  in  the  lives  and  outlook  of  the 
Indians  we  incorporate  letters  from  Chief  Stwire  Waters  and  Nealy  Olney  as  a 
result  of  a  journey  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Federation  of  North  American 
Indians  at  Washington  City. 

Writing  under  date  of  December  7th,  Chief  Waters  says: 

"Washington,  D.  C,  December  7,  1911. 

"Mr.  Lancaster  Spencer,  Toppenish,  Washington: 

"Dear  Sir:  This  afternoon's  meeting  was  with  thirty-four  different  tribes 
of  Indians  in  the  hall,  and  all  are  joined  in  brotherhood  of  the  North  American 
Indians'  national  organization.  Our  old  Owhi  and  Sluskin  raised  up  and  voted 
for  our  Indian  friendship  of  brotherhood  and  good  citizenship  among  its  mem- 
bers and  citizens,  and  I  am  very  glad  for  our  two  old  men  that  signed.  I  signed 
and  so  did  Mrs.  E.  Waters  and  another  Cherokee  Indian  woman,  so  two  ladies 
have  signed,  Mrs.  Waters  and  that  Cherokee  Indian  woman,  in  our  conference 
or  council,  and  I  say  hurrah,  hurrah,  hurrah,  for  our  Indian  constitution  that 
is  going  to  be  one,  one  all  United  States  North  American  Indians.  Thirty- 
four  different  tribes  of  Indians  are  signing  tomorrow.  We  will  open  again  our 
own  Indian  council  or  meeting  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  we  all 
sign.  Some  more  Indians  are  going  to  be  here,  then  we  will  all  go  up  to  the 
capitol  office  some  time  next  week.  Our  new  chairman  is  a  Sioux  Indian.  John 
J.  Poherty.     The  next  mail  shall  be  citizens. 

"Yours  truly. 

"Stwire  G.  W.\ters." 


HISTORY  OI'   YAKIMA  VALLEY  557 

The  letter  of  Mr.  Olney,  written  December  8th,  is  as  follows: 

"Washington,  D.  C,  December  8,  191 L 
"Mr.  Lancaster  Spencer,  Toppenish,  Washington: 

"Dear  Friend :  We  are  all  well.  We  have  organized  the  National  Brother- 
hood of  North  American  Indians,  with  Richard  C.  Adams  as  sachem  or  presi- 
dent, and  the  sub-chiefs  of  the  local  ones  were  chosen.  Every  Indian  here  is 
well  pleased  with  this  organization  as  it  means  a  great  deal  for  the  Indians  if 
we  get  properly  organized  and  work  properly  together.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
we  will  succeed  in  our  organization. 

"There  are  about  fifty  or  more  Indians  here  representing  nearly  every  state 
west  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Every  old  Indian  and  young  are  surely  greatly 
pleased  with  the  conditions  they  found  here.  Mr.  Adams  is  a  very  fine  fellow, 
and  I  certainly  believe  he  will  do  something  for  us. 

"This  means  a  great  deal  to  us  Indians.  It  means  good  hard  work  so  that 
we  can  succeed  in  trying  to  get  what  is  due  us  and  have  equal  rights  with  our 
brother,  the  white  man,  so  let  us  all  work  together  and  help  each  other  in  the 
best  manner  we  know  how.     Be  true  and  faithful  one  to  another. 

"Mr.  Spencer,  I  inclose  you  a  few  clippings  from  newspapers.  Yesterday 
they  took  our  pictures. 

"Well,  I  will  close  with  best  wishes  to  all  and  success  for  our  people  and 
the  cause  we  are  working  for. 

Your  friend, 

"Nealy  Olney." 

As  a  general  view  of  many  interesting  and  important  features  in  regard  to 
the  history,  organization,  and  officers  of  the  Reservation  at  one  of  the  recent 
stages  of  time,  we  are  closing  this  chapter  with  a  valuable  extract  from  an 
article  by  Superintendent  S.  A.  M.  Young,  which  appeared  in  a  special  number 
of  the  Wapato  "Independent"  on  December  15,  1911.  Through  the  kindness  of 
Mr.  William  \erran,  proprietor  of  the  paper,  we  have  the  privilege  of  using 
this  fine  article. 

"There  is  a  touch  of  romance  and  the  flavor  of  old  times  in  the  words 
Fort  Simcoe  and  Yakima.  The  older  Indians  and  the  old  settlers  among  the 
whites  delight  in  telling  about  the  stirring  times  in  the  fifties  and  early  sixties, 
when  the  treaty  was  being  made,  the  fort  established  and  the  reservation  set 
aside  as  a  home  for  the  confederated  tribe  of  Yakima  Indians.  The  older  In- 
dians seldom  attend  a  council  without  digressing  in  their  speeches  and  bringing 
in  a  reference  to  the  treaty  and  Governor  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  who  was  also  super- 
intendent of  Indian  Affairs  for  the  territory  of  Washington.  This  treaty  was 
made  June  9,  1855,  and  ratified  March  8,  1859.  Official  matters  often  moved 
slowly  in  those  days,  as  they  sometimes  do  even  now,  but  when  it  is  remembered 
that  mail  tlien  came  only  once  a  year,  by  way  of  The  Dalles,  and  that  railroads 
and  telegraph  lines  had  not  yet  penetrated  the  western  wilds,  there  should  be 
no  surprise  that  things  moved  slowly. 


558  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

"Even  today  the  old  block  house,  erected  as  a  protection  against  hostile 
Indians,  still  stands,  and  tourists  eagerly  dig  bullets  out  of  the  old  timbers  and 
carry  them  off  as  mementoes  of  the  earlier  times.  It  is  true  some  people  of 
irreverent  minds  assert  that  these  bullets  find  their  way  into  the  old  block  house 
from  modern  firearms  in  the  hands  of  agency  employes,  but  such  ideas  may  be 
passed  over  as  unworthy  and  almost  sacreligious. 

"In  the  beautiful  grove  at  the  fort  one  may  still  see  in  the  street  in  front 
of  the  agent's  residence,  the  old  oak  tree  formerly  used  as  a  whipping  post  by 
Father  Wilbur,  the  famous  agent  of  early  times,  in  cases  where  his  dusky 
wards  bcame  disobedient ;  but  this  tree  should  not  be  taken  as  a  symbol  of  early 
brutality.  While  no  agent  since  has  wielded  so  strong  an  arm,  none  has  had 
so  big  a  heart  nor  been  quite  so  well  loved  by  the  Indians.  Father  Wilbur  had 
been  a  Bowery  policeman,  was  converted  and  came  west  as  a  missionary.  The 
older  Indians  still  point  out  the  place  at  the  brow  of  Toppenish  ridge  in  a  little 
grove  where  the  soldiers  halted  in  their  retreat  from  the  Indians  and  buried  an 
old  brass  cannon  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  the\ 
often  show  us  where  a  party  of  soldiers  was  surprised  and  massacred  by  the 
Indians.  Moreover,  no  agency  or  school  employe,  after  coming  to  the  fort  is 
quite  satisfied  until  he  has  visited  the  old  battle  ground  by  Toppenish  Creek 
and  by  diligent  search  found  some  Indian  arrow  heads. 

"A  vestige  of  the  old  grist  mill  still  stands  on  Simcoe  Creek  in  the  Sinicoe 
Valley,  and  the  ruins  of  the  old  sawmill  at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  on  the  road  to 
Goldendale,  tell  of  worthy  plans  once  made  and  abandoned  through  official  mis- 
understanding of  local  needs. 

"The  parade  ground,  once  resounding  to  the  tramp  of  soldiers'  feet,  is  no.v 
surrounded  by  school  and  agency  buildings,  all  painted  pure  white  and  present- 
ing a  very  inviting  and  pleasing  appearance.  The  parade  grounds  themselves 
are  now  given  up  to  an  orchard  and  help  supply  the  Indian  pupils  at  the  school 
with  our  famous  Yakima  fruit. 

"The  older  agency  buildings  are  of  colonial  style,  having  fireplaces  in  every 
room  and  were  erected  at  great  cost.  Tradition  has  it  that  the  agent's  resi- 
dencedence  was  framed  in  Maine,  shipped  to  The  Dalles  by  way  of  Cape  Honi 
and  carried  over  the  mountains  by  pack  mules.  The  total  cost  is  said  to  have 
been  $60,000,  which  figures  are  often  increased  to  $65,000  by  enthusiastic  amateur 
historians.  This  building  is  still  in  excellent  repair,  though  its  quaint  little  dia- 
mond-shaped window  panes  are  irridescent  with  age.  Other  buildings  there  were 
barracks  and  commissaries,  making  picturesque  ruins,  but  the  present  agent,  hav- 
ing more  respect  for  utility  and  progress  than  for  the  spirit  of  days  gone  by,  has 
either  torn  them  down  or  remodeled  them  into  modern  and  useful  structures. 

"The  Indian  school  at  the  fort  is  always  of  great  interest  to  visitors.  This 
school,  fondly  called  by  the  Indians  'Mool  Mool,'  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
service,  having  been  established  about  1860.  At  present  it  has  a  capacity  of  six- 
ty-four girls  and  sixty-seven  boys,  and  is  generally  filled  to  the  limit  in  spite 
of  the  much  desired  drift  of  Indian  children  of  late  years  into  the  public  white 
schools,  much  desired  since  in  the  direction  of  complete  civilization. 

"In  the  Fort  Simcoe  school  Indian  pupils  are  clothed,  fed  and  given  frve 
medical  attention  at  go\ernment  expense.     The  instruction  is  very  practical :  tht 


HISTORY  OF  YAKniA  VALLEY  559 

time  is  divided  equally  between  ordinary  schoolroom  work  and  industrial  work, 
half  of  each  day  being  devoted  to  each.  Boys  are  given  instruction  in  general 
farm  work,  including  simple  carpentering  and  blacksmithing,  and  girls  in  the 
ordinary  domestic  arts,  such  as  sewing,  cooking,  laundry  work,  etc.  Many  of 
our  best  and  most  progressive  Indians,  even  many  of  the  older  ones,  have  been 
educated,  and  practically  educated,  here.  The  fact  that  the  Yakima  Indians 
are  among  the  most  intelligent  and  progressive  Indians  in  the  United  States 
is  largely  due  to  the  efficiency  of  this  school. 

"Perhaps  there  is  no  tribe  of  Indians  in  the  United  States  who  give  less 
trouble  to  their  agent  and  are  more  law-abiding  than  are  the  Yakimas.  Not 
only  are  they  self-supporting,  but,  relatively  speaking,  they  are  industrious, 
honest  and  frugal.  The  majority  are  affiliated  with  one  church  or  another,  and 
many  are  truly  rehgious.  There  are  represented  the  Methodist,  Catholic,  Shaker 
and  Pom  Pom  denominations,  in  the  order  of  their  numerical  importance.  The 
latter  represents  the  old-time  Indian  religion,  the  Great  Spirit  being  wor- 
shipped, though  not  in  a  way  which  might  be  called  orthodox. 

"There  is  an  Indian  court  and  a  police  system  in  connection  with  the 
agency,  there  being  three  judges  and  five  policemen.  No  doubt  the  procedure 
or  practice  in  this  court  would  not  meet  the  approval  of  white  men  learned  in 
the  law ;  but  it  is,  nevertheless,  often  a  real  help  to  the  agent,  who  approves  or 
disapproves  the  findings  in  each  case;  and  the  net  result  is  in  the  direction  of 
good  order  and  justice.  In  dignity  the  court  lacks  nothing,  neither  does  it  lack 
in  the  moral  support,  respect  and  co-operation  of  the  tribe." 

Some  of  Mr.  Young's  article  has  become  outdated,  it  having  been  written 
in  1911,  but  the  figures  given  by  him  at  that  time  have  historic  interest  and 
hence  we  include  additional  portions : 

"Practically  all  the  good  farming  land  on  the  reservation  has  been,  or  soon 
will  be,  allotted  to  the  Indians.  After  the  allotments  now  being  made  have  been 
completed  the  reservation  will  probably  be  formally  thrown  open  to  settlement; 
but  there  will  practically  be  no  land  of  any  value  to  secure,  at  least  for  a  number 
of  years,  after  which  period  some  of  the  timbered  lands  mentioned  probably  will 
be  placed  on  the  market. 

"The  official  area  of  the  entire  Reservation  is  1,145,069.22  acres.  This  area 
is  proportioned  appro.ximately  as  follows : 

Acres. 

"Agricultural  lands 300,000 

Timber  lands   535,000 

Grazing  lands,  not  timbered 210,000 

Arid  lands 100,000 

"In  the  earlier  times  little  was  dreamed  of  the  future  value  of  these  lands. 
Even  in  the  eighties  our  richest  alfalfa  lands  were  considered  to  be  of  only  nom- 
inal value. 

"To  date  3,169  allotments  have  been  made  and  approved,  the  first  allotments 
having  been  made  in  1892,  followed  by  others  from  time  to  time.  Special  Allotting 
Agent  M.  F.  Nourse  is  now  engaged  on  a  final  allotment.  It  is  estimated  that  a 
thousand  allotments  will  be  included  in  the  group  now  being  made.    The  old  allot- 


560  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

merits  in  general  comprise  eighty  acres  of  farming  land  or  160  acres  of  grazing 
land.  At  present  forty  acres  of  irrigable  land,  eighty  acres  of  ordinary  agricul- 
tural land  or  160  acres  of  grazing  land  are  the  quantities  being  allotted.  The  ap- 
proximate area  of  agricultural  lands  allotted  and  approved  to  date  is  200,000 
acres ;  of  grazing  lands  97.000  acres :  the  area  covered  being  in  round  numbers, 
297,000  acres.  To  this  will  be  added  about  80,000  acres  covered  by  the  present 
allotment,'^. 

"The  following  figures  concerning  irrigation  should  be  of  interest : 

Acres. 

"Approximate  area  of  irrigable  land  on  Reservation 60,200 

"The  latter  area  is  distributed  as  follows : 

"Irrigated  from  Yakima  River  and  sloughs 50,000 

Irrigated  from  Ahtanum  Creek 4,600 

Irrigated  from  Satus  Creek 1,600 

Irrigated  from  Simcoe  Creek 2,000 

Irrigated  from  Toppenish  Creek 2,000 

"In  the  lower  valley  an  area  of  30,000  acres  or  more  was  becoming  practi- 
cally worthless  because  of  seepage  water  from  higher  lands,  which,  on  coming 
to  the  surface,  brought  up  a  deposit  of  alkali.  A  system  of  drainage  ditches,  under 
the  direction  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Martin,  superintendent  of  irrigation,  is  now  being- 
constructed  with  remarkable  results.  All  of  this  area  will  be  reclaimed  and  made 
valuable. 

"The  entire  Wapato  project  covers  about  180,000  acres  of  irrigable  land 
and  extends  as  far  south  as  Mabton.  What  may  be  called  the  restricted  Wap- 
ato project,  which  extends  approximately  to  the  Toppenish  Creek  on  the  south, 
contains  about  130,000  acres. 

"Approximately  20,000  acres  of  land  is  owned  by  whites  under  the  Wapato 
project.  There  have  been  290  land  sales  to  date,  and  forty-five  patents  in  fee 
have  been  issued  to  Indians,  most  of  the  land  covered  by  the  latter  having 
been  sold.  The  greater  number  of  sales  have  been  under  the  Wapato  project 
About  27,000  acres  of  land  is  being  leased  under  the  Wapato  project  and  about 
3,000  acres  is  being  irrigated  by   Indians. 

"In  all,  perhaps  225  Indians  are  doing  more  or  less  farming.  Chiefly  they 
raise  small  grains  in  the  western  portion  of  the  valley  and  alfalfa  in  the  eastern 
portion.  The  Government  threshing  machine  the  past  season  threshed  23,000 
bushels  of  small  grain  for  Indians  on  the  western  portion  of  the  Reservation 
alone.  In  all  they  own  perhaps  2,500  range  horses  or  cayuses,  in  addition  to 
the  horses  they  keep  at  home  for  driving  and  working.  The  latter  are  in  gen- 
eral good  animals.  A  few  Indians  have  large  numbers  of  sheep,  as  many  as 
four  or  five  thousand  at  most,  and  some  have  large  herds  of  cattle,  the  maxi- 
mum number  being  about  500  head.  Probably  as  many  as  forty  Indians  own 
small  herds  of  cattle  ranging  in  numbers  up  to  forty  or  fifty  head.  Many  In- 
dians raise  gardens  and  keep  hogs  and  chickens.     .A  large  number  make  their 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  561 

■living  by  day  labor,  freigbting  or  team  work.  No  rations  are  issued  on  this 
Reservation  except  an  insignificant  quantity  to  a  few  old  and  infirm  Indians. 
The  entire  cost  of  rations  for  the  past  year  would  not  exceed  $20. 

"The  leasing  system  on  the  Reservation  is  of  interest  to  many.  Depart- 
mental regulations  have  of  late  become  very  strict  relative  to  the  leasing  of 
Indian  land  and  such  leasing  is  more  difficult  than  formerly.  No  able-bodied 
male  Indian  may  lease  more  than  forty  acres  of  his  allotment  unless  it  is  shown 
that  he  is  actually  farming  other  land.  In  general  it  is  also  expected  that  lands 
belonging  to  women  and  children  shall,  if  possible,  be  farmed  by  male  relatives. 
At  present  no  leasing  of  raw  land  is  permitted  under  the  Wapato  project  on  ac- 
count of  insufficient  water,  though  the  Indian  himself  is  permitted  to  improve 
and  water  such  lands  if  he  desires.  Leases  for  cash  only  can  not  be  drawn  for 
a  longer  period  than  two  years  on  farming  and  one  year  on  grazing  land.  Per- 
manent improvements  amounting  in  value  to  at  least  $200  per  year,  are  re- 
quired for  each  additional  year  added  to  a  lease,  but  no  lease  can  be  drawn  for 
a  longer  period  than  five  years.  Rentals  received,  counted  in  cash,  range  from 
four  dollars  to  nine  dollars  an  acre  per  annum.  The  following  is  a  list  of  some 
of  the  improvements,  etc.,  required  in  leases  in  addition  to  the  clearing  and 
leveling  of  lands,  the  seeding  of  same  to  alfalfa  being  frequently  required. 

"The  party  of  the  second  part  further  agrees  to  erect  upon  the  land  cov- 
ered by  this  lease  a  frame  house  of  three  rooms,  worth  not  less  than  $400,  each 
room  to  be  14  x  14  feet,  ceiled  throughout  with  beaded  ceiling  five-eighth  by 
four  inches,  with  walls  eight  feet  from  floor  to  ceiling;  all  lumber  used  in  the 
construction  of  said  house  to  be  of  good  No.  1  pine  or  fir,  or  equal.  Other 
materials  and  specifications  to  be  as  follows :  Oregon  flooring  1x4  inches ;  five 
doors,  2  feet  6  inches  by  6  feet  6  inches  by  Ij^  inches;  six  windows,  four  lights, 
12x14  inches,  the  sash  to  be  1^  inches;  Star  A  Star  shingles;  rustic  siding; 
two  brick  flues,  17  x  21  inches;  the  house  to  be  painted  with  two  coats  of  best 
lead  and  oil :  the  roof  to  be  one-half  pitch.    The  house  to  be  fully  corniced. 

"The  party  of  the  second  part  further  agrees  to  fence  the  land  with  a 
heavy  galvanized  barbed  wire  fence  of  not  less  than  four  wires,  using  one  of 
the  following  named  brands  of  wire:  American  Glydden,  Elwood  Glydden,  or 
Waukegan,  four  point,  with  good  cedar  posts  well  set,  one  rod  apart,  the  cross 
section  of  the  small  ends  of  said  posts  to  contain  each  not  less  than  twenty 
square  inches,  said  fence  to  cost  not  less  than  $120  for  each  mile  of  fence. 

"All  the  above  improvements  to  be  placed  upon  the  leased  premises  prior 
to  expiration  of  the  third  year  of  the  term  of  this  lease  and  to  be  thereon  at 
the  expiration  of  the  lease  term. 

"The  party  of  the  second  part  further  agrees  to  the  provision  'That  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  may  terminate  this  lease  upon  two  months'  notice  prior 
to  April  15th  of  any  year.' 

"The  party  of  the  second  part  further  agrees  that  he  will  keep  the  leased 

land  free  from  willows  and  other  wild  shrubbery ;  that  he  will  clean  and  keep  in 

proper  repair  all  of  lessor's  ditches  upon  the  leased  tract ;  that  he  will  maintain 

in  good  order  all  of  lessor's  headgates,  checks,  drops,  culverts,  flumes  and  other 

(36) 


562  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

structures  maintained  for  the  conveyance  and  control  of  the  water;  that  he 
will  keep  in  a  safe  condition  for  use  all  lessor's  bridges  across  the  canals  or 
laterals;  that  he  will  make  beneficial  use  of  all  water  appurtenant  to  said  land; 
that  he  will  guard  against  an  excessive  use  of  water  or  the  swamping  of  land 
through  leakage  or  seepage;  that  he  will  observe  all  rules  of  the  authorities 
having  control  of  the  water  system;  that  he  will  not  molest  or  destroy,  or  in 
any  way  interfere  with,  the  headgates  or  irrigation  canals  on  the  Reservation, 
or  on  the  land  of  any  Indian  allottee,  or  of  any  other  lessee  or  purchaser  of  In- 
dian land,  unless  under  the  direction  or  orders  of  the  officials  having  control  of 
the  irrigation  system,  and  will  pay  a'l  proper  charges  for  repairs  or  maintenance 
which  may  be  assessed  by  the  representatives  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior, 
the  water  company  or  the  water  users'  association  having  control  of  the  irriga- 
tion, in  addition  to  the  payment  of  rental  for  the  land. 

"Only  such  flood  water  can  be  assured  the  lessee  as  can  conveniently  be 
conveyed  to  the  leased  land  by  the  present  system  when  such  flood  water  is  avail- 
able in  the  Yakima  River  to  about  July  1st. 

"The  selling  of  Indian  lands  is  also  of  general  interest.  Noncompetent 
Indians  who  are  incapacitated  by  reason  of  age  or  incurable  disease  are  allowed 
to  sell  portions  of  their  allotments,  or  if  necessarj^  their  entire  allotments,  in 
order  to  secure  funds  for  the  necessities  of  life.  It  is  also  possible  for  non- 
competent  Indians  not  incapacitated  to  sell  portions  of  their  allotments  in  order 
to  secure  funds  to  improve  lands  retained.  This  is  practiced  at  the  Yakima 
Agency  to  a  very  limited  extent,  however,  as  in  general  results  are  not  satisfac- 
tory. 

"In  general  fewer  restrictions  are  placed  upon  the  sale  of  inherited  Indian 
lands,  but  in  this  case  also  it  must  be  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  depart- 
ment that  the  funds  to  be  so  derived  are  necessary  for  the  support  of  the  heirs, 
or  that  they  will  be  used  for  the  improvement  of  other  lands.  Reservation 
lands  vary  much  in  quality.  Prices  received  range  from  a  few  dollars  to  $150 
an  acre  for  improved  lands.  All  funds  received  from  the  sale  of  Indian  lands, 
which  are  called  trust  funds,  are  placed  in  approved  depositaries  which  have 
given  bonds  for  their  safe  keeping,  and  may  not  be  paid  out  without  authority 
from  the  Indian  Office  and  the  approval  of  the  superintendent  in  charge  of  the 
reservation.  The  Indian  can  not  draw  out  such  funds  at  will,  and  in  case  he 
incurs  debts  without  securing  previous  authority  he  is  not  at  liberty  to  pay  the 
same  from  his  trust  funds.  A  departmental  regulation  likewise  prohibits  the 
superintendent  from  recognizing  such  debts." 

These  extracts  from  Superintendent  Young's  article  give  a  conception  of 
the  state  of  affairs  on  the  Reservation  in  1911.  It  may  be  added  in  conclusion  that 
the  developments  since  that  date  have  been  in  general  highly  encouraging.  The 
Reservation  has  certainly  had  a  most  interesting  past,  and  at  the  date  of  publi- 
cation of  this  history  it  promises  much  for  the  future. 


PART  III 

COUNTY  DR-ISION  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  TWO 
YOUNGER  COUNTIES 

CHAPTER  I 

BEGINNINGS  IN  THE  KITTITAS  VALLEY 

FIRST      SETTLERS — WHEELER       BLOCK-HOUSE — BEGINNINGS       OF      IMPROVEMENTS 

ROADS  AND  BRIDGES — IRRIGATION MILLS — DEVELOPMENT  OF  MINERAL  RE- 
SOURCES— COAL — BEGINNINGS  OF  STOCKRAISING  AND  FARMING CORRESPOND- 
ENCE    FROM     THE     "standard" "tENDERFOOt"     TAKES     A     TRIP — TOWN     AND 

COUNTY — LETTER  FROM  SWAUK — HISTORY  OF  KITTITAS  VALLEY,  BY  THE 
SIXTH    GRADE,    EDISON    SCHOOL,    ELLENSBURG 

We  have  endeavored  in  the  two  preceding  parts  of  this  work  to  portray 
the  progress  of  the  Yakima  Valley  as  a  whole.  As  indicated  in  the  preface  we 
deem  the  preservation  of  the  unity  of  the  valley — geographically,  socially  and 
industrially — as  the  best  manner  of  exhibiting  its  history.  From  the  lakes  at 
the  head  of  the  river  to  its  entrance  into  the  Columbia,  there  is  a  natural  unity, 
even  in  the  midst  of  great  diversity.  Settlement  and  reclamation  did  not  halt  or 
change   for  any  artificial  boundaries,   even  after  county  lines  were   drawn. 

Yet  while  that  essential  unity  was  a  historical  fact  which  should  be  recog- 
nized, it  was  inevitable  that  the  immense  area  which  for  a  number  of  years  was 
a  political  unit  under  the  name  of  Yakima  County  should  be  subdivided.  It 
was  too  large  to  be  a  permanent  county.  The  chief  question  was  as  to  where 
the  lines  should  be  drawn  providing  for  one  or  more  separate  new  counties. 
County  division  questions,  like  county  seat  questions,  seem  usually  to  draw 
out  and  display  the  more  small  and  selfish  and  mercenary  side  of  the  popula- 
tion. In  not  many  cases  does  the  observer  of  such  contests,  or  the  historian  in 
his  investigation  of  the  current  press,  find  the  larger  and  further  vision  which 
would  seek  the  greatest  good  of  the  whole,  regardless  of  local  and  personal 
gain.  Yet,  in  spite  of  what  may  seem  in  the  retrospect  mean  and  selfish,  the 
historian  must  be  tolerant  of  the  motives  of  the  builders  in  their  policies  and 
actions  in  this  class  of  questions.  It  is  not  possible  for  the  foundation-makers 
of  a  new  region  to  disregard  these  matters  of  local  advantage  involved  in  taxa- 
tion, public  buildings,  roads,  school  districts,  courts,  public  offices,  and  all  the 
other  considerations  depending  upon  the  location  of  the  county  seat  or  of 
county  boundaries.  In  the  retrospect  a  policy  may  seem  very  petty,  which  at 
the  time  of  action  was  very  vital.  It  is  much  the  same  with  a  community  as 
with  a  family.  It  is  inevitable  that  at  some  time  the  children  leave  the  paternal 
home  and  establish  homes  of  their  own,  but  just  when  and  how — there's  the 
pinch — and  in  the  settlement  of  those  questions  the  difi^erences  of  the  family 
life  often  arise. 

As  we  observe  the  topography  of  the  Yakima  Valley  it  is  clear  that  when  a 
division  of  the  county  should  take  place  the  Kittitas  Valley  would  almost  cer- 
563 


564  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

tainly  become  the  first  new  political  unit.  Although  a  part  of  the  great  valley 
it  was  separated  from  the  central  and  lower  parts  by  the  extensive  and  rugged 
Yakima,  Umptanum,  and  Manashtash  ridges.  For  a  number  of  miles  the  river 
makes  its  turbulent  way  through  a  ragged  canyon  not  adapted  to  agriculture  or 
to  any  form  of  industry  by  which  any  considerable  population  would  be  sus- 
tained. It  would  seem  that  from  Indian  times  the  Kittitas  section,  while  in  a 
degree  the  resort  of  the  same  tribes  which  ranged  through  the  middle  and  lower 
parts  of  the  Yakima  Valley,  had  a  certain  separateness.  It  was  a  veritable  In- 
dian paradise  in  the  Summer  and  Autumn.  That  it  was  well  known  to  the 
earliest  white  fur  traders  appears  from  the  story  by  Alexander  Ross  of  his 
adventure  in  the  "Eyakama,"  by  which  he  evidently  meant  the  Kittitas. 

The  first  immigrant  train  to  pass  through  the  Kittitas  was  that  of  1853,  to 
which  David  Longmire  belonged,  and  of  which  we  have  given  a  full  account 
in  the  chapter  on  Immigration.  During  the  same  year  the  McClellan  survey 
was  in  progress.  Two  years  later  Charles  Splawn  passed  through  the  Kittitas. 
It  was  then  entirely  an  Indian  country  except  for  the  residence  upon  the  Man- 
ashtash, at  what  later  became  the  Barnes  place,  of  a  Catholic  priest.  In  1855- 
56,  during  the  great  Indian  War,  troops  of  white  soldiers  passed  through,  and 
there  was  much  movement  of  Indian  warriors  in  each  direction.  According  to 
A.  J.  Splawn,  as  quoted  in  the  History  of  Central  Washington,  a  trading  post 
was  located  by  Hald  and  Meigs  of  The  Dalles  in  1860  at  the  Manashtash  Ford, 
in  order  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  miners  bound  to  the  Similkameen.  This 
post  was  maintained  for  a  few  months  only.  Mr.  Splawn  himself  was  in  the 
Kittitas  section  in  1861  on  the  way  to  the  mines  with  cattle.  He  gives  a  pic- 
turesque account  of  it  in  these  words : 

"It  was  on  the  fourth  day  out  that  we  came  to  the  beautiful  Kittitas  Val- 
ley. This  valley,  as  it  looked  that  day  to  me,  a  boy  of  sixteen,  was  the  loveliest 
spot  I  had  ever  seen.  To  the  west  stood  the  great  Cascade  Range ;  to  the 
north  rose  the  snow-capped  peaks  of  the  Peshastin  to  guard  the  beautiful  val- 
ley below,  where  the  Yakima  River  wound  its  way  full-length,  while  from  the 
mountains  on  the  north  flowed  numerous  small  streams,  and  the  whole  plain 
was  covered  with  a  thick  coat  of  grass.  Sage  hens  and  prairie  chickens  and 
jack  rabbits  were  on  all  sides.  The  song  birds  were  singing  a  sweet  lullaby  to  the 
departing  day  and  the  howl  of  the  coyote  was  borne  on  the  evening  breeze.  As 
we  gazed  on  this  lovely  sight,  I  wondered  how  long  it  would  be  before  the 
smoke  would  be  curling  from  pioneer  homes,  for  there  the  settler  would  find 
a  paradise." 

FIRST    SETTLERS 

Into  this  paradise  which  Mr.  Splawn  so  picturesquely  describes  it  must 
needs  be  that  settlers  would  make  their  way.  The  valley  was  filled  with  In- 
dians, and  the  great  war  of  the  decade  of  the  fifties  was  not  so  remote  that  the 
first  settlers  felt  entirely  safe.  It  does  not  appear,  however,  that  there  ever 
was  any  real  Indian  trouble  in  the  Kittitas.  The  nearest  to  a  genuine  Indian 
scare  occurred  in  1878,  when  the  Bannock  War  and  the  Perkins  murders  and 
the  somewhat  enigmatical  movements  of  Chief  Moses  caused  anxiety  and  led 
even  to  the  building  of  stockades  at  sundry  places. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  565 

It  appears  that  at  the  time  of  the  coming  of  the  first  settlers  there  were  two 
bands  of  Indians,  one  under  Chief  Shushuskin  and  the  other  under  Chief  Alex. 
Much  is  said  with  respect  and  admiration  about  Shushuskin  by  the  early  set- 
tlers. It  appears  that  he  was  a  Yakima  Indian,  but  that  he  had  spent  some  time 
on  the  Sound.  He  is  said  to  have  brought  with  him  a  pony,  tools,  and  a  plow 
from  Nisqually.  He  also  brought  with  him  horses,  cows  and  pigs.  His  place 
was  on  what  became  the  John  Fogarty  place  about  seven  miles  northeast  of 
Ellensburg. 

It  is  commonly  said  by  the  old  timers  that  Shushuskin  raised  the  first  gar- 
den stuff  in  the  valley.  He  was  a  steadfast  friend  of  the  whites  and  acted  as  a 
go-between  in  case  of  danger  or  misunderstanding  with  the  Indians.  It  is 
said  that  on  one  occasion  he  was  very  roughly  handled  by  his  own  people  in 
consequence  of  his  friendliness  with  the  invaders.  There  seems  some  differ- 
ence of  opinion  as  to  the  final  end  of  this  kindly  native  chief,  but  the  excellent 
authority  of  Mr.  Austin  Mires  is  quoted  to  the  effect  that  Shushuskin  was 
buried  at  a  point  a  little  below  the  Tjossem  Mill. 

Into  the  idyllic  beauty  and  quietness  of  the  Kittitas  Valley  as  it  was  in  the 
middle  of  the  decade  of  the  sixties  began  to  come  the  land  hunters,  bound  for 
homes. 

The  first  entrance  into  the  valley  with  a  view  to  location,  occurred  in  1865, 
and  the  party  consisted  of  John  Roselle  with  his  family  and  his  son-in-law, 
William  Harrington.  This  initial  party  had  come  from  the  Moxee,  where  they 
had  arrived  a  short  time  before.  Their  first  Winter  in  Kittitas  was  one  of 
suff'ering  from  cold  and  hunger.  Hearing  of  their  distress,  F.  M.  Thorp,  that 
"Greatheart"'  of  the  early  settlers,  sent  Andrew  Gervais  to  conduct  the  Roselle 
party  to  Moxee.  They  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  what  became  the  city  of 
Yakima. 

In  1867  the  first  real  settlement  was  made.  This  was  effected  by  Frederick 
Ludi  and  John  Goller.  These  advance  guards  of  settlement  had  started  for 
Puget  Sound  across  the  Cascade  Mountains,  but  as  they  descended  the  Umpta- 
num  slopes  toward  the  Kittitas  they  were  enamoured  of  the  manifold  attractions 
of  the  valley  and  became  the  first  permanent  settlers.  Goller  became  generally 
known  as  "Dutch  John."  There  seems  to  have  been  a  "stray"  white  man, 
William  Wilson,  not  exactly  a  settler,  living  among  the  Indians  at  the  time  of 
the  arrival  of  Ludi  and  Goller.  From  him  Wilson  Creek,  flowing  through 
Ellensburg,  derived  its  name.  Wilson  does  not  seem  to  have  had  a  very  good 
name,  even  though  a  very  beautiful  little  stream  became  his  namesake,  and  he 
subsequently  was  drowned  in  Snake  River  while  trying  to  run  off  some  other 
man's  horses. 

Ludi  and  Goller  first  located  on  Manashtash  Creek  near  its  entrance  into 
the  Yakima.  But  being  somewhat  discouraged  by  the  extreme  cold  and  heavy 
snowfall  of  their  first  Winter  they  moved  in  the  next  year  and  located  on  what 
is  now  the  site  of  Ellensburg.  Ludi  raised  a  garden  in  1868  and  is  doubtless 
entitled  to  the  distinction  of  pioneer  horticulturist  in  the  Kittitas.  Goller  re- 
moved to  Wenatchee.  He  was  among  the  first  settlers  at  that  point.  Later  he 
became  a  resident  of  the  Colville  Reservation.  There  he  now  lives  at  the  age. 
so  he  declares,  of   105  years.     An   extended  account   of  him   has   recently  ap- 


566  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

peared  in  the  "Spokesman-Review."  Residents  of  Ellensburg  have  stated  to  the 
author  that,  though  very  old,  "Dutch  John"  can  hardly  have  passed  the  century 
mark. 

The  year  1868  marked  the  first  incoming  of  families.  On  June  16th  of 
that  year  Tillman  Houser  came  across  the  Cascade  Mountains  by  the  SnoquaL 
mie  Pass  from  Renton  near  Seattle  and  took  a  preemption  claim  on  Coleman 
Creek.  In  the  Autumn  of  that  year  he  returned  to  Renton  and  brought  back 
with  him  a  small  band  of  cattle.  Another  return  trip  and  back  again  to  his 
place  with  his  wife  and  children,  and  the  first  family  of  the  Kittitas  was  estab- 
lished. We  must,  however,  qualify  that  statement  a  little,  for  in  between  the 
successive  movements  of  Mr.  Houser  another  family  had  become  located.  This 
was  the  family  consisting  of  Charles  Splawn  and  wife.  Mr.  Splawn  located  a 
place  on  Taneum  Creek  in  August.  Returning  to  his  former  home  in  Moxce 
he  brought  back  to  the  new  home  on  the  Taneum  his  wife,  who  antedated  Mrs. 
Houser  by  a  few  weeks  and  thus  appears  in  history  as  the  first  white  woman 
in  the  Kittitas  Valley.  Mrs.  Splawn  was  Dulcina  Thorp,  a  member  of  the  first 
family  on  the  Moxee.  As  noted  earlier,  the  marriage  of  Charles  Splawn  and 
Dulcina  Thorp  was  the  first  matrimonial  event  in  Yakima.  The  wedding  oc- 
curred at  Fort  Simcoe  in  1863,  Father  Wilbur  being  the  officiating  authority. 
A  son  was  born  in  Moxee  to  the  newly  married  couple  at  the  close  of  that  year, 
but  he  died  in  infancy.  There  seems  some  difference  of  statement  as  to  the 
first  birth  in  both  Yakima  and  Kittitas.  It  has  been  stated  that  the  son  of 
Charles  Splawn,  born  in  Moxee,  was  the  first  to  be  born  in  Yakima  County. 
We  find,  however,  in  the  "Kittitas  Standard"  of  March  21,  1885,  the  state- 
ment that  the  birth  of  Rufus  Clifford  Thorp,  son  of  F.  M.  Thorp,  occurred 
on  April  3,  1862,  also  in  Moxee.  A  daughter,  Viola,  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Splawn  at  their  place  on  Taneum  Creek  in  1869.  This  is  stated  in  the 
History  of  Central  Washington  to  have  been  the  first  birth  of  a  white  child  in  the 
Kittitas.  We  are  informed,  however,  by  Mrs.  William  Taylor  that  the  birth 
of  twins  to  Mrs.  Martin  Davern  occurred  in  1869  before  that  of  Viola  Splawn. 
The  Davems  were  making  their  way  from  the  Sound  across  the  mountains  and 
down  the  Yakima,  and  were  camping  under  a  thorn  tree  near  the  subsequent 
location  of  Tjossem's  Mill,  when  the  twins  arrived.  One  of  the  twins,  Philena, 
now  Mrs.  Phil  Fitterer,  lives  in  Ellensburg  at  the  present  time.  There  were  three 
children  in  the  Houser  family  at  the  time  of  their  arrival :  Sarah,  Harrison  and 
Clarence.  Sarah  became  Mrs.  Messerly  and  now  lives  at  Wenatchee.  Perniua 
Houser  was  born  at  the  place  on  Coleman  Creek  on  December  17 .  1869.  She 
became  the  wife  of  William  German  in  1888.  Mr.  German  subsequently  ac- 
quired the  original  Tillman  Houser  place  and  that  is  the  family  residence  at  the 
present  day.  It  would  appear  from  this  narration  that  the  earliest  births  in 
Kittitas  County  were  of  the  twin  daughters  of  the  Daverns,  then  Viola  Splawn, 
and  then  Pernina  Houser.  Two  other  children,  Alvy  and  Amelia,  were  born  in 
the  Houser  home.  Alvy  now  lives  in  Yakima,  and  Amelia,  now  Mrs.  C.  C. 
Churchill,  lives  in  a  beautiful  home  on  Craig  hill.  Mrs.  Charles  Splawn  died  in 
1870,  and  in  1873  Mr.  Splawn  married  Melissa  Thorp,  sister  of  his  first  wife. 
She  is  still  living  near  the  town  of  Thorp  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Bruton. 

In  1869  there  was  quite  an  influx  of  settlers  into  Kittitas.  The  most  not- 
able was  that  prince  of  pioneers,  F.  Mortimer  Thorp  of  Moxee.     He  was  a 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  567 

true  type  of  the  restless,  adventurous,  aspiring  frontiersman,  who  cannot  be 
content  with  fixed  conditions,  but  must  pull  up  stakes  and  start  on  just  when  he 
has  become  fairly  established.  It  is  a  noble  breed  of  men,  and  America  would 
not  have  become  America  without  that  type.  In  the  same  year  came  Moses 
Splawn  and  A.  J.  Splawn.  Martin  Davern,  father  of  the  twins  of  the  previous 
year,  returned  and  located  near  the  present  Ellensburg.  Charles  B.  Reed,  later 
one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  builders,  located  on  Cooke  Creek,  but  moved 
soon  to  the  Manashtash.  Three  bachelors,  W.  A.  Bull,  Thomas  Haley  and 
Patrick  Lynch,  took  claims  east  of  the  present  Ellensburg.  William  Johnson, 
sometimes  called  "Windy"  Johnson,  another  bachelor,  located  on  Wilson  Creek. 
George  Gillespie  took  a  place  near  Bull's  claim.  Matthias  Becker,  W.  H. 
Crockett,  A.  A.  Bell,  Fred  Bennett,  William  Dennis,  John  Vaughn,  George 
Hull,  S.  R.  Geddis,  George  and  JefT  Smith,  W.  H.  Kiester,  and  John  Schmidt 
are  mentioned  by  the  old-timers  as  having  come  the  same  year  of  1869.  Jef¥ 
Smith  drove  the  first  wagon  over  the  Snoqualmie  Pass  to  Kittitas. 

There  seem  to  have  been  four  special  centers  of  settlement  in  those  first 
years.  One  was  on  Coleman  and  Cooke  creeks  at  the  foot  of  the  hills  on  the 
north  side  of  the  valley;  another  about  six  or  eight  miles  northeast  of  Ellens- 
burg in  the  heart  of  the  valley ;  a  third  southeast  of  Ellensburg  in  the  settle- 
ment known  afterwards  as  Denmark ;  and  the  fourth  on  the  west  side  on  the 
Taneum  and  Manashtash  creeks.  Within  a  few  years  the  settlers  became  quite 
widely  scattered,  but  those  four  localities  seem  to  have  been  the  special  points 
to  work  from.  Early  locators  always  reckoned  on  the  two  vital  necessities  of 
wood  and  water.  Very  few  looked  forward  to  irrigation  on  a  large  scale  but 
most  of  them  recognized  the  need  of  command  of  flowing  streams  by  which 
the  individual  farmers  or  small  group  of  famers  could  provide  their  own  prem- 
ises with  a  sufficient  water  supply.  Hence  the  first  comers  tried  to  find  loca- 
tions accessible  to  the  creeks  flowing  from  the  north  across  the  plain  on  the 
east  side,  Reeser,  Wilson,  Naneum,  Coleman,  Cooke,  Caribou,  and  Raske,  or  to 
the  Taneum  and  Manashtash  on  the  west  side,  or  upon  the  Yakima  itself.  At 
the  same  time  they  endeavored  to  join  to  the  advantage  of  water  that  of  timber. 
It  has  been  stated  to  the  author  by  Mr.  Gerrit  d'  Ablaing  that  in  a  general  way, 
though  of  course  with  exceptions,  the  settlers  from  The  Dalles  or  from  Oregon 
by  way  of  that  point  made  their  locations  on  the  east  side  of  the  valley,  while 
those  on  the  west  side  were  made  mainly  by  people  from  the  Sound  or  the  East, 

In  1870  and  1871  many  of  those  destined  to  be  the  great  builders  of  the 
valley  and  of  Ellensburg  were  added  to  the  population.  In  1870  came  Charles 
P.  Cooke,  a  leader  of  thought  and  action  in  the  early  settlement  of  Yakima. 
With  him  were  his  wife  and  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  family  located 
on  the  creek  which  received  its  name  from  them  and  only  a  short  distance  from 
the  Houser  claim.     Mrs.  Cooke  still  lives  on  the  place. 

The  first  wedding  in  Kittitas  occurred  in  1872.  That  first  pair  was 
Charles  Coleman  and  Clara  Cooke,  daughter  of  C.  P.  Cooke.  The  wedding 
occurred  at  the  home  of  Matthias  Becker  and  the  officiating  magistrate  was 
Probate  Judge  Charles  Splawn. 

The  other  daughter  of  Mr.  Cooke,  Eliza,  became  the  wife  of  Henr)^ 
Schnebly  and  lives  in  Ellensburg  at  the  present  time.  In  1871  D.  J.  Schnebly 
came  with  his  family,  his  sons  Charles  and  Henry  locating  on  Cooke  Creek  and 


568  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  X'ALLEY 

engaging  in  the  stock  business.  The  Schnebly  family  was  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant and  influential  of  all  the  builders  of  the  valley.  Mr.  Schnebly  was  a 
man  of  education  and  of  literary  attainments  and  became  one  of  the  great  land- 
marks in  the  newspaper  history  of  central  Washington.  He  was  the  founder 
of  the  "Localizer"  and  for  many  years  was  a  leader  of  thought  in  the  valley. 
Of  his  newspaper  career  we  give  views  in  other  chapters.  Mr.  Schnebly 
made  a  large  place  in  the  life  of  the  community  and  his  sons  and  daughters 
worthily  continued  his  influence.  The  sons  Charles  and  Henry  are  leading 
farmers,  while  the  daughter  Jean,  Mrs.  John  B.  Davidson,  has  been  one  of  the 
great  influences  for  education,  culture  and  public  improvement  in  Ellensburg 
and  vicinity.  For  seven  years  city  librarian,  Mrs.  Davidson  very  nearly  created 
that  important  agency  for  public  improvement.  Mary  (Mrs.  Fred  Adams) 
another  daughter  of  Mr.  Schnebly,  lived  for  a  number  of  years  at  Walla  Walla  and 
then  went  with  her  family  to  San  Diego,  Califomia,  where  she  died.  The  wife  of 
Mr.  Schnebly  was  Margaretta  Painter,  a  member  of  one  of  the  leading  pioneer 
families,  representatives  of  which  have  been  well  known  in  Ellensburg  and 
Walla  Walla,  as  well  as  on  the  west  side  of  the  Cascades. 

The  year  1871  saw  the  arrival  in  the  Kittitas  of  the  man  who  beyond  all 
others  may  be  called  the  father  of  Ellensburg.  This  was  John  Alden  Shoudy. 
From  his  wife,  Mary  Ellen  Stewart  of  California,  the  metropolis  of  the  Kittitas 
received  its  name,  and  a  considerable  part  of  the  town  was  laid  out  on  land 
belonging  to  Mr.  Shoudy.  He  had  come  to  the  Pacific  Coast  from  Illinois,  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  and  had  become  engaged  in  business  with  his  broth- 
er-in-law. Dexter  Horton,  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  Seattle's  capitalists 
and  founder  of  one  of  the  greatest  banking  houses  of  that  city.  In  1871  a 
proposition  developed  in  Seattle  to  make  an  improved  road  connection  with  the 
Yakima  country.  As  a  representative  of  this  movement,  Mr.  Shoudy  went  to 
the  valley  in  that  year.  The  visit  resulted  in  his  permanent  residence  and  in  the 
founding  of  the  town.  Of  the  details  of  his  acquisition  of  A.  J.  Splawn's  "Rob- 
ber's Roost"  store  and  the  laying  out  of  the  claim  which  Mr.  Splawn  "threw  in" 
with  the  store,  we  shall  speak  in  more  detail  in  the  chapter  on  Ellensburg. 
Suffice  it  to  say  here  that  Mr.  Shoudy  became  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  valley, 
and  as  a  representative  to  the  legislature  and  a  member  of  the  constitutional 
convention  he  bore  an  honorable  part  in  the  politics  and  laws  of  the  rapidly 
developing  state  of  Washington. 

Others  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  residents  of  the  valley,  many  of 
whom  are  living  now  in  Ellensburg  or  vicinity,  came  in  1870  or  1871  or  1872. 
Of  these  we  may  name  Mrs.  Austin  Mires  (Mary  L.  Rowland),  who  came 
with  her  mother  and  stepfather,  H.  H.  Davies,  to  the  Kittitas  in  1871.  A  leader 
in  all  the  activities  of  the  community,  Mrs.  Mires  has  also  been  a  student  of  the 
history  of  the  section  and  she  and  her  husband  have  accumulated  a  most  valu- 
able store  of  historical  matter.  Another  of  the  honored  families  of  the  valley 
was  that  of  A.  B.  Whitson  with  his  sons  Edward  and  Albert,  the  former  of 
whom  became  one  of  the  foremost  early  lawyers  of  Yakima  and  subsequently 
one  of  the  Federal  judges  of  the  Eastern  District  of  the  state.  The  Whitson 
place  was  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  early  settlements.  In  the  same  region 
settled  Mr.  J.  G.  Olding  with  his  family.    The  Oldings  drove  from  Walla  Walla 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ALLEY  569 

with  ox-teams.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olding  are  still  living.  In  1870  came  one  of 
the  present  residents  of  EUensburg,  who,  it  is  safe  to  say,  has  been  more  pumped 
for  historical  information  than  any  other  man  in  EUensburg  and  to  whom  the  au- 
thor of  this  work  is  especially  indebted.  This  is  William  (commonly  known  as 
"Bill"  to  his  admiring  neighbors)  Taylor.  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  veritable  treasury  of  in- 
teresting incidents  and  reminiscences  of  the  early  days.  He  is  a  typical  Oregonian 
and  came  from  the  "Webfoot  country"  to  the  Kittitas  as  a  boy.  He  worked 
for  the  farmers  on  Coleman  and  Cooke  creeks  and  hauled  lumber  for  the  first 
building  in  EUensburg  from  the  Damman  and  Tjossem  Mill  on  Naneum  Creek. 
Mr.  Taylor  had  many  adventures  with  Indians  all  the  way  up  to  Moses  himself, 
whom  he  pronounces  a  great  coward  and  by  no  means  the  picturesque  hero  that 
some  have  portrayed  him.  He  tells  us  that  some  of  the  structures  for  defense 
built  during  the  periods  of  Indian  scares  are  still  in  existence.  One  of  those 
is  the  remains  of  a  stockade  on  the  Wheeler  ranch,  part  only  of  which  still 
exists,  and  it  is  used  for  a  barn.  A  fort  was  built  on  the  Whitson  ranch.  A 
stockade  was  also  built  in  the  town. 

In  a  group  of  historical  essays  prepared  by  students  of  the  Normal  School 
which  Professor  Smyser  has  been  so  kind  as  to  place  at  our  disposal  we  find 
so  readable  and  valuable  an  account  of  the  Wheeler  and  Whitson  settlements 
in  the  valley  and  the  stockades  upon  their  places,  that  we  incorporate  it  here. 
It  is  the  work  of  Birdie  Clareta  Smith,  student  of  the  Normal. 

The  Wheeler  Block-House. 
(By  Birdie  Clareta  Smith.) 

October  7,  1917,  my  sister  and  I  went  to  see  the  old  Wheeler  block-house. 
The  Wheeler  homestead  is  about  seven  miles  from  EUensburg  and  one  mile 
south  of  Kittitas. 

Charles  Wheeler  and  his  wife  crossed  the  plains  in  1850,  going  to  Yelm 
Prairie,  where  they  lived  for  seventeen  years.  In  1869  l\Ir.  Wheeler  and  his 
oldest  son,  George  W.,  came  to  the  Kittitas  Valley  looking  for  range  for  their 
stock.  George  was  twelve  years  old  at  this  time.  In  1870  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheeler 
with  their  family  of  six  children  moved  to  Kittitas,  crossing  the  mountains  with 
an  ox-team.  In  the  Spring  of  1871  they  built  a  small  log  cabin.  This  cabin 
was  built  of  hewn  cottonwood  logs ;  the  ends  of  the  logs  were  dovetailed  together 
and  pinned  with  wooden  pins.  The  windows  and  door  frames  were  also  pinned 
in  with  wooden  pins.  The  roof  and  floor  were  of  dirt  and  a  huge  fireplace  filled 
the  east  end  of  the  cabin.  The  fireplace  was  built  of  rock  filled  in  with  mud  and 
the  chimney  was  made  of  sticks  and  mud.  The  cabin  is  built  but  a  few  feet 
from  the  west  bank  of  Cherry  Creek,  facing  the  south.  There  was  one  small 
window  and  a  door  in  the  front,  a  window  in  the  west  end  and  a  door  in  the 
north.  The  doors  were  fastened  with  wooden  thumb  latches  lifting  with  a  buck- 
skin string  from  the  outside. 

The  W'heeler  family  and  their  few  neighbors  used  this  cabin  for  many  social 
affairs,  dancing  being  the  favorite  anuisement.  Grandfather  \\'heeler  furnished 
the  music,  for  he  was  a  famous  "fiddler" ;  and  I  am  told  that  at  several  of  the 
dances  the  dust  was  so  thick  it  was  impossible  to  see  one's  partner. 


570  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY 

A  few  years  later  an  addition  was  built  onto  the  west  end  of  the  cabin. 
New  floors  were  put  down  and  a  new  roof  added  to  the  old  part.  The  roof  and 
floor  were  of  rough  boards  sawed  with  a  whipsaw  at  Jordan's  mill  in  the  Naneum 
canyon.  Yet,  with  this  addition,  by  the  time  their  own  small  children  and  the 
small  children  of  their  neighbors  were  put  to  bed  there  was  very  little  room  left 
for  dancing.  It  was  customary  at  these  pioneer  parties  for  the  guests  to  remain 
all  night,  returning  home  the  next  morning. 

It  was  during  the  Indian  trouble  of  1878  that  the  second  story  of  the  cabin 
was  built,  making  a  block-house.  This  part  was  of  logs,  built  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  first  part  and  projected  over  the  lower  story.  There  were  eight 
portholes  on  each  side  and  two  on  each  end.  This  new  story  of  the  house  was 
floored  with  dressed  lumber  and,  being  all  in  one  room,  it  was  with  much 
hilarious  fun  they  gathered  for  the  first  dance. 

A  few  years  ago  the  upper  part  of  the  old  cabin  was  moved  over  to  the 
present  home  of  A.  Wheeler  and  is  used  for  a  barn.  The  cabin  is  neglected  but 
there  are  many  things  as  they  were  in  the  early  days.  The  peg.  a  part  of  every 
log  cabin,  is  still  in  the  north  wall  and  the  little  platform  for  the  "fiddler"  to 
sit  on  is  still  in  the  cabin.  The  doors  and  windows  are  gone,  except  the  door 
on  the  north.  The  fireplace  was  boarded  up  and  the  stairs  moved  from  inside 
the  cabin  to  the  outside  on  the  east  end.  The  old  orchard  of  apples  and  plums 
raised  from  seeds  planted  by  Mrs.  Wheeler  is  still  alive  :  the  fruit  is  of  very 
good  quality. 

The  years  with  their  sunshine  and  rain  have  softened  and  colored  the  logs 
of  the  old  cabin  to  a  dull  gray  velvet  and  have  found  their  way  through  the 
roof.  Although  the  cabin  was  ready  at  any  time  to  do  its  part  as  a  block-house 
it  was  never  used  for  that  purpose. 

Grandfather  Wheeler  died  in  February,  1882,  in  this  cabin.  Grandmother 
Wheeler  continued  to  live  on  the  homestead  until  her  death  in  May,  1917. 


In  the  summer  of  1877.  came  a  rumor  of  Indian  troubles  and  as  there  were 
no  block-houses  at  that  time,  the  people  gathered  at  dift'erent  homes,  generally 
selecting  the  home  having  the  largest  cabin. 

The  settlers  of  the  west  side  of  the  river  seem  to  have  been  less  troubled 
by  the  Indians  than  those  living  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  One  reason  may 
have  been  that  there  were  more  early  settlers  in  the  east  of  the  valley  and  they 
were  closer  to  the  hills  that  were  the  home  of  the  Indians.  Those  Indians  living 
in  the  valley  were  the  friends  of  the  white  people,  and  were  as  afraid  of  the 
Columbia  River  Indians  as  were  the  pioneers.  In  fact,  during  1877  and  1878, 
some  of  the  valley  Indians  went  to  the  Puget  Sound  country  where  they  would 
have  better  protection. 

In  June.  1877,  the  people  northwest  of  Ellensburg  gathered  at  the  Shaser 
home,  staying  there  nights  and  going  home  to  their  work  during  the  day.  The 
Shaser  cabin  was  built  on  what  is  now  the  Dunning  ranch,  by  George  Shaser 
in  1870.  George  Shaser  and  his  wife  were  married  while  crossing  the  plains  in 
1845.  Mrs.  Shaser  was  but  thirteen  years  old  when  married.  They  went  to 
Oregon,  where  they  lived  until  1847  when  they  moved  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Nisqually  River.     In  the  fall  of  1869  Mr.  Shaser  came  to  Kittitas  looking  for 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  571 

range  for  his  stock.  The  next  Spring,  Mt.  and  i\Irs.  Shaser  with  their  family 
of  twelve  children  came  to  the  Kittitas  Valley  by  The  Dalles  road.  Their 
cabin,  like  the  other  log  cabins  in  the  valley,  was  built  of  hand-hewn  logs  pinned 
together  with  wooden  pins.  The  roof  and  floor  were  of  dirt.  In  1878,  when 
rumors  of  Indian  trouble  were  of  almost  daily  occurrence,  the  Shaser  cabin  was 
made  into  a  blockhouse,  but  was  never  used  for  that  purpose. 

In  1877,  the  people  of  the  southeast  part  of  the  valley  gathered  at  the  home 
of  S.  B.  Olmstead.  Mr.  Olmstead  crossed  the  plains  in  1849,  going  to  Cali- 
fornia. Later  Mr.  Olmstead  lived  in  Oregon  and  in  September,  1876,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Olmstead  moved  to  the  Kittitas  Valley,  riding  horseback  across  the  moun- 
tains. Their  cabin  was  built  similar  to  the  other  cabins  of  hewn  logs  and 
wooden  pins  except  that  when  first  built,  the  floor  and  roof  were  of  boards. 
The  fireplace  was  built  of  stones  filled  in  with  mud  with  a  chimney  of  sticks 
and  mud.  The  doors  were  fastened  with  a  long,  stout  wooden  bar.  This  bar 
was  put  through  a  large  ring  made  from  an  iron  bar.  The  windows  were  small, 
each  containing  only  four  small  panes  of  glass.  As  everything  about  the  early 
log  cabins  was  built  very  substantially,  the  people  had  reason  to  feel  fairly  safe 
in  them.  Some  of  the  families  that  were  at  the  Olmstead  home  were  Charles 
Wheeler,  James  Ferguson.  John  McEwen,  A.  Curtis,  Dan  Wigle.  During  the 
night,  George  Wheeler  and  Mr.  McEwen  stood  guard. 

Doubtless  the  greatest  excitement  over  the  Indians  was  the  evening  of  June 
— ,  1877,  when  there  came  word  that  the  Indians  had  killed  the  people  on  the 
Wenatchee  Mountains  and  were  then  in  the  upper  part  of  the  valley.  People 
lost  no  time  in  letting  their  neighbors  know  the  state  of  affairs  and  it  was  decided 
that  they  would  all  go  to  Ellensburgh.  Horses  were  quickly  caught  and  hitched 
to  the  wagons  and  the  families  were  on  their  way  to  town.  From  all  directions 
in  the  clear  Summer  air  could  be  heard  the  rattle  of  the  heavy  linchpin  wagons. 
To  add  to  the  din  the  wagon  boxes  were  made  of  small  cottonwood  logs.  It 
was  about  eleven  o'clock  that  night  when  people  began  to  arrive  at  the  Shoudy 
store.  The  people  in  town  were  fast  asleep,  not  having  heard  that  the  Indians 
were  coming  into  the  valley ;  the  settlers  of  the  east  part  of  the  country  always 
heard  all  Indian  rumors  first.  Shoudy  had  a  few  guns  and  some  ammunition 
but  there  were  not  enough  guns  for  everyone.  The  people  were  not  lacking 
for  courage  but  had  very  little  to  back  their  courage  up  with.  The  night  was 
spent  quietly  and  in  the  morning  the  people  returned  to  their  homes.  They 
decided  that  something  must  be  done,  some  place  made  safe  for  them  against 
the  Indians.  As  a  result  of  this  decision  the  different  block-houses  were  built, 
some  at  once  and  others  that  Fall. 

What  was  known  as  the  Grange  Hall  on  the  Whitson  place,  now  owned  by 
Wager,  was  moved  closer  to  the  creek  and  a  stockade  built  around  it.  The 
Grange  Hall  was  just  a  log  house  built  and  used  for  a  public  gathering  place, 
a  Grange  had  been  organized  in  the  valley  and  the  hall  was  built  although  the 
Grange  had  been  disbanded  before  this.  The  stockade  was  built  of  small  trees 
or  posts  set  on  end  around  the  house,  just  outside  the  stockade  a  deep  trench 
was  dug  and  the  dirt  thrown  against  the  posts.  A  lookout  tower  was  also  a 
part  of  the  defense.  Tall  poles  were  stood  up  and  a  small  platform  built  at  the 
top.     From  this  platform  the  valley  and  foothills  could  be  plainly  seen,  as  there 


572  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

were  no  trees  except  along  the  creeks  where  low  brush  grew.  During  the  day 
they  left  the  block-house,  going  over  to  the  creek  by  the  spring,  and  back  to  the 
block-house  at  night.  Guards  were  stationed  and  everything  made  safe  as  pos- 
sible for  the  night.  Some  of  the  men  went  to  their  homes  through  the  day, 
cutting  hay  and  doing  other  work.  A  number  of  families  in  the  east  part  of 
the  valley  did  not  go  to  the  Grange  Hall,  S.  B.  Olmstead's  family  being  among 
those  who,  for  various  reasons,  remained  at  their  homes.  Mr.  Olmstead  was 
ill  and  unable  to  go  back  and  forth  to  his  ranch  as  many  did  and  felt  that  his 
family  was  as  safe  in  their  home  as  at  the  block-house.  A  friend,  L.  Grewell, 
stayed  with  them.  They  made  a  deep  trench  around  each  window  and  in  the 
trench  stood  small  Cottonwood  logs ;  this  made  a  sort  of  stockade.  Large  barrels 
filled  with  water  were  kept  in  the  kitchen.  Guns  and  ammunition  were  very 
scarce  in  1877,  but  they  seemed  to  have  been  fairly  well  supplied.  Between 
them  they  had  a  needle  gun,  a  muzzle-loading  gun  and  a  revolver!  The  cart- 
ridges used  were  interesting,  they  were  made  of  heavy  brown  paper,  rolled  into 
a  small  tube  and  filled  with  powder  and  the  end  twisted.  This  end  was  bitten 
off  when  loading  the  gun. 

A  rather  amusing  incident  happened  at  this  time.  One  sultry  afternoon 
the  guard  in  the  lookout  tower  of  Grange  Hall  saw  a  great  cloud  of  dust  coming 
from  the  hills  north  of  the  valley.  Quickly  it  was  seen  that  the  dust  cloud  was 
made  by  a  band  of  Indian  ponies.  The  alarm  was  given,  and  every  one  made 
a  rush  for  the  block-house,  the  gate  was  not  wide  enough,  but  at  last,  breathless 
and  hatless,  everyone  was  inside  and  the  gate  closed.  Closer  came  the  ponies, 
until,  when  within  a  mile  of  the  block-house  it  could  be  seen  that  it  was  merely 
a  herd  of  wild  ponies.  Almost  simultaneously  with  this  discovery,  Billy  Smith 
rode  up  to  the  gate.  He  seemed  to  have  a  sense  of  humor  for  early  that  morn- 
ing he  had  gone  to  the  hills  after  horses.  Coming  home,  he  drove  them  at 
break-neck  speed  toward  the  block-house,  and  when  within  a  mile  or  so  from 
there,  under  the  screen  of  dust  he  left  the  horses  and  made  his  way  to  the  creek 
where  the  brush  made  an  efifective  cover. 

There  is  nothing  now  remaining  of  the  Shaser  block-house.  'Sir.  Shaser 
has  been  dead  for  many  years.  Mrs.  Shaser  is  living  with  her  son  at  Cashmere, 
Washington. 

The  log  cabin  on  the  Olmstead  farm  is  in  fairly  good  repair  and  looks  very 
much  as  it  did  when  first  built. 

For  several  years  the  Grange  Hall  was  used  for  a  schoolhouse.  Mrs.  Sam 
Thomas  teaching  the  school.     There  is  nothing  left  of  the  building  now. 

Sources  of  information :  Letters  and  Papers,  G.  ^^'.  Smith,  George  Wheeler, 
Phil  S.  Olmstead,  Indians. 

[End  of  Miss  Smith's  Article] 

Xiow  to  return  to  the  early  experience  of  Mr.  Taylor ;  he  drove  a  band  of 
four  thousand  cattle  from  The  Dalles  to  British  Columbia  in  1870.  They 
were  obliged  to  cross  the  Columbia  River  twice.  The  crossing  was  a  great 
adventure.  About  nine  hundred  cattle  were  driven  across  at  a  time,  and 
though  there  was  so  much  confusion  and  danger  but  few  were  lost.  In  1877 
Mr.  Taylor  acquired  what  becaine  later  the  Kinney  place.     He  traded   for  a 


DR.  JOHN   ROBBINS'  CABIN,  SPRINGFIELD  FARM,  NORTH   ELLENSBURG, 
CLAIMED  IN  MAY,  1878 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  573 

horse  and  saddle  this  place  which  later  was  worth  $25,000.  Subsequently,  Mr. 
Taylor  acquired  the  place  later  known  as  the  George  and  Jeff  Smith  place,  seven 
miles  northeast  of  Ellensburgh.  Mrs.  Taylor  (Mary  Grewell)  is  nearly  as 
old  a  pioneer  as  her  husband,  having  come  in  1873.  Her  brother,  E.  D. 
Grewell,  located  in  the  section  known  as  "Denmark"  in  1871.  Mrs.  Taylor, 
while  still  Mary  Grewell,  taught  the  first  school  in  the  neighborhood.  District 
No.  12,  in  1876. 

Besides  those  named  above,  the  following  should  be  recorded  as  belonging 
to  the  honorable  company  of  these  earliest  builders.  Each  is  worthy  of  ex- 
tended notice,  but  the  limits  of  this  chapter  forbid  further  enlargement,  and 
we  may  only  say  that  most  of  those  here  named  lived  many  years  in  the  valley, 
some  of  them  are  still  living  in  honored  old  age,  and  their  descendants  now 
occupy  leading  places  in  all  lines  of  business  enterprise  and  professional  life. 
This  list  can  not  in  the  nature  of  the  case  be  exhaustive,  but  we  endeavor  to 
give  here  those  who  became  permanent  residents  not  later  than  1872.  Thomas 
Goodwin,  Benton  Goodwin,  W.  H.  Donald,  James  McDonald,  Fenton  McDonald, 
H.  Packwood,  J.  H.  McEwen,  M.  M.  Damman,  J.  D.  Damman,  James  Fergu- 
son, Hugh  Perry,  J.  M.  Perry,  C.  A.  Sanders,  W.  A.  Stevens,  William  Dennis, 
William  Lewis,  E.  E.  Erickson,  Mr.  Reeser,  J.  E.  Bates,  David  Fisher,  J.  E. 
Voice,  August  Nesselhouse,  J.  D.  Dysert,  G.  W.  Parrish,  Elias  Messerly,  F. 
M.  Frisbie,  W.  H.  Beck.  J.  D.  Olmstead,  Jacob  Becker,  George  Wheeler, 
Daniel  Wigle,  Robert  Wallace,  C.  B.  Walker,  George  Hull,  Charles  H.  Wheeler, 
George   Robinson,  Dr.   Robbins. 

Most  of  those  named  above  had  families,  though  a  number  were  bachelors. 
Some  of  the  earliest  settlers  were  "squaw  men." 

BEGINNING    OF    IMPROVEMENTS 

The  year  1870  may  be  considered  as  the  central  date  of  beginnings.  If 
we  were  to  select  five  fundamental  agencies  of  public  improvements  most  essen- 
tial in  the  Kittitas  \'alley  they  would  probably  be  postofhces,  roads  and  bridges, 
irrigation,  schools  and  churches,  and  saw  mills.  We  shall  endeavor  to  give  in 
this  stage  of  our  story  some  view  of  each  of  these  fundamental  agencies  in  com- 
munity life. 

The  first  attempt  at  a  postoffice  was  a  private  affair  started  by  Charles 
Splawn  in  1868.  Upon  the  arrival  the  next  year  of  F.  M.  Thorp  into  the  same 
neighborhood  he  joined  with  Mr.  Splawn  in  the  maintenance  of  that  first  sys- 
tem of  communication.  They  employed  an  Indian  to  make  a  weekly  trip  to  Seattle. 
In  1869  a  United  States  postoffice  was  established  on  Mr.  Thorp's  place  on  Taneum 
Creek.  W.  A.  Bull  was  postmaster  at  the  settlement  on  Naneum  Creek.  That 
office  was  later  moved  to  the  place  of  J.  D.  Olmstead.  We  are  informed  by 
Mr.  William  Taylor  that  the  office  on  the  Naneum  preceded  that  on  the  Taneum. 
In  1870  the  Taneum  office  was  discontinued  and  in  place  of  it  an  office  was 
established  at  the  place  of  J.  L.  Vaughn.  This  is  often  referred  to  as  the  oldest 
postoffice  in  the  county.  That  statement  is  not  strictly  correct,  though  it  was 
the  first  which  became  permanent. 


574  HISTURY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  office  on  the  Xaneum  had  only  a  short  hfe.  In  1872  an  office  was 
opened  in  Ellensburgh  in   .Mr.  Shoudy's  store. 

RO.VDS    AND    BRIDGES 

Practically  the  only  business  in  Kittitas  in  that  first  stage  was  that  of  cattle 
raising.  Men  pretty  nearly  lived  on  horseback.  In  those  conditions  roads  and 
bridges  were  not  so  likely  to  be  a  subject  of  pressing  demand  as  in  regions  of 
other  occupations.  Furthermore  the  creeks  were  all  easily  crossed  in  ordinary 
weather.  The  Yakima  itself  did  not,  except  in  flood  stage,  present  any  in- 
superable obstacle  to  cattle  or  to  men  accustomed  to  the  life  of  the  range. 

The  general  dry  climate  and  open  expanses  of  the  Valley  also  caused  road 
building  to  seem  less  urgent  than  would  have  been  the  case  in  some  pioneer 
regions.  However,  with  increase  of  settlement  and  especially  with  the  be- 
ginnings of  agriculture  and  the  starting  of  the  town,  the  need  of  better  roads 
became  apparent.  The  greatest  need  was  manifestly  for  bridges  connecting  the 
settlement  on  the  Taneum  and  Manashtash  with  that  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river.  The  Manashtash  ford  was  the  one  most  used.  The  first  improvement 
over  the  ford  was  the  ferry  established  there  by  J.  D.  Olnistead. 

Two  bridges  were  built  across  the  river,  one  above  and  one  below  the  ferry. 
The  upper  bridge  was  built  by  Jacob  Durr  in  1880.  It  was  designed  as  a  toll 
bridge,  but  when  the  owner  undertook  to  collect  tolls  he  found  that  the  people 
would  rather  take  the  chances  of  fording  in  ordinary  weather  than  of  paying 
toll.  Being  somewhat  embarrassed  financially  by  this  disappointment,  Mr.  Durr 
was  obliged  to  raise  money  in  some  way  to  pay  the  workmen  who  had  built  the 
bridge.  Accordingly  he  offered  to  the  public  yearly  passes  on  the  bridge  for 
$25  and  life  passes  for  $50.  A  good  many  of  the  farmers,  especially  those  on 
the  west  side,  perceiving  the  general  benefit  of  the  bridge  and  recognizing  the 
fact  that  it  was  a  big  undertaking  for  those  times  and  worthy  of  support,  pur- 
chased these  passes,  and  thus  the  enterprising  builder  was  pulled  out  of  the 
hole.  Subsequently  this  bridge  was  acquired  by  the  county  and  became  a  free 
bridge.  It  was  known  for  some  years  as  the  Durr  bridge,  but  more  recently 
has  been  called  the  upper  bridge.  The  lower  bridge  was  built  in  1884  by  Fred- 
erick Leonhard,  who  was  engaged  in  the  lumbering  business  with  his  brother- 
in-law,  Geritt  d'.^blaing,  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  Ellensburg.  The 
lower  bridge  was  also  acquired  later  by  Kittitas  County. 

The  roads  throughout  the  level  parts  of  the  \'"alley,  east  and  west,  largely 
made  themselves,  but  it  was  a  much  larger  enterprise  to  make  a  road  to  Yakima. 
From  1855  on  there  had  been  a  kind  of  road  from  Yakima  to  Kittitas.  There 
had  been  established  also  a  fairly  good  road  from  Y'akima  to  The  Dalles.  From 
that  steamboat  point  practically  all  the  freight  was  brought  into  the  Yakima 
Valley.  It  had  become  clear  that  the  Kittitas  must  have  connection  with  that 
main  line  of  freight  roads.  Mr.  Jacob  Durr,  not  content  with  the  achieve- 
ment of  the  first  bridge,  set  about  a  toll  road  to  Yakima.  This  was  a  big  un- 
dertaking. The  ragged  Yakima  canyon  ofTered  few  inducements.  In  fact,  the 
present  state  highway  avoided  that  tortuous  and  rocky  way  and  runs  over  the 
high  hills  of  the  Umptanum  as  a  more  feasible  and  economical  route.  Air. 
Durr's   road   was   laid   over  the   Umptanum   hills   on   a   good   deal   the   general 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  575 

course  of  the  present  highway.  It  was  a  difficult  and  expensive  piece  of  work. 
At  one  point  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  "turn-table."  A  long  wagon  with  a 
four-horse  team  was  obliged  to  be  backed  and  turned  in  order  to  negotiate  the 
turn  at  that  place. 

It  is  stated  that  the  first  loads  of  freight  over  the  Durr  toll  road  were  hauled 
from  The  Dalles  by  Billy  Mills  and  Phil  Olmstead.  Each  outfit  had  about  2,500 
pounds  of  freight,  part  of  it  being  for  Mr.  Shoudy's  store  at  Ellensburg.  The 
road  was  muddy  from  recent  rains  and  one  of  the  bridges  across  a  canyon  had 
been  washed  out.  Coming  down  a  steep  hill  late  in  the  evening  one  of  the 
wagons  became  so  deeply  imbedded  in  the  mud  that  the  teams  could  not  ex- 
tricate it.  The  men  unhitched  and  went  down  to  the  creek  and  there  they 
found  Durr  and  some  of  his  men  repairing  the  bridge.  They  assisted  Durr  in 
the  repairs  and  spent  the  night  at  his  house.  In  recompense  Durr  and  his  work- 
men assisted  in  pulling  the  freight  wagon  out  of  the  hole  and  remitted  the 
tolls.  We  find  another  statement  that  Mr.  Cooper  hauled  the  first  load  of  goods 
from  The  Dalles  for  Mr.  Shoudy. 

This  Durr  road  was  afterwards  acquired  by  the  county  and  became  the 
regular  road  connecting  Ellensburg  and  Yakima.  In  1880  Mr.  Dixon,  father 
of  G.  E.  Dixon  and  Charles  Dixon,  inaugurated  the  first  stage  line  from  The 
Dalles  to  Ellensburg.  The  distance  was  considered  150  miles.  The  first  drive 
was  William  Mills. 

Of  the  pioneer  schools  and  churches  we  shall  speak  in  the  chapter  on 
schools  and  churches. 

IRRIGATION 

We  turn  therefore  to  the  beginnings  of  irrigation  as  the  next  public  interest. 
We  have  given  in  the  general  chapter  on  Irrigation  a  view  of  the  larger  enter- 
prises in  the  entire  length  of  the  Valley,  including  the  West  Side  Canal,  the 
"Town"  or  Ellensburgh  Canal,  and  the  Cascade  Canal.  We  gave  there  also  a 
view  of  the  government  work  at  the  lakes  at  the  source  of  the  Yakima,  and  with 
that  something  of  the  great  plans  for  the  High  Line  Canal.  We  need  not  re- 
peat here  those  items  of  that  general  chapter.  There  are,  however,  some  de- 
tails of  the  early  private  enterprises  not  given  there  which  have  a  place  in  this 
local  chapter.  There  seems  to  be  a  little  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  order 
of  priority  of  the  early  ditches.  The  author  is  informed  by  Mr.  William  Tay- 
lor that  the  earliest  irrigating  ditch,  according  to  his  understanding,  was  con- 
structed by  W.  A.  Bull,  Tilman  Houser  and  William  Taylor  in  1871.  It  appears 
from  the  statements  of  Mitchel  Stevens  that  the  Taneum  and  Manashtash 
ditches  were  in  process  of  construction  at  the  same  time,  though  not  completed 
till  the  following  year.  Herman  Page,  J.  E.  Bates  and  W.  A.  Stevens  were 
the  chief  originators  of  the  Taneum  Ditch,  entering  upon  the  work  in  1871  and 
continuing  it  during  the  ensuing  year.  It  was  at  first  a  small  local  affair,  but 
by  successive  additions  of  membership  and  resulting  enlargements  of  area  and 
water  supply  it  has  become  quite  an  enterprise,  covering  about  4,000  acres  at 
the  present  time. 

The  Manashtash  Ditch  had  a  similar  history  and  in  point  of  time  was  just 
about  parallel  with  the  Taneum,  1871-72.  The  Goodwin  Brothers,  Thomas  and 
Benton,  who  had  been  among  the  earliest  ditch  diggers  of  the  Yakima   settle- 


576  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \^\LLEY 

ment,  were  leaders  in  the  Manashtash  undertaking.  Associated  with  them  were 
W.  H.  Beck,  George  Robinson,  B.  W.  Frisbie  and  S.  R.  Geddis.  These  men 
associated  themselves  in  a  corporation  and  the  management  of  the  business  has 
been  and  now  is  in  the  hands  of  a  board  of  trustees,  with  the  officers  usual  in 
joint  stock  corporations.  Mitchel  Stevens  has  been  a  trustee  for  many  years, 
also  president,  and  at  the  present  time  is  secretary.  Adam  M.  Stevens  has  also 
been  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  official  force  to  the  present  time.  The 
area  covered  by  the  Manashtash  Ditch  has  also  been  increased  until  at  present 
it  is  1,700  acres.  One  interesting  fact  about  the  Manashtash  Ditch  is  that  by 
reason  of  its  purely  local  membership  and  management  and  the  mutual  char- 
acter of  the  membership  and  consequent  economical  operation,  and  perhaps  also 
somewhat  owing  to  the  natural  lay  of  the  land  and  the  location  of  the  water 
supply,  the  cost  of  maintenance  is  .so  low  that  the  ordinary  maintenance  charges, 
even  of  the  Government  canals,  seem  excessive,  almost  beyond  reason.  We  arc 
informed  that  the  annual  maintenance  expenses  on  the  Manashtash  Canal  have 
usuall}-  run  from  fifteen  to  fifty  cents  per  acre.  The  Government  charge  (which 
is  actual  expense)  in  the  Sunnyside  district  was  for  some  time  seventy-five  cents, 
though  now  increased.  Various  private  enterprises  have  maintenance  charges  of 
from  $1.50  to  $5.  This  great  difference  leads  the  student  to  wonder  whether  these 
later  enterprises  are  economically  managed,  or  whether  the  outside  capital  invested 
in  them  may  be  making  an  unreasonable  interest. 

MILLS 

Perhaps  the  next  greatest  need  in  a  growing  community  is  the  mill,  both 
the  saw  mill  and  the  grist  mill.  We  have  derived  from  Mr.  Gerrit  d'Ablaing, 
in  addition  to  other  valuable  data,  some  facts  of  great  interest  in  regard  to  the 
pioneer  mills.  The  first  mill  was  a  small  whip-saw  mill  on  Xaneum  Creek,  built 
by  J.  D.  Damman  in  the  early  seventies,  and  run  by  water  power.  The  first 
water  power  right  on  the  Yakima  was  appropriated  on  February  21,  1876,  by 
Levi  Farnsworth,  J.  S.  Dysart  and  J.  A.  Shoudy,  to  run  a  saw  mill  about  four 
miles  northwest  of  EUensburgh.  This  mill  was  acquired  in  1882  by  Air. 
■d'Ablaing. 

The  first  steam  saw  mill  was  located  by  Frederick  Leonhard  in  Cooke 
Creek  canyon  in  1879.  This  mill  had  a  very  remarkable  experience.  It  was 
moved  by  teams  from  The  Dalles  over  the  old  stage  road  a  distance  of  over  150 
miles.  After  having  been  used  for  some  time  in  its  first  location  it  was  moved 
lo  Leonhard  Mountain,  between  Naneum  and  Wilson  creeks.  The  timber 
supply  was  mainly  pine  and  the  mill  had  a  capacity  of  18,000  feet  per  day. 
Though  a  small  affair  compared  with  the  great  mills  on  the  seaboard,  that  cut, 
considering  time  and  place,  represents  quite  a  mill,  and  Mr.  Leonhard  will  go 
down  in  history  with  great  credit  as  one  of  the  large  builders  of  the  early  era. 
In  1876  a  small  water  power  mill  was  built  on  the  Naneum  by  Messrs.  Damman 
and  Tjossem.  In  1879  J-  E.  Mills  located  a  small  water  power  saw  mill  at 
Thorp.  There  was  still  another  saw  mill  on  the  west  side,  known  as  the 
Becker  Mill,  belonging  to  the  same   period  of  the  early  eighties. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  577 

Such  may  be  regarded  as  the  pioneer  saw  mills  of  the  Kittitas.  Of  later 
developments  in  these  lines,  as  in  others,  we  shall  speak  in  another  chapter. 
One  very  interesting  fact  in  connection  with  the  early  saw  mills  is  that  the 
Leonhard  Mill  on  Nlaneum  Creek  was  moved  to  Cle  Elum.  There  it  cut  a 
large  body  of  timber  for  the  Stampede  Tunnel  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 
During  the  period  in  which  that  mill  was  maintained  on  Naneum  Creek,  a 
lumber  yard  was  kept  by  Leonhard  and  d'Ablaing  in  Ellensburg.  In  1882 
this  was  moved  to  land  owned  by  Mr.  d'Ablaing,  near  Ellensburg,  where  his 
home  is  now  located.  At  one  time  there  was  over  a  million  feet  of  lumber  in 
the  yard.  It  was  the  existence  of  this  lumber  in  large  measure  which  induced 
Mr.  Leonhard  to  build  the  "lower  bridge"  on  the  Yakima  in   1884. 

The  flour  mills  have  had  an  equally  interesting  and  important  history.  The 
first  mill  was  built  in  1875  by  Canaday  Brothers  at  a  point  on  Wilson  Creek 
about  five  miles  northeast  of  Ellensburg.  It  was  run  by  water  power.  A  fine 
brick  building  of  three  stories  was  subsequently  erected,  equipped  with  the 
roller  process  and  having  a  capacity  of  seventy-five  barrels  daily.  The  property 
was  acquired  later  by  W.  T.  Morrison,  but  the  mill  has  stood  idle  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  1879  J.  D.  Damman  established  a  flour  mill  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river  nearly  across  from  Ellensburg.  Burrs  were  at  first  employed, 
hut  the  roller  process  was  introduced  in  a  short  time.  The  location  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  between  the  river  and  Ellensburg  seems  to  have 
interfered  with  the  Damman  Mill  and  it  was  discontinued. 

At  the  same  time  R.  P.  Tjossem  built  a  grist  mill  on  Wilson  Creek,  about 
four  miles  southeast  of  Ellensburgh.  This  began  as  a  burr  mill,  then  was 
changed  to  a  combination  roller  and  mill  process,  in  the  later  stage  having  a 
capacity  of  forty  barrels  a  day.  At  just  about  the  same  time  a  mill  was  built 
by  Oren  Hutchinson  at  what  became  the  town  cf  Thorp.  This  also  was  a 
water  power  mill.  In  1888  C.  A.  Sanders  established  a  grist  mill  on  Wilson 
Creek,  two  miles  northeast  of  Ellensburg.  At  first  a  burr  mill  like  the  others, 
it  also  followed  the  prevailing  fashion  and  became  a  full  roller  process  mill, 
with  a  capacity  of  ninety  barrels  a  day,  much  the  largest  mill  in  the  county. 
In  1889  it  fell  a  victim  to  fire.  In  1887  Messrs.  Shoudy  and  Tjossem  built  the 
City  Mills  in  Ellensburg.  This  was  a  thoroughly  up-to-date  mill  with  a  ca- 
pacity of  100  barrels  a  day.  Part  of  the  machinery  of  the  previous  Tjossem 
Mill  was  transferred  to  the  City  Mills  and  an  abundant  supply  of  the  best 
appliances  added.  After  a  partnership  of  a  year  the  partners  separated.  Mr. 
Shoudy  took  his  son  with  him  into  the  City  Mills,  and  Mr.  Tjossem  took  with 
him  his  son  Albert  into  a  first-class  mill  at  what  is  known  as  Holmes  Spur,  two 
and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Ellensburg.  Their  mill  was  burned  the  very 
next  year  of  1890,  but  it  was  replaced  by  a  hundred  barrel  mill  with  the  best 
existing  appliances.  This  mill,  with  its  mill  pond,  is  a  conspicuous  feature  of 
the  landscape  to  the  traveler  approaching  Ellensburg  from  the  south  on  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 

Such  were  the  pioneer  grist  mills  of  the  county.  Others  were  subsequently 
located  of  which  mention  will  be  made  in  a  later  chapter. 

(37) 


578  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

DEVELOPMENT    OF    MINERAL    RESOURCES 

Perhaps  next  in  point  of  importance  and  time  in  the  creation  of  the  popu- 
lation and  weahh  necessary'  for  a  new  county  was  the  development  of  utilizing 
the  minerals,  both  the  precious  and  the  base.  Without  question  Kittitas  County 
is  surpassed  by  no  county  in  the  state,  possibly  equalled  by  none,  in  variety  of 
resources.  Partaking  with  other  parts  of  central  and  eastern  Washington  in 
pastoral,  agricultural  and  horticultural  capabilities,  it  has  lumbering  resources 
which  put  it  almost  within  the  same  category'  as  the  counties  of  the  west  side 
of  the  Cascade  Mountains.  At  the  same  time  it  is  equalled  by  none,  with  the 
possible  exception  of  Okanogan,  in  the  variety  and  extent  of  mineral  resources. 

We  have  already  in  the  first  chapter  of  this  work  given  an  extended  account 
of  the  geology  and  mineralogy-  of  the  Yakima  Valley.  From  that  exhibition  of 
the  mineral  wealth  of  the  mountain  section  of  this  county  the  reader  can  readily 
infer  that  the  discovery  and  development  of  this  vast  potential  wealth  of  the 
county  have  composed  a  very  important  section  of  Kittitas  history.  While  in 
a  way  apart  from  the  ordinary  life  of  the  county  that  mining  district  has  ottered 
some  of  the  most  important  political,  economic  and  social  problems  of  the  entire 
region.  Roslyn  and  Cle  Elum,  with  the  regions  immediately  contiguous  to  them, 
have  about  a  third  of  the  population  of  the  county.  More  than  a  third  of  the 
annual  income  of  the  county  comes  from  the  mines  and  timber  of  the  moun- 
tain area. 

Aside  from  these  gross  results  the  population  is  radically  dififerent  from 
that  of  the  Valley  section.  The  latter  are  almost  entirely  of  straight  American 
ancestry  and  breeding.  The  mining  district  has  a  population  of  mingled  na- 
tionalities to  a  degree  not  equalled  elsewhere  in  central  Washington.  A  lady 
of  Ellensburg,  very  familiar  with  all  the  conditions  of  life  there,  informed  the 
author  that  at  a  recent  meeting  of  the  County  Council  of  Defense,  at  which  an 
effort  was  made  to  get  together  the  women  of  Cle  Elum  and  Roslyn,  there  were 
present   representatives   of   twenty-six   nationalities. 

Some,  peculiar  stories  of  the  early  gold  discoveries,  the  "lost  mines,"  have 
been  narrated  in  an  earlier  chapter  in  this  book.  We  have  some  features  of 
that  era.  not  given  before,  which  are  of  more  especial  local  interest  and  may 
well  have  a  place  here. 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  the  Swauk  region  is  described  thus  by  some  of 
the  old  timers.  In  1867  a  prospecting  party,  composed  of  the  Goodwins,  Thoma.^ 
and  Benton,  well  known  in  both  Yakima  and  Kittitas,  with  several  others,  was 
going  through  the  mountain  belt  at  the  head  of  the  Yakima  tributaries,  and 
while  at  a  point  on  the  Swauk,  Benton  Goodwin  was  panning  some  gravel  to 
see  if  he  could  get  a  "color."  He  was  not  an  experienced  miner,  and  in  fact 
none  of  the  party  was,  but  when  a  few  yellow  particles  were  seen  in  the  pan, 
some  insisted  that  it  was  gold.  But  they  did  not  follow  up  the  indications  and 
went  on  with  no  thorough  investigation.  Six  years  passed  by  and  another  party, 
of  which  Benton  Goodwin  was  a  member,  set  forth  in  1873  to  scour  the  moun- 
tains again  for  gold.  The  party  were  not  succeeding  in  any  mineral  discovery, 
and  were  again  on  the  Swauk  preliminary  to  returning  to  civilized  life.  While 
prodding  around  in  a  gravel  bed,  Benton  Goodwin  discovered  a  small  nugget.. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \"ALLEY  579 

Other  members  of  the  party  immediately  plunsjed  into  the  gravel  bed  and  threw 
out  the  sand  and  stones  in  an  eager  quest.  After  a  few  minutes'  washing  they 
found  that  they  had  $5  worth  of  the  precious  metal.  The  next  day  they  re- 
newed the  search  and  obtained  still  better  results. 

They  went  right  on  to  turn  over  the  rocks  and  gravel.  Their  intention 
was  to  keep  their  discovery  secret,  but  being  hard  up  for  provisions  they  had 
to  send  out  to  the  settlement  and  their  secret  leaked  out. 

They  had,  however,  by  that  time  secured  gold  dust  and  nuggets  to  the 
value  of  $600. 

A  rush  to  the  Swauk  followed.  A  mining  district  was  organized,  of  which 
D.  Y.  Borden  was  the  recorder.  A  number  of  the  well  known  Kittitas  pioneers 
went  in  the  rush.  Among  names  given  of  those  who  were  in  the  mines  that 
fall  we  find  J.  P.  Beck,  G.  W.  Goodwin,  A.  Churchill,  David  Munn,  Samuel 
Bates,  James  Bates  and  Walter  A.  Bull. 

No  great  success,  however,  rewarded  the  miners  during  that  season  and 
interest  declined.  .A  few  years  later  activity  was  resumed  and  the  mineral  treas- 
ures of  the  Swauk  and  Teanaway  were  disclosed  in  sufficient  extent  and  value 
to  demonstrate  a  real  mineral  district. 

There  has  been  steady  and  profitable  mining  in  that  region  to  this  day, 
though  never  anything  of  the  spectacular  or  exciting  results  of  some  other  parts 
of  the  Northwest. 

COAL. 

From  the  precious  metals  we  turn  to  other  mineral  resources.  As  the 
reader  will  have  seen  from  the  first  chapter  of  this  volume,  almost  ever>'  species 
of  mineral  and  variety  of  stone  are  found  in  Kittitas  County.  The  big  thing, 
however,  is  coal.  The  Roslyn  and  Cle  Elum  coal  mines  are  the  most  extensive 
on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

This  great  coal  area  begins  about  twenty-nine  miles  north  and  a  little  west 
of  Ellensburg.  The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  crosses  the  southern  edge  of 
this  field  and  has  a  branch  line  from  Cle  Elum  through  the  middle  of  the  field 
to  Beekman. 

The  formation  in  which  the  Roslyn  coal  is  found  has  an  area  of  about  100 
square  miles  and  is  over  4,000  feet  thick. 

It  is  evident  that  the  coal  was  formed  at  a  time  when  a  great  lake  covered 
the  whole  basin.  Apparently  a  great  upheaval  of  volcanic  matter  with  Mount 
Stuart  as  the  center  occurred  after  the  formation  of  the  coal  measures,  and  after 
this  upheaval  a  long  period  of  erosion  ensued  by  which  two  basins  were  formed, 
one  of  eight  square  miles  and  the  other  of  about  half  as  much.  From  an  article 
by  J.  B.  Menzies  in  "The  Coast"  of  May,  1908,  we  learn  that  the  chief  vein  of 
several  in  the  coal  measures  is  what  is  called  No.  5,  which  is  about  five  feet  four 
inches  thick,  and  which  contains  about  four  feet  six  inches  of  good  clean  coal. 
This  is  a  coking,  bituminous  coal,  well  adapted  to  steam  and  gas  making,  and 
it  is  regarded  as  the  best  locomotive  coal  anywhere  west  of  the  great  Pennsyl- 
vania and  West  \'irginia  fields. 

We  find  varying  account  as  to  the  time  of  discovery  of  this  coal  bed.  It  is 
asserted  by  Mr.  .Xustin  Mires  and  Mr.  Gerrit  d'Ablaing,  than  whom  no  better 


580  HISTORY  Ol-   YAKIMA  VALLFA' 

authority  can  be  found,  that  in  1882  Nis  Jensen  made  the  first  discovery  at  the 
place  where  Roslyn  now  stands.  Mr.  Menzies  in  the  article  quoted  above,  states 
that  Mr.  Baily  Willis  did  the  first  prospecting  in  1881,  though  coal  had  been 
discovered  some  years  before.  It  is  stated  that  Nis  Jensen  conveyed  some  of 
the  first  coal  mined  to  Ellensburg  in  the  Fall  of  1883  or  early  the  next  year. 
As  soon  as  fairly  tested  the  value  of  the  discovery  became  manifest  and  capital 
was  at  once  interested.  Mr.  d'Ablaing  states  that  James  Imbrie.  well  known  as 
a  stockman  in  Kittitas,  had  valuable  holdings,  and  that  he  and  Frederick  Leon- 
hard  owned  Mine  No.  2.  which  came  into  possession  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  and  proved  to  be  very  valuable.  In  the  Spring  of  1886  the  railroad 
company  began  the  work  of  opening  up  Mines  Nos.  1  and  2.  L.  M.  Bullock 
was  general  manager  and  Henry  Cottle  chief  engineer  in  this  work.  The  first 
regular  export  of  coal  from  these  mines  occurred  in  the  latter  part  of  November 
of  that  year.  Coal  from  the  Roslyn  fields  is  more  valuable  for  furnace  and  loco- 
motive purposes  than  for  house  use,  and  has  been  shipped  to  many  regions  on 
the  Pacific  Coast  and  even  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands  for  those  special  uses.  The 
towns  of  Roslyn  and  Cle  Elum  have  been  built  and  have  acquired  large  business 
and  considerable  population  purely  as  a  result  of  the  coal  exports.  The  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad  draws  almost  its  entire  supply  of  coal  from  this  source 
and  has  become  the  chief  owner  of  the  mines.  There  are,  however,  several 
companies  operating  in  the  mining  and  shipping  of  coal.  The  chief  of  these 
companies  is  the  Northwestern  Improvement  Company  of  Roslyn.  This  com- 
pany is  said  to  be  the  largest  producer  of  coal  in  the  state,  and  this  is  equivalent 
to  saying  the  largest  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  It  operates  six  mines,  having  an 
output  of  7.000  tons  a  day.  This  is  estimated  by  Mr.  jMenzies  to  be  equivalent 
to  mining  an  acre  and  a  half  of  surface  per  day.  and  this  product  is  loaded 
onto  220  railroad  cars,  making  several  train  loads  every  day  in  the  year  that 
the  mines  are  worked.  About  2,500  men  work  in  these  mines,  and  in  the  two 
towns  of  Cle  Elum  and  Roslyn  and  the  camps  adjoining  a  total  population  of 
about  10.000  lives. 

BEGINNINGS   OF  STOCK   RAISING  AND  FARMING. 

While  the  lumbering  and  mining  interests  of  Kittitas  Countv  constitute  two 
of  its  greatest  sources  of  income,  the  stock  and  various  forms  of  agricultural 
interest  are  fundamental  in  its  growth.  The  same  general  features  of  soil,  cli- 
mate, and  products  which  characterize  other  parts  of  the  Yakima  Valley  lielong 
to  this  upper  section.  The  elevation  is  greater,  though  this  is  not  great,  being 
1,470  feet  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  at  Ellensburg.  while  Yakima  is  a  little 
more  than  1,000.  Zillah  800,  Sunnyside  740,  Benton  City  460.  and  Kennewick 
350.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Kittitas  Valley  is  not  of  great  elevation,  even 
the  lakes  at  the  head  of  the  river  being  less  than  2,500  feet.  Even  in  this  com- 
paratively low  elevation  there  is  quite  a  difference  in  the  climate  at  various  levels. 
The  average  temperature  of  July  in  Kennewick  is  77  degrees,  at  Sunny- 
side  73  degrees,  at  Yakima  71  degrees  and  at  Ellensburg  66  degrees.  The 
other  months  have  corresponding  variations.  The  rainfall  varies  in  similar 
measure.  It  is  about  six  inches  annually  at  Kennewick.  seven  or  eight  at  ^'akinia. 
ten  at  Ellensburg,  and  from  thirty  to  forty  at  Cle  Elum.     Due  no  doubt  in  some 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY  581 

measure  to  the  larger  rainfall  and  snowfall  and  the  lower  temperature,  we  tind 
a  heavier  soil  in  the  upper  valley,  whereas  in  the  Columbia  River  section  there 
is  a  more  sandy  and  lighter  soil. 

Soil  and  climate  cause  gradations  of  products  and  corresponding  profits  to 
the  agriculturist.  While  grapes,  cherries,  and  peaches  are  peculiarly  adapted 
to  the  lower  and  middle  valleys,  pears  and  apples  attain  a  special  excellence  in 
the  upper.  In  the  semi-tropical  belt  bordering  the  Columbia  River  five  cuttings 
of  alfalfa  are  frequent,  but  not  more  than  three  can  be  expected  at  Kittitas.  On 
the  other  hand  no  part  of  the  entire  Valley  surpasses  Kittitas  in  the  quality  of 
the  alfalfa,  while  in  timothy  hay  Kittitas  has  no  rival  in  central  or  eastern 
Washington. 

Of  the  present  conditions  in  productive  industries  in  the  valley  and  of  the 
output  of  the  pastures,  farms,  and  orchards,  we  expect  to  write  in  a  succeeding 
chapter.  We  will  therefore  recapitulate  here  something  of  the  pioneer  stage  of 
these  various  industries.  Here  as  in  so  many  other  places  in  this  chapter  we  owe 
special  obligations  to  Mr.  Gerrit  d'Ablaing.  whose  long  residence,  great  interest 
in  collecting  historical  facts,  and  generous  use  of  them  in  advancing  this  work, 
have  been  of  utmost  value.  Mr.  d'Ablaing  has  a  large  list  of  "first  things"  in 
Kittitas  County  and  Ellensburg,  from  which  we  are  privileged  to  glean  certain 
beginnings  in  these  fundamental  industries. 

In  the  stock  business  we  find  these  "firsts":  Charles  A.  Splawn  was  first 
in  cattle  raising:  Smith  Brothers  at  the  "Smith  Ranch,"  established  the  first 
dairy  of  any  size  and  made  the  first  butter  for  sale:  John  Fritz  was  the  butter 
and  cheese  maker  at  the  .Smith  ranch ;  James  Gass  in  1891  was  the  first  to 
establish  a  creamery,  and  in  the  same  year  Mr.  Gass  shipped  in  the  first  Jersey 
cattle:  A.  Laboree  imported  the  first  herd  of  Black  Polled  Angus  cattle:  Tom 
Haley  in  1869  brought  in  the  first  mules:  John  Fennel  in  1880  imported  the 
first  thoroughbred  running  stallion.  "Tom  Murray" :  James  Stevens  was  the 
owner  of  the  first  heavy  draft  stallion;  the  first  Clyde  horse  was  brought  in  by 
Mr.  .Sothern :  the  first  Patchen  stock  of  horses  was  imported  by  J.  B.  Jones 
from  California:  B.  E.  Craig  owned  the  first  Hambletonian  stallion,  the  sire  of 
a  famous  race-horse  called  "Kittitas  Range" :  the  first  car-load  of  Percheron 
stallions  was  brought  by  Read  and  Helm:  the  first  -St.  Bernard  dog  (w'hose 
w-eight  was  198  pounds)  was  owned  by  Frederick  Leonhard.in  1880.  Rev.  Mr. 
Hawn  was  first  to  introduce  bees.  The  first  band  of  sheep  was  owned  by  Peter 
McCleary  and  Anthony  Meade. 

In  grain  and  hay  and  fruit  trees  we  also  find  a  record  of  "firsts."  Tilman 
Hou.ser  raised  the  first  wheat  on  the  first  ranch.  W.  A.  Bull  produced  the  first 
timothy  hay  and  introduced  the  first  baling  machine.  The  first  hay  baled  with 
a  compress  baler  was  baled  by  B.  F.  Reed  in  a  field  belonging  to  Gerrit  d'Ablaing. 
The  first  fruit  trees  were  set  out  by  C.  P.  Cooke  on  his  place  ten  miles  northeast 
of  Ellensburg.  The  first  commercial  garden  was  run  by  a  Chinaman  called 
Charlie  How,  on  the  Bull  ranch.  Mrs.  J.  L.  Vaughn  had  the  first  flower  garden 
on  the  place  at  Pleasant  Grove,  and  there  also  Mrs.  \^aughn  had  the  first  canary 
birds  in  Kittitas. 

Mrs.  J.  B.  Davidson  tells  us  an  interesting  story  of  the  first  poi)lar  trees 
on   the   west    side   of   the    Kittitas    \'alley.     It    appears    that   her    father,    D.    J. 


582  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

Schnebly,  had  in  1871  brought  from  the  Ritz  place  at  Walla  Walla,  a  number  of 
poplar  cuttings  and  placed  them  in  the  ground  on  his  place  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river.  Later,  when  assessor,  he  was  riding  from  house  to  house,  and  was 
using  one  of  those  j^oplar  switches  as  a  "persuader"  to  his  cayuse.  At  the  home 
of  W.  B.  Kilmore  he  stopped  for  dinner.  Mr.  Kilmore  picked  up  the  switch 
which  he  had  thrown  down,  planted  it,  and  from  it  sprang  the  poplars  on  the 
west  side. 

Correspondence  from  the  "Stand.\rd." 

At  this  stage  of  the  story  a  series  of  items  and  correspondence  from  the 
"Standard"  of  September  15,  1883,  may  well  be  introduced  as  conveying  that 
sense  of  reality  which  no  after  chronicle  can  reach.  From  this  correspondence 
the  reader  can  reconstruct  to  his  vision  the  actual  conditions  in  that  period 
of  beginnings. 

"texdicrkoot"  takes  a  trip. 

Standard,  September   15.   1883. 

Editor  '"Standard:" — Ellensburg  may  justly  feel  proud  of  her  Summer 
resorts  which  are  gradually  being  made  practical  by  the  opening  up  of  good 
roads.  Among  them  Lake  Keechelus  is  destined  to  play  no  unimportant  part, 
situated  as  it  is  only  sixty  miles  distant  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains.  Leaving 
this  place,  the  traveler  finds  rest  and  refreshment  for  man  and  beast  at  the 
Preston  ranch,  twenty-five  miles  distant.  From  there  the  road  winds  through 
the  timber,  with  an  occasional  strip  of  prairie  or  mountain  park  to  vary  the 
route,  to  the  supply  camp  of  the  S.  &  W.  W.  T.  &  W.  R.  Company.  A  fine 
large  hewn  log  house  is  being  erected  at  that  particular  point  by  Mr.  George  F. 
Smith  for  the  accommodation  of  guests,  and  a  general  store.  Twenty  miles 
more,  and  the  lake  is  reached,  shining  and  glimmering  like  an  immense  mirror 
in  its  rustic  frame.  The  water  is  cold  and  clear  as  crystal,  covering  an  expanse 
two  miles  wide  by  seven  long.  Sailing  over  its  surface  when  the  breeze  permits, 
or  paddling  through  its  limpid  waters,  banish  all  thoughts  of  dust  and  smoke 
into  the  forgotten  past.  Innumerable  fish  can  be  seen  floating  lazily  in  its  depths, 
or  dashing  in  circles  of  mad  play  over  the  gravely  beach.  Trout,  salmon,  red- 
fish  and  various  members  of  the  sea  serpent  family  (it  is  supposed)  can  be 
discerned,  as  some  of  the  fish  seen,  were  certainly  neither  flesh,  fowl  nor  good 
red  herring.  Game  no  doubt  abounds,  but  has  been  driven  back  by  the  boys  at 
work  on  the  toll  road  which  crosses  the  Yakima  River  at  the  foot  of  the  lake 
over  a  substantial  bridge  230  feet  in  length,  and  follows  the  lake  up  on  its  nortli 
shore  for  almost  its  entire  distance  towards  the  summit,  eleven  miles  distaiU. 
It  is  rumored  that  Mr.  David  Murray  has  taken  advantage  of  the  chance,  and 
will  erect  a  fine  hotel,  and  other  improvements  tending  to  make  the  place  attrac- 
tive to  those  seeking  recreation  in  the  mountains.  His  selection  is  certainly  to 
be  commended,  as  a  more  charming  or  attractive  place  is  seldom  seen.  The 
Toll  Road  is  now  open  for  travel  as  far  as  the  lake  and  when  the  rock  work  is 
done,  around  which  emigrants  have  been  rafting,  the  way  to  the  summit  is  clear, 
and  then  with  the  world  by  the  ear  and  a  down  hill  pull,  we  can  rattle  into 
Seattle.     With  the  fifty  men  now  at  work  on  this  side,  the  road  will  soon  pass 


HISTORY  OF  YAKI.MA  \ALLEY  583 

all  obstacles.  The  rock  is  mostly  huge  boulders  or  seamy  conglomerate  that 
will  readily  yield  to  a  bar  with  a  muscular  Christian  at  one  end.  There  are 
practical  rock  men  on  the  ground,  however,  with  the  material  to  move  that 
which  requires  powder.  There  is  no  reason  why  this  route  should  not  become 
a  great  thoroughfare,  as  it  is  our  only  connecting  link  with  the  Sound,  that  is 
short  and  practical  alike  for  heavy  and  light  travel.  Mr.  George  F.  Smith  will 
drive  at  least  a  thousand  beef  steers  over  this  road  this  Fall,  and  probably  many 
more,  as  he  contemplates  opening  a  wholesale  butcher  shop  there.  He  will 
also  build  at  convenient  inten'als  good  hotels  along  the  present  route  to  accom- 
modate the  Winter  travel.  It  is  impossible  to  withhold  a  tribute  of  respect  to 
the  men  who  have  shouldered  the  burdens  and  responsibilities  of  this  undertak- 
ing, and  have  had  the  grit  to  carry  it  all,  when  others  who  ought  to  be  interested 
have  hung  back.  Even^  property  owner  in  the  valley  can  surely  see  the  advan- 
tage to  be  derived  from  the  completion  of  this  artery  along  which  the  life  blood 
of  both  this  and  the  coast  counties  will  course,  and  yet  many  are  hanging  back 
until  it  is  completed  before  investing  a  dollar  in  that  from  which  they  have 
alreadv  derived  benefit,  and  which  they  contemplate  making  subservient  to  their 
uses.  Nature  is  all  well  enough  in  its  way,  but  the  marriage  with  art,  gentle- 
men, is  what  makes  coin.  In  conclusion  we  earnestly  ask  all  who  have  pledged 
themselves  to  support  this  undertaking,  to  come  forward  and  help  complete  the 
project  before  Winter  debars  the  company  from  work.  If  finished  in  time,  the 
road  can  be  kept  open  during  the  snowfall,  and  the  way  to  do  this  is  to  go  down 
in  your  jeans,  take  your  medicine  and  look  pleasant.  If  time  permitted  I  should 
like  to  elaborate  the  adventures  undergone — the  sailing  and  fishing,  and  the 
courtesies  extended  to  us  by  the  boys  at  work,  but  beg  they  will  take  it  all  for 
granted,  as  will  also  the  dear  old  lady.  Our  thanks  for  the  bottle  of  wine,  and 
also  the  dear  little  things  that  ate  all  our  venison. — "Tenderfoot." 


TOWN    AND    COUNTY. 

From  Wenachie. — From  Mr.  Timmins,  and  also  Messrs.  Doak  and  Magee, 
who  were  here  this  week  from  Wenachie,  we  gather  a  few  notes  as  follows: 
Everybody  on  the  Wenachie  signed  the  petition  for  division.  The  vein  of  coal 
recendy  struck  by  Miller  &  Freer,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  their  place  up 
the  Wenachie,  and  on  this  side,  turns  out  to  be  a  valuable  find.  They  have  gone 
in  on  the  vein  and  so  far  find  it  to  be  a  little  over  three  feet  in  thickness.  The 
coal  resembles  stone  coal  very  closely,  and  though  as  yet  they  have  only  developed 
croppings,  as  it  were,  the  indications  are  that  it  will  prove  a  valuable  find.  We 
have  some  samples  of  the  coal  now  in  our  office,  and  some  of  the  coal  has  been 
tried  in  the  forges  of  our  blacksmith  shops  here.  The  smiths  pronounce  it  of 
good  quality.  The  weather  is  warm  and  pleasant.  Freer  &  Miller  have  made  a 
contract  with  some  parties  near  Lake  Chelan  for  4,000  feet  of  lumber,  which 
will  he  rafted  down  the  Columbia  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wenachie.  With  this 
lumber  they  will  make  some  additions  to  their  buildings.  On  Wednesday  the 
boys  commenced  picking  their  grapes,  and  they  are  now  busy  making  wine. 
Miller  said  he  would  be  over  this  week,  but  then  you  know,  he  is  so  busy  at 
home  he  may  forget  his  promise. 


584  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \-ALLEY 

A  Contrast.  We  received  a  pleasant  call  last  week  from  ]\Ir.  T.  G.  Mc- 
Dowell, formerly  of  Cherokee  County,  Kansas.  The  gentleman  is  highly  pleased 
with  this  country.  He  has  a  farm  here  of  130  acres.  This  season  he  put  to 
barley  about  sixty  acres  of  his  farm,  and  the  balance  to  wheat.  From  his  130 
acres  he  has  just  threshed  a  total  of  3,005  bushels  of  grain — 1818  bushels  being 
wheat.  He  has  a  farm  in  Kansas,  which  he  had  rented.  From  this  farm  of 
about  fifty  acres  to  grain  he  realized  140  bushels  of  oats  and  forty-five  bushels 
of  wheat.  The  contrast  is  unnecessary.  Mr.  McDowell  intends  advising  his 
friends  back  in  Kansas  to  come  out  here. 


One  thousand  men  to  the  front. — The  large  force  of  railroad  builders 
recently  employed  by  Mr.  Montgomery  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  be- 
tween Portland  and  Kalama.  alx)ut  1,000  in  number,  have  been  ordered  to 
Seattle  to  work  on  the  Cedar  River  extension,  in  other  words  on  the  Cascade 
branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  between  Seattle  and  the  common  point 
in  the  Green  River  Valley.  A  large  number  of  carts  have  already  arrived,  as 
well  as  the  first  instalment  of  three  hundred  Chinamen. — "Seattle  Intelligencer." 


Instructed. — Commissioner  McFarland,  of  the  General  Land  Office,  writes 
a  note  to  Special  Agent  Gross,  at  Colfax,  Washington  Territory,  in  which  he  is 
instructed  not  to  examine  settlements  upon  reserved  school  sections,  or  investi- 
gate acts  of  trespass  thereon  by  the  cultivation  of  land,  unless  especially  directed 
to  do  so  from  Washington.  This  duty,  he  says,  is  held  to  belong  to  the  Terri- 
torial authorities.  We  presume  these  instructions  will  apply  to  our  local  land 
office. 


Great  Activity.— A  Seattle  dispatch  of  the  19th  says:  "H.  Thielson.  of  the 
Northern  Pacific,  arrived  here  last  evening  from  Portland.  He  comes  to  give 
his  personal  supervision  to  the  hastening  of  the  Puyallup  branch.  He  states  that 
1,000  Chinese  will  at  once  be  brought  here  and  put  to  work  on  the  Cedar  River 
branch  of  the  Cascade  Division  of  the  Northern  Pacific.  Great  activity  is  antici- 
pated here  in  railroad  matters  shortly. 

Received. — We  received  an  invitation  to  be  present  at  a  dance,  to  be  gi\en 
at  Centennial  Hall,  Yakima,  on  last  Monday,  in  honor  of  Air.  J.  J.  Imbrie  and 
wife.  We  regret  business  interfered  with  our  attendance,  and  we  know  that  Mr. 
Imbrie  will  excuse  us.  He  has  our  hearty  wishes  for  his  future  prosperity 
and  happiness. 


Captured. — George   Stewart,  who  recently  escaped   from  Yakima  jail,   was 
recaptured  last  week  by  Phil.  Stanton,  in  one  of  the  railroad  camps  in  the  canyon. 


LETTER   FROM    .SW.\rK 


Swauk,  September  25,  1883. 
Ed.  "Standard:" — As  your  readers  no  doubt  take  some  interest  in  the  de- 
velopment  of   this   country,   I   send  you   the   following   news   which   has   been 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  585 

gleaned  from  personal  observation :  Commencing  at  the  lower  end  of  the  creek, 
the  Elliott  claim  is  the  first  one  that  presents  itself  and  deserves  notice.  The 
gentleman  whom  the  claim  is  named  after  is  the  discoverer.  He,  in  company 
with  Air.  Devore,  opened  the  claim  this  Spring,  but  owing  to  the  want  of  suffi- 
cient grade  to  take  off  the  tailings,  the  claim  did  not  prove  as  remunerative  as 
was  expected  from  the  prospects.  Later  in  the  season  Air.  Ramos  took  Mr. 
Devore's  interest  and  cut  a  new  race  some  six  hundred  feet  and  laid  a  joint 
flume  which  now  operates  satisfactorily  but  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  season 
and  other  business  Mr.  Ramos  has  left  for  California,  and  the  claim  will  be 
laid  over  until  next  Summer.  On  Deer  Gulch  the  Becker  claim,  Diller  and 
Duffey,  who  were  working  this  ground,  after  finding  the  rim  rock  and  taking 
out  some  very  good  pay,  had  to  quit  on  account  of  the  water  giving  out.  The 
China  claim  at  Williams  Creek,  promises  to  equal  its  former  yield— the  China- 
men having  struck  a  deep  channel  running  north  and  south  which  seems  to  be 
the  original  Swauk  channel.  Sam  Yo  Ching  says  it  does  not  pay  but  every  one 
who  examines  the  place  thinks  differently.  The  company  above  who  were  sluic- 
ing in  the  flat  below  Bollman's  tunnel  abandoned  the  ground,  as  the  bedrock 
pitched  in  the  hill  where  they  lost  drainage.  Mr.  Woods,  late  of  Peshastin,  has 
returned  to  the  Swauk  and  will  commence  work  on  the  old  hydraulic  claim  of 
Shoudy  &  Company.  Mr.  Woods  has  sent  below  for  pipe  and  hose  and  intends 
opening  up  this  ground  in  a  proper  manner  when  there  is  no  doubt  the  claim 
will  yield  an  ounce  a  day.  Diller  has  bought  the  Woolery  claim  and  started  a 
new  drift  at  the  upper  end,  which  has  been  paying  from  the  start.  Mr.  Diller 
is  a  thorough  underground  miner  and  if  there  is  anything  on  the  hill,  this 
Winter  will  tell  the  tale. 

Messrs.  Black  and  Duffey  are  doing  well,  cleaning  up  the  ground  which 
Mr.  Black  ground  sluiced  this  Spring.  They  have  found  several  nuggets  rang- 
ing from  five  dollars  to  fifteen  dollars  and  have  cleaned  up  as  high  as  an  ounce 
a  day  to  the  hand.  Black  intends  running  a  tunnel  in  the  hill  this  Winter  on 
the  ground  adjoining  the  Woolery  claim.  Pike  has  been  the  lucky  man  this 
season  and  deserves  the  sobricjuet  of  "Lucky  Pike."  Considering  the  short 
supply  of  water  that  he  has  had  to  work  with  the  yield  of  the  precious  stuff  has 
been  over  average.  From  about  the  20th  of  August  Mr.  Pike  has  taken  the 
handsome  average  of  one  ounce  a  day,  for  the  whole  time.  Pike  deserves  his 
good  luck.     By  and  by  I  will  send  you  another  letter.     Yours.  S.  T.  V. 

Such  were  the  beginnings  in  Kittitas  County.  The  stor\-,  with  all  of  its 
strivings,  its  sufferings,  its  heroism,  its  humor  and  its  pathos,  can  be  hut  half 
told  in  any  general  survey  like  this.  It  was  like  other  pioneer  settlements,  and 
yet  it    had,  as  each  has  had,  its  distinctive  features. 

One  thing  the  author  has  discovered  in  Ellensburg  unique  in  his  experience 
in  historical  investigation  worthy  of  special  mention. 

This  is  the  fact  that  in  the  Edison  School,  the  training  department  of  the 
Normal  School,  the  youngsters  of  the  sixth  grade  have  made  a  .systematic 
study  of  the  history  of  their  county  and  city.  The  results  of  their  investiga- 
tions have  been  embodied  in  two  little  pamphlets  on  the  history  of  Kittitas,  in- 
scribed on  the  title  page  as  "Composed  and  Printed  by  the  Sixth  Grade  of  the 
Edison  School." 


586  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

This  admirable  and  unique  work  by  these  young  children  secured  the  co- 
operation of  several  of  the  prominent  county  and  town  builders.  It  represents 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  methods  of  instructing  the  younger  pupils  in  history 
and  creating  a  body  of  patriotic  citizens  for  the  future  that  the  author  has  seen. 
The  faculty  of  the  school  is  most  heartily  to  be  commended  for  this  contribu- 
tion to  local  historical  study. 

So  attractive  has  the  author  found  the  conception  and  the  practical  results 
of  this  work  of  the  children  of  the  Edison  School  that  he  feels  sure  the  readers 
of  this  work  will  be  glad  to  read  portions  of  it.  We  accordingly  close  this  chap- 
ter of  beginnings  with  several  extracts  from  "The  History  of  Kittitas  Valley  by 
the  Sixth  Grade  o  fthe  Edison  School"  of  Ellensburg. 

Chapter  I. 

THE    IXDI.VNS    IN     PIONEER    DAVS 

We  made  our  first  visit  to  Mrs.  J.  B.  Uavidsoii,  who  showed  us  her  col- 
lection of  Indian  things  and  told  us  about  the  Indians. 

The  Indians  did  a  good  deal  of  hunting  and  fishing  in  the  olden  days. 
They  ate  all  kinds  of  fish  and  all  kinds  of  animals.  They  liked  deer  and  buffalo 
best.  They  ate  maize  and  canias  for  their  vegetables.  The  maize  is  corn  and 
the  camas  is  a  root  from  the  ground,  and  it  is  the  Indians'  bread. 

The  way  the  Indians  keep  their  water  cool  is  by  putting  it  in  a  basket,  and 
putting  it  in  the  sand. 

The  Indians  cooked  in  baskets,  open  fire,  and  kettles.  The\'  put  water  in 
the  basket,  and  then  hot  stones  in  it  to  make  it  hot.  Then  they  put  their  food 
on  and  cooked  it.  They  wove  their  baskets,  and  got  their  kettles  from  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

The  squaws  didn't  feel  dressed  up  unless  they  had  beads  and  blankets,  a 
little  cap  on  their  heads  and  moccasins  on  their  feet.  All  that  the  men  wore 
were  long  shirts,  leggins  and  a  blanket. 

The  weapons  that  the  Indians  had  were  tomahawks,  spears  and  bows  and 
arrows. 


THE  STOCK.XDES 

Mr.  William  Taylor  is  one  of  the  oldest  pioneers.  He  came  here  in  1870. 
He  visited  the  sixth  grade  and  told  us  about  the  Indians. 

Once  the  Indians  became  so  wild  that  the  whites  had  to  build  stockades 
for  defense. 

One  man  left  his  sheep  and  cattle  to  save  his  own  life.  i\Ir.  Taylor  was 
the  scout  around  here  then  so  he  took  care  of  them  for  him.  This  man  said 
that  he  would  rather  have  his  sheep  and  cattle  stolen  than  to  lose  his  own  life. 


[NDIAN    FEASTS 


The  Indians  held  festivals  every  year.  They  had  what  they  called  a  pot- 
latch.  They  gave  away  presents,  danced  and  had  horse  races.  Ohce  Mr.  Tay- 
lor out-danced  a  scjuaw  and  received  the  present  of  an  Indian  blanket. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  587 

MR.  Taylor's  experience  with  enamesechee  bill 

Enamesechee  Bill  and  another  Indian  in  some  way  got  some  alcohol  which 
put  them  on  the  warpath.  They  tried  to  murder  a  storekeeper,  but  he  had 
a  small  pistol  which  he  thrust  down  Bill's  throat  and  shot  him,  the  bullet  com- 
ing out  of  the  Indian's  neck.  Bill  broke  away  from  the  storekeeper's  grasp 
and  ran  up  the  road,  which  was  really  more  like  a  trail  than  a  road. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  standing  in  front  of  the  drug  store  when  Enamesechee  Bill 
ran  up.  He  began  emptying  his  gun  on  Mr.  Taylor.  Mr.  Taylor  said  he  began 
to  jump  about  two  feet  high  and  saw  splinters  flying  around  him.  When 
Enamesechee  Bill  had  shot  all  of  his  bullets  out  of  his  gun,  he  jumped  on  his 
horse  and  galloped  away.  About  that  time  two  men  came  out  of  the  drug  store 
with  guns  and  shot  Enamesechee  Bill's  horse  and  chased  him.  Another  Indian 
came  along  about  that  time  and  caught  up  Enamesechee  Bill  and  took  him  on 
his  horse.  And  then  every  man  in  the  town  who  had  a  horse  chased  those 
Indians.  About  evening  they  captured  Enamesechee  Bill  and  took  him  down  to 
a  shack,  locked  him  up  and  placed  three  men  to  guard  him. 

That  night  six  hundred  Indians  came  down  from  the  Nanum  and  said 
they  came  for  Enamesechee  Bill.  So  they  gave  him  up  to  his  tribe.  He  was 
quite  sick,  and  when  Mr.  Taylor  hauled  wood  from  the  mill  he  told  the  Indian 
he  was  going  to  die,  and  if  he  wanted  to  go  back  to  his  tribe  he  ought  to  be 
on  his  way.  So  the  next  day  he  was  carried  back  to  his  tribe.  But  he  died 
soon  after. 


CAMAS    DIGGING 

Kittitas  Valley  was  about  the  only  valley  that  had  camas  and  bread  root. 
The  Indians  came  here  from  all  around  the  country  to  get  that.  They  came 
from  the  Columbia  River  and  many  other  places. 

The  squaws  always  dug  the  camas.  The  root  of  the  camas  looks  like  a 
sweet  potato.  Before  the  Indians  could  eat  the  bread  root,  they  soaked  it  until 
it  was  very  soft.     Then  they  made  it  into  bread. 

While  the  squaws  were  digging  the  camas,  the  men  played  games.  One 
of  their  favorite  sports  was  the  rabbit  drive.  The  men  would  get  on  their 
horses  and  make  a  circle  of  about  a  hundred  acres.  Then  they  would  keep 
making  the  circle  smaller  and  smaller.  Then  the  Indians  would  shoot  at  the 
rabl)its.  They  would  get  a  lot  of  rabbits  in  that  way.  Then  the  Indians  would 
return  home  to  have  a  feast. 


preparing  the  bread 


The  Indians  prepared  their  bread  root  by  cooking  it.  They  dug  a  hole 
in  the  ground,  built  a  fire  in  it,  and  heated  rocks  red  hot.  As  soon  as  the  fire 
went  out  they  put  the  bread  root  in,  then  covered  it  uj)  with  dirt,  and  left  a 
hole  in  the  top.     Then  they  [)oured  water  in  and  steamed  it. 


588  HISTORY  nF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


rHE  CHIXOOK  DANCE. 


One  winter  it  was  very  cold  ami  tlie  Indians'  horses  were  all  dying  because 
they  couldn't  get  anything  to  eat.  So  the  squaws  danced  for  three  days  and 
nights  for  a  chinook  wind.  At  the  end  of  the  three  days  and  nights  the  chinook 
came.     They  thought  that   they  made   the  wind  come. 


INDIAN    MEDICINE 

The  Indians  did  not  know  much  about  doctoring.  When  one  got  sick 
they  would  lay  him  on  the  ground  or  blanket.  Then  they  would  start  up  an 
awful  racket  with  tom-toms  and  hollow  gourds  with  dried  peas  in  the  middle. 
They  thought  they  were  scaring  the  evil  spirit  away.  Another  way  they  had 
of  doctoring  was  to  get  an  iron  rod  red  hot  and  ram  it  through  the  sick  man's 
body.  They  though  they  had  driven  the  evil  spirit  out  even  if  they  had  killed 
the  man. 


TOBY    AND    NANCY 

The  story  of  Toby  and  Xancy  was  told  us  by  Mr.  T.  W.  Farrell,  who  is  a 
jiioneer  of  this  valley.     He  had  a  harness  shop  on  Main  Street  for  many  years. 

Toby  and  Xancy  were  friends  of  the  white  people.  One  time  Chief  Moses 
got  angry  and  was  going  to  kill  all  the  settlers  in  the  valley.  Toby  warned 
them,  so  the  white  people  were  ready,  and  captured  Moses. 

Nancy  was  a  Yakima  Indian  and  Toby  was  a  Sound  Indian.  One  sum- 
mer Toby  came  over  to  buy  some  horses,  and  married  Xancy.  The  Yakima 
Indians  hated  the  Sound  Indians,  and  would  not  let  Toby  and  Nancy  stay  in 
Yakima.     So  they  came  to  the  Kittitas  Valley  to  stay. 

Toby  was  the  horse  king  of  the  valley.  He  owned  nearly  all  of  the  horses 
in  the  hills  around  here.  He  had  Indian  riders  to  help  him  look  after  them. 
Toby  had  many  lady  admirers.  An  Indian  who  rode  a  fine  horse  was  ahvays 
liked  by  the  squaws.  Nancy  was  very  jealous.  She  would  tag  Toby  around 
everywhere,  because  she  was  afraid  that  he  would  make  a  present  to  some  of 
the  Indian  girls. 

Every  year  the  Indians  would  gather  at  the  "rark"  near  the  present  town 
of  Kittitas,  and  have  horse  races.  Toby  was  always  there.  Even,-  white  man 
of  the  valley  was  there,  too.     Toby's  horses  generally  won. 

Toby  w^as  very^  queer  to  look  at.  He  was  short  and  straight.  He  wore 
yellow  and  red  strings  in  his  hair  and  looked  fine  except  for  his  teeth,  which 
were  worn  down  in  a  sort  of  half  circle  from  pulling  camas  through  them  while 
eating  it.  The  children  were  afraid  of  him.  He  knew  this,  and  used  to  open 
his  mouth  and  make  awful  noises  and  faces  just  to  scare  them. 

When  Toby  got  old,  he  went  blind  and  Nancy  used  to  lead  him  around 
with  a  rope.  They  were  always  well  liked  by  the  white  people,  and  were  re- 
ceived with  ho-spitality  every  place  they  went. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY  589 


illOOSHOOSKIN 


Shooshooskin  lived  near  what  is  now  Shooshooskin  Canyon.  He  was 
great  friend  to  the  white  people.  He  brought  a  plow  on  horse  back  from  Ni 
(lually  to  help  teach  the  Indians  agriculture. 


MEANING    OF    INDIAN    NAMES 

Mr.  Austin  JMires  told  us  the  meaning  of  the  following  Indian  names. 
Kittitas  means  bread.  The  Indians  w^ould  come  here  and  get  camas  for  their 
bread,  so  they  called  the  valley  Kittitas.  Teanaway  means  place  of  fish  and 
berries.  Kaches  is  the  Indian  word  for  fish  trap.  Keechelus  means  bad  lake. 
The  Indians  thought  they  saw  ghost  horses  there. 

Swauk  was  a  very  good  hunting  ground,  so  the  Indians  called  it  Swauk, 
meaning  good  hunting  ground.  Taneum  means  Indian  home.  Kput,  Craig's 
Hill,  is  an  Indian  word  meaning  the  rib.  r^Ianashtash  means  camping  ground. 
Umptanum  means  contentment. 

The  Indians  named  the  Umptanum  that  because  they  were  contented  there. 
The  snow  melted  very  early  there,  and  the  deer  would  come.  The  Indians  were 
very  happy  then,  because  they  would  kill  the  deer   for  their  meat. 


Chapter  II. 

PIONEER    LIFE    IN    THIS    VALLEY 

Airs.  Austin  jMires,  Mrs.  Damman  and  Mr.  J.  P.  Becker  are  pioneers  Ot 
this  valley  who  told  us  of  the  experiences  and  hardships  of  pioneer  life. 

When  they  came,  there  were  no  roads  into  the  valley,  and  they  had  to  pick 
out  the  best  places  they  could  find  to  travel.  They  brought  all  their  things  in 
large  covered  wagons.  The  children  always  sat  in  the  back  part,  and  the 
mothers  and  fathers  rode  on  the  seat  in  front. 

The  houses  were  made  of  logs,  and  had  puncheon  floors,  which  means 
logs  with  the  top  side  chipped  oft'  with  an  ax.  They  were  not  very  smooth. 
If  the  people  had  two  rooms  to  their  house  they  thought  it  very  fine.  Mrs. 
Mires'  father's  house  had  four  windows.  They  put  one  window  on  each  side 
of  the  house,  so  they  could  see  from  all  sides. 

Most  of  the  trading  done  by  the  pioneers  was  at  The  Dalles.  It  took  them 
fourteen  days  to  make  the  round  trip.  When  they  got  their  corn  and  wheat 
ground,  they  took  it  to  Simcoe,  which  was  seventy-five  miles  away. 

When  the  pioneers  came  to  this  valley  they  could  not  bring  much  furni- 
ture, so  they  had  to  make  the  most  of  it.  The  children  sat  on  three-legged 
stools,  and  the  other  people  on  benches.  Sometimes  they  would  make  chairs. 
Their  beds  were  built  in  tiers.  The  little  children  had  to  sleep  on  the  bottom, 
the  older  children  on  top,  and  the  grown  people  in  the  middle.  If  they  wanted 
to  stain  their  furniture  they  would  take  the  bark  of  the  alder  and  boil  it.  This 
made  a  red  stain. 

The  people  had  three  ways  of  cooking.     One  was  over  the  camp  fire,  an- 


590  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  ^^ALLEY 

other  over  the  fireplace  in  kettles  hanging  from  cranes,  and  the  third,  in  the 
Dutch  oven.  This  was  an  iron  kettle  with  three  legs.  The  cover  had  a  little 
ridge  around  the  edge.  They  would  put  whatever  they  wanted  to  cook  in  it. 
set  it  on  the  coals,  and  put  coals  on  top.  Some  people  could  bake  in  the  Dutch 
ovens  very  well. 

Their  lights  were  from  grease  lamps  or  tallow  candles.  To  make  candles, 
a  piece  of  string  was  tied  on  the  end  of  a  stick  and  dipped  in  hot  tallow,  and 
held  up  until  cooled.  This  process  was  repeated  until  the  candle  was  as  large 
as  the  people  wanted  it. 

The  grease  lamps  were  made  of  a  tin  pan  filled  with  any  grease,  in  which 
a  twisted  rag  was  placed  for  a  wick.  This  light  was  fairly  good,  but  it  smoked 
so  much  and  looked  so  dirty  that  most  people  preferred  candles. 


FIRST    CHURCHES 

The  first  church  here  was  a  Catholic  mission  to  the  Indians.  The  first 
Protestant  preacher  was  Mr.  George  Kennedy,  a  Methodist,  who  taught  school 
in  Yakima  and  was  not  here  regularly.  The  first  Protestant  teacher  who  was 
here  regularly  was  Mr.  David  Thomas,  a  Presbyterian.  He  gave  his  sermons 
in  a  building  meant  for  a  saloon. 


DON.\TION     PARTY     FOR     MR.    THOMAS 

The  first  Winter  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  were  here  was  very  bad,  and 
they  did  not  have  many  provisions.  They  were  living  in  a  cabin  in  the  woods. 
Mrs.  Thomas  visited  Mrs.  Damman.  She  told  what  a  hard  time  they  were 
having.  Mrs.  Damman  thought  they  ought  to  give  them  a  donation  part)-. 
So  all  the  neighbors  brought  provisions  or  money  and  went  up  to  the  Thomas' 
cabin.  When  they  got  there,  they  saw  that  Mr.  Thomas  had  taken  the  straw 
out  of  the  beds  and  was  feeding  it  to  the  horses.  He  had  some  wet  sticks  on 
the  stove  trying  to  dry  them.  When  he  saw  all  of  the  provisions  he  was  cer- 
tainly glad,  for  he  knew  that  they  would  keep  him  from  starving  that  Winter. 


HOLIDAYS 

Their  entertainments  were  nearly  all  school  programs.  Everv'  child  spoke 
a  piece  or  sang  a  song.  On  the  Fourth  of  July  the  people  all  got  together  and 
had  a  big  feast.  On  Christmas  the  children  hung  their  stockings  up,  and  Santa 
Claus  would  usually  bring  them  cookies. 

One  Christmas  Mr.  Shoudy  gave  a  party.  All  the  people  of  the  neighbor- 
hood came.  They  put  the  children  to  bed  and  the  older  people  danced.  Count- 
ing all  the  women,  from  little  girls  to  old  ladies,  there  were  only  thirteen. 


SUB.STITUTE  FOR   COFFEE 


Sometimes  when  the  pioneers  did  not  have  coft'ee,  they  made  it.  They 
made  it  by  drying  and  browning  oats,  peas,  and  barley.  They  would  ])Ut  mo- 
lasses in  this  mixture.     This  was  their  coffee. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  591 


EARLV    ELLENSBURG 


In  1871  Air.  John  Shoudy  came  to  Ellensburg  and  brought  out  J\Ir. 
Splawn.  Mr.  Shoudy  was  the  man  who  started  the  town.  His  wife's  name 
was  Mary  Ellen,  so  he  named  the  town  Ellensburg,  in  her  honor. 

Cattle  raising  was  the  chief  industry  in  the  early  days.  In  the  Fall  the 
cowboys  drove  the  cattle  over  the  mountains  to  Seattle. 

When  Mr.  Mires  came  here  in  1883,  there  was  a  toll  bridge  over  the  Ya- 
kima River.  If  a  man  wanted  to  go  across  the  river  on  foot  it  would  cost  ten 
cents ;  if  he  was  on  horseback  it  cost  twenty-five  cents,  and  if  he  was  in  a  wagon 
it  cost  fifty  cents.     This  bridge  was  owned  by  Mr.  Jacob  Durr. 

There  were  about  a  thousand  people  in  the  valley  then,  and  a  hundred  and 
fifty  in  Ellensburg. 

When  any  of  the  people  got  sick  the  neighbors  would  go  over  and  take 
care  of  them  until  they  got  well,  and  when  any  of  the  people  died,  some  of  the 
men  would  make  a  coffin  of  wood  and  bury  them  in  it. 

The  first  church  here  was  the  Presbyterian.  Mr.  W.  O.  Ames  was  the 
first  school  teacher.  The  first  butcher  shop  was  owned  by  Mr.  John  Smithson. 
Other  early  stores  were  owned  by  Samuel  L.  Blumauer,  Smith  Brothers  and 
Thomas  Johnson. 

The  first  brick  building  was  built  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Fifth  and 
Pearl.  It  is  still  in  use.  The  first  postoffice  was  where  Fitterers'  store  is  now. 
When  the  mail  would  come  in,  people  would  all  go  to  the  postoffice.  That  was 
the  place  they  talked  over  dances  and  parties.  Ben  E.  Snipes  owned  the  first 
bank  in  the  county. 

The  first  water  system  was  from  the  spring  behind  Robbers'  Roost.  It 
was  called  a  water  system  because  the  water  was  piped  to  a  few  houses  near 
the  spring.  Mr.  Sanders  owned  the  first  large  system.  The  reservoir  was  on 
Craig's  Hill. 


FIRST    NEWSPAPERS. 

The  very  first  newspaper  in  Ellensburg  was  the  "Kittitas  Wau  Wau,"  pub- 
lished by  an  early  pioneer,  Harry  Bryant.  It  was  a  typewritten  sheet,  and  it  cost 
nothing,  so  could  scarcely  be  called  a  regular  newspaper,  though  it  contained  all 
the  news  and  advertisements  of  the  town.  They  turned  out  only  forty  or  fifty 
papers  at  an  issue. 

The  first  real  newspapers  were  owned  by  Mr.  D.  J.  Schnebly  and  Mr.  R. 
A.  Chadd.  Mr.  Schnebly  owned  "The  Localizer"  and  Mr.  Chadd  "The  Stand- 
ard." Each  man  said  his  paper  was  the  first.  Mr.  J.  R.  Wallace  wrote  for 
both  papers.  He  would  writen  an  item  for  one  paper  against  the  other,  then 
would  go  to  the  other  and  write  something  against  the  one  he  had  written  just 
before.     It  was  a  long  time  before  Mr.  Schnebly  or  Mr.  Chadd  knew  this. 


With  this  view  of  the  beginnings  of  the  Kittitas  as  seen  with  the  eves  of  the 
children  we  shall  be  prepared  to  close  this  chapter,  taking  up  the  continuation' 
of  the  story  with  the  establishment  of  the  new  county  in  1883.  That  date  mav 
very  suitably  be  taken  as  the  dividing  line  between  the  pioneer  era  and  the 
later  history. 


CHAPTER  II. 

roLlTICAL  HISTORY  AND  LATER  DEVELOPMENT  OF  KITTITAS 
COUNTY 

COUNTY    DIVISION — EDITORIALS — THE    GRUMBLING    FEW A    LOGICAL    OPINION — PE- 
TITION   FOR  DIVISION TO  ALL   PERSONS    WHOM    IT   MAY    CONCERN AN    ACT  TO 

CREATE  AND   LOCATE   THE    COUNTY    OF    KITTITAS PAY   OF   COUNTY   OFFICERS^ 

AN  ACT  TO  CHANGE  BOUNDARY  LINE  BETWEEN  KITTITAS  AND  YAKIMA  COUNTIES 

INAUGUR.-VTION    OF    THE    NEW    COUNTY FIRST    COUNTY ELECTION    RECORDS 

STATEHOOD WALLA  WALLA  STATESMAN'S  REVIEW  OF  FUSIONIST  CONVEN- 
TION, 1898 — Bryan's  visit— woman  suffrage — constitutional  amend- 
ments— election  of  1914 — election  of  1916— election  of  1918 — later 
general  history  of  county irrigation cascade  irrigation  district 

summary  of  engineer's  REPORT  ON  CANAL  IMPROVEMENTS SPECIAL  MEET- 
ING,  BOARD  OF   COUNTY    COMMISSIONERS RAILROADS BUILDING   THE    C.    M.    & 

ST.    P.    R.\ILWAY    THROUGH     KITTITAS     COUNTY — THE     CO.\L     MINES KITTITAS 

EXHIBITS  AT  NORTHWESTERN  INDUSTRIAL  EXPOSITION,  AS  PUBLISHED  IN 
"WASHINGTON  .STATE  REGISTER." 

The  giowth  of  the  Kittitas  Valley  in  the  decade  of  the  seventies,  and  the 
promise  of  greater  things  sure  to  follow,  led  inevitably  to  a  demand  for  a  new 
county.  The  combat  for  count\-  division  does  not  seem  to  have  been  so  strenu- 
ous and  bitter  as  it  had  been  in  some  cases  of  cou'nty  division.  The  original 
Yakima  County  was  so  large,  and  as  time  passed  and  irrigation  systems  became 
established  the  prospective  production  and  population  assumed  so  great  magni- 
tude, as  also  the  Kittitas  Valley  was  so  obvioiisly  a  natural  unit,  that  most  of 
the  farther-visioned  men  of  Yakima  dropped  easily  into  the  assumption  that  a 
new  county  was  a  foregone  conclusion. 

Nevertheless  some  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  Yakima  steadfastly  o])- 
posed  the  erection  of  a  new  county.  Among  these  was  J.  M.  Adams,  editor  of 
the  "Y'akima  Signal."  He  was  one  of  the  ablest  men  in  Y'akima  and  while  he 
was  the  center  of  much  controversy  during  his  lifetime,  none  of  his  opponents 
ever  had  anything  but  admiration  for  his  brain  and  vigor.  Moreover  he  was  the 
idol  of  the  ".\nti-Monopoly"  and  "Anti-Railroad"  forces,  and  looked  upon  as  a 
sort  of  tribune  of  the  people.  It  therefore  seemed  rather  out  of  character  that 
he,  an  apostle  of  popular  rights,  should  oppose  what  seemed  a  movement  in  the 
direction  of  local  liberty.  The  attitude  of  the  "Signal"  in  this  county  combat 
returned  to  plague  Mr.  .\dams  at  a  later  time. 

As  indicating  the  conditions  and  sentiments,  as  viewed  from  the  Kittitas 
end  of  the  (luesiion,  we  incorporate  here  extracts  from  the  "Kittitas  Standard." 
From  thu  issue  of  July  28,  188.\  we  take  the  following: 

COUNTY  DIVISION 

Under  this  caption  the  editor  of  the  "Yakima  Record"  discusses  the  question 
with  courtesy  and  moderation — a  quality  rarely  found  with  journalists  now-a- 
days.     Whh  such  people  it  is  sometimes  a  pleasure  to  dififer  in  opinion.     It  is, 
592 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  593 

therefore,  in  all  courtesy  and  kindness  we  shall  look  over  some  of  the  objections 
raised  by  the  "Record"  against  division.  The  general  tenor  of  the  article  admits 
the  justice  of  our  claim  for  division,  but  says  it  fears  hatred  and  feuds  may  be 
engendered  in  the  fight.  Why  should  feuds  be  engendered  if  the  justice  of  our 
claim  is  conceded?  The  "Record"  intimates  we  are  in  debt  some.  We  are,  for 
a  fact,  and  from  present  indications  the  debt  is  never  liable  to  be  less.  Having 
the  greatest  number  of  people  and  the  largest  share  of  taxable  property  in  this 
end  of  the  county  we  of  course  pay  the  greatest  proportion  on  the  debt.  We 
do  not  ask  for  a  removal  of  the  county  seat,  which  by  merit  and  justice  we 
could  claim,  simply  because  we  know  if  the  county  seat  was  removed  the  people 
of  Yakima  would  labor  under  the  same  disadvantages  we  are  now  suffering.  As 
great  as  the  debt  is,  as  we  have  stated  before,  we  are  willing  to  take  our  share 
of  it  and  separate.  Division  in  our  opinion  would  act  as  an  incentive  to  develop- 
ment by  both  counties.  A  friendly  strife  would  arise  in  each  to  excel  the  other, 
and  the  people  of  each  county  would  struggle  to  place  before  the  world  the  clearest 
record.  Again  the  editor  of  the  "Record"  politely  suggests  if  we  wait  two  years, 
then  it  will  be  time  enough  to  "chain  off  the  old  heritage."  Has  he  not  thought 
that  within  the  next  two  years  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  lands  will  all  be 
in  market,  and  the  records  at  Yakima  of  new  deeds  and  mortgages  for  such 
lands  will  cost  residents  of  this  valley  more  than  to  support  a  new  county.  At 
the  present  time  the  cost  of  transcribing  records  would  be  nominal  in  comparison 
with  the  cost  two  years  hence.  We  say  let  us  have,  if  possible,  one  record,  and 
that  one  our  own,  of  all  future  conveyances.  Elsewhere  a  correspondent  also 
takes  a  view  of  the  division  question.  We  commend  it  to  the  perusal  of  our 
readers. 

The  "Yakima  Record"  wants  to  know  the  cause  of  the  "Signal's"  animus 
against  Villard.  We  can  tell  you  in  a  few  words.  Once  upon  a  time,  in  the 
"sweet  by  and  by,"  its  editor  called  upon  the  railroad  magnate.  Just  at  that 
time  "the  magnate"  was  too  busy  to  receive  "small  fr)',"  so  the  "cut  direct^'  was 
given.  Previous  to  that  time  all  was  "serenity"  with  the  aforesaid  gent  as  far 
as  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  was  concerned.  But  the  aforesaid  "cut  direct" 
caused  a  change  to  come  over  the  "spirit  of  his  dreams."  Some  day  we  will 
tell  the  whole  story.  Till  then  we  hope  our  Yakima  contemporary  will  remain 
satisfied  with  the  present  explanation  of  what  is  now  mysterious. 


THE   GRUMBLING   FEW 

There  can  be  no  l^etter  evidence  of  the  benefit  to  come  to  the  people  from 
the  building  of  railroads,  says  the  "Northwest  News,"  than  is  found  in  the 
grumbling  of  some  of  the  old  merchants  on  the  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific. 
They  have  been  reaping  a  harvest,  which  no  one  begrudges  them,  for  they  took 
the  chances  at  a  time  when  few  men  would  venture  so  far  from  the  protection 
of  settled  communities:  but  customers  had  to  suffer  from  high  prices.  The 
monopoly  might  be  small,  but  it  is  quite  possible  to  have  a  grinding  monopoly 
even  ni  a  country  store.  In  one  instance  a  merchant  states  that  he  has  within 
the  past  ten  or  twelve  years  been  doing  a  business  of  half  a  million  a  \ear,  with 
an  average  profit  of  forty  per  cent.     Of  course  he  is  rich,  and  like  everv  other 

(38) 


594  HISTORY  OF  YAKniA  \ALLEY 

rich  man,  wants  to  be  richer,  and  regards  with  displeasure  any  intruder  that 
will  cut  his  profits  down.  His  customers,  who  are  really  the  ones  to  be  con- 
sidered, hail  with  exceeding  satisfaction  the  change  which  will  feed  and  clothe 
them  better  and  cheaper,  and  the  greatest  good  for  the  greater  number  is  se- 
cured. In  the  same  way  there  is  a  deal  of  grumbling  among  the  stage  men, 
and  the  citizens  of  stage  stations.  These  little  villages  will,  in  many  instances, 
be  left  miles  away  from  the  main  line  of  travel,  and  those  of  them  who  were  so 
short-sighted  as  to  make  their  plans  for  a  lifetime  of  stage-coaching,  feel  that 
they  are  greatly  injured;  meanwhile  the  main  line  of  travel  shifts  to  where  hun- 
dreds are  accommodated,  and  makes  it  possible  for  thousands,  so  there  is  more 
than  ample  compensation  for  the  village  loss.  The  stage  men  say  their  business 
is  fast  being  ruined;  that  they  have  been  driven  from  point  to  point,  and  that 
soon  they  will  have  no  resource  but  to  short  routes  into  the  country  from  the 
railroad  stations.  Some  of  them  are  inconsolable,  and  look  gloomily  forward 
to  the  time  when  they  can  no  longer  crack  the  whip  over  a  six-in-hand  and 
prance  up  to  the  roadside  hotel  as  the  chief  event  of  the  day ;  but  the  passenger.^ 
do  not  share  their  gloom,  and  there  are  always  more  passengers  than  drivers — 
more  to  be  served  than  serving,  and  so,  again,  the  benefit  comes  to  the  many. 
This  disposition  to  kick  against  the  inevitable  progress  of  the  world  is  older 
than  the  oldest  moss-back  in  the  slowest  corner  of  the  most  behind-hand  region. 


A    LOGICAL    OPINION 

At  New  Tacoma  Vice-President  Oakes  had  no  hesitation  in  saying  that 
Tacoma  has  all  the  elements  of  great  and  permanent  prosperity.  It  will  always 
be  the  shipping  point  for  the  Carbon  Hill  and  Wilkeson  coal  fields ;  it  will  be 
the  great  shipping  point  for  the  grain  of  eastern  Washington. 

In  this  declaration  we  find  confirmation  of  the  oft  repeated  assertion  of 
the  "Union,"  that  upon  completion  of  the  Northern  Pacific  the  business  of 
shipping  grain  to  the  Liverpool  market  will  be  changed  from  Portland  to  Puget 
Sound.  In  further  confirmation  of  our  view,  Colonel  Oakes  said:  "The  fact 
of  the  matter  is  that  the  company  has  felt  that  the  farmers  must  be  educated 
to  the  adoption  of  elevators  for  shipping  grain;  and,  besides,  there  is  really  no 
absolute  necessity  for  elevators  or  other  provision  than  now  exists  until  the 
line  between  Portland  and  Kalama  is  completed.  When  that  is  done  the  ele- 
vators will  be  got  ready  for  the  shipment  of  next  year's  crop." 

It  is  evident  that  if  grain  is  to  be  shipped  in  bulk  it  will  be  impossible 
for  \essels  to  partially  load  at  Portland  and  complete  cargo  at  Astoria,  from 
barges,  as  it  is  now  necessary  to  do.  To  load  in  bulk  elevators  are  absolutely 
necessary  and  to  complete  cargo  from  barges  is  an  impossibility.  Shipping  in 
bulk  will  save  to  the  farmer  at  least  the  interest  on  the  cost  of  the  sacks,  and 
will  doubtless  add  in  other  respects  greatly  to  his  profit. 

We  also  see  in  the  utterances  of  Colonel  Oakes  an  earnest  of  the  speedy 
completion  of  the  road  over  the  Cascade  ^Mountains.  Villard  announced  that 
the  engineers  had  decided  that  the  mountains  could  be  crossed  with  a  maximum 
grade  of  fifty-three  feet  per  mile,  a  grade  less  by  many  feet  than  it  is  possible 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  595 

to  obtain  between  Kalania  and  Tacoma.  When  to  this  decrease  of  grade  we 
add  the  hundred  miles  of  less  distance,  it  becomes  evident  to  a  novice  that  the 
early  completion  of  the  road  over  the  mountains  is  a  business  necessity. — Walla 
Walla  Union. 

From  the  "Standard"  of  September  15,  we  take  an  editorial  and  also  a  notice 
of  a  petition  to  be  presented  to  the  legislature. 


PETITION    FOR   DIVISION 

Sei>tember  15,  1883. 


A  petition  is  now  in  circulation  in  this  county  for  the  signatures  of  all  legal 
voters  praying  that  the  legislature  will  divide  Yakima  County  and  create  a  new 
county  out  of  the  northern  half  thereof.  The  petition  is  not  worded  as  strongly 
as  we  would  wish,  yet  it  sets  forth  a  sufficient  amount  of  grounds  upon  which, 
in  justice  to  the  people,  we  think  the  legislature  should  act  favorably.  The 
petition  represents  that  the  county  is  about  two  hundred  miles  long  and  ex- 
tends from  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  on  the  west  to  Columbia 
River  on  the  east.  In  this  scope  of  territory  there  is  embraced  an  area  nearly 
equal,  if  not  more,  than  is  contained  in  many  states  of  the  Union,  which  of  itself 
is  good  grounds  for  favorable  action  on  the  part  of  the  legislature.  The  pres- 
ent population  of  the  county,  the  petition  further  recites,  is  principally  located 
in  the  Ahtanum  and  Kittitas  valleys,  separated  by  a  natural  barrier — a  moun- 
tain chain  which  renders  access  to  the  present  county  seat  from  this  section 
very  expensi\e,  difficult  in  Summer  and  at  times  hazardous  in  Winter.  This, 
we  think,  is  unanswerable  upon  the  part  of  those  who  are  opposed  to  division, 
and  as  we  set  forth  in  a  previous  issue  this  particular  point,  we  shall  pass  to 
the  next  clause  in  the  petition.  Again,  it  is  set  forth  that  in  each  of  said  valleys 
there  is  a  thriving  and  prosperous  town  of  about  equal  population,  wealth  and 
business  interests,  and  located  about  fifty  miles  apart.  This  is  true,  and  yet 
we  think  here  is  where  the  petition  should  have  been  more  strongly  worded. 
The  "l)usiness  interests"  of  this  section  absolutely  demand  division  as  a  matter 
of  economy  to  its  residents,  without  taking  into  consideration  the  question 
commerce.  The  construction  of  the  Cascade  division  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  insures  a  large  accession  to  the  present  county,^  as  well  as  enhances 
the  value  of  all  classes  of  property  and  increases  the  recording  of  transfers  and 
titles,  mortgages,  etc.  This  fact  is  patent  to  all.  Besides  such  a  state  of  afifairs 
is  but  constantly  adding  to  the  burdens  of  expense  and  inconvenience  of  this 
section  as  its  population  increases.  Upon  this  point  we  would  like  some 
opposer  of  division  to  attack  us.  It  may  also  be  said  here  that  residents  of  this 
section  save  the  expenditure  of  large  sums  of  money  annually  to  themselves  in 
the  way  of  expenses.  "This  money  will  be  retained  in  our  own  midst  and  go 
to  enrich  this  section.  At  present  such  records  at  Yakima  City  are  almost 
inaccessible  and  worthless  to  the  northern  half  of  the  county."  They  are  worth- 
less to  this  .section  from  the  difficulty  of  access  to  them,  and  the  expense  attend- 
ant upon  a  trip  to  the  county  seat  to  obtain  that  access  to  them.  The  petition 
then  sets  forth  boundary  lines  asked  for  as  follows :     "Commencing  at  a  point 


596  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  WVI.LEY 

where  the  main  channel  of  the  Columbia  River  crosses  the  township  line  be- 
tween 14  and  15  north,  range  23  east,  and  running  west  on  said  township  line 
to  the  range  line  between  townships  18  and  19  east ;  thence  north  on  said  line 
six  miles  to  township  line  between  townships  15  and  16  north;  thence  west  on 
said  line  to  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains;  thence  north  along  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Cascade  Mountains  to  the  Wenachie  River;  thence  down  the  \Ve- 
nachie  River  to  the  Columbia  River;  thence  down  the  mid-channel  of  the  Co- 
lumbia River  to  the  place  of  beginning."  This"  line  starts  in  near  Priest  Rapids, 
thence  runs  west  to  a  point  on  the  ridge  about  two  and  a  half  miles  above  John 
Cleman's  place  on  the  Wenas.  It  then  follows  as  near  as  practicable  the  ridge 
near  the  headwaters  of  the  Umptanum.  Thence  due  west  across  the  Wenas 
about  a  mile  below  the  Pressey  place.  These  petitions  are  being  circulated,  as 
yet  not  thoroughly,  but  will  be  by  the  10th  of  October.  In  the  meantime  those 
who  desire  can  sign  at  any  of  the  stores  or  saloons.  We  predict  that  the  pe- 
tition will  meet  with  universal  approval. 


TO   .\LL    PERSONS    WlHOM,    IT    M.\Y    CONCERN 

Notice  is  hereby  given  that  application  will  be  made  to  the  next  Legislative 
Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Washington  for  the  formation  of  a  new  county 
out  of  that  portion  of  the  Territory  of  Washington  described  and  bounded  as 
follows,  to-wit :  "Commencing  at  a  point  where  the  main  channel  of  the  Co- 
lumbia River  crosses  the  township  line  between  14  and  15  north,  range  2,^ 
east,  Willamette  Meridian,  and  running  west  on  said  township  line  to  the  range 
line  between  townships  18  and  19  east,  thence  north  on  said  line  six  miles  to 
township  line  between  township  15  and  16  north;  thence  west  on  said  line  to 
the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains ;  thence  north  along  the  summit  of  the 
Cascade  Mountains  to  the  Wenachie  River ;  thence  down  the  Wenachie  River 
to  the  Columbia  River ;  thence  down  the  mid-channel  of  the  Columbia  River 
to  the  place  of  beginning."  Embracing  in  the  territory  so  bounded  a  portion 
of  Yakima  County,  Washington  Territory.  The  county  seat  to  be  located  at 
Ellensburgh. — Many    Citizens. 

As  almost  always  occurs  in  a  county  di\ision  issue  the  attack  of  the  Kittita.> 
people  assumed  two  directions.  They  demanded  either  the  county  seat  or  a 
new  county.  The  first  demand  was  not  so  unreasonable  as  might  seem  at  present 
date  (1919).  While  neither  Ellensburg  nor  Yakima  had  any  assignable  popula- 
tion in  1875  and  hardly  enough  to  weigh  heavily  even  in  1880,  the  former  town 
made  the  more  rapid  growth  from  1880  to  1890.  In  the  census  of  1890  Ellens- 
burg had  2,768  inhabitants  and  North  Yakima  1.535.  Something  of  the  pros- 
pects of  more  rapid  development  for  the  metropolis  of  the  Kittitas  was  fore- 
shadowed in  1880  and  onward,  and  the  population  on  the  Ahtanum,  Naches, 
Selah,  Moxee  and  Yakima,  at  the  joining  of  those  areas,  seem  to  have  been 
seriously  alarmed  at  the  thought  that  they  were  going  to  lose  their  birthright. 
The  election  of  1880  disregarded  party  lines  and  ran  on  the  county  seat  issue. 
George  S.  Taylor  of  Selah  was  the  democratic  candidate  for  the  legislature 
and  John  A.  Shoudy  of  Ellensburg  was  the  repulilican.     The  voters  of  Yakima. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ALLEY  597 

albeit  the  county  was  republican,  all  hung  together  in  the  support  of  Taylor. 
Their  fears  that  Shoudy,  if  elected,  would  make  it  his  central  business  to  move 
the  county  seat,  were  no  doubt  well  based.  As  a  result,  Taylor,  a  democrat, 
was  elected. 

The  proposed  removal   failed  of  accomplishment. 

For  not  only  did  the  election  of  Taylor  put  an  effectual  damper  on  the  re- 
moval scheme  in  the  legislature,  but  a  courthouse  proposition  locally  turned  to 
the  retention  of  the  county  seat  at  the  old  place.  For  in  1882,  just  in  the  heat 
of  battle,  the  old  building  in  Yakima  City,  occupied  by  the  county  offices,  was 
burned. 

This  event  seemed  to  open  the  way  to  a  decisive  stroke  by  the  Yakima 
forces,  and.  this  was  the  immediate  erection  of  a  new  courthouse.  The  county 
commissioners  voted  to  proceed  at  once  to  the  building  of  a  new  courthouse. 
While  this  was  in  progress  the  election  of  1882  took  place.  As  in  1880,  Taylor 
and  Shoudy  were  candidates.  The  Yakima  people,  seeing  that  the  new  court- 
house would  likely  nail  down  the  county  seat,  felt  that  the  best  policy  would 
be  to  "go  easy"  on  the  division  question.  Moreover  the  Kittitas  people  made 
a  better  campaign  than  before.  The  result  was  that  in  1882  Shoudy  was  chosen 
to  the  legislature  over  Taylor.  By  a  peculiar  coincidence  Shoudy  had  pre- 
cisely the  majority,  fifty-six,  which  Taylor  had  had  in  the  preceding  election. 
While  the  political  campaign  was  in  progress  a  peculiar  legal  question  was  de- 
veloped in  connection  with  the  new  courthouse  at  Yakima  City.  S.  T.  Pack- 
wood  of  Ellensburg  brought  a  suit  to  annul  the  action  of  the  commissioners 
in  authorizing  the  erection  of  a  courthouse  without  submitting  the  question  to 
popular  vote.  The  court  granted  a  temporary  injunction  to  forbid  the  treasurer 
from  honoring  any  orders  for  payments  for  work  on  the  building. 

These  orders  had  been  taken  at  the  Yakima  National  Bank,  of  which  at 
that  time  J.  R.  Lewis  was  the  president.  Mr.  Lewis  was  a  resident  of  Seattle. 
Perceiving  that  if  the  restraining  order  of  the  court  were  made  permanent, 
these  orders  might  be  very  uncertain  property,  he  hastened  to  the  legislature 
and  threw  all  his  influence  toward  county  division.  The  ground  of  his  action 
was  that  he  believed  that  division  would  influence  Mr.  Packwood  to  withdraw 
his  suit  and  thus  release  the  injunction.  At  the  earliest  opportunity  Mr.  Shoudy 
])crformed  the  commission  which  he  believed  the  voters  meant  to  lay  upon  him, 
and  introduced  a  bill  for  the  creation  of  the  county  of  Kittitas. 

The  legislature  duly  passed  the  bill,  the  act  was  approved  by  Governor  W. 
A.  New-ell  on  November  24,  1883,  and  thus  the  great  step  of  the  introduction  of 
Kittitas  into  the  sisterhood  of  counties  in  Washington  Territory  was  accomp- 
lished. 

The  act  is  as  follows : 

.\n  .\ct  to  create  and  locate  the  county  of  kittitas  and  to  define  the 
boundaries  thereof 

Section-  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legisl.\tive  Assembly  of  the  Ter- 
ritory OF  Washington:  That  all  that  portion  of  Yakima  County  situated  with- 
in  Washington  Territory  and   inchided  within  the   following  limits  be,  and  the 


598  HISTORY  Oh"  YAKLMA  X'ALLEY 

same  shall  be  known  as  the  county  of  Kittitas,  viz.:  Commencing  at  a  point 
where  the  main  channel  of  the  Columbia  River  crosses  the  township  line  be- 
tween township  fourteen  and  fifteen  north,  range  twenty-three  east,  Willamette 
meridian,  and  running  west  on  said  township,  to  the  range  line  between  town- 
ships eighteen  and  nineteen  east ;  thence  north  on  said  line,  six  miles  to  the  town- 
ship line  between  townships  fifteen  and  sixteen  north;  thence  west  on  said  town- 
ship line  to  the  Naches  River;  thence  northerly  along  the  main  channel  of  said 
river,  to  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  or  southwest  corner  of  Pierce 
County;  thence  north  along  the  eastern  boundaries  of  Pierce,  King  and  Sno- 
homish counties  to  the  main  channel  of  the  Wenachee  River ;  thence  do\»n  said 
river  to  the  Columbia  River;  thence  down  the  main  channel  of  the  Columbia 
to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Sec.  2.  That  Robert  N.  Canaday,  Samuel  T.  Fackwood  and  C.  P.  Cooke 
are  hereby  appointed  a  board  of  county  commissioners  for  the  county  of  Kit- 
titas, with  all  the  powers  as  if  regularly  elected,  who  shall  hold  their  offices  until 
the  next  general  election  and  until  their  successors  are  elected  and  qualified  ; 
and  said  board  of  commissioners  shall  have  power  to  select  and  appoint  the 
remaining  county  officers,  who  shall  serve  until  the  next  general  election  and 
until  their  successors  are  elected  and  qualified,  for  which  purpose  the  county 
commissioners  herein  appointed  shall  meet  at  the  county  seat  of  Kittitas  County 
within  forty  days  after  the  approval  of  this  act,  and  appoint  the  necessary  offi- 
cers for  said  county,  and  perform  such  other  duties  and  things  necessary  for  a 
complete  organization  of  the  county  of  Kittitas. 

Sec.  3.  That  the  justices  of  the  peace  and  constables  who  are  now  elected 
as  such  in  the  precincts  of  the  county  of  Kittitas  be,  and  the  same  are  hereb\, 
declared  justices  of  the  peace  and  constables  of,  and  for  the  said  county  of 
Kittitas. 

Sec.  4.  That  the  county  seat  of  said  county  of  Kittitas  is  hereby  tem- 
porarily located  at  Ellensburgh,  at  which  place  it  shall  remam  until  located  per- 
manently elsewhere  in  said  county  by  a  majority  of  qualified  electors  thereof, 
and  for  which  purpose  a  vote  shall  be  taken  at  the  next  general  election  jiro- 
vided  for  by  statute ;  and  the  officers  of  election  shall  receive  said  vote  and 
make  return  thereof,  to  the  commissioners,  who  shall  canvass  the  same  and 
announce  the  result  in  like  manner  as  the  result  of  the  vote  for  county  officers: 
PROVIDED,  That  if  there  be  not  a  majority  vote  in  favor  of  such  location  of 
county  seat  at  any  one  place  at  such  general  election,  the  c|ualitied  electors  of 
the  county  shall  continue  to  vote  on  that  question  at  the  next  and  each  subse- 
C|uent  general  election  until  some  place  receive  such  majority,  and  the  place  so 
receiving  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  shall  be  declared  the  permanent  county 
seat  of  said  Kittitas  County. 

Sec.  5.  That  all  laws  applicable  to  the  county  of  Yakima  shall  be  appli- 
cal)le  to  the  county  of  Kittitas. 

Sec.  6.  That  all  taxes  levied  and  assessed  by  the  lioard  of  county  com- 
missioners of  the  county  of  Yakima  for  the  year  A.  D.  18S3,  upon  persons  or 
proi)erty  within  the  boundaries  of  the  said  county  of  Kittitas,  and  all  delin(|uent 
taxes  heretofore  due  said  county  of  Yakima  shall  be  collected  by  its  proper 
officers  and  i^aid  into  the  treasury  of  said  Yakima  County,  for  the  use  of  said 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  599 

county  of  Yakima :  provided.  That  the  said  county  of  Yakima  shall  pay  all  the 
just  indebtedness  of  said  Yakima  County:  and  provided  further,  That  the 
county  of  Kittitas  shall  pay  to  the  county  of  Yakima  a  just  proportion  of  the 
net  indebtedness  of  said  Yakima  County,  the  same  to  be  determined  as  herein- 
after provided. 

Sec.  7.  That  the  auditors  of  the  counties  of  Kittitas  and  Yakima  are 
hereby  constituted  a  board  of  appraisers  and  adjusters  of  the  real  estate  and 
other  property  of  Yakima  County,  and  if  they  can  not  agree,  the  auditor  of 
Klickitat  County  shall  act  as  umpire,  and  for  this  purpose  shall  meet  at  Yakima 
City  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  January,  A.  D.,  1884;  then  and  there  they  shall 
appraise  the  value  of  all  public  property,  both  real  and  personal,  belonging  to 
the  county  of  Yakima,  and  said  board  of  appraisers  and  adjusters  shall  then 
proceed  to  ascertain  the  net  indebtedness  of  said  county  of  Yakima,  which 
shall  be  done  as  follows,  viz:  Ascertain  all  the  county  justly  owes  in  warrants, 
scrip  or  other  just  debts,  which  anlount  shall  constitute  the  gross  indebtedness 
of  said  county,  from  which  deduct  the  amount  of  the  unpaid  portion  of  the  as- 
sessment roll  of  1883,  and  the  amount  of  all  delinquent  assessment  rolls  which 
are  considered  collectable  up  to  that  date,  and  the  amount  of  all  moneys  and 
other  credits  due  the  county,  also  the  value  of  all  public  property  belonging  to 
the  said  county  of  Yakima,  and  the  balance  so  found  shall  constitute  the  net 
indebtedness  of  said  county  of  Yakima :  provided,  The  real  and  personal  prop- 
erty thus  deducted  shall  be  the  property  of  Yakima  County  after  division. 

Sec.  8.  That  the  net  indebtedness  of  the  said  county  of  Yakima,  as  found 
above,  be  divided  equally  between  the  counties  of  Yakima  and  Kittitas,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  taxable  property  of  said  counties  as  it  legally  appears  on  the 
assessment  roll  for  the  year  1883,  and  the  said  county  of  Kittitas  shall  cause 
a  warrant  or  warrants  to  be  drawn  upon  its  treasurer,  payable  to  the  county  of 
Yakima  out  of  any  funds  not  otherwise  appropriated,  for  its  full  share  of  such 
indebtedness :  provided.  That  if  from  any  cause  either  or  both  of  the  above 
mentioned  adjusters  and  appraisers  fail  or  refuse  to  act  as  such,  then,  and  in 
that  case,  the  county  auditors  of  the  respective  counties  shall  constitute  a  board 
of  arbitrators  and  appraisers,  and  shall  proceed  as  herein  directed. 

Sec.  9.  That  if  the  board  of  appraisers  and  adjusters  as  herein  appointed 
shall  not  agree  on  any  subject  of  value  or  settlement  as  herein  stated,  they 
shall  choose  a  third  man  from  an  adjoining  county  to  settle  their  differences, 
and  their  decision  shall  be  final. 

Sec.  10.  That  the  compensation  of  the  said  board  of  appraisers  and  ad- 
justers shall  be  four  dollars  per  day  each,  for  each  and  ever}'  day  necessarily 
employed  herein,  and  the  counties  of  Yakima  and  Kittitas  shall  pay  the  same 
equally. 

Sec.  11.  That  the  county  auditor  of  Kittitas  County  shall  have  access  to 
the  records  of  Yakima  County,  without  cost,  for  the  purpose  of  transcribing 
and  indexing  such  portion  of  the  records  of  property  as  belongs  to  the  county 
of  Kittitas,  and  his  certificate  of  the  correctness  thereof  shall  have  the  same 
force  and  effect  as  if  made  by  the  auditor  of  Yakima  County ;  it  is  hereby  pro- 
vided, however,  that  nothing  in  this  section  shall  permit  the  record  books  of 
Yakima  Countv  to  be  removed  from  the  office  of  its  auditor. 


f)00  HISTORY  OK  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

Sec.  12.  That  the  county  auditor,  for  transcribing  and  indexing  the  rec- 
ords of  Kittitas  County,  shall  receive  the  sum  of  three  dollars  per  day  for  each 
and  every  day  so  employed,  to  be  paid  by  the  county  of  Kittitas,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  his  yearly  salary  as  hereinafter  provided. 

Sec.  13.  That  the  county  of  Kittitas  shall  be  attached  to  the  county  of 
Yakima  for  legislative  purposes,  and  to  the  second  judicial  district  for  judicial 
purposes. 

PAY   OF    COUNTY   OFFICERS 

Sec.  14.  That  the  county  commissioners  of  the  county  of  Kittitas  shall 
receive  the  sum  of  four  dollars  per  day  each  for  each  and  ever}'  day  necessarily 
employed  in  the  service  of  said  county,  and  ten  cents  per  mile  for  each  mile 
necessarily  traveled  to  attend  said  county  business.  The  auditor  shall  receive 
a  yearly  salary  of  three  hundred  dollars  per  year,  payable  quarterly.  The  treas- 
urer shall  receive  a  yearly  .salarv-  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  year, 
payable  quarterly.  The  sherifif  shall  receive  the  same  fees  as  are  allowed  to 
sheriffs  of  other  counties  by  the  statutes  of  Washington  Territory.  The  pro- 
bate judge  shall  receive  the  regular  fees  of  his  office  as  prescribed  by  the  laws 
of  Washington  Territory.  The  superintendent  of  public  schools  shall  receive 
a  yearly  salary  of  forty  dollars  per  annum,  payable  quarterly,  and  all  other 
officers  of  the  county  shall  deceive  the  regular  fees  of  their  respective  offices  as 
prescribed  by  statute. 

Sec.  15.  That  nothing  in  this  act  shall  be  so  construed  as  to  affect  the 
just  proportion  of  the  school  fund  for  the  said  county  of  Kittitas. 

Sec.  16.  That  all  acts  or  parts  of  acts  in  conflict  with  the  provisions  of 
this  act  are  hereby  repealed. 

Sec.  17.  This  act  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its 
passage  and  approval   by  the  governor. 

Approved  November  24,  1883. 

A  comparatively  slight  change  in  the  line  between  Yakima  and  Kittitas  was 
made  on  February  4,  1886,  as  seen  from  the  act  herewith  quoted : 

AN   ACT  TO  CHANGE  THE   BOUNDARY    LINE  BETWEEN    KITTITAS   AND   YAKIMA 
COUNTIES 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Washington. 
Section  1.  That  the  boundary  line  between  Kittitas  and  Yakima  counties, 
in  Washington  Territory,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  changed  and  shall  hereafter 
be  as  follows,  viz. :  Commencing  at  a  point  where  the  main  channel  of  the 
Columbia  River  crosses  the  township  line  between  townships  fourteen  (^14) 
and  fifteen  (15)  north,  of  range  number  twenty-three  (23)  east  of  the  Willa- 
mette Meridian,  and  running  thence  west  on  the  said  township  line  to  the  range 
line  between  ranges  eighteen  and  nineteen  east,  thence  north  on  said  range  line 
six  miles,  or  to  the  township  line  between  the  townships  fifteen  (15)  and  six- 
teen (16)  north,  thence  west  on  the  said  township  line  to  the  range  line  between 
ranges  seventeen  (17)  and  eighteen  (18)  east,  thence  north  to  the  township 
line  between  township  sixteen  (16)  and  seventeen  (17)  north,  thence  west  along 
said  township  line  and  a  line  prolonged  due  west,  to  the  Naches  River,  and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  601 

thence  northerly  along  the  main  channel  of  the  Naches  River  to  the  summit  of 
the  Cascade  Mountains,  or  to  the  eastern  boundary  of  Pierce  County. 

Sec.  2.  That  all  acts  or  parts  of  acts  in  conflict  with  this  act  be  and  they  ' 
are  hereby  repealed. 

Sec.  3.  That  this  act  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its 
passage  and  approval  by  the  governor. 

Approved  February  4,  1886. 

Mr.  Shoudy  was  received  at  his  home  in  Ellensburgh  as  a  conqueror.  An 
extract  from  the  "Register"  denoting  the  sentiments  awakened  in  Ellensburg 
by  this  event  appears  in  the  chapter  on  Ellensburg. 

INAUGURATION    OF  THE    NEW   COUNTY. 

Bv  the  terms  of  the  bill  providing  for  the  new  county  Robert  N.  Canaday, 
Samuel  T.  Packwood,  and  C.  P.  Cooke  were  appointed  county  commissioners. 
From  the  well  stored  memory  and  records  of  Mr.  Austin  Mires  we  derive  cer- 
tain valuable  facts  in  regard  to  the  initiation  of  the  new  government. 

The  commissioners  met  on  December  17,  1883,  in  a  room  on  the  second  floor 
of  the  three-story  building  of  Smith  Brothers  which  was  on  the  southwest  corner 
of  Pearl  and  Third  streets,  on  the  ground  later  partially  occupied  by  Friend  & 
Flynn's  barber  shop.  At  this  first  meeting  the  commissioners  appointed  the  fol- 
lowing county  officers :  sheriff,  John  C.  Goodwin ;  probate  judge,  W.  A.  Bull ; 
treasurer,  Thomas  Johnson;  school  superintendent,  Irene  Cumberlin ;  surveyor, 
J.  R.  Wallace ;  coroner,  Dr.  W.  V.  Amen ;  sheep  commissioner,  E.  W.  Lyen. 

At  the  session  of  the  legislature  which  created  Kittitas  County  an  act  was 
passed  creating  and  conferring  judicial  powers,  declaring  the  District  Court  of 
Kittitas  County  to  be  a  court  of  record  and  fixing  one  regular  term  of  court 
annually.  That  term  should  last  one  week,  unless  sooner  adjourned,  should  open 
on  the  third  Monday  of  October,  and  its  meeting  place  should  be  at  Ellensburgh. 
The  county  became  part  of  the  second  judicial  district,  and  that  district  was  sub- 
divided for  the  purpose  of  choosing  the  prosecuting  attorney.  This  act  united 
Kittitas  County  with  Yakima,  Klickitat,  Skamania  and  Clarke  counties.  The  first 
prosecuting  attorney  in  that  subdivision  was  Hiram  Dustin  of  Goldendale. 

One  of  the  echoes  of  the  division  question  is  stated  by  Mr.  Mires  to  this 
effect.  In  the  Republican  territorial  convention  of  September,  1884,  the  counties 
of  Yakima  and  Kittitas  had  each  three  and  a  half  delegates.  Two  sets  of  dele- 
gates appeared  from  Yakima,  one  headed  by  J.  M.  Adams  of  the  "Signal",  the 
other  by  C.  M.  Holton  of  the  "Republic".  The  Adams  group  were  supporting 
Edward  Whitson  as  delegate  to  Congress.  The  animosities  which  had  been 
excited  by  the  opposition  of  the  "Signal"  to  the  creation  of  Kittitas  were  such 
that  in  the  vote  of  the  convention  as  between  the  two  sets  of  Yakima  delegates, 
the  Kittitas  delegation  voted  steadily  against  the  Adams  group.  This  resulted 
in  seating  the  Holton  delegation.  That  event  insured  the  defeat  of  Whitson  for 
congressional  delegate.  The  nomination  was  secured  by  J.  M.  Armstrong.  But 
the  indefatigable  Adams  came  back  with  a  heavy  counter  blow,  for  he  entered 
upon  his  great  campaign  in  the  su]5port  of.  C  S.  Voorhees,  as  an  anti-railroad 
candidate. 

\'^oorhees  was  chosen  by  a  heavy  majority  in  Kittitas  and  went  to  Congress. 


602  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

In  the  same  convention  there  was  another  httle  fracas  as  between  these  two 
sister  communities  on  the  two  sides  of  the  Umptanum  Ridge.  At  that  time  five 
counties,  Kittitas,  Yakima,  Spokane,  Stevens  and  Lincohi,  composed  a  council- 
man district  in  the  legislature.  J.  A.  Shoudy  received  the  republican  nomination 
for  joint  councilman.  James  B.  Reavis  of  Yakima  was  nominated  by  the  demo- 
crats for  the  same  place.  It  has  been  asserted  by  some  of  Mr.  Shoudy's  sup- 
porters that  a  "trade"  was  entered  into  between  Yakima  republicans  and  H.  W. 
Fairweather  of  Sprague  by  which  Shoudy  was  thrown  down  in  Lincoln  County. 
However  it  appears  that  1884  was  a  democratic  year  any  way.  Even  in  Kittitas 
County  Reavis  had  451  votes  to  410  for  Shoudy.  Whatever  the  facts  in  that 
election,  Kittitas  "came  back"  at  Yakima  when  the  latter  city  made  its  great 
campaign  for  the  removal  of  the  capital  from  Olympia  to  Yakima  in  1887-88. 

The  Ellensburgh  influence  was  thrown  directly  against  her  neighbor,  and  in 
at  least  one  of  the  elections  that  seems  to  have  been  a  determining  power.  For 
in  the  election  of  1889,  Olympia  received  25,448  votes ;  North  Yakima,  14,707 ; 
Ellensburgh,  12,833.  Thus  it  seems  that  if  all  the  advocates  of  an  East  Side 
Capital  had  concentrated  on  either  Yakima  or  Ellensburgh,  the  capital  would  have 
been  moved.  These  events  are  narrated  here  as  part  of  the  interesting  historical 
record,  not  to  perpetuate  animosities.  In  fact  whatever  warmth  of  feeling  and 
expression  may  have  existed  thirty  years  ago  have  long  since  passed  away. 

FIRST    COURT. 

Another  matter  of  much  interest  in  those  first  years  of  county  life  was  the 
first  court  session.  As  .Austin  Mires  describes  it,  a  hack-load  of  men,  with  the 
judge,  came  from  Yakima  over  the  Durr  road  to  Ellensburg  on  Sunday,  October 
19,  1884.  The  judge  was  George  Turner,  the  others  were  Austin  Mires,  J.  A. 
Shoudy  and  \l.  M.  Emerson.  On  the  next  day,  October  20,  at  10  o'clock  the 
first  court  in  Kittitas  County  was  convened.  The  place  of  meeting  was  a  two- 
story  frame  building  facing  south  on  Third  Street,  covering  the  ground  reaching 
from  about  the  back  end  of  Van  Gesen's  drug  store  to  the  alley  and  known  as 
the  "Elliott  Building".  The  attorneys  in  attendance  were  the  following: 
Edward  Whitson,  John  B.  Allen,  Edward  Pruyn,  J.  B.  Reavis,  Hiram  Dustin, 
S.  C.  Davidson,  J.  B.  Davidson,  F.  T.  Thorp,  Daniel  Gaby,  W.  H.  Peter,  J.  H. 
Naylor  and  Austin  Mires. 

That  first  term  of  court  held  over  three  days  and  part  of  a  fourth.  Of 
those  first  lawyers,  three  are  still  in  active  practice  in  Ellensburg;  Austin  Mires, 
J.  B.  Davidson  and  Edward  Pruyn.     Mr.  Davidson  is  at  this  date  superior  judge. 

The  first  political  conventions  occurred  also  in  1884.  The  republicans  met 
on  August  23d,  in  Elliott's  Hall  with  Dr.  I.  N.  Power  as  chairman  and  Richard 
Price  as  secretary.  On  August  30th  the  democratic  convention  met  in  the  same 
hall  with  John  Amlin  as  chairman  and  G.  W.  Seaton  as  secretary.  In  September 
a  few  independents  met  and  made  nominations  for  sheriff,  one  commissioner 
and  surveyor. 

ICLECTION    RECORDS. 

For  reasons  which  we  have  given  fully  in  the  Yakima  political  records,  the 
year  1884  was  a  democratic  year.     This  was  true  both  nationally  and  locally. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  WALLFA"  603 

It  was  the  year  when  the  sentiment  existed  that  the  republican  party  had  become 
subservient  to  railroad  influence  and  other  plutocratic  interests,  and  when  the 
ever  increasing  tariffs  seemed  about  to  deliver  the  consumers  over  to  specially 
favored  industries.  Cleveland  became  a  rallying  cry  for  those  who  believed  that 
they  might  secure  liberation  through  a  change  of  administration  and  policy. 
Locally  it  was  the  year  of  the  building  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  into  the 
Yakima  Valley. 

Hailed  by  many  as  the  great  constructive  agency  in  the  history  of  the  valley, 
some  others  looked  upon  the  railroad  as  an  octopus  fastening  upon  the  body  of 
industry.  The  leader  of  this  latter  sentiment  in  Yakima  was  J.  M.  Adams  of 
the  "Signar'.  while  Mr.  Schnebly  of  the  "Localizer"  represented  much  the  same 
position  in  Kittitas  County.  The  result  of  the  election,  both  in  county  and  state, 
showed  the  wide-spread  development  of  that  opinion. 

C.  S.  X'oorhees,  as  democratic  and  anti-monopoly  candidate,  was  elected  by 
a  strong  majority  over  J.  M.  Armstrong,  republican. 

The  vote  for  Voorhees  in  Kittitas  County  was  551  to  345  for  Armstrong. 
All  the  democratic  state  nominees  received  majorities  in  the  county,  while  every 
local  democratic  candidate,  except  J-  S.  Dysart  for  commissioner,  was  elected. 
The  legislative  and  county  officers  chosen  were  as  follows:  joint  councilman, 
J.  B.  Reavis ;  joint  representative,  C.  P.  Cooke :  sheriff,  S.  T.  Packwood :  auditor, 
W.  H.  Peterson:  treasurer,  J.  J.  Mueller;  probate  judge,  John  Davis:  commis- 
sioners, R.  F.  Montgomery,  J.  S.  Dysart,  J.  R-  Van  Alstine :  surveyor,  G.  W. 
Seaton;  superintendent  of  schools,  Irene  Cumberlin ;  coroner,  Dr.  M.  V.  Amen; 
sheep  commissioner,  C.  P.  Coleman. 

A  vote  to  erect  a  building  for  the  county  records  was  lost  decisively. 

The  election  of  1886  shows  that  the  following  precincts  participated :  Whit- 
son,  Ellensburgh.  West  Kittitas.  Tunnel  City,  Wenatchee,  Mission  Creek  and 
Teanaway.  In  view  of  subsequent  developments  it  is  significant  to  note  that  a 
special  election  on  local  option  was  held  in  Kittitas  County  on  June  28,  1886, 
and  that  Whitson  precinct  was  the  only  one  which  returned  a  majority  for  banish- 
ing the  saloon.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  in  later  elections  the  Yakima  Valley 
counties  were  the  banner  counties  in  support  of  state  prohibition,  the  early  oppo- 
sition to  and  subsequent  support  of  prohibition  in  Kittitas  and  Yakima  is  very 
interesting.  The  general  election  of  November,  1886,  resulted  in  a  democratic 
victory,  though  not  by  so  pronounced  a  majority  as  its  predecessor.  C.  S. 
Voorhees  for  Congress  received  888  votes  to  567  for  C.  M.  Bradshaw,  his  repub- 
lican opponent.  As  may  be  noted  these  figures  denote  a  very  large  increase  in 
voting  strength  in  the  county,  for  in  1884  the  total  vote  for  congressman  was 
896.  while  in  1886  it  totalled  1,455.  It  was  during  that  two-year  period  that  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  entered  the  Kittitas  Valley.  Due  to  this  and  many 
other  influences  the  period  was  one  of  the  greatest  activity  and  influx  of  popu- 
lation that  had  been  known  in  the  whole  history  of  central  Washington. 

The  results  of  the  election  in  the  county  offices  in  1886  were  as  follows: 
joint  councilman,  C.  P.  Cooke,  democrat:  representative,  T.  J.  V.  Clark,  repub- 
lican: commissioners,  J.  S.  I>ysart  and  A.  T.  Mason,  republicans,  and  S.  L. 
Bates,  democrat;  sheriff-assessor,  S.  T.  Packwood,  democrat:  treasurer,  Henrv 
Rehmke,  democrat ;  surveyor,  E.  J.  Rector,  who  was  succeeded  by  C.  R.  Smith 


CM  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

1)V  appointment  by  the  commissioners :  auditor,  W.  H.  Peterson,  democrat ;  pro- 
bate judge,  John  Davis,  democrat:  superintendent,  Clara  Peterson,  democrat; 
sheep  inspector,  E.  W.  Lyen,  democrat :  coroner,  Dr.  N.  Henton. 

The  election  of  1888  was  one  of  much  interest,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
persistent  agitation  for  statehood,  repeatedly  turned  down,  began  now  to  show 
signs  of  fruitage. 

It  was  confidently  expected  that  before  another  election  Washington  would 
be  a  state.  The  Territory  had  grown  enormously  during  the  decade  of  the 
eighties. 

By  the  census  of  1880  there  were  75.116  people,  while  that  of  1890  showed 
a  population  of  349,390. 

In  few  parts  had  there  been  a  more  rapid  increase  than  in  Yakima 
County,  which  in  1880  included  the  entire  valley.  In  1890  there  were  the  two 
counties,  of  which  Yakima  had  4,429  people  and  Kittitas  had  8,777,  or  a  total  of 
13,206.  With  the  inrush  of  population  from  all  quarters  came  new  enterprises, 
new  inventions,  new  ambitions,  a  stir  and  bustle  and  hustle  that  the  frontier  com- 
munities of  Washington  had  never  known  before.  It  was  unavoidable  that 
the  demand  for  admission  to  statehood  be  loud  and  persistent.  There  was 
another  reason  for  special  interest  in  the  election  of  1888. 

That  was  a  Presidential  year.  The  administration  of  Cleveland,  the  first 
democratic  administration  since  1856-60,  had  in  some  respects  fulfilled  and  in 
some  respects  disappointed  expectation.  The  two  respects  in  which,  in  the  judg- 
ment of  the  author,  it  deserved  commendation  were  the  very  ones  in  which  it  had 
most  drawn  criticism;  the  civil  service  and  tariff.  Professional  office  hunters 
denounced  the  generally  honest  attempts  of  the  administration  to  make  merit 
rather  than  party  service  the  basis  of  appointment,  and  the  tariff  pirates,  who 
had  built  up  a  secret  and  skilful  machine  for  turning  the  contents  of  other 
people's  pockets  into  their  own,  were  naturally  hostile  to  any  system  of  inspection 
of  their  pockets. 

Predatory  capital  and  ill-digested  theories,  socialistic  and  populistic  demands, 
were  all  jumbled  together  in  a  fermenting  mass  during  the  last  year  of  Cleveland's 
administration.  When  he  was  renominated  and  stood  stoutly  and  doggedly  on 
his  former  platform  of  reduced  tariflfs  and  when  the  supposed  "business  interests" 
rallied  under  the  banner  of  Harrison,  it  became  clear  that  there  was  going  to 
be  a  vigorous  campaign. 

The  result  of  the  election  of  November  6,  1888,  was  a  republican  landslide. 

Whether  the  voters  understood  the  tariflf  issue  or  not  they  evidently  did  not 
design  trusting  another  democratic  administration  to  determine  the  policy  of  it. 
The  hitherto  triumphant  Voorhees  retired  behind  a  cloud  and  John  B.  Allen  of 
Walla  Walla  isued  forth  as  delegate  to  Congress,  to  begin  his  brilliant  career  as 
a  political  leader  for  a  time.  His  majority  in  the  Territory  was  7,371.  His 
vote  in  Kittitas  County  was  792  to  776  for  Voorhees.  The  legislative  and  local 
election  for  Kittitas  showed  the  following  choices :  joint  senator,  J.  AI.  Snow ; 
joint  representative.  Dr.  J.  N.  Power;  prosecuting  attorney,  H.  J.  Snively ;  sheriff, 
J.  L.  Brown :  auditor,  H.  M.  Brj'ant ;  treasurer,  Henry  RehMe :  probate  judge, 
John  Davis;  commissioners,  J.  W.  McDonald,  T.  L.  Gamble,  J.  N.  Hatfield; 
surveyor,    A.    F.    York;    coroner,    Dr.    W.    H.    Harris;    superintendent,    J.    L. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  605 

McDowell.  Of  the  above,  Messrs.  Power,  Snow,  Brown,  Bryant,  Gamble,  Hat- 
field, York,  Harris  and  McDowell,  were  republicans  and  Messrs.  Snively, 
Relimke,  Davis  and  McDonald  were  democrats. 

STATEHOOD. 

And  now  we  reach  the  year  1889,  the  great  year  of  admission  of  four  states 
to  the  Union :  Washington,  Montana,  North  Dakota  and  South  Dakota.  In  one 
of  the  chapters  in  Part  II  of  this  work  we  have  given  some  extracts  from  the 
constitution  of  the  new  state,  together  with  other  matter  pertaining  to  the  great 
event.  We  need  not,  therefore,  repeat  those  general  facts  at  this  point.  The 
delegates  representing  Kittitas  County  in  the  constitutional  convention  were 
Austin  Mires  and  J.  A.  Shoudy,  republican,  and  J.  T.  McDonald,  democrat. 
These  delegates  bore  an  honorable  part  in  this  organic  law  of  the  state.  Article 
seventeen,  asserting  the  ownership  of  the  state  to  the  tide  lands,  was  constructed 
and  presented  by  Austin  Mires,  being  the  last  article  offered.  It  has  been  one 
of  the  most  important  articles  in  the  constitution. 

A  special  election  for  1889  was  provided  in  the  constitution,  not,  however, 
including  county  officers.  One  of  the  most  important  features  of  this  election 
was  the  vote  for  state  capital.  Of  this  we  have  already  written,  but  it  may  be 
proper  to  record  here  the  results  of  that  election. 

Three  cities  contested  for  the  position.  Olympia  secured  25,488  votes; 
North  Yakima,  14,707;  and  Ellenburgh,  12,833.  Much  bitterness  was  felt  between 
the  two  central  Washington  candidates,  for  each  felt  that  with  the  support  of 
the  other  it  would  have  secured  the  coveted  honor.  The  law  provided  for  a 
majority  vote  and  though  Olympia  had  a  large  plurality,  it  had  not  a  majority, 
and  hence  there  had  to  be  another  election. 

That  occurred  in  1890  and  Olympia  had  a  decisive  majority  and  the  hope  of 
locating  the  capital  in  central  Washington  disappeared  forever. 

At  the  special  election  of  1889,  there  were  chosen  members  of  the  first 
legislature  of  the  new  state.  By  the  provisions  of  the  constitution  Kittitas 
County  was  the  tenth  senatorial  district.  E.  T.  Wilson,  a  republican,  was  chosen 
to  fill  this  position. 

The  constitution  also  assigned  two  representatives  for  Kittitas  County  in 
that  first  legislature.  The  two  chosen  were  J.  N.  Power  and  J.  P.  Sharp,  both 
republicans.  C.  B.  Graves  of  EUensburgh,  a  republican,  was  chosen  judge  in 
the  district,  this  district  including  also  Yakima,  Klickitat,  Skamania,  and  Clarke 
counties. 

Thus  the  state  of  Washington  was  duly  inducted  into  membership  in  the 
Union. 

This  election  of  1889  was  the  first  election  in  which  the  people  of  Wash- 
ington had  ever  voted  for  a  congressman  or  a  governor  and  other  state  officers. 
John  L.  Wilson  was  the  first  congressman,  chosen  over  Thomas  Griffits.  Elisha 
P.  Ferry,  honored  as  one  of  the  Territorial  governors  and  as  one  of  the  be*^ 
of  citizens  and  men,  became  first  governor  of  the  new  state,  realizing  one  of  his 
laudable  ambitions.  Eugene  Semple  was  the  democratic  candidate  for  chief 
executive. 

The  election  of  1890  shows  these  results.     For  congressman  a  total  vote  of 


606  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  WALLEY 

1669,  of  which  John  L.  Wilson  received  a  majority  of  87  over  his  democratic 
competitor,  Thomas  Carroll.  John  Etevis,  democrat,  and  J.  A!.  Ready,  repubHcan, 
were  the  successful  candidates  for  the  legislature,  having  940  and  878  votes 
respectively  over  their  opponents,  W.  H.  Hare,  republican,  with  762  votes,  and 
A.  L.  Slemmons  democrat,  with  736.  D.  H.  McFalls  was  chosen  prosecuting 
attorney  by  974  votes  to  829  for  the  democratic  candidate,  C.  V.  Warner.  T.  B. 
Wright,  republican,  had  1,009  votes  for  clerk  to  813  for  E.  J.  Matthews,  Demo- 
crat. For  auditor,  J.  E.  Frost,  republican,  had  1,050  to  781  for  Martin  Maloney, 
democrat.  For  sheriff,  Anthony  Meade,  democrat,  had  990  to  868  for  J.  L. 
Brown,  republican.  Another  democrat,  J.  F.  Travers,  was  the  successful  candi- 
date for  treasurer,  having  947  to  839  for  the  republican,  O.  Peterson.  For  com- 
missioners. Air.  Haran,  a  republican,  was  chosen  in  the  first  district,  J.  W. 
Richards,  a  republican,  in  the  second,  and  J.  C.  Goodwin,  also  republican  in  the 
third.  P.  M.  Morrison,  republican,  defeated  John  Foster,  democrat,  for  sheep 
commissioner  by  897  to  828.  J.  H.  Morgan,  democrat,  was  elected  superintendent 
of  schools  by  959  to  817  for  \\  .  T.  Haley,  republican.  For  surveyor,  the  repub- 
lican, E.  I.  Anderson,  had  918  to  890  for  A.  F.  York.  J.  H.  Lyons,  republican, 
was  chosen  coroner  over  A.  F.  Fox  by  950  to  816.  Thus  it  appears  that  of  the 
legislative  and  county  officials  chosen  four  were  democrats,  the  rest  republicans. 
In  Kittitas  County,  as  in  practically  all  parts  of  the  Northwest,  voters  are  inde- 
pendent, and  scratching  is  common — a  most  wholesome  sign  in  a  Democracy, 
and  obnoxious  only  to  bosses,  or  would-be  cattle  of  that  breed. 

.A.  special  election  on  February  7,  1891,  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  legislative 
body  caused  by  the  death  of  John  Davis,  resulted  in  the  choice  of  W.  H.  Peterson, 
also  a  Democrat.  Mr.  Davis  had  been  deservedly  popular  in  Kittitas  County, 
as  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  a  republican  district,  he,  a  democrat,  had  been  chosen 
to  the  legislature. 

His  death  left  a  serious  gap  in  the  ranks  of  the  builders  of  Kittitas  County. 

Now  we  come  to  the  election  of  1892.  This  was  a  Presidential  year.  More- 
over it  was  an  especially  exciting  Presidential  year.  It  was  the  first  election 
in  which  the  citizenship  of  Washington  participated.  It  excited  therefore  a 
special  interest  in  the  state.  Aside  from  the  particular  local  interest,  the  national 
situation  was  one  of  intense  interest.  The  ''boom"  times,  so  intense  and  specu- 
lative during  the  decade  of  the  eighties,  had  broken  down  with  a  crash  during 
Harrison's  administration.  Whether  this  was  due  to  the  substitution  of  repub- 
lican high  tariff  principles  for  supposed  democratic  free  trade  preferences,  or 
whether  the  uneasy  money  situation,  the  silver  issue,  the  question  of  Chinese 
admission,  or  whatever  it  may  have  been,  the  people  seemed  as  ready  for  a  change 
as  in  1888.  The  politicians  of  both  parties  were  striving  desperately  to  accom- 
plish what  Ben  Butler  described  about  that  time  as  the  aim  on  the  tariff  plank. 
He  said  that  it  reminded  him  of  the  fellow  who  was  hunting  and  saw  an  animal 
so  far  off  that  he  couldn't  tell  whether  it  was  an  elk  or  a  cow.  So  he  decided 
to  shoot  at  it  in  such  a  way  that  if  it  were  a  cow  he  would  miss  it  and  if  it  were 
an  elk  he  would  hit  it.  The  election  of  1892,  moreover,  was  the  year  of  the  great 
populist  movement.  The  "Third  Party"  is  one  of  the  most  significant  factors 
in  our  political  history. 

Such  an  element  is  the  sign  and  badge  of  an  active  and  growing  democracy. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  607 

It  is  sort  of  a  safety  valve  of  free  institutions.  This  great  populistic  movement 
resulted  from  the  sudden  coalescing  of  progressive  elements  with  the  dissatisfied 
and  discontented.  Its  vital  forces  were  largely  of  the  broader-minded  and  more 
patriotic  citizens  who  saw  that  special  interests  and  underground  schemes  and 
lobbies  of  all  sorts  were  sheltered  behind  the  "regular"  party  organizations. 

Hence  thev  believed  that  there  should  be  a  general  break-up  of  the  political 
machine.  With  them  were  associated  many  crack-brained  enthusiasts  and  bank- 
rupt politicians.  As  in  all  such  movements  the  wise  and  the  unwise,  the  prac- 
tical ancf  the  visionary,  jostled  each  other  in  the  marching  lines.  But  whether 
for  good  or  ill,  whether  to  be  condemned  or  praised,  the  populist  movement  of 
the  nineties  was  a  great  movement.  It  was  more  than  a  political  incident.  It 
was  a  sign  of  the  "growing  pains"  of  a  juvenile  body  politic.  Besides  all  the 
other  causes  of  political  agitation  the  gubernatorial  election  of  1892  was  one  of 
peculiar  intensity.  The  adherents  of  J.  H.  ^IcGraw,  republican  candidate,  and 
H.  J.  Snively,  democrat,  went  gunning  for  each  other  and  for  the  opposing  candi- 
dates with  somewhat  special  acrimony. 

Yet  again  a  senatorial  election  was  to  turn  on  the  results  of  the  legislative 
election.  As  an  Irishman  might  express  it,  "there  was  lovely  fighting  all  along 
the  line."  Three  county  conventions  met  in  Ellensburgh,  the  populist  on  June 
8th,  the  republican  on  July  30th,  and  the  democratic  on  August  20th.  Also 
Ellensburgh  was  hostess  to  the  state  convention  of  the  populists  on  July  25th. 

The  following  were  the  results  of  the  election  of  November,  1892.  The 
republican  Presidential  electors  received  855  votes,  the  democratic  789,  and  the 
populist  (technically,  people's  party)  569.  John  L.  Wilson  and  W.  H.  Doolittle, 
republicans,  were  chosen  to  Congress,  with  votes  of  873  and  828,  to  771  for 
Thomas  Carroll  and  719  for  J.  A.  Munday,  democrats,  and  593  for  M.  F.  Knox 
and  586  for  J.  C.  \'an  Patten,  populists.  For  governor,  H.  J.  Snively  democrat, 
received  783  to  774  for  J.  H.  McGraw,  republican,  and  724  for  C.  W.  Young, 
populist.  These  comparative  figures  give  an  accurate  view  of  the  general  strength 
of  the  parties  in  the  county,  and  they  would  not  be  far  astray  from  the  average 
results  in  the  state. 

The  election  for  the  legislature  resulted  in  the  selection  of  C.  I.  Helm  for 
state  senator,  as  republican  candidate,  by  the  close  vote  of  807  to  803  for  W.  H. 
Peterson,  democrat,  and  582  for  J.  T.  Greenwood,  populist.  J.  H.  Smithson, 
republican,  and  George  W.  Kline,  democrat,  were  chosen  to  the  lower  house  of 
the  legislature.  .Anthony  A.  Meade,  democrat,  was  chosen  sheriiT  over  P.  M. 
Morrison,  republican,  and  W.  M.  Stinson,  populist.  J.  E.  Frost,  republican, 
had  the  ven,-  large  vote  of  1,067  for  auditor,  the  democrat,  E.  E.  Salada\-,  having 
but  672  and  the  populist,  C.  W.  Dibble,  having  505.  Martin  Cameron,  republican, 
was  elected  clerk:  J.  F.  Travers,  democrat,  treasurer;  E.  E.  Wager,  democrat, 
attorney:  G.  M.  Jenkins,  republican,  superintendent;  W.  A.  Stevens,  republican, 
assessor:  E.  I.  Anderson,  republican,  surveyor:  I.  X.  Power,  republican,  coroner; 
Alexander  Pitcher,  republican,  commissioner  first  district:  Peter  McCallum, 
democrat,  commissioner  second  district :  Adam  Stevens,  democrat,  commissioner 
third  district,  by  the  ver>'  close  vote  of  748  to  746  for  Herman  Page,  republican 
candidate.  Thus  it  appears  that  the  election  might  be  considered  a  republican 
victory  in  the  triangular  combat,  but  in  each  case  by  a  plurality,  and  even  then 


608  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLF.Y 

in  most  cases  with  a  small  margin.  That  condition  forecast  a  possible  adverse 
result  in  the  succeeding  election,  if  the  opposition  could  get  together.  The  result 
foreshadowed  was  measurably  realized  in  the  election  of  1894. 

And  thus  the  course  of  events  brings  us  to  the  election  of  1894. 

The  striking  event  of  this  election  was  the  rapid  growth  of  the  people's 
party.  This  growth  was  attained  mainly  at  the  expense  of  the  democrats.  The 
congressional  vote  in  the  county  resulted  in  the  choice  of  W.  H.  Doolittle  and 
S.  C.  Hyde,  republicans,  with  851  and  820  votes  respectively,  to  794  and  780  for 
W.  P.  C.  Adams  and  J.  C.  \'an  Patten,  populists,  and  383  and  394  for  X.  T. 
Caton  and  B.  F.  Heuston,  democrats. 

There  was  no  election  for  state  senator  that  year.  The  votes  for  repre- 
sentatives were  882  and  801  for  B.  F.  Barge  and  F.  M.  Scheble,  republicans,  to 
820  and  656  for  John  Catlin  and  J.  J.  Leavis,  populists,  and  395  and  600  for  J-  J- 
Jones  and  Clyde  \'.  Warner,  democrats.  Of  the  county,  offices  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing: for  sheriff,  \\'.  M.  Stinson,  populist:  for  treasurer,  Dexter  Shoudy 
republican :  for  auditor,  J.  M.  Baird,  republican ;  for  clerk,  Martin  Cameron, 
republican ;  for  attorney,  E.  E.  Wager,  democrat ;  for  superintendent,  G.  M. 
Jenkins,  republican ;  for  surveyor,  A.  F.  York,  republican :  for  commissioner 
second  district,  J.  F.  Brown,  populist ;  for  commissioner  third  district,  J.  C.  Good- 
win, republican :  for  coroner,  Theron  Staflford,  populist.  It  will  be  seen  from 
the  above  that  the  populists  secured  one  legislative  seat  and  three  count}-  offices, 
while  the  democrats  were  third  in  everj'  instance. 

We  now  reach  the  election  of  1896. 

This  notable  election  occurred  in  the  very  hardest  of  the  hard  times,  the 
bluest  of  the  blue  times.  It  seemed  that  the  prognostications  of  evil  of  all  the 
Cassandras  of  gloom  had  been  fulfilled,  all  the  croaking  of  the  birds  of  evil  omen 
the  country  over  had  been  realized.  1894,  1895  and  1896  had  certainly  been  try- 
ing years.  The  election  of  1896  was  a  great  election  the  nation  over,  perhaps 
as  exciting  an  election  as  ever  occurred  in  the  state  of  Washington  unless  it  were 
that  of  1916.  In  those  two  elections  only  did  the  state  of  Washington  jump  the 
republican  track,  the  first  time  for  Bryan,  the  second  time  for  Wilson.  Kittitas 
was  gathered  in,  offices,  body,  soul  and  breeches,  by  the  populists,  known  m  the 
election  as  the  fusionists,  officially  named  people's  party.  The  fusion  consisted 
of  the  Democrats,  the  Silver  republicans  and  the  populists,  the  great  "three-ring 
circus",  as  it  was  facetiously  styled. 

The  republicans  held  their  usual  state  and  county  conventions.  Then  came 
the  fusionist  convention,  notable  not  only  politically,  but  of  special  local  interest, 
since  it  met  at  Ellensburg.  That  was  a  most  conspicuous  convention,  not  alone 
for  the  principles  of  action  evolved  and  the  subsequent  results  of  the  election, 
but  for  the  personnel  of  the  convention.  There  were  present  the  dramatic  James 
Hamilton  Lewis,  he  of  the  pink  whiskers,  multifarious  trousers,  and  neckties  of 
many  colors,  a  flame  of  oratory  and  a  main-push  in  all  the  engineering.  There 
was  the  brilliant  "Wheat  Chart"  Jones,  with  his  persuasive  tongue  and  hypnotic 
handshake.  There  was  Colonel  Blethen  of  the  "Seattle  Times",  a  veritable 
"steam  engine  in  breeches."  as  was  once  said  of  a  greater  man.  There  was 
Steve  Judson,  of  Seattle,  with  the  thunderous  voice,  and  Judge  Netever  with  the 
quiet  tone  of  the  jurist  and  one  of  the  best  presiding  officers  that  could  be  seen. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  609 

Tliere  was  Tom  Vance  with  the  polished  speech  but  with  a  biting  wit  that  some- 
times entertained  and  sometimes  stung.  In  all  there  were  over  1,200  delegates 
of  the  three  parties. 

The  populists  made  a  stubborn  fight  to  preserve  their  lead  in  the  convention, 
regarding  themselves,  perhaps  justly,  as  the  significant  factor  in  the  combination. 
The  upshot  of  it  was  that  in  the  apportionment  of  nominations,  they  received 
eight,  including  the  governor,  while  the  democrats  had  five,  including  one  con- 
gressman and  the  Silver  republicans  had  two,  one  of  which  was  the  other  con- 
gressman. 

This  famous  election  of  1896  resulted  in  a  sweeping  triumph  of  the  fusionists 
in  the  state  of  Washington  as  well  as  the  county  of  Kittitas.  The  Bryan  electors 
in  the  state  received  50,643  votes  to  38,573.  Both  the  people's  party  candidates 
for  Congress,  James  Hamilton  Lewis  and  W.  C.  Jones,  received  similar  majorities 
in  the  state. 

In  the  Kittitas,  the  Presidential  electors  on  the  fusionist  ticket  received  1,296 
votes  to  1,044  for  the  republican.  Lewis  and  Jones  for  Congress  received  1,304 
and  1,280  respectively,  while  S.  C.  Hyde  and  W.  H.  Doolittle  could  muster  but 
1,003  and  1012.  John  R.  Rogers,  fusionist  candidate  for  governor,  triumphed 
with  a  vote  of  1,287,  while  P.  C.  Sullivan,  republican,  had  to  be  content  with 
988. 

The  other  state  offices  ran  about  the  same,  every  contest  being  a  fusionist 
victory. 

In  the  legislative  contest  Daniel  Paul,  fusionist,  had  a  vote  of  1278,  while  H. 
L.  Stowell  had  1,036,  for  state  senator.  At  that  time  Kittitas  and  Douglas  con- 
stituted the  eleventh  senatorial  district.  For  representative  for  the  eighteenth 
district  (Kittitas  County)  B.  C.  Scott  and  Theron  Stafiford,  fusionists,  with  1,270 
and  1.294  votes  respectivelv,  defeated  J.  P.  Sharp  and  C.  B.  Reed,  with  1,041 
and  964. 

For  Superior  judge  of  the  three  counties  of  Yakima,  Kittitas  and  Franklin, 
John  B.  Davidson  of  Ellensburg  was  the  choice,  receiving  in  his  home  county 
1,284  to  1,033  for  the  republican,  C.  B.  Graves. 

The  local  officers  chosen  by  essentially  the  same  majorities,  were  all  fusion- 
ists, as  follows:  sheriflf,  W.  M.  Stinson :  clerk,  E.  L.  Evans;  auditor,  S.  T. 
Sterling;  treasurer,  C.  H.  Flummerfelt;  attorney,  Kirk  Whited;  assessor,  J.  C. 
Ellison ;  superintendent,  W.  A.  Thomas ;  surveyor,  Andrew  Flodine ;  coroner, 
William  Edwards ;  commissioner  in  first  district,  R.  S.  McClemmans ;  commis- 
sioner in  second  district,  J.  M.  Newman.  The  only  close  contest  was  in  the  case 
of  the  vote  for  auditor.  Mr.  Sterling  had  1,166  to  1,163  for  his  opponent,  J.  M. 
Baird.  A  contest  was  filed  on  the  ground  of  a  miscount  in  certain  precincts. 
The  court  found,  however,  that  the  fusionist  candidate  still  had  a  majority.  Three 
vacancies,  two  by  death,  and  one  by  removal,  occurred  in  the  county  offices. 

Sheriff  Stinson  died  in  1899  and  L.  C.  Wynegar  was  appointed  to  complete 
the  term.  Assessor  Ellison  died  in  1898  and  the  place  was  supplied  by  the 
appointment  of  G.  C.  Poland.  Commissioner  Brown — chosen  in  189-1 — went  to 
the  Klondyke  in  1898,  and  John  Surrell  of  Cle  Elum  was  appointed  in  his  stead. 

In  the  election  of  1898  the  pendulum  swung  the  other  way  entirely  and  the 
republicans  gained  complete  control   of  state  and  county.     The   fusionists   held 


610  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

their  state  convention  in  Ellensburg  on  September  7th  and  apportioned  their 
nominees  along  Hnes  similar  to  those  of  the  preceding  election.  The  republican 
state  convention  was  held  in  Tacoma  on  September  23.  The  Ellensburg  fusion- 
ist  convention  of  1898  involved  much  the  same  forces  and  line-up  as  that  of  1896, 
though  the  results  reversed  the  campaign. 

As  giving  first-hand  impressions  of  this  convention,  with  some  pen  sketches 
of  the  political  leaders,  some  correspondence  by  the  author  for  the  "Walla  Walla 
Statesman"  may  interest  our  readers: 

The  convention !  The  "three-ringed  circus !"  The  "political  mongrel  with- 
out pride  of  ancestry  or  hope  of  posterity !"  Such  were  some  of  the  characteri- 
zations made  by  some  of  the  gold-bug  bystanders,  whose  eager  desire  that 
fusion  should  fail  was  surpassed  only  by  their  ill-concealed  fear  that  it  would 
succeed,  and  whose  mountain  of  exaggeration  of  every  disagreement  was 
matched  by  a  gulf  of  concealment  of  every  harmony.  But  what  of  the  spirit 
of  the  convention?  The  details  have  already  been  given  to  the  readers  of  the 
"Statesman."  O'ur  aim  is  to  present  only  some  few  flavoring  extracts  from 
its  spirit. 

First  of  all,  be  it  observed,  the  convention  was  a  triumphant  success,  a 
prodigious  success,  in  its  platform,  in  its  nominations,  in  its  spirit,  in  its  prom- 
ise of  triumph  at  the  polls,  in  its  portentious  forecast  of  defeat  to  that  agglom- 
eration of  bossism  and  corruption  miscalled  the  republican  party  of  the  state 
of  Washington.  Each  of  the  three  days  had  its  special  history  and  its  special 
spirit.  The  first  was  a  day  of  rather  tedious  and  cautious  tei;tativeness,  each 
member  of  each  convention  sizing  up  his  associates  and  pushing  out  into  his 
environment,  and  each  convention  taking  the  measure  of  the  others  and  en- 
deavoring to  discover  the  hard  and  soft  places  in  their  circumference. 

The  night  of  the  first  day  and  the  second  day  was  a  time  of  active  positive 
demands,  of  bold  bluiTs,  of  excited  controversy,  of  almost,  at  times,  bitter  re- 
criminations. 

The  third  day  was  one  of  calm  and  generous  mutual  forbearance,  and 
consequent  harmony.  The  result  was  a  fusion  of  the  democratic,  populist  and 
silver  republican  forces,  which  is  deemed  by  all  a  far  stronger  alliance  than  that 
of  two  years  ago :  a  fusion  under  platforms  substantially  identical  and  states- 
manlike in  their  terseness,  comprehensiveness  and  conservative  progressive- 
ness ;  a  fusion  whose  nominees,  Lewis  and  Jones  for  congress  and  Godman  and 
Heuston  for  judges  of  the  supreme  court,  will  sweep  the  state  like  a  cyclone. 

The  countenances  of  republicans  during  the  evolution  of  these  three  days 
formed  an  instructive  commentary  on  the  course  of  events.  Wednesday  those 
physiogomies  aforesaid  were  underlyingly  anxious  with  a  kind  of  external  lather 
of  attempted  facetiousness.  Thursday  they  were  crinkled  and  wrinkled  with 
joy  an  inch  deep. 

Friday  they  had  changed.  And  what  a  change !  A  ghastly  pie-crust  pallor 
told  of  the  goneness  within.  Some  of  the  republicans  are  frank  enough  to  admit 
that  the  fusion  efifected  is  strong,  dangerous  to  them,  substantially  sure  of  suc- 
cess at  the  polls. 

Another  marked  feature  is  the  general  and  genuine  satisfaction  felt  by 
members  of  the  fusion  forces  over  the  result. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  611 

It  is  not  a  pretense  either.  In  spite  of  the  intense  earnestness  which  char- 
acterized both  populist  and  democratic  conventions  in  the  prosecution  of  what 
they  deemed  their  dues,  an  earnestness  which  spilled  over  somewhat  into  the 
camp  of  the  silver  republicans,  although  they  were  the  logical  and  necessary 
peacemakers,  yet  when  the  result  was  finally  attained,  it  was  felt  by  all  except 
a  few  extremists  (and  even  they  are  coming  around  all  right)  that  any  other 
conclusion  would  have  been  a  tremendous  blunder  and  would  have  imperiled 
success  at  the  next  election  and  perhaps  permanently.  Especially  was  it  felt 
that  the  final  concessions  by  the  populists  to  the  democrats  of  the  naming  of 
one  judge  (even  though  many  populists  deemed  it  was  their  due  to  name  both) 
was  statesmanship  of  a  high  order  and  was  the  cap-stone  of  the  whole  conven- 
tion. Nothing  could  have  had  a  healthier  and  happier  effect.  Nothing  will  be 
more  sure  to  cement  all  forces,  and  to  prove  to  conservative  and  prejudiced 
people  that  the  "pops"  are  capable  of  generous  forbearance  and  patriotic  states- 
manship. 

It  is  due  them  to  place  great  emphasis  upon  this  fact.  Then  to  cap  the 
happy  result.  Judge  Godman  became  the  democratic  nominee  and  this  was  a 
final  stroke  of  statesmanship  or  inspiration  peculiarly  acceptable  to  the  populists 
and  to  the  people  of  all  parties  in  this  portion  of  the  state. 

One  other  feature  of  the  EUensburg  convention,  noticeable  to  all  present, 
was  the  exceedingly  high  average  of  general  intelligence  manifest  in  all 
branches  of  the  convention.  Could  those  conservative  critics,  who  view  all  sub- 
jects through  the  blue  glasses  of  prejudice,  and  who  are  accustomed  to  assume 
that  all  culture  and  brains  are  within  the  republican  fold,  could  they  have  seen 
the  cultivated  and  polished  gentlemen  who  composed  the  main  part  of  the  fusion 
forces,  and  could  they  have  heard  the  liberal  and  enlarged  sentiments,  couched 
in  cultured  and  forceful  language  and  spoken  with  the  clear  and  earnest  accents 
that  mark  the  scholar  and  thinker,  they  would  have  sat  in  dumbfounded  amaze- 
ment and  shame,  and  a  part  of  the  scales  would  have  fallen  from  their  eyes. 
There  were  many  marked  characters  in  the  convention  and  many  powerfiil 
speeches  made.  First  of  all  were  the  three  members  of  the  congressional  dele- 
gation belonging  to  the  fusion  party.  Senator  Turner,  cool,  dignified  and  judi- 
cial ;  Congressman  Jones,  eloquent,  magnetic  and  attractive ;  Congressman 
Lewis,  elegant,  polished,  witty  and  unique. 

The  members  of  the  silver  republican  convention  will  not  soon  forget  the 
profound  impression  created  by  the  brief  but  vivid  speech  of  Congressman 
Jones,  in  accepting  the  nomination  by  the  convention,  in  which  he  massed  to- 
gether the  salient  points  of  the  coming  campaign. 

Among  the  most  striking  personalities  of  the  convention,  the  man  who  be- 
yond all  others  contributed  to  the  triumph  of  the  convention,  was  Colonel 
Blethen  of  the  "Seattle  Daily  Times."  With  him  should  be  named  Colonel 
Lyon,  keen,   intellectual   and   scholarly. 

We  from  this  side  of  the  mountains  who  had  not  before  seen  many  of  our 
people  from  the  other  side,  had  our  eyes  at  once  fixed  upon  the  somewhat  desic- 
cated form  and  spectral  countenance  of  State  Senator  Taylor  and  listened  to 
his  pithy  wit  and  hard  common-sense — about  the  shrewdest  politician  of  the 
whole  combination. 


612  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ALLEY 

Among  the  populists,  Chairman  Hart,  Farmer  Todd,  Horatio  Ailing,  Cline, 
Westcott  and  Cotterell,  were  men  who  at  once  impressed  their  force  and  ability 
upon  those  with  whom  they  came  in  contact. 

Of  all  men  in  the  convention,  the  most  surprising  character  was  Vance  of 
Yakima.  While  his  bodily  presence  is  not  like  that  of  the  apostle  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, "contemptible,"  it  is,  nevertheless,  somewhat  scanty,  and  his  general  "get 
up"  is  somewhat  inadequate,  not  to  say  "kiddish." 

When  he  rises  to  speak  a  stranger  wonders  why  the  chair  does  not  sup- 
press that  "boy."  As  soon  as  the  "boy"  begins  to  speak  the  stranger  wonders 
why  the  chairman  doesn't  have  him  speak  all  the  time,  such  a  torrent  of  wit, 
sense,  good  humor,  tomed  in  such  cultured  language  and  spoken  with  such  ex- 
quisites modulation,  pours  forth  without  apparent  effort. 

Another  marked  democrat  was  Judson  of  Tacoma,  with  stentorian  voice, 
surpassed  in  that  respect  only  by  our  own  Mays. 

But  it  would  be  impossible  to  name  more  of  the  striking  personalities  of  the 
convention.     Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  cream  of  the  three  parties  was  there. 

The  results  of  the  election  of  November  8,  1898,  showed  that  whatever 
larger  influence  may  have  remained  permanently,  the  organization  produced 
by  the  union  of  populists,  silver  republicans,  and  democrats,  did  not  possess 
staying  qualities  and  did  not  commend  itself  to  the  judgment  of  the  voters  of 
the  state  or  of  the  nation.  The  great  tidal  wave  of  1896  receded  as  fast  as  it 
rose. 

In  this  election  of  1898  Francis  W.  Cushman  and  Wesley  L.  Jones  en- 
tered upon  their  distinguished  careers  as  members  of  the  Federal  Congress,  the 
relation  to  be  terminated  only  by  the  death  of  the  former,  while  the  latter  is 
still  a  member  of  the  Senate,  now  in  his  twentieth  year  of  continuous  service  in 
Congress. 

They  received  1,037  and  983  votes  respectively  to  943  and  848  for  J.  H. 
Lewis  and  W.  C.  Jones,  the  former  incumbents. 

For  representatives  to  the  state  legislature  from  the  eighteenth  district,  J. 
P.  Sharp  and  R.  B.  Wilson  were  chosen  over  R.  P.  Edgington  and  J.  F.  LeClerc. 
the  fusionist  candidates,  by  1,092  and  1,047  respectively  to  806  and  813.  The 
votes  for  local  officers  were  just  about  the  same  as  for  legislature  though  with 
close  votes  on  attorney  and  assessor.  Those  chosen  were :  Sherifif,  Isaac  Brown : 
clerk,  Harry  Hale  ;  auditor,  S.  B.  Fogarty ;  treasurer,  C.  H.  Flummerfelt :  at- 
torney, C.  R.  Hovey ;  assessor,  J.  W.  Richards ;  superintendent,  C.  H.  Hinmati ; 
surveyor,  E.  I.  Anderson;  coroner,  J.  C.  McCauley ;  commissioner  first  district. 
Dennis  Strong:  commissioner  second  district,  William  Mack. 

All  the  county  officers  chosen  were  republicans  except  ^Ir.  Fogarty  for 
auditor,  and  Mr.  Flummerfelt  for  treasurer. 

In  the  same  election  a  vote  was  taken  on  a  woman  suffrage  amendment  to 
the  constitution,  the  second  on  that  issue,  the  first  having  been  in  1889.  The 
amendment  suffered  defeat  452  to  792.  It  was  defeated  in  the  state  bv  38,886 
to  15,969. 

One  event  of  much  importance  occurred  in  1899.  This  was  the  creation  of 
Chelan  County.  The  act  jjroviding  for  this  was  passed  by  the  lower  house  of 
the  legislature  on   Fchruarv  27th  and  bv  the  senate  on   March   8th.     The   act 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  613 

joined  the  southwestern  part  of  Okanogan  County  to  the  northeastern  part  of 
Kittitas  County  for  the  new  county.  The  line  between  Kittitas  and  Chelan  is 
indicated  by  the  following  extract  from  the  act,  declaring  the  boundaries  of  the 
new  county  :  "Beginning  at  the  point  of  intersection  of  the  middle  of  the  main 
channel  of  the  Columbia  River  with  the  fifth  standard  parallel  north,  thence 
running  west  along  said  standard  parallel  north  to  the  point  where  the  said 
standard  parellel  north  intersects  the  summit  of  the  main  divide  between  the 
waters  flowing  northerly  and  easterly  into  the  Wenatchee  and  Columbia  rivers, 
and  the  waters  flowing  southerly  and  westerly  into  the  Yakima  River,  thence 
in  a  general  northwesterly  direction  along  the  summit  of  said  main  divide  be- 
tween the  waters  flowing  northerly  and  easterly  into  the  Wenatchee  and  Co- 
lumbia rivers  and  the  waters  flowing  southerly  and  westerly  into  the  Yakima 
River,  following  the  course  of  the  center  of  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Moun- 
tains to  the  eastern  boundary  of  King  County;  *  *  *"  The  above  indi- 
cates the  new  northern  boundar>'  of  Kittitas  County,  and  from  this  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  Wenatchee  Valley  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  embracing  the 
site  of  the  city  of  Wenatchee  and  the  beautiful  and  productive  country  around 
it,  became  part  of  Chelan  County.  By  reason  of  the  change  in  county  bounda- 
ries it  became  necessary  to  supersede  Commissioner  Dennis  Strong,  a  resident 
of  Wenatchee.     J.  E.  Burke  accordingly  was  appointed  to  that  place. 


To  the  still  large  number  of  populists  and  progressive  democrats  in  Ellens- 
burg  an  interesting  event  occurred  on  April  1,  1900,  when  the  "silver-tongued," 
"Cross  of  Gold"  (if  we  may  make  such  a  bimetallic  luixture  of  metaphors) 
orator,  the  "Peerless  Leader"  of  the  Platte,  W.  J.  Bryan  himself^  passed  through 
the  city  on  his  tour  of  the  Northwest  and  paused  for  a  visit  and  a  speech. 

The  presence  of  Governor  Rogers,  whom  all  people  in  the  state  respected 
regardless  of  politics,  added  interest  to  the  occasion. 

The  election  of  1900  fulfilled  the  forecast  of  that  of  1898,  i.  e.,  the  victory 
of  the  republicans.  Apparently  the  people  had  become  afraid  to  experiment 
further  and  were  willing  to  swallow  anything  that  they  thought  would  be 
"regular"  high  tariflf  and  all. 

F.  W.  Cushman  and  W.  L.  Jones  were  reelected  to  Congress  by  1,098  and 
1110  votes  respectively  to  924  and  934  for  F.  C.  Robertson  and  J.  T.  Ronald, 
democrats. 

For  governor,  however,  the  old  war-horse  of  populism,  John  R.  Rogers, 
held  his  own  by  reelection,  having  1,125  to  946  for  J.  M.  Frink.  The  vote  for 
other  state  officers  shows  uniform  republican  victories  by  about  100  majority. 
The  legislative  returns  show  the  election  for  state  senator  of  J.  P.  Sharp,  re- 
publican, by  a  vote  of  1,207  to  876  for  S.  T.  Packwood,  democrat,  and  for  rep- 
resentatives of  R.  B.  Wilson,  republican,  and  T.  B.  Goodwin,  democrat.  John 
B.  Davidson  was  reelected  to  the  superior  judgeship  by  a  close  vote.  The 
couiUy  officers  chosen  were:  Sherif?,  Isaac  Brown;  auditor,  S.  P.  Fogarty; 
clerk,  H.  W.  Hale ;  treasurer,  Lee  Purdin ;  attorney,  C.  V.  Warner ;  assessor,  J. 
W.  Richards ;  superintendent,  W.  A.  Thomas ;  surveyor,  E.  I.  Anderson  ;  cor- 


614  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

oner,  J.  W.  Bean;  commissioner  first  district,  J.  E.  Burke;  commissioner  sec- 
ond district,  W.  E.  Crowley ;  commissioner  third  district,  Jacob  Bowers. 

The  victory  of  the  republicans  was  not  pronounced  so  far  as  the  county 
went.  Of  the  above  chosen  officials  Messrs.  Brown,  Hale,  Richards,  Anderson, 
Buri<e,  Bean  and  Bowers,  seven  in  number,  were  republicans,  while  the  re- 
maining five  were  democrats.  Majorities  were  small  in  most  cases.  The  result 
indicated  a  healthy  state  of  local  independence. 

The  campaign  of  1902  was  marked  by  the  fact  that  by  the  lamented  death 
of  Governor  Rogers,  the  Lieutenant-Governor  Henry  McBride,  a  republican, 
succeeded  to  the  place.  His  administration  was  signalized  by  his  strenuous 
advocacy  of  laws  for  a  railway  commission  and  the  prohibition  of  railway  passes. 

This  was  rather  populistic  than  republican  doctrine  and  shows  something 
of  the  leaven  that  had  been  working  in  the  public  mind  during  the  decade.  In 
this  election  also  a  congressman  was  added  to  the  list  from  Washington,  giving 
the  state  three.  In  spite  of  the  "hard  times"  of  the  decade  of  the  nineties  the 
population  of  the  state  had  increased  from  349,390  in  1890  to  518,103  in  1900, 

In  1902  F.  W.  Cushman,  W.  L.  Jones  and  W.  E.  Humphrey  were  elected 
to  Congress  over  G.  F.  Cotterill,  O.  R.  Holcomb  and  Frank  B.  Cole,  by  an  aver- 
age majority  of  about  300.  For  representatives  to  the  legislature  from  what 
had  now  become  the  nineteenth  district,  G.  E.  Dickson  and  R.  B.  Wilson,  re- 
publicans, were  chosen  over  Mat  Flynn  and  Michal  McColgan,  by  1,016  and 
1.021  votes  respectively  to  996  and  842.  The  county  officers  chosen  were  these; 
Sheriff,  R.  L.  Thomas ;  auditor,  H.  M.  Baldwin ;  clerk,  A.  E.  Emerson ;  treas- 
urer, Lee  Purdin ;  attorney,  C.  V.  Warner ;  assessor,  W.  M.  Kenney ;  super- 
intendent, H.  F.  Blair;  surveyor,  M.  M.  Emerson;  coroner,  H.  J.  Felch ;  com- 
missioner first  district,  J.  E.  Burke:  commissioner  third  district,  Edgar  Pease, 
This  election  also,  like  that  of  1900,  was  not  a  decided  republican  victory.  All 
the  congressmen,  indeed,  had  large  majorities,  and  both  representatives  to  the 
legislature  were  republicans,  but  of  the  county  ofiicials,  the  auditor,  sheriff, 
treasurer  and  attorney  were  democrats,  and  the  majorities  for  the  republicans 
chosen  were  not  large. 

\N'ith  1904  we  reach  another  presidential  election.  It  will  be  of  interest  to 
note  here  the  precincts  as  recorded  in  the  county  books.  They  were  Colochem, 
Cle  Elum,  Ellensburg  first  ward,  Ellensburg  second  ward,  West  Kittitas,  Easton, 
Liberty,  Mountain,  Alanashtash,  North  Kittitas,  Roslyn  first  ward,  Roslyn  sec- 
ond ward,  Swauk, South   Kittitas,  South  Ellensburg,  Teanaway,   West  Kittitas. 

The  election  of  1904  marks  the  tremendous  reaction  toward  the  repub- 
lican candidates.  This  reaction  was  not  surprising  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
progressive  republicanism  in  the  person  of  Roosevelt  was  in  the  saddle,  while 
the  democrats  with  a  ghastly  attempt  to  pick  up  the  reactionary  elements  had 
repudiated  their  new  leaders  of  the  Bryan  type  and  took  the  back  track  in  the 
form  of  the  Parker  wing  of  democracy.  The  result  was  inevitable.  The  coun- 
try spewed  the  ill-tasting  mess  out  of  its  mouth.  Majorities  on  national,  state 
and  county  tickets  were  generally  overwhelming  for  the  republican  candidates. 
There  were,  however,  some  extraordinary  exceptions,  such  as  to  make  the 
election  i)eculiar.  We  will  give  the  figures  in  full  in  this  election,  in  order  to 
exhibit  the  peculiarities  and  the  comparisons.     Note  in  the  first  place  that  five 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  615 

parties  were  in  the  field  on  the  congressional  ticket  and  six  on  the  presidential. 
The  six  latter  were  republican,  democratic,  people's  party,  socialist,  socialist 
labor,  and  prohibition.  The  people's  party  had  no  candidates  for  Congress.  In 
the  county  election,  the  democratic,  republican  and  prohibition  parties  had  can- 
didates. 

For  presidential  electors,  the  highest  republican  received  1,787  votes ;  the 
highest  democratic,  523 ;  socialist,  291 ;  prohibitionist,  78 ;  socialist  labor,  72, 
and  people's  party,  5.  To  that  sorry  pass  had  come  that  proud  host  which  had 
shaken  the  club  over  the  heads  of  the  plutocrats  and  lobbyists  only  eight  years 
before.  The  votes  for  congressmen  were:  W.  E.  Humphrey,  1,652;  W.  L. 
Jones,  1,660,  F.  W.  Cushman,  1,660,  republicans;  James  J.  Anderson,  Howard 
Hathaway  and  W.  T.  Beck,  democrats,  652,  644  and  649,  respectively ;  George 
Croston,  H,  D.  Jory,  and  T.  C.  Wiswell,  socialists,  288,  287,  and  286;  Henry 
Brown  and  F.  B.  Hawes,  prohibitionists,  71  each;  William  Bontain,  R.  Mc- 
Donald, and  G.  Norling,  socialist  labor,  29,  29,  28.  The  republican  candidates 
for  Supreme  Judge,  F.  H.  Rudkin  and  Mark  A.  Fullerton,  received  1,646  and 
1,733,  respectively,  while  the  democrat,  Alfred  Battle,  had  747.  The  two 
candidates  for  governor,  A.  E.  Meed,  republican,  had  1,277,  and  the  democrat, 
George  Turner,  had  1,173.  For  the  legislature  in  what  was  now  the  13th  dis- 
trict, J.  P.  Sharp,  republican  had  1,484  to  938  for  the  democrat,  M.  E.  Flynn. 
For  representatives  in  the  Nineteenth  district,  Andrew  Olson,  republican,  had 
1,545,  G.  E.  Dickson,  republican,  had  1,403,  E.  L.  Collins,  democrat,  had  923, 
R.  A.  Turner,  democrat,  had  1,025,  and  William  Smith,  prohibitionist,  had  71. 
For  judge  of  the  superior  court,  H.  B.  Rigg,  republican,  was  victor  with  1,425 
to  1,022  for  E.  B.  Preble,  democrat.  The  democratic  candidate  for  sheriff,  L. 
A.  Thomas,  had  1,427,  to  1,152  for  Isaac  Brown,  republican,  and  7Z  for  W.  M. 
Jennings,  prohibitionist.  For  clerk,  A.  E.  Emerson,  republican,  had  1,804  to 
128  for  C.  E.  Bruner,  prohibitionist. 

For  auditor  the  republican  candidate,  Dr.  Mahan,  had  1  to  1,319  for  H.  M. 
Baldwin,  democrat,  and  74  for  W.  H.  Bridge,  prohibitionist. 

For  treasurer,  the  republican  candidate,  W.  B.  Price,  gathered  in  1,359 
votes  to  1,125  for  W.  J.  Payne,  democrat.  Austin  Mires,  republican,  for  attor- 
ney, had  1,389  to  818  for  L.  E.  Campbell,  democrat,  and  289  for  W.  W.  Bonney, 
independent.  For  assessor,  the  republican,  W.  M.  Kenney,  was  far  in  the 
lead,  1,531,  while  T.  B.  Wright,  democrat,  and  Luke  L.  Seeley,  prohibitionist, 
had  926  and  96  respectively;  H.  F.  Blair,  republican,  for  superintendent,  had 
1,585  to  913  for  O.  H.  Kerns,  democrat.  The  record  for  surveyor  shows  1,548 
for  the  republican  candidate,  A.  F.  York  and  890  for  the  democratic,  J.  P.  Bru- 
ton.  H.  J.  Felch  was  chosen  coroner  without  opposition,  having  1,860  votes. 
The  commissioner  in  first  district  was  A.  M.  Wright,  and  in  the  second,  John  T. 
Taylor,  both  republicans. 

There  was  a  special  election  in  1905  to  supply  the  vacancy  caused  by  the 
death  of  State  Senator  J.  P.  Sharp.    Arthur  Gunn  of  Wenatchee  was  chosen. 

Reaching  now  the  intermediate  election  of  1906  we  find  interest  to  some 
extent  on  the  wane.  For  Congress,  Messrs.  Humphrey,  Jones  and  Cushman 
were  reelected  by  votes  of  1,245,  1,217  and  1,242  to  an  average  of  650  for  the 
democratnc  candidates.  In  the  contest  for  representatives  in  the  legislature, 
G.  E.  Dickson  and  Andrew  Olson,  republicans,  had  1,043  and  1,154  votes  each 


616  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

lo  1,000  and  691  for  the  democrats,  H.  M.  lialdwiii  and  Andrew  Wilson:  social- 
ist candidates  appear  in  this  election,  J.  F.  Le  Clerc  and  A.  C.  Norcross,  with 
190  and  178  respectively.  For  sheriff,  W.  E.  Crowley,  democrat,  was  chosen 
over  J.  B.  Becker,  republican,  and  W.  H.  McKee,  socialist,  the  votes  being 
1,300,  755  and  157.  A  republican  clerk,  George  Sayles,  was  chosen  by  1,002 
to  943  for  O.  W.  Ball,  democrat,  and  H.  D.  Harkness,  socialist,  with  a  vote 
of  943.  The  record  for  auditor  shows  1,578  for  the  democrat,  E.  J.  Matthews 
to  977  for  the  republican,  A.  E.  Emerson.  For  treasurer,  W.  D.  Price,  repub- 
lican, had  1,413  to  800  for  Frank  Bossong,  democrat.  Chester  R.  Hovey,  re- 
publican, gathered  in  the  office  of  attorney  from  A.  L.  Slemmons,  by  1,139  to 
856.  James  Heron,  republican,  became  assessor  with  1,082  votes  to  884  for  the 
democrat  and  181  for  the  socialist.  C.  S.  Baker  was  chosen  superintendent  by 
1,159  to  840  for  the  democrat  W.  A.  Thomas.  For  surveyor  the  record  is  1,203 
for  W.  M.  Emerson  to  709  for  the  democrat  and  200  for  the  socialist.  For 
coroner  G.  W.  Steele,  republican,  had  1,361  to  221  for  H.  T.  Williger,  socialist, 
William  Adams  became  commissioner  in  the  second  district  and  J-  N.  Burch  in 
the  third. 

And  now  comes  another  presidential  year,  1908.  The  republicans  were 
still  far  in  the  lead,  though  with  some  surprising  exceptions.  The  Taft  electors 
obtained  1,752  votes  to  985  for  the  Bryan  electors,  with  317  socialist  and  64 
prohibition.  That  record  shows  a  total  county  vote  of  3,118,  denoting  a  marked 
increase  and  worth  remembering  in  comparison  with  later  votes  after  woman 
suft'rage  came  in.  Since  1906  the  congressional  apportionment  for  the  state  had 
been  segregated  into  districts,  and  hence  but  one  congressman  appears.  A  new 
deal  was  on  and  a  new  congressional  luminary  appears  in  the  person  of  Miles 
Poindexter.  He  was  chosen  to  represent  the  fourth  district  by  1,684  votes  over 
William  Goodyear,  democrat,  with  974.  There  came  into  existence  this  year 
the  nonpartisan  judiciary  system,  and  the  votes  for  the  three  judges  are  inter- 
esting, not  as  showing  any  comparison  of  parties,  but  the  judges  voted  for  and 
the  number  of  votes.  Judges  Crow,  Root  and  Chadwick  received  2,670,  2,648 
and  2,648,  each,  being  elected  by  large  majorities. 

For  governor,  S.  G.  Cosgrove  received  1,772  to  1,002  for  John  Pattison, 
democrat.  For  state  senator  in  the  thirteenth  district,  J.  H.  Smithson.  republi- 
can, was  chosen  with  1,716  votes  to  1,072  for  INIitchel  Stevens,  democrat,  and 
50  for  the  prohibitionist,  George  W.  Siegel.  The  representatives  for  the  nine- 
teenth district  were  the  republicans  F.  L.  Calkins  with  1,683  votes  and  J.  C. 
Hubbell  with  1,758  against  1,103  for  Joseph  Watson  and  R.  A.  Turner,  demo- 
crats. Ralph  Kauffman  became  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court.  W.  E.  Crowley 
for  sheriff  had  an  overwhelming  vote.  1,991,  over  W.  F.  Lewis,  966.  Mr.  Crow- 
ley was  the  democratic  candidate.  E.  J.  Matthews  was  another  successful  dem- 
ocrat, having  1,552  to  1,351  for  J.  J.  Putnam,  republican,  George  Sayles,  repub- 
lican candidate  for  clerk,  defeated  Jacob  J.  Michaels  by  1,625  to  1,199.  For 
treasurer  T.  C.  Crimp  was  chosen  without  opposition.  For  attorney  E.  K. 
Brown,  republican,  triumphed  over  the  opposing  democrat  A.  L.  Slemmons  by 
1,544  to  1,341.  For  assessor  the  vote  was  1,804  for  James  Heron,  republican, 
and  1,009  for  J.  H.  Lee,  democrat.  Mrs.  Genevieve  L.  Barklay  was  elected 
superintendent,  the  democratic  candidate,  by  1,532  to  1,362  for  C.  S.  Baker,  re- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  617 

publican.  M.  M.  Emerson  became  engineer  without  opposition.  T.  S.  Wasson 
became  coroner,  A.  M.  Wright  commissioner  in  first  district  and  J.  W.  Burch 
commissioner  in  third  district. 

Coming  now  to  the  election  of  1910  we  find  a  new  choice  in  the  congres- 
sional field,  W.  L.  LaFollette,  republican,  chosen  by  1,303  votes  to  405  for  the 
democrat,  H.  D.  Merritt,  and  209  for  the  socialist,  D.  C.  Coates.  We  find  as 
representatives  in  the  legislature  for  the  nineteenth  district,  George  E.  Dickson 
with  1,612  votes  and  J.  C.  Hubbell  with  1,324,  both  republicans,  and  Mitchel 
.Stevens,  democrat,  with  851.  B.  H.  German  was  chosen  sheriff  without  opposi- 
tion. 

The  other  county  officers  chosen  follow:  Clerk,  W.  Newstrum ;  auditor, 
James  Heron ;  treasurer,  Fred  Gihuour ;  attorney,  E.  K.  Brown ;  assessor,  G.  C. 
Estrem :  superintendent,  Mrs.  Genevieve  Barklay ;  engineer,  C.  T.  Jordan ; 
coroner,  T.  S.  Wasson ;  commissioner  first  district,  Isaac  Brown ;  commissioner 
second  district.  William  Adam.  Of  the  county  officers  named  above,  Messrs. 
German  and  Gilmour,  and  Mrs.  Barklay  were  democrats.  The  others  were 
republicans. 

WOM.AN    SUFFR.^GE 

One  very  notable  vote  took  place  in  1910.*  For  the  third  time  the  consti- 
tutional amendment  providing  for  woman  suffrage  was  voted  on.  This  time  it 
was  successful.  The  vote  in  Kittitas  County  was  629  for  to  366  against.  The 
most  surprising  thing  is  the  smallness  of  the  vote  on  this  important  subject. 
There  was  a  total  vote  of  995  votes  as  compared  with  2,917  for  congressmen. 
It  certainly  speaks  poorly  for  the  intelligence  and  character  of  the  male  voters 
that  they  so  neglected  to  vote  on  this  important  question.  It  suggests,  however, 
that  those  who  did  vote  acted  wisely  in  enlarging  the  electorate. 

The  great  year  of  1912  has  now  come.  Here  we  find  a  condition  unprece- 
dented in  national  politics. 

The  republican  party  had  been  so  wrenched  by  internal  differences  that  it 
had  split  into  the  conservative  and  progressive  factions.  A  political  triangle 
was  formed  similar  in  origin  and  outcome  to  the  great  triangle  of  1,860  by  which 
the  democratic  party  was  rent  in  twain  and  that  greatest  of  Americans,  Abraham 
Lincoln,  became  the  first  republican  president.  There  is  an  extraordinary  sim- 
ilarity in  the  conjunction  of  events  which  made  Lincoln  president  in  1860  and 
that  which  made  Wilson  president  in  1912. 

It  is  within  the  range  of  probability  that  the  future  historian  may  write 
these  men  in  the  same  category  in  other  respects  also.  The  election  of  a  demo- 
cratic president  was  a  foregone  conclusion,  but  the  state  of  Washington  was  one 
of  the  small  number  of  states  to  vote  for  the  progressive  candidate. 

In  examining  the  record  of  the  vote  of  1912  in  Kittitas  County  we  discover 
the  unusual  fact  that  the  electors  of  the  six  different  presidential  tickets  re- 
ceived exactly  the  same  vote  on  each  ticket  as  follows:  Democratic,  1,407;  pro- 
gressive, 1,402;  republican,  1,157;  socialist,  515;  prohibition,  142;  socialist  la- 
bor, 33.  This  vote,  it  should  be  remembered,  includes  the  women  newly  en- 
dowed with  political  right.  The  election  was  such  as  to  get  out  pretty  much  the 
full  strength,  and  hence  the  aggregate  vote  for  president  comes  pretty  nearly 
representing  the  voting  power  of  Kittitas  County.     This  aggregate  is  4,656. 


618  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

In  this  election  two  congressmen-at-large  were  to  be  voted  for  throughout 
the  state.  The  following  were  the  candidates  and  parties  and  votes:  Republi- 
cans, H.  B.  Dewey  and  J.  E.  Frost,  with  1,437  and  1,797  votes  respectively; 
democrats,  E.  O.  Conner  and  H.  W.  White,  1,137  and  1,164;  progressive,  J.  W. 
Bryan  and  J.  A.  Falconer,  1,334  and  1,560;  socialists,  S.  E.  Giles  and  Alfred 
Wagenknecht,  472  and  455 ;  prohibition,  N.  A.  Thompson,   125. 

For  congressman  from  the  fourth  district,  the  result  was  this:  Republican, 
W.  L.  LaFollette,  1,704;  democrat,  R.  Drumheller,  1,119;  progressive,  F.  M. 
Goodwin,  1,367;  socialist,  R.  B.  Alartin,  450. 

For  Governor,  the  democratic  candidate,  Ernest  Lister,  received  1,580  to 
1,505  for  Robert  Hodges,  progressive;  M.  E.  Hay,  republican,  with  1,422;  Anna 
Alaley,  socialist,  with  411;  G.  F.  Stivers,  prohibitionist,  with  114;  A.  L.  Brear- 
cliff,  socialist  labor,  with  18.  Ralph  Kauffman  was  chosen  to  the  superior 
judgeship  over  John  B.  Davidson.  For  state  senator  C.  H.  Flummerfelt,  demo- 
crat, was  elected  with  2,258  votes  to  1,044  for  James  E.  Ferguson,  republican. 
1,006  for  S.  P.  Beecher,  progressive,  and  401  for  the  socialist,  O.  D.  Stoker. 

For  representative  E.  K.  Brown,  progressive,  had  1,884  votes  and  his  part- 
ner, A.  E.  Elberson,  had  1,411.  The  republicans,  G.  E.  Dickson  and  J.  C.  Hub- 
bell,  had  1,353  and  1,306.  The^  democrats,  P.  H.  Adams  and  Charles  Bull,  had 
1,828  and  1,647.  The  votes  for  local  officers  are  also  significant  and  will  be 
given  in  full.  For  sheriff,  B.  H.  German,  democrat,  2,691 :  John  F.  Bowers, 
republican,  1,155;  S.  E.  Bunker,  progressive,  965.  For  clerk,  William  News- 
trum,  republican,  2,104;  J.  A.  Crimp,  democrat,  1,682;  progressive,  W.  F.  Peter- 
son, 837;  auditor,  James  Heron,  republican,  2,117;  H.  W.  Baldwin,  democrat, 
1,625.  Treasurer,  Fred  Gilmour,  democrat,  2,375;  W.  A.  Stainman,  progres- 
sive, 1,310.  Attorney,  F.  A.  Kern,  progressive,  2,096;  A.  L.  Slemmons,  demo- 
crat, 1,676;  O.  A.  Falkner,  republican,  134.  Assessor,  G.  C.  Estrem,  progres- 
sive, 1,675;  C.  G.  Thomas,  democrat,  1,453;  E.  G.  Southern,  republican,  1,265. 
Superintendent,  Mrs.  Mary  D.  Boedcher,  progressive,  2,266;  Jennie  W.  Talbot, 
republican,  1,344;  Lillian  Merryman,  democrat,  1,225.  Engineer,  Charles  T. 
Jordan,  without  opposition.  Coroner,  R.  A.  Rose,  republican,  2,043 ;  W.  K. 
Briley,  progressive,  1,328;  W.  L.  Jackson,  democrat,  1,226.  Commissioner  for 
second  district,  H.  G.  McNeil,  progressive. 

CONSTITUTION.\L    AMENDMENTS 

A  special  matter  of  utmost  importance  in  the  development  of  the  political 
system  of  the  state  was  the  submission  to  the  electorate  in  1912  of  three  great 
constitutional  amendments.  These  were  the  Recall,  Initiative  and  Referendum, 
and  Prohibition.  Kittitas  County,  as  almost  all  of  eastern  Washington,  and 
enough  of  western  Washington  to  make  a  majority,  went  affirmative  on  these 
propositions.  In  the  county:  Recall:  yes  1,459;  No,  541.  Initiative  and  Refer- 
endum: Yes,  1,418;  no,  503.  Prohibition:  Yes,  3,016;  Nb.  2,638.  It  is  rather 
significant  to  note  how  much  greater  vote  was  called  out  on  the  last.  It  is  sur- 
mised that  women  had  not  become  much  interested  in  the  former  questions,  but 
their  sentiments  were  roused  to  the  full  on  prohibition. 

ELECTION    OF    1914 

The  seventeenth  amendment  to  the  federal  constitution  went  into  operation 
for  the  first  time  in  the  state  this  year,  though  it  had  been  duly  passed  some 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  619 

years  earlier.  It  was  not  an  unaccustomed  process,  however,  for  popular  sena- 
torial nomination  had  supplanted  legislative  choice  for  several  years. 

The  total  vote  for  senator  was  6,030,  divided  thus :  W.  L.  Jones,  republi- 
can, 1,746;  Ole  Hanson,  progressive,  1,647;  W.  W.  Black,  democrat,  1,447; 
Adam  H.  Barth,  socialist,  412;  A.  S.  Caton,  prohibition,  158.  For  representa- 
tive fourth  district,  W.  L.  LaFollette,  republican,  1,988;  Roscoe  Drumheller, 
democrat,  1,377. 

Representatives  in  legislature :  J.  C.  Hubbell,  republican,  2,944 ;  Philip  H. 
Adams,  democrat,  2,494;  C.  T.  Jordan,  democrat,  1,280;  E.  K.  Brown,  progres- 
sive, 2,047;  sheriff.  Hod  Harmon,  republican,  1,987;  Howard  Garrison,  dem- 
ocrat, 2,329;  P.  W.  Stenger,  progressive,  966.  Clerk:  F.  T.  Hofmann,  progres- 
sive, 1,847;  Frank  Taylor,  democrat,  1,616;  William  B.  Price,  republican,  1,563. 
Auditor:  Walter  G.  Damerow,  republican,  2,403;  E.  G.  Heron,  progressive, 
1,657;  L.  L.  Geeslin,  democrat,  953.  Treasurer:  Maud  Gilmour,  democrat, 
2,619  Roy  Burch,  republican,  2,033 ;  G.  C.  Estrem,  progressive,  633.  Attorney : 
F.  A.  Kern,  progressive,  3,065;  Edward  Pruyn,  republican,  1,698.  Assessor: 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Kenney,  republican,  2,481;  W.  P.  Hiddleson,  democrat,  1,572;  B.  A. 
Gault,  progressive,  1,083.  Superintendent:  Mary  A.  Boedcher,  without  oppo- 
sition. Engineer:  M.  M.  Emerson,  republican,  1,974;  H.  A.  Murray,  progres- 
sive, 1,792;  Max  L.  Mook,  democrat,  1,316.  Commissioners:  first  district, 
Louis  Larson,  and  second  district,  H.  G.  McNeil,  both  without  opposition. 

An  important  group  of  initiative  measures,  several  designed  to  modify  the 
prohibition  amendment,  were  voted  on  in  this  election.  All  were  defeated,  most 
of  them  so  overwhelmingly  as  to  make  it  almost  needless  to  caunt  the  votes. 
This  was  true  in  the  state  as  well  as  county. 

ELECTION   OF   1916 

We  reach  in  this  election  one  of  the  most  exciting  presidential  elections  in 
the  history  of  the  country. 

After  the  great  split  of  1912  the  two  wings  of  the  republican  party  joined 
in  the  nomination  of  the  "Sphinx"  of  the  party,  C.  E.  Hughes.  It  certainly 
looked  as  though  there  might  be  a  republican  administration.  And  so  there 
would  have  been,  had  it  not  been  for  the  West.  There  was  as  intense  a  struggle 
over  the  governorship  and  the  senatorship  as  the  presidency.  The  adherents 
of  Turner  and  Poindexter  respectively  and  of  Lister  and  McBride  felt  equally 
that  the  country  would  be  saved  or  lost  as  their  candidate  rose  or  fell.  The 
results  of  the  election  were  full  of  surprises,  the  greatest  of  which  was  that 
Washington,  normally  a  republican  state  by  50,000  or  60.000,  went  for  Wilson 
by  16,594  plurality. 

The  result  in  Kittitas  County  was  for  presidential  electors :  highest  repub- 
lican, 2,310;  highest  democrat,  2,609;  prohibition,  93;  socialist,  262;  socialist 
labor,  8.  A  total  of  5,282,  somewhat  less  than  in  1914  and  a  good  deal  more 
than  in  1912. 

The  senatorial  contest  resulted  in  2,891  for  the  republican  Poindexter  and 
1,932  for  the  democrat  Turner.  There  were  294  socialist,  55  prohibition  and  8 
progressive.  To  that  sorry  depth  the  great  progressive  party  had  fallen,  a 
worse  tumble  than  the  populist  party  had  taken.  For  representative  in  the 
fourth   district   LaFollette,   republican,   had   2,961    votes   and    Masterson,   demo- 


620.  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

crat,  had  1,754,  with  257  for  the  sociaHst  candidate.  The  result  in  the  guber- 
national  contest  was  close,  and  even  in  doubt  in  the  state,  but  Lister  pulled 
through  with  13,840  majority.  In  the  county  Lister's  vote  was  2,557  to  2,409 
for  -McBride,  republican.  The  lesser  candidates  had  335  in  all.  For  state  sen- 
ator, J.  B.  Adams,  republican,  had  2,520  to  2,081  for  J.  H.  Ferryman,  democrat. 

For  representative  J.  C.  Hubbell,  republican,  had  3,319,  and  D.  O.  Kearby, 
Republican,  had  3,405.  There  was  no  opposing  candidate  in  either  case.  For 
.sheriff,  Howard  Garrison,  democrat,  received  3,008,  with  no  opposing  candi- 
date. Clerk,  Fred  T.  Hofman,  and  for  auditor  W.  G.  Damerow,  both  republi- 
cans. Treasurer:  Maud  Gilmour,  democrat,  was  reelected  with  2,761  to  2,303 
for  her  republican  competitor,  James  Heron.  Attorney:  Arthur  L.  AIcGuire, 
democrat,  with  2,499  votes,  was  chosen  over  Newton  Henton,  republican,  2,412. 

For  assessor:  Mrs.  Lillian  A.  Kenney,  republican,  2,820;  Hugh  Fish,  dem- 
ocrat, 2,120.  Superintendent:  S.  A.  Bartlett,  without  opposition.  Engineer: 
H.  A.  Murray,  without  opposition.  Commissioners :  in  first  district,  J.  W.  Ger- 
man :  in  second  district,  James  Lane.  For  the  superior  court,  Raljih  Kauttman 
and  John  B.  Davidson  were  again  pitted  against  each  other,  with  the  result  of 
1,(>06  votes  for  the  former  and  2,230  for  the  latter. 

Some  additions  to  the  voting  precincts  give  the  following  as  the  present 
organization:  Cle  Elum,  Columbia  River,  East  Kittitas,  Easton,  Ellensburg, 
Kittitas,  Liberty,  Menashtash,  Mountain,  Mountain  View,  North  Ellenburg, 
North  Kittitas,  Peoh  Point,  Roslyn,  Roza,  South  Cle  Elum,  South  Roslyn, 
Spencer  Creek,  Swauk-Taneum,  Teanaway,  Trinidad,  Tunnel  Camp,  Ump- 
tanum,  I'pper  Teanaway,  West  Kittitas. 

ELECTION    OF    1918 

This  election,  occurring  while  this  work  is  in  progress,  resulted  as  follows: 

Votes 
Cast. 

For  Referendum  Xo.   10 1,099      For  county  clerk— 

Against  Referendum  No.  10 909  M.  A.  Hofmann,  rep. 1,.S42 


For    representatives    in    congress. 
Fourth  District — 

J.  W.  Summers,  rep. 1,486 

Wm.  E.  McCroskey,  dem. 975 

Walter  Price,  soc. 123 


.\.   T.   Gregory,  dem. 1,061 

I*'or  County  Auditor — 

M.  R.  Dixon,  rep. 2.006 

For  county  treasurer — 

W.  G.  Damerow,  rep. 2,056 

I'or  county  attorney — ■ 

For  state  representatives—  A.  L.  McGuire,  dem. 1,438 

J.  C.  Hubbell,  rep. 1.664        For  county  assessor — 

G.  P.  Short,  rep. 1785  ^^'-  B.  Price,  rep. 1,374 

S.  R.  Justham.  dem 1.070  W.  P.  Hiddleson,  dem 1,202 

P        .      .-.  l''or  superintendent  of  schools 


J.  W.  Thomas,  rep. L567 


A.  Bartlett,  rep. 2.007 

For  county  engineer- 


Frank  Taylor,  dem.  1,121  H.  A. 'Murray,  rep. 1,927 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  621 

For  coroner—  T.  B.  Wright,  dem. 945 

Murvv  L.  Bridghain,  rep. 1,959  For      county      commissioners      Third 

For     county     commissioners      Second  Dist. — 

Dist. —  J.   F.  Duncan,  rep. 1,552 

Wm.  Adam,  rep. 1,571  W.  C.   Fields,  dem. 77i 

This  election  was  summarized  and  commented  on  as  follows  by  the  "Record" 
immediately  after. 

Republicans  apparently  won  every  contest  in  Kittitas  County  and  cast  a 
majority  of  several  hundred  for  Dr.  Summers,  the  republican  nominee  for 
Congress.  Initiative  measure  No.  10  was  carried  in  this  county  despite  a  big 
wet  majority  in  Roslyn  and  Cle  Elum.  The  county  voted  against  a  constitu- 
tional convention  and  rolled  up  substantial  majorities  for  Judges  Mount,  Main 
and  Mitchell. 

The  closest  race  in  the  county  was  between  W.  B.  Price  and  W.  P.  Hiddle- 
son  for  county  assessor.  Price  apparently  having  won  by  a  fair  majority.  Joe 
Thomas  defeated  Frank  Taylor  for  sheriff  in  both  parts  of  the  county,  while 
Mrs.  Hofmann  was  an  easy  winner  over  Gregorv^  for  county  clerk. 

William  Adam  in  the  second  and  J.  F.  Duncan  in  the  third  districts  were 
easy  winners  for  county  commissioners. 

C.  P.  Short  was  leading  man  in  the  race  for  the  legislature,  with  J.  C. 
Hubbell  a  close  second,  while  Simon  R.  Justham  (Kid  Simon)  was  a  poor  third, 
losing  precincts  in  his  home  territory. 

Returns  from  all  six  Ellensburg  precincts,  North  and  South  Ellensburg, 
Kittitas,  East  Kittitas,  South  Kittitas,  North  Kittitas,  West  Kittitas,  Menashtash, 
both  Roslyn  wards,  both  Cle  Elum  wards,  South  Roslyn,  Mountain  and  Mountain 
View,  give  the  following  totals : 

For  convention,  362 ;  against  convention,  374. 

For  Bone  Dry,  990:  against  Bone  Dry,  708. 

Summers,  1,324;  McCrosky,  869. 

Hubbell,  1,497;  Short,  1,677;  Justham,  959. 

Thomas,    1,409;   Taylor,  985. 

Hofmann,  1,372;  Gregory,  902. 

Dixon,  1,255;  Damerow,  1,824;  McGuire,  904. 

Price,  1,228;  Hiddleson,  1,036. 

Bartlett  1.300;  Murray,   1,229;  Bridgham,  1,254. 

Adam,  1,370;  Wright,  777. 

Duncan,  1,298;  Fields,  695. 

Mitchell.  1,310;  Main,  1,002;  Chapman,  695;  Pemberton,  566;  Mills,  372; 
Mount,  897. 

Mackintosh,  978 ;  Tolman  812. 

The  above  figures  do  not  include  all  the  precincts  on  some  of  the  uncon- 
tested offices  as  in  several  instances  the  people  reporting  the  figures  to  "The 
Record"  failed  to  even  take  down  figures  on  candidates  where  there  was  no 
opposition. 

L.VTER    GENER.\L    HISTORY    OF    COUNTY. 

To  considerable  degree  the  foregoing  outline  of  the  political  history  of  the 
county  gives  also  the  salient  features  of  its  general  history. 


622  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

During  the  period  from  1889  to  the  date  of  this  pubhcation  the  county 
has  made  a  solid,  substantial,  though  not  extraordinary  growth.  The  popula- 
tion in  1890  was  8,777.     It  was  estimated  at  25,027  on  July  1,  1917. 

During  this  period  the  valley  has  developed  from  a  range  cattle  country 
into  a  hay  and  dairy  country  with  also  extensive  fruit  interests.  It  is  the  great 
timothy  hay  section  on  the  Pacific  Coast  and  constitutes  the  main  supply  for  the 
Sound  cities.  In  1880  the  hay  crop  was  estimated  at  50,000  tons,  worth  prob- 
ably $400,000.  The  chief  sources  of  income  during  the  period  since  1900  and 
at  the  jiresent  are  hay,  coal,  timber,  fruit,  stock,  wool  and  precious  metals. 

L'ndoubtedly  during  the  later  years  of  Kittitas  liistory,  besides  the  general 
development  of  which  we  have  just  spoken,  the  matters  of  greatest  public  inter- 
est may  be  summed  up  under  the  heads  of  irrigation,  coal  mines  and  the  found- 
ing and  development  of  the  Normal  School. 

IRRIGATION. 

\\'e  have  given  in  the  chapter  on  Irrigation  in  Part  II  a  view  of  the  great 
reservoir  works  at  the  lakes.  We  have  also  given  there  a  view  of  the  general 
irrigation  development  of  the  Yakima  Valley  as  a  whole. 

In  the  chapter  preceding  this  may  be  found  some  added  facts  relative  to 
the  pioneer  canals  in  the  Kittitas.  We  may  add  here  some  features  of  present 
interest  not  given  elsewhere  in  regard  to  the  large  canals  of  this  immediate 
region.  We  derive  these  facts  directly  from  the  officers  of  these  canals  in 
Ellen  sburg. 

The  Cascade  Canal  Company  established  one  of  the  three  larger  important 
irrigating  enterprises  of  the  valley.  It  now  furnishes  water  for  about  12.500  acres 
of  land  in  the  very  heart  of  the  valley.  At  the  present  date  H.  B.  Carroll  is 
secretary. 

A  change  has  recently  been  effected  in  the  ownership  and  management  of 
this  canal  by  which  it  has  become  a  municipal  corporation  under  state  law  after 
the  fashion  which  has  been  encouraged  by  the  Federal  Government.  Certain 
data  in  regard  to  the  existing  organization  furnished  to.  the  author  by  Mr.  Car- 
roll, is  of  such  interest  and  value  that  we  incorporate  at  this  point  part  of  a 
panii)hlet  issued  by  the  district,  to  which  is  added  a  transcript  of  the  proceedings 
relative  to  the  formation  of  the  district.  This  may  be  regarded  as  an  example 
of  the  usual  procedure  in  such  cases. 

INFORMATION    RELATIVE   TO   $700,000.00   BOND   ISSUE. 
BY   CASCADE    IRRIGATION    DISTRICT,    KITTITAS    COUNTY. 

The  Cascade  Irrigation  District  is  issuing  $700,000.00  of  six  per  cent,  bonds, 
bearing  six  per  cent,  interest,  payable  semi-annually.  There  will  be  ten  series, 
five  per  cent,  of  the  principal  being  payable  in  eleven  years  and  an  increasing 
one  per  cent,  each  year  thereafter  except  for  the  eighteenth  year,  when  thirteen 
per  cent,  of  the  principal  is  re-payable,  the  nineteenth  year  when  fifteen  per 
cent,  is  re-payable.  This  leaves  the  balance,  sixteen  per  cent,  payable  at  the 
expiration  of  twenty  years.  The  bonds  will  be  issued  in  denomination.s  of 
$500.00  and  have  attached  coupons  for  the  interest  payments.     They  are  issued 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  623 

under  the  provisions  of  the  law  of  the  state  of  Washington  passed  in  the  year 
18'X),  being  sections  6430,  6431  and  6432  of  Remington-Ballinger's  code,  and  the 
acts  amendatory  thereof.  The  bonds  are  really  of  the  nature  of  local  improve- 
ment bonds,  as  the  law  provides  that  they  shall  be  paid  by  taxes  arising  from 
assessments  levied  upon  all  the  property  situated  within  the  district. 

This  irrigation  district  was  organized  under  the  provisions  of  the  irrigation 
law  previouslv  mentioned.  A  petition  signed  by  practically  all  the  land  owners 
in  the  district  was  filed  with  the  county  commissioners  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
year  1912  and  when  the  matter  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  district  it  was 
carried  by  a  vote  of  46  for  the  district  and  2  against  the  district.  Thereafter 
the  district  was  organized  and  a  board  of  directors  was  chosen  and  the  question 
of  bond  issue  was  submitted  to  the  voters  and  it  carried  unanimously.  Pro- 
ceedings were  then  begun  in  the  Superior  Court  of  Kittitas  County,  state  of 
Washington,  to  have  the  validity  of  the  bonds  passed  upon  under  the  provisions 
of  the  law  and  the  same  were  confirmed  on  May  5,  1913.  A  transcript  of  the 
proceedings  has  been  printed  and  can  be  furnished  upon  application.  The  bond 
issue  has  already  been  approved  by  attorneys  for  a  firm  which  is  supplying  the 
district  with  about  $31,000  worth  of  flume.  The  legality  of  similar  proceedings 
and  bond  issues  has  been  fully  passed  upon  and  approved  by  the  Supreme  Court 
of  this  state  in  several  cases  decided  some  years  ago,  so  that  any  one  dealing 
with  these  bonds  can  find  every  point  covered  by  decisions. 

The  district  itself  is  acquiring  the  canal  and  water  rights  formerly  owned 
by  the  Cascade  Canal  Company,  which  was  a  private  corporation  but  the  stock- 
holders of  which  were  nearly  all  land  owners  within  the  territory  now  embraced 
within  the  district.  The  canal  has  been  successfully  operated  for  about  nine 
years  and  the  idea  in  changing  it  from  a  private  company  to  a  public  corporation 
is  to  provide  for  a  more  equitable  distribution  of  the  burden  of  keeping  up  the 
canal,  and  also  to  provide  the  additional  credit  afforded  from  the  actual  pledging 
of  the  lands  within  the  district.  The  old  company  at  the  present  time  owes 
$112,000  of  bonds  and  a  small  amount  of  floating  debt.  There  are  outstanding 
something  over  9,000  shares  of  stock  which  are  to  be  retired  at  $20.00  per 
share,  and  if  desired  these  stockholders  are  willing  to  take  bonds  of  the  district 
in  exchange  for  their  stock. 

The  main  reason,  however,  for  obtaining  additional  money  at  this  time  is 
to  have  funds  to  substitute  for  several  miles  of  flume  which  is  not  in  a  safe 
condition,  a  permanent  and  reliable  conduit.  This  will  comprise  some  2,000 
feet  of  tunnel  which  will  replace  a  portion  of  the  flume  which  is  upon  an  insecure 
foundation.  The  balance  of  the  flume  will  be  replaced  by  either  metal  or  con- 
crete structure.  Practically  all  of  the  canal,  aside  from  that  previously  men- 
tioned, is  earth  construction  and  a  sum  has  been  allotted  from  the  amount  to  be 
thus  raised  to  enlarge  this  earth  canal  so  that  it  will  carry  the  quantity  of  water 
to  which  the  district  will  be  entitled.  This  will  give  the  district  a  first-class 
canal  and  insure  a  reliable  supply  throughout  the  season  and  at  a  very  low  cost 
for  maintenance.  The  farmers  under  this  canal  have  been  paying  $3.00  an  acre 
for  their  water  maintenance,  and  figuring  six  per  cent,  on  their  stock  would 
make  a  total  annual  charge  of  something  over  $4.00  per  acre.  They  have  paid 
this  without  difficulty  previously  and  are  willing  to  pay  more  if  necessarv,  but 


624  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  \'ALLEY 

the  average  under  the  proposed  change  will  be  about  $4.00  per  acre,  so  that  their 
burden  will  not  be  increased  and  they  will  secure  a  more  ample  and  reliable 
water  supply. 

A  summary  of  this  engineering  work  has  been  prepared  and  is  supplied 
herewith. 

The  water  for  the  canal  comes  from  the  Yakima  River  during  the  earlier 
portion  of  the  year  and  when  the  flow  in  the  river  gets  low  the  water  is  supplied 
from  storage  from  Lake  Kachess.  Several  years  ago  the  Cascade  Canal  Com- 
pany entered  into  a  contract  with  the  United  States  Government  by  which  the 
right  of  the  company  is  recognized  to  150  cubic  feet  of  water  per  second  of  time 
from  the  river  up  to  tfie  20th  of  July  of  each  year,  and  thereafter  they  are  entitled 
to  obtain  16,800-acre  feet  of  water  up  to  October  15th  of  each  year.  This  water 
right  would  cover  every  acre  of  land  in  the  district  to  a  depth  of  nearly  four  feet. 
This  furnishes  an  ample,  reliable  water  supply  for  all  the  land  within  the  district 
throughout  the  irrigating  season.  The  contract  further  provides  that  from 
October  15th  to  March  15th  of  the  following  year  the  Company  is  entitled  to  a 
continuous  flow  not  to  exceed  30-second  feet,  this  being  for  stock  and  domestic 
purposes.  This  water  is  supplied  by  the  Government  to  the  company  in  the 
latter's  flume  without  any  cost  for  maintenance.  Lake  Kachess,  where  the  water 
is  stored,  is  about  six  miles  long  and  from  three-quarters  to  a  mile  in  width  and 
has  a  drainage  area  of  64  square  miles  and  a  mean  annual  run-oft  of  219,000- 
acre  feet.  The  water  is  stored  by  means  of  an  earth  dam  with  a  concrete  core 
wall  and  a  reenforced  concrete  outlet  conduit.  The  outlet  conduit  taps  the  lake 
thirty  feet  below  the  ordinary  level  making  available  sixty  feet  of  storage.  The 
capacity  of  the  reservoir  is  210,000  acre  feet.  This  is  a  very  valuable  water 
right  now  available  without  any  expense  as  the  result  of  a  settlement  made  with 
the  Government  at  the  time  they  took  over  storage  works,  the  Cascade  Canal 
Company  having  previously  built  a  small  dam  at  the  foot  of  the  lake  which 
stored  all  the  water  that  they  needed. 

The  district  consists  of  a  strip  of  land  from  one  to  three  miles  in  width 
situated  in  the  Kittitas  Valley  and  north  of  the  city  of  Ellensburg.  It  com- 
prises all  the  territory  north  of  the  canal  of  the  Ellensburg  Water  Company 
and  south  of  the  canal  of  the  Cascade  Canal  Company  and  contains  about  12,800 
acres  of  land  after  excepting  some  small  tracts  which  were  excluded  because  of 
having  creek  rights  or  being  uses  for  townsite  purposes,  and  also  excluding  the 
right-of-way  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  Puget  Sound  Railway  Company, 
which  traverses  the  district  through  most  of  its  length.  It  is  nearly  all  first-class 
farming  land  and  sells  for  farming  purposes  at  from  $150.00  to  $250.00  per 
acre.  The  entire  district  is  inhabited  by  industrious,  law-abiding  citizens,  and 
is  well  supplied  with  schools  and  good  roads,  has  complete  mail  delivery  and 
telephone  service  and  a  portion  is  served  by  electric  lights.  It  surrounds  the 
town  of  Kittitas,  comprising  several  hundred  people  and  is  just  north  of  the 
city  of  Ellensburgh.  and  in  addition  to  the  transportation  afforded  by  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  Puget  Sound  Railway  Company  it  is  also  sen-ed  by  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company.  It  is  about  125  miles  from  Puget  Sound 
and  it  is  the  nearest  valley  thereto  east  of  the  mountains  and  it  therefore  enjoys 
the  lowest  freight  rates  and  its  product  find  ready  sale  and  at  good  prices. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  625 

The  principal  farm  products  of  tlie  district  are  alfalfa,  timotliy  and  clover 
hay,  wheat,  oats,  barley,  vegetables  and  fruits,  including  apples,  pears,  prunes, 
cherries  and  plums.  On  account  of  the  light  rainfall  during  the  growing  season 
irrigation  is  necessary  to  produce  crops.  Hay  is  the  principal  crop  of  the  dis- 
trict. In  some  cases  timothy  is  grown  alone,  but  the  usual  custom  is  to  grow 
alfalfa  and  timothy  mixed,  which  produces  a  desirable  hay  for  market  with  an 
increased  tonnage  over  timothy.  Two  crops  of  alfalfa  are  cut  and  the  third 
crop  usually  pastured,  although  occasionally  the  third  crop  is  cut  for  hay.  The 
average  yield  of  alfalfa  is  from  3>^  to  5  tons  per  acre,  and  the  average  price 
for  a  tenyear  period  about  $11.00  per  ton.  No.  1  "mixed"  hay  has  fluctuated 
in  value  from  $10.00  to  $24.00  per  ton,  the  average  for  the  past  ten  years  being 
about  $15.00.  Pure  timothy  brings  $2.00  to  $4.00  per  ton  more  than  "mixed" 
hay.  In  irrigating  hay  land  both  the  furrow  and  flooding  systems  are  used. 
The  periods  of  irrigation  vary  with  the  soil  and  local  conditions,  being  from  one 
to  four  weeks.  There  is  also  considerable  dairying  and  stock  raising  in  the  dis- 
trict, and  nearly  every  farmer  raises  some  potatoes  and  grain.  Some  of  the  land 
is  well  suited  to  fruit  raising,  and  quite  a  number  of  fine  orchards  are  now 
situated  within  the  district.  The  oldest  of  these  are  just  coming  into  bearing 
and  within  a  few  years  the  fruit  will  be  a  very  important  crop. 

A  considerable  portion  of  this  bond  issue  can  be  taken  care  of  here.  In 
addition  to  that  which  the  stockholders  have  agreed  to  take  in  exchange  for 
their  stock  about  $20,000  has  already  been  placed,  and  the  balance  can  probably 
be  sold  in  blocks  to  suit  the  purchaser. 

There  are  several  other  canals  being  operated  in  the  valley,  the  principal 
ones  being  those  of  the  West  Side  Irrigating  Company  and  the  Ellensburg 
Water  Company.  Both  of  these  have  been  operated  for  over  25  years.  The 
land  under  all  these  ditches  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  farmers  are 
prosperous  and  a  very  small  proportion  of  the  land  is  mortgaged  under  any  of 
the  three  canals. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  are  about  250  farms  within  the  district  exclusive 
of  small-tract  holdings,  of  which  there  are  quite  a  number  near  the  city  of 
Ellensburg.     There  are  about  400  people  living  within   the   irrigation   district. 

The  canal  which  the  district  is  purchasing  was  completed  in  the  year  1904 
and  has  cost  about  $250,000,  exclusive  of  maintenance  charges. 

The  assessed  valuation  for  irrigation  district  purposes  is  something  over 
$509,000.  This  is  somewhat  less  than  the  county  valuations  as  an  attempt  has 
been  made  to  reduce  the  higher  valuations  for  the  purpose  of  equalizing  the  tax 
within  the  district.  The  irrigation  district  embraces  portions  of  five  country 
school  districts  and  also  portions  of  the  districts  within  which  the  city  of  Ellens- 
burg and  town  of  Kittitas  are  situated  and  all  the  school  houses  are  situated 
within  a  half  mile  of  the  boundaries  of  the  irrigation  district. 

The  school  district  embracing  Kittitas  has  $10,000  bonded  debt  and  that 
embracing  Ellensburg  has  $130,000  of  bonded  debt.  None  of  the  other  school 
districts  have  any  bonded  debt.  The  county  of  Kittitas  has  about  $100,000  of 
bonded  debt. 

(40) 


626  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

SUMMARY    OF    ENGINEER'S    PRELIMINARY    REPORT    ON     IMPROVEMENTS    TO    CASCADE 
CANAL. 

The  headgates  of  the  Cascade  Canal  are  located  at  a  point  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  Yakima  River  about  4>4  rniles  northwest  of  the  village  of  Thorp,  Wash- 
ington. From  here  to  the  crossing  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway,  near  Dudley 
Station  (a  distance  of  about  8,000  feet),  the  present  canal  closely  follows  the 
easterly  bank  of  the  river.  From  this  point  the  canal  runs  along  the  base  of  the 
foothills,  in  a  general  southeasterly  direction,  to  a  point  on  the  east  line  of  sec- 
tion 18,  township  18  north,  range  18  east,  Willamette  Meridian,  a  distance  of 
approximately  34,850  feet,  .^t  this  point  the  line  turns  sharply  to  the  eastward 
through  a  short  tunnel  piercing  a  ridge  of  the  foothills,  and  thence,  for  a  distance 
of  approximately  7,800  feet,  to  a  point  on  the  easterly  slope  of  Dry  Creek  canyon 
situated  about  565  feet  east  of  the  quarter  post  between  sections  8  and  17.  town- 
ship 18  north,  range  18  east. 

From  this  point  the  canal  extends  in  a  general  southeasterly  direction  for 
about  30  miles,  gradually  encircling  the  valley  to  a  point  near  the  northeast 
corner  of  section  32,  township  17  north,  range  19  east,  Willamette  Meridian. 
Throughout  this  distance  of  30  miles,  the  water  is  carried  in  an  open  ditch  of 
approximately  90-second  feet  capacity  at  the  upper  end  and  gradually  decreas- 
ing in  size  toward  the  lower  end. 

From  the  intake  to  Dry  Creek,  the  water  is  carried  almost  entirely  in  a 
wooden  flume  of  about  90  second  feet  capacity,  the  present  improvements  being 
designed  principally  to  replace  this  wooden  construction. 

The  following  table  shows  the  length  of  the  various  kinds  of  construction 
now  in  use  on  this  section  of  the  canal : 

Table  I. 

Kind  of  Construction —  Length. 

Wooden  flume 31,930  feet 

Unlined  earth  canal 18,734  feet 

Tunnel   (timber  lining)    5.^5   feet 

Total  distance  along  present  canal  from  intake  to  Dry 

Creek    31,210  feet 

(Same  as  in  first  report,  to  end  of  Table   1) 

The  improvements  planned  contemplate  the  extension  of  the  present  intake 
about  200  feet  upstream :  straightening  of  canal  alignment  whereever  practicable : 
the  use  of  unlined  earth  canal  in  place  of  flume  when  possible:  the  use  of  steel 
and  concrete  flume  in  place  of  the  present  wooden  flume :  four  short  tunnels  in 
addition  to  the  one  now  in  use ;  the  lining  with  concrete  of  the  present  tunnel 
and  the  enlargement  of  the  present  earth  canal  throughout  its  entire  length. 
The  capacity  of  the  canal  will  be  increased  to  150-second  feet  in  order  that  the 
full  water  right  may  be  made  use  of.  The  following  table  indicates  the  approxi- 
mate length  of  the  various  kinds  of  construction  planned : 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  627 

Table  II. 

Kind  of  Construction —  Length. 

Aletal  flume  24,244  feet 

Tunnels   (four,  concrete  lined)    2,874  feet 

Lining  present  tunnel  with  concrete 555  feet 

Concrete    flume    2,044  feet 

Earth    canal    19,134  feet 

Concrete-lined  canal 645  feet 

Railroad  crossing   32  feet 

Total  distance  along  proposed  canal  alignment   from 

intake  to  Dry   Creek 49,528  feet 

The  proposed  relocation  and  reconstruction  of  the  canal,  from  intake  to 
Dry  Creek,  eliminates  many  bad  bends  in  the  present  alignment ;  places  the  flume 
out  of  range  of  falling  boulders  and  provides  ample  clearance  underneath  for  the 
passage  of  drainage  water  and  soil  accumulations  from  the  hillsides,  and  gives 
a  permanent,  efficient  conduit  which  will  result  in  a  minimum  of  expense  for 
maintenance  and  inspection.  The  average  grade  of  the  new  conduit  is  2.4  feet 
per  mile. 

From  Dry  Creek  to  end  of  canal,  a  distance  of  30  miles,  the  present  ditch 
is  too  small  to  carry  the  increased  supply  of  water  and  it  is  proposed  to  enlarge 
and  otherwise  improve  this  section  to  conform  to  the  improvements  on  the  upper 
ten-mile  section. 

This  enlargement  of  the  canal,  together  with  the  installation  of  an  improved 
form  of  outlet  weir  at  the  laterals  proportioned  for  the  "cubic-foot  per  second 
of  time"  method  of  measurement,  instead  of  the  obsolete  "miners'  inch,"  will 
place  the  Cascade  Canal  system  in  a  position  second  to  none  in  the  valley  in 
point  of  efficiency  and  up-to-dateness. 

TRANSCRIPT    OF    PROCEEDINGS 

The  Cascade  Irrigation  District  is  organized  under  the  laws  of  the  state 
of  Washington,  under  the  provisions  of  sections  6416  to  6494,  Remington  & 
Ballinger's  code.  This  law  has  been  amended  in  some  particulars  by  an  act 
found  in  the  laws  of  1913  at  page  558. 

The  status  of  the  same  kind  of  corporations  has  been  quite  definitely  fixed 
by  the  decisions  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  state  of  Washington.  On  the  con- 
stitutionality of  the  law  see 

Board  of  Directors  vs.  Peterson,  19  Wash.   147:  29  Pac.  Rep.  995. 
State  ex  rel.  Witherop  vs.  Brown,  19  Wash.  383 :  53  Pac.  Rep.  548. 
As  affecting  the  status  of  the  district  see  also 

Kinkade  vs.  Witherop,  29  Wash.  10 ;  69  Pac.  Rep.  399. 
Rothchild  Bros.  vs.  Rollinger,  32  Wash.  307 ;  73  Pac.  Rep.  367. 

In  the  late  case  of  Hanson  vs.  Kittitas  Reclamation  district,  reported  in 
33  Washington  decisions  at  page   194  and  34  Pacific  reports,   1083,  the  binding 


628  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  \'ALLEY 

effect  of  the  special  proceedings   for  confirmation  hereinafter   set   out  is   quite 
fullv  determined. 


In  the  matter  of  the  petition  for  the  organization  of  an  irrigation  district  to 
be  known  as  the  Cascade  Irrigation  district. 

Notice  is  hereby  given  that  on  Monday,  the  6th  da}'  of  January,  1913,  at 
the  hour  of  9  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  at  the  meeting  place  of  the  board  of 
commissioners  of  Kittitas  County,  Washington,  in  the  city  of  Ellensburg,  the 
petition  following  this  notice  praying  for  the  organization  of  the  Cascade  Irri- 
gation district  will  be  presented  to  said  board  of  county  commissioners  for  hear- 
ing, as  provided  by  law ;  the  persons  giving  this  notice  being  the  same  as  the 
signers  of  said  petition. 

.Dated  December  18,  1912. 

Then  follow  the  same  signatures  as  those  attached  to  the  petition  next 
hereafter  given  with  the  exception  of  that  of  J.  H.  Smithson. 


In  the  matter  of  the  petition  for  the  organization  of  an  irrigation  district 
to  be  known  as  the  Cascade  Irrigation  district. 

To  the  honorable  board  of  county  commissioners  of  Kittitas  County,  state 
of  Washington: 

We,  the  undersigned,  holders  of  title  and  evidence  of  title  to  land  within 
the  boundaries  hereinafter  stated  and  which  lands  are  all  susceptible  of  irriga- 
tion from  one  source,  do  hereby  pray  for  an  order  of  your  board  constituting 
the  land  situate  within  the  hereinafter  described  boundaries  to  be  an  irrigation 
district  under  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Washington,  being  the  act  of  said  state 
entitled,  "An  act  providing  for  the  organization  and  government  of  irrigation 
districts  and  the  sale  of  bonds  arising  therefrom,  and  declaring  an  emergency," 
approved  March  20,  1890,  and  the  acts  amendatory  and  supplementary  thereto. 
The  proposed  boundaries  of  such  district  are  as  follows :  [Here  follow  boun- 
daries.] 

Excepting  from  the  foregoing  body  of  land  the  right-of-way  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  Puget  Sound  Railway  Company  and  the  land  embraced  in 
the  plat  of  the  town  of  Kittitas. 

.Ml  the  lands  embraced  in  said  boundaries  are  situated  within  Kittitas 
County,  Washington,  and  the  undersigned  petitioners  ask  that  upon  the  hearing 
of  this  petition  the  boundaries  of  such  proposed  district  be  defined  and  that  the 
same  be  known  as  the  Cascade  Irrigation  district  and  that  an  election  be  ordered 
for  the  selection  of  three  directors  of  said  district  to  be  chosen  at  large,  and 
that  proper  notice  be  given  of  the  election  for  the  purpose  of  determining 
whether  or  not  said  district  shall  be  organized  and  for  the  selection  of  said 
three  directors  at  large,  and  that  all  further  acts  that  may  now  or  hereafter  be 
required  by  the  laws  of  this  state  be  taken  by  said  hoard. 

This  petition  is  accompanied  by  a  bond  of  three  hundred  dollars  (^.^OO.OO") 
with  sureties  and  conditions  as  provided  by  law. 

Dated  December   18,   1912. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  629 


CASCADE  IRRIGATION  CANAL. 


In  the  matter  of  the  petition  to  the  county  commissioners  of  Kittitas 
County,  state  of  Washington,  for  the  organization  of  an  irrigation  district  to 
be  known  as  Cascade  Irrigation  district. 

Now  on  this  fourteenth  day  of  January,  1913,  at  the  hour  of  ten  o'clock 
in  the  forenoon,  the  petition  of  T.  T.  Wilson,  and  others,  praying  for  the  or- 
ganization of  an  irrigation  district  to  be  designated  as  the  Cascade  Irrigation 
district  (  came  tegularly  on  for  hearing,  said  hearing  having  been  regularly  ad- 
journed from  January  6,  1913,  to  January  13,  1913,  and  from  January  13th  to 
this  date,  and  the  board  having  carefully  considered  said  petition  and  having 
heard  proof  and  having  heard  all  parties  interested  in  the  matter  of  such  peti- 
tion, and  being  fully  advised  in  the  premises,  finds  as  follows : 

1.  That  said  petition  is  duly  signed  by  more  than  fifty  holders  of  title  and 
evidence  of  title  to  land  in  said  proposed  district,  and  that  said  land  is  suscep- 
tible of  one  mode  of  irrigation  from  a  common  source  and  by  the  same  system 
of  works,  and  that  said  petition  is  regular  in  form,  and  sufficient  to  confer  jur- 
isdiction upon  said  board  of  commissioners. 

2.  That  said  petition,  together  with  a  notice  stating  the  time  of  the  meet- 
ing of  the  board  at  which  it  would  be  presented,  was  published  in  the  "Ellens- 
burg  Capital,"  a  weekly  newspaper  printed  and  published  in  the  city  of  Ellens- 
burg,  in  the  county  of  Kittitas,  state  of  Washington,  for  the  period  of  more 
than  two  weeks  immediately  preceding  the  time  designated  in  said  notice  for 
the  hearing  of  said  petition  by  the  board. 

3.  That  said  petition  sets  forth  and  particularly  describes  the  proposed 
boundaries  of  said  district,  and  that  all  the  land  included  in  said  description  and 
in  the  boundaries  hereinafter  mentioned  are  situated  in  the  county  of  Kittitas, 
state  of  Washington. 

4.  That  said  petition  was  duly  presented  to  said  board  by  the  petitioners 
at  the  time  and  place  mentioned  in  said  notice ;  and  the  petitioners  accompanied 
the  petition  with  a  good  and  sufficient  bond  in  double  the  amount  of  the  prob- 
able cost  of  organizing  such  district,  to-wit.  in  the  penal  sum  of  three  hundred 
dollars  ($300.00),  conditioned  that  the  bondsmen  will  pay  all  costs  of  organ- 
izing such  district  in  case  such  organization  shall  not  be  affected,  and  which 
said  bond  was  duly  approved  by  the  board  of  county  commissioners. 

5.  That  certain  lands  (hereinafter  described)  which  were  included  in  the 
boundaries  as  proposed  by  the  petition  were  excluded  by  said  board  for  the 
reason  that  in  the  judgment  of  said  board,  they  would  not  be  benefitted  by  irri- 
gation by  said  system,  and  that  they  have  a  sufficoent  water  supply  for  irrigation 
from  other  sources. 

6.  Said  board  further  finds  that  on  January  8,  1913,  the  board  of  director.s 
of  Middle  Kittitas  Irrigation  district,  which  embraces  a  portion  of  the  lands 
sought  to  be  included  in  this  irrigation  district,  consented  to  the  inclusion  with- 
in the  proposed  Cascade  Irrigation  district  all  of  the  lands  situate  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  said  Middle  Kittitas  Irrigation  district,  which  this  board  may 
see  fit  to  include  therein. 

7.  That  the  said  proposed  district  shall  be  known  and  designated  as  the 
"Cascade  Irrigation  District"  and  that  the  jietitioners  have  requested  and  pray 


630  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

that  the  three  {3)  directors  of  said  district  be  elected  at  Large,  and  that  their 
request  in,  that  behalf  be  granted  and  said  three  directors  shall  be  elected  by  the 
district  at  large. 

8.  That  for  the  purpose  of  the  election  for  the  organization  of  said  dis- 
trict and  for  the  election  of  said  directors,  there  shall  be  established  two  elec- 
tion precincts  as  hereinafter  described,  and  that  inspectors  and  judges  of  elec- 
tion shall  be  appointed  by  the  board,  and  that  an  election  shall  be  held  and  notice 
thereof  given,  for  the  purpose  of  determining  whether  or  not  said  district  shall 
be  organized,  and  for  the  purpose  of  electing  three  directors  at  large. 

Now  Therefore,  The  premises  being  considered  it  is  now  and  here  ordered 
that  the  prayer  contained  in  said  petition  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  granted  and 
that  said  proposed  irrigation  district  shall  be  known  and  designated  as  the 
Cascade  Irrigation   District. 

(Then  follows  the  same  description  as  that  given  in  the  petition,  with  the 
additional  exceptions  contained  in  the  petition  for  confirmation  hereinafter  set 
out.) 

And  it  is  further  ordered  that  an  election  shall  be  held  in  said  proposed 
irrigation  district  Saturday  the  15th  day  of  February,  1913,  for  the  purpose  of 
permitting  the  voters  to  decide  whether  such  district  shall  be  organized  or  not, 
under  the  provisions  of  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Washington,  relating  to  irriga- 
tion districts,  and  for  the  purpose  of  the  election  of  three  directors  at  large  from 
said  district  to  serve  as  such  directors  until  their  successors  are  regularly  elected 
and  qualified ;  and  that  for  the  purpose  of  the  election  herein  provided  for,  there 
is  hereby  established  two  election  precincts,  within  the  boundaries  of  said  dis- 
trict, to  wit: 

All  the  territory  west  of  the  east  boundary  line  of  sections  three  and  ten  in 
township  seventeen  north,  range  nineteen  E.,  W.  M.,  and  north  of  the  south- 
ern boundary  of  said  section  ten  shall  be  known  as  election  precinct  No.  1. 

All  the  territory  east  of  said  eastern  boundar\'  and  south  of  said  southern 
boundary  of  section  ten  shall  be  known  as  election  precinct  No.  2. 

It  is  further  ordered  that  the  voting  places  for  election  precinct  No.  1  shall 
be  at  the  dwelling  house  of  Simon  Longmire.  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  thirty-one,  township  eighteen,  range  eighteen  E., 
W.  AI.,  and  that  there  are  hereby  appointed  Blake  Beatty  as  inspector  and  \V.  W. 
Spurling  and  A.  R.  Besgrove  as  judges  of  election  in  said  precinct ;  that  the 
voting  place  for  election  precinct  No.  2  shall  be  at  the  school  house  of  school 
district  No.  12,  situate  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 25,  township  17  north,  range  19  E.,  W.  M.,  and  that  there  are  hereby 
appointed  Oliver  Robinson  as  inspector  and  J.  \\'.  Boston  and  F.  E.  Lowe  as 
judges  of  election  in  said  precinct. 

And  it  is  further  ordered  that  notice  of  election  aforesaid  shall  be  given 
in  the  manner  and  form  and  for  the  length  of  time  required  by  law. 

SPI-XI.\L   MEETING  OF  THE   BOARD  OF   COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS.    HELD   FEBRl'ARV    24. 

1913. 

The  ballots  of  the  election  held  for  the  Cascade  Irrigation  district,  cast  at 
the  election  held  February  15,  1913,  were  canvassed  and  the  board  finds  there- 
from, that  in  precinct  No.  1,  thirteen  votes  were  in  favor  of  said  district,  and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  631 

two  votes  against  the  same,  and  in  precinct  No.  2,  thirty-three  votes  were  in 
favor  of  said  district,  and  there  were  no  votes  against  the  same,  making  a  total 
of  forty-six  votes  for  said  district  and  two  votes  against  the  same. 

The  board  further  finds  that  for  directors  of  said  district,  T.  T.  Wilson 
received  forty-six  votes,  H.  B.  Snider  forty-three  votes,  and  R.  L.  Mudd  received 
forty-three  votes,  and  Simon  Longmire  received  nine  votes,  and  the  board  finds 
therefrom  that  T.  T.  Wilson,  H.  B.  Snider  and  R.  L.  Mudd  were  elected 
directors  of  said  district;  and  it  is  now  declared  that  the  Cascade  Irrigation  dis- 
trict is  duly  organized  as  an  irrigation  district  and  shall  be  known  as  the  Cascade 
Irrigation  district. 

It  is  further  ordered  by  the  board  that  a  copy  of  this  order,  duly  certified, 
be  immediately  filed  for  record  in  the  office  of  the  county  clerk  of  Kittitas  County. 
STATE  OF  WASHINGTON, 
County  of  Kittitas, 
ss: 

I,  James  Heron,  auditor  of  Kittitas  County,  state  of  Washington,  do  hereby 
certify  that  the  foregoing  papers  and  proceedings  which  are  said  to  be  on  file  in 
my  office  are  filed  in  said  office,  and  that  all  copies  given  are  true  and  correct 
copies  of  the  instruments  which  they  purport  to  copy. 

(Seal)  James  Heron, 

Auditor  of  Kittitas  County,  State  of  Washington. 

Another  of  the  historic  irrigation  organizations  is  the  Ellensburg  Water 
Company,  often  referred  to  as  the  "Town  Ditch  Company."  The  canal  of  this 
company  covers  about  12,000  acres  near  Ellensburg.  The  company  has  become 
entirely  a  joint-stock  company,  the  property  owned  by  share-holders,  who  are 
themselves  the  water-users.  The  holders  own  a  share  to  an  acre.  The  cost 
of  maintenance  runs  from  $1  to  $2  an  inch.  C.  H.  Stewart  is  the  secretary  at 
the  present  time. 

The  third  of  these  principal  canals  is  the  West  Side  Irrigating  Ditch.  The 
water  for  this  canal  is  taken  from  the  Yakima  River,  two  miles  or  more  above 
Thorp,  and  is  conveyed  to  about  7,000  acres  on  the  west  side.  This  is  also  a 
shareholders  corporation  of  water-users  and  thus  owned  and  managed  entirely 
in  the  interest  of  the  locality.  At  this  date  J.  H.  Prater  is  president  and  A.  T. 
Gregory  is  secretary  of  the  corporation. 

By  far  the  largest  irrigation  proposition,  the  largest  that  ever  can  exist  in 
the  Kittitas  Valley,  is  the  "High  Line"  Canal.  This  has  been  in  process  of 
consideration  for  many  years.  Of  the  earlier  stages  we  have  spoken  in  the 
chapter  on  Irrigation.  After  many  phases  this  great  enterprise  assumed  definite 
form  as  a  result  of  the  assumption  by  the  Government  of  the  creation  of  reser- 
voir sites  at  the  head  of  the  river  and  the  development  of  canals  throughout 
the  Sunnyside,  Tieton,  Wapato,  and  Benton  districts.  It  became  plain  to  the 
people  of  Kittitas  that  the  future  of  their  big  canal  system  must  lie  with  the 
Government  reclamation  work.  As  a  result,  the  Kittitas  Reclamation  district 
was  organized  September  14,  1911,  under  the  provisions  of  the  Warren  act. 
By  the  terms  of  this  act  the  district  becomes  a  municipal  corporation  under 
state  law.  A  regular  tax  of  five  cents  an  acre  is  levied  on  the  land  included  and 
this  is  collected  by  the  county  treasurer.    By  vote  of  the  district,  in  which  every 


632  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

owner  of  land  is  included,  a  bond  issue  of  $5,000,000  has  been  authorized  for 
raising  funds  to  carry  on  development.  The  Government  has  adopted  the  policy 
of  investing  funds  in  bonds  of  this  character. 

In  pursuance  of  that  policy  the  Government  has  authorized  taking  $880,000 
of  these  Kittitas  District  bonds.  Prior  to  the  war  all  indications  pointed  to  an 
early  and  favorable  disposition  of  the  remainder  of  the  bonds.  The  war  has 
stopped  further  proceedings,  but  there  is  no  cjuestion  that  as  soon  as  peace 
returns  the  financing  of  the  "High  Line"'  will  be  resumed.  It  has  such  possi- 
bilities that  it  can  not  fail  to  be  one  of  the  most  successful  of  the  large  enter- 
prises. The  area  in  the  district  is  93,000  acres,  of  which  80,000  are  irrigable, 
and  71,000  have  been  authorized  for  receiving  water.  The  water  supply  will 
come  from  Lake  Keechelus,  and  the  canal  will  pass  in  a  great  semi-circle  along 
the  edge  of  the  foothill  belt  north  of  Ellensburg  to  the  eastern  margin  of  the 
valley  and  thence  along  the  northern  edge  of  the  Yakima  ridge  toward  the  gap 
south  of  Ellensburg.  This  official  organization  of  the  district  consists  of  three 
trustees,  a  president  and  a  secretary  chosen  by  the  district.  The  president  at 
this  date  is  Thomas  Haley  and  the  secretary  is  F.  A.  Kern.  The  trustees  are 
John  Catlin,  Thomas  Haley,  and  Henry  Richards.  The  term  of  Mr.  Catlin  is 
to  expire  on  January  1,  1919,  and  Fred  C.  Schnebly  has  been  chosen  to  a 
trusteeship  beginning  at  that  date. 

RAILROADS 

In  the  chapter  on  Transportation  we  have  given  a  view  of  railway  building 
through  the  valley  as  a  whole,  from  Kennewick  to  the  Stampede  Tunnel.  We 
may  add  more  specifically  to  what  has  been  given  there  that  the  first  passenger 
train  from  Yakima  to  Ellensburg  arrived  at  the  latter  place  Februar}-  26,  1886. 
Ellensburg  had  at  last  attained  one  of  the  great  objects  of  her  ambitions,  rail 
connection  with  the  world. 

Throughout  1886  the  line  was  pushed  with  great  energ}-  up  the  valley  to  the 
Stampede  Pass,  and  there  the  "Switchback"  was  in  progress,  pending  the 
tunnel,  which  required  several  years  of  added  work.  An  extract  from  the 
"Yakima  Signal"  of  October  13,  1886,  gives  a  conception  of  the  progress  of  the 
work  at  that  period:  "The  grade  is  nearly  if  not  quite  completed  to  the  east  face 
of  the  main  tunnel,  barring  the  trestles  and  the  minor  tunnels,  which  will  be 
finished  in  time  to  allow  the  track's  reaching  the  switchback  by  December  1st. 
Hunt's  grade  work  on  the  east  side  will  be  completed  today  and  between  five 
and  six  hundred  laborers  will  be  let  out,  some  of  whom  have  been  secured  to 
push  the  work  on  the  west  side.  The  grading  on  the  Switchback  is  approaching 
the  finish  and  will  be  delayed  only  for  the  trestling.  Leonhard's  Mill,  having 
exhausted  the  suitable  timber  at  Tunnel  Cit}',  has  moved  to  a  point  two  mile? 
west  of  Cle  Elum,  where  it  will  be  utilized  in  sawing  trestle  timbers,  which 
will  be  fitted  at  the  mill  and  moved  by  car  to  the  Switchback,  ready  to  be  swung 
into  place  and  bolted.  On  the  west  side  the  work  is  not  so  forward.  A  reduc- 
tion of  wages  on  October  6th  to  two  dollars  a  day  lessened  the  forces  consider- 
ably, but  the  old  wages  are  to  be  reinstated  and  the  work  hurried  forward. 
Engineer  Bogue  is  desirous  of  having  the  connection  made  by  the  first  of  Jan- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  633 

uary,  1887,  and  is  exerting  every  energy  to  that  end,  and  should  the  weather 
hold  good  his  desires  will  be  fulfilled."  It  may  be  added  that  the  engineer's 
hopes  were  nearly  fulfilled,  for  construction  trains  were  running  early  in  1887. 
Nbt  for  some  months,  however,  was.  there  regular  passenger  service.  On  July 
3,  1887,  a  huge  excursion  from  all  parts  of  the  Inland  Empire  passed  over  the 
line  to  Tacoma  to  celebrate  the  Fourth.  The  "City  of  Destiny"  was  at  that 
time,  though  "booming"  so  as  to  fairly  bubble  over  the  top,  a  pretty  raw,  crude 
place  and  it  was  fairly  swamped  by  the  tide  of  hay-seeds,  cow-boys,  wheat 
farmers,  horse  men,  mining  sharps,  which  flowed  in,  responsive  to  the  greatness 
of  the  occasion  of  the  first  railway  across  the  Cascades.  There  was  some 
inducement,  too,  in  the  fact  that  the  fare  was  $5.00  the  round  trip  from  any 
point  in  eastern  Washington.  Hundreds  of  excursionists  had  to  walk  up  and 
down  the  hills  in  Tacoma  the  night  of  the  third,  for  the  supply  of  rooms  was 
soon  exhausted. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  a  "boom"  followed  the  railroad,  and  Ellensburg 
had  the  liveliest  times  ever  known  during  1887,  1888,  and  1889  (until  the  big 
fire  of  July  4th  of  the  latter  year)  there  were  the  disappointments  usual  in  such 
a  period,  and  many  charges  against  the  railway  managers  for  alleged  discrim- 
inations and  injustices  arose.  The  N.  P.  R.  R.  had  things  its  own  way  in  Kitti- 
tas until  1909.  In  that  year  occurred  the  great  event  of  the  entrance  of  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  through  the  valley  and  by  the 
Snoqualmie  Pass  to  the  Sound.  Construction  work  was  in  progress  in  Ellens- 
burg in  1908,  but  it  was  not  till  1909  that  the  first  train  from  the  east  reached 
Ellensburg.  Since  the  Milwaukee  does  not  touch  any  part  of  the  Yakima 
Valley  except  Kittitas,  a  great  deal  was  expected  from  it  in  the  way  of  stimu- 
lating enterprise.  The  general  financial  cloud  that  rested  on  the  country,  how- 
ever, at  that  period,  prevented  as  much  jubilation  and  quickening  as  had  come 
twenty  years  earlier  from  the  N.  P.  R.  R.,  and  Kittitas  remained  quite  calm  and 
unexcited,  in  spite  of  this  great  addition  to  her  facilities.  We  find  in  "The 
Coast"  of  May,  1908,  so  fine  a  view  of  the  road  and  the  county  just  prior  to  its 
completion  that  we  incorporate  it  here. 

BUILDING   OF  THE   CHICAGO,    MILWAUKEE   &   ST.    PAUL    RAILWAY   THROUGH 
KITTITAS  COUNTY 

BY   H.   L.   W. 

A  Stupendous  and  marvelous  financial  and  engineering  feat  is  the  building 
of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  This  i.> 
true  because  of  the  nature  of  the  country  through  which  the  line  runs  and  the 
magnificent  grades  which  are  maintained  and  the  times  through  which  the 
building  of  the  line  has  progressed  with  clock-work  regidarity  regardless  of 
the  financial  difficulties  which  have  troubled  the  industrial  and  commercial 
world  and  thrown  other  industrial  operations  into  disorder.  Not  only  is  the. 
work  progressing  according  to  the  estimates  for  time  of  completion  of  this  large 
undertaking,  but  the  day  for  the  running  of  through  trains  from  Chicago  to 
Seattle  and  Puget  Sound  direct  will  arrive  before  the  time  specified  in  the 
estimates  and  the   roadway  over  which   these  magnificent   trains   will   run  will 


634  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

be  one  of  the  very  best  according  to  the  latest  improved  engineering  methods 
known  to  modern  minds. 

Kittitas  County,  Washington,  is  one  of  the  rich  and  promising  regions 
through  which  this  line  will  run.  From  the  Columbia  River,  where  the  line 
enters  the  county,  to  the  Cascade  Mountains,  where  it  leaves  and  enters  King 
County,  a  variety  of  scenery  and  resources  is  encountered,  which  will  not  only 
make  it  ideal  and  beautiful,  but  a  road  of  promise  where  productive  fields  offer 
opportunity  for  great  wealth  and  profit. 

In  the  building  of  this  line  no  expense  is  spared  to  give  a  direct  and  short 
means  of  transit  and  maintain  an  even  and  moderate  grade,  which  means  quick 
and  cheap  operation.  Especially  is  this  demonstrated  in  Kittitas  County,  where 
the  total  mileage  is  ninety-six  miles,  and  where  there  will  be  fourteen  stations, 
three  of  which  are  old  towns  now  existing. 

At  the  Columbia  River  the  road  crosses  upon  a  magnificent  steel  con- 
structed bridge,  built  upon  concrete  and  stone  piers  of  the  latest  type  of 
structure.  Rising  from  the  Columbia  River  the  road  courses  westward  on  a 
direct  line  and  cuts  through  the  range  of  mountains  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county  by  tunnel  and  traverses  the  wide  fertile  plains  of  Kittitas  County  until 
it  reaches  and  crosses  the  fertile  and  productive  Kittitas  Valley.  Then  follow- 
ing the  canyon  of  the  Yakima  River  it  rises  at  an  even  grade  until  it  reaches 
Easton,  where  it  veers  to  the  north  and  passes  through  the  Cascades  at  a 
marvelously  low  grade  into  the  headwaters  of  the  Cedar  River  and  thence  on 
to  the  great  city  of  Seattle  on  Puget  Sound. 

The  average  grade,  or  ruling  grade,  is  four-tenths  of  one  per  cent,  or 
twenty-one  feet  and  one-quarter  to  the  mile.  The  maximum  grade  is  two  and 
two-tenths  per  cent. 

The  width  of  the  road  bed  is  eighteen  feet.  The  number  of  fills  and  bridges 
are  not  ascertainable,  but  they  are  frequent.  In  the  county  there  are  six  tunnels. 
One,  the  Johnson  Creek  summit  tunnel,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  is 
2,000  feet  long.  The  largest  tunnel  will  be  about  three  miles  long  and  be  at 
the  summit  in  the  Cascade  Mountains.  It  will  not  be  completed  until  after  the 
operation  of  the  road.  Prior  to  the  completion  of  the  Cascade  tunnel  the  road 
will  be  operated  through  the  Cascades  without  a  switchback  and  over  a  road 
built  on  a  low  grade. 

Trains  will  be  operated  through  Kittitas  County  bv  September  or  October, 
1908. 

At  the  present  time  over  2,500  men  are  employed  on  the  work  and  these 
men  are  spenders  in  every  sense  of  the  word  and  almost  every  dollar  of  their 
earnings  finds  repose  in  the  tills  of  the  various  lines  of  business  now  conducted 
in  the  county.  Some  say  that  the  cost  of  the  road  through  the  county  will 
approximate  $6,500,000,  and  of  this  amount  two-thirds  at  least  is  paid  for  labor. 

In  the  construction  of  the  line  the  heaviest  steel  rails  are  utilized  and  the 
system  of  spiral  curves  is  maintained  throughout  the  entire  length,  which  pro- 
vides for  a  high  rate  of  speed  and  maximum  safety  and  comfort  to  the  traveling 
public  and  the  company  in  the  running  of  trains. 

At  the  present  writing,  April  15,  1908,  about  fifteen  miles  of  the  road  in 
Kittitas   County  is   in   operation    from  the   point  where   the   road   crosses   the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  635 

Northern  Pacific  about  four  miles  west  of  Ellensburg,  running  east  through 
EUensburg  to  the  extreme  east  side  of  the  Kittitas  Valley.  The  road  is  used 
exclusively  for  the  hauling  of  material. 

Lorimer  &  Gallagher,  of  Chicago,  are  the  contractors  in  charge  of  all  the 
tunnel  work  west  of  Ellensburg  and  twenty  miles  of  construction  work.  The 
senior  member  of  the  firm  is  William  Lorimer,  the  well  known  political  boss 
of  Chicago,  who  for  twenty  years  was  a  member  of  Co'ngress  from  that  city. 
The  work  is  directed  by  J.  L.  Gallagher,  the  other  member  of  the  firm.  Their 
tunnel  work  is  done  with  electric  drills. 

C.  J.  Johnson  has  the  contract  for  all  the  work  from  the  summit  of  the 
Cascades  to  Ellensburg.  He  is  from  St.  Paul.  Jacobson  &  Lindstrom,  of 
St.  Paul,  have  seven  miles  of  rock  work  from  the  Columbia  River  east. 

With  this  article  are  presented  a  number  of  views  along  the  line  of  the 
railroad,  presented  to  show  something  of  the  country  through  which  the  line 
passes  and  the  progress  of  the  work.  One  of  the  most  interesting  pieces  of 
work  was  the  building  of  the  piers  for  the  Columbia  River  bridge,  which  is  one 
of  the  most  substantial  bridges  erected  across  this  great  waterway. 

Not  far  from  the  Columbia  River  is  a  rock  which  lies  not  far  from  the 
right  of  way  which  has  been  named  by  the  men  working  on  the  road,  "Our 
Patron  Saint."  It  is  a  fairly  faithful  representation  of  the  head  of  John  Rocke- 
feller. 

A  grand  vista  is  that  which  shows  where  the  line  courses  along  the  banks 
of  the  Yakima  River.  In  this  picture  can  be  gained  some  idea  of  the  immense 
amount  of  water  which  is  constantly  rushing  down  from  the  Cascades  on  its 
way  to  the  Columbia,  providing  unlimited  supply  for  irrigation  purposes.  It 
can  be  seen  that  the  engineers  in  locating  the  roadbed  have  gotten  above  the 
danger  line  of  floods,  which  in  all  places  along  this  river  has  been  done. 

The  cut  at  Craig's  Hill  in  the  city  of  Ellensburg  is  another  feat  of  engin- 
eering skill  which  has  added  to  the  reputation  of  the  Milwaukee  engineers  and 
shows  one  of  the  many  obstacles  which  were  met  and  overcome  in  the  building 
of  the  road. 

The  building  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway  means  much 
for  the  county  of  Kittitas  and  the  cities  within  its  confines.  It  opens  up  avenues 
for  the  development  and  settlement  of  wide  areas  now  used  for  grazing  lands 
and  off'ers  inducements  for  the  cutting  up  of  large  hay  ranches  and  the  begin- 
ning of  large  things  in  the  way  of  fruit  raising  and  produce  raising.  New 
towns  are  certain  to  spring  up  within  a  year  or  so  and  where  now  the  coyote 
and  the  sage  brush  flourish  soon  the  roar  of  the  limited  speeding  on  its  way 
between  Chicago  and  Seattle  will  be  heard  and  the  screech  of  the  engine's 
whistle  will  awaken  the  spirits  of  centuries  which  have  been  sleeping  and  will 
come  to  new  life  and  activities. 

A  future  of  large  promise  is  assured  for  the  people  of  this  country  and, 
with  the  markets  of  Puget  Sound  brought  nearer  to  the  producer  and  cheaper 
transportation,  as  well,  placed  within  their  grasp,  the  people  of  the  Kittitas 
Valley  and  Kittitas  County  will  flourish  and  prosper  and  this  region  of  fair 
and  bright  possibilities  will  grow  and  increase  in  wealth  and  importance  as  its 
people  grasp  the  opportunities  within  their  reach.     Already  men  are  investing 


636  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

in  this  region  and  a  lively  activity  is  seen,  and  this  is  only  the  beginning. 

Another  of  the  great  subjects  of  importance  in  Kittitas  County,  and  espe- 
cially Ellensburg,  was  the  location  and  upbuilding  of  the  Washington  ISTormal . 
School.  We  shall  give  a  full  account  of  this  institution  in  the  chapter  on 
Schools. 

THE   COAL   MINES 

One  of  the  most  vital  matters  connected  with  the  progress  of  the  county 
during  more  recent  history  has  been  the  development  of  the  coal  districts  of 
Roslyn  and  Cle  Elum.  Of  the  discoveries  and  early  conditions  we  have  already 
spoken  fully.  As  matter  of  historic  interest  a  few  words  may  be  included 
here  as  to  the  acquisition  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  of  the 
bulk  of  the  coal  lands.  It  is  stated  that  certain  coal  prospectors  in  the  period 
of  early  discovery  were  in  the  mountains  with  I.  A.  Navarre,  subsequently  a 
leading  man  in  the  Chelan  country  (from  whom  one  of  the  conspicuous  moun- 
tains there  derives  its  name)  in  the  region  where  Roslyn  was  afterwards  lo- 
cated. While  there  they  made  a  valuable  find  of  coal.  Mr.  Navarre  took  up 
the  disposition  of  the  property  with  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  officials.  Per- 
ceiving at  once  the  tremendous  importance  of  such  a  discovery  at  such  a  place 
on  their  line,  the  company  at  once  entered  upon  the  initiation  of  mining.  This 
was  just  at  the  time  of  completing  their  road  across  the  mountains.  Most  of 
the  discoveries  proved  to  be  on  railroad  land.  Some  of  the  claimants  were 
dispossessed,  others  were  forced  to  sell  out  less  to  their  advantage  than  that 
of  the  company,  and  in  general  there  was  much  ill-feeling,  as  there  is  sure  to 
be  when  individual  aims  come  into  collision  with  those  of  a  great  corporation. 

As  in  other  coal  mining  regions  the  majority  of  the  miners  were  and  still 
are  foreigners  and  all  the  conditions  are  totally  different  from  those  in  the 
agricultural  parts  of  Kittitas.  In  1888  and  1894  strikes  occurred  in  the  coal 
mines,  bringing  violence  and  loss  of  work  and  property.  In  April,  1899,  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  transferred  its  holdings  at  Cle  Elum  to  the  Northern 
Pacific  Coal  Company.  That  company  already  controlled  the  coal  mines  at 
Roslyn.  In  September  of  the  same  year  the  coal  company  conveyed  its  prop- 
erty to  the  Northwestern  Improvement  Company,  one  of  the  numerous  "New 
Jersey"  companies.  The  new  corporation  was  said  to  have  a  capital  of  $4,000,- 
000.  At  any  rate  they  made  numerous  improvements  and  extensions.  The 
output  of  the  mines  reached  as  high  as  4,000  tons  per  day  immediately  after 
the  new  corporation  took  possession.  In  addition  to  supplying  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad,  the  Roslyn  mines  were  drawn  on  for  over  100,000  tons  in 
1899  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  The  Northwestern  Improvement  Com- 
pany practically  controls  the  entire  output  of  the  Roslyn  and  Cle  Elum  mines 
to  the  present  date. 

While  many  details  of  value  might  be  added,  these  larger  general  interests 
may  be  considered  as  furnishing  the  basis  of  growth  of  this  beautiful  and 
promising  region  of  the  "Land  of  the  White  Earth."  To  conclude  this  chap- 
ter we  add  a  tabulation  of  the  estimated  products  in  the  great  lines  in  industry 
at  the  date  of  this  work,  given  in  part  by  State  Bureau  of  Statistics. 

Output  of  Kittitas  County  in  leading  industries,  1917: 

Coal,  1,500,000  tons. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  637 

Precious  metals,  many  thousand  dollars,  but  no  definite  estimate  by  bureau. 
Agricultural  and  horticultural  products: 

Amounts 

in  Bushels  \'alut 

Wheat    86,000  $    165,980 

Oats 280,000  226,800 

Barley 30,000  34,500 

Corn    9,500  L5,390 

Potatoes    296,730  272,920 

Fruit   250,000 

Sugar  beets   (tons)    3,169  31,690 

Hay   (tons)    75,000  1,200,000 

Wool    (pounds)    500,000  160,000 

Lumber    (feet)    12,000,000  240,000 

Live  stock 250,000 

Total,  approximate  estimate $8,000,000 

The  estimate  for  1918  is  not  complete  at  date  of  writing,  but  it  is  known 
that  the  wheat  crop  has  enormously  increased,  being  estimated  at  636,765  bushels, 
worth  $1,400,000. 

It  is  of  course  to  be  remembered  that  Kittitas  County  has  never  been  a 
grain  country. 

It  is  probable  that  the  value  of  the  output  of  the  county  for  1918  will  total 
more  than  $9,000,000,  an  immense  sum  for  a  population  estimated  on  July  1, 
1917.  at  25,027.     By  far  the  largest  item  is  coal  and  the  next  is  hay. 

Perhaps  nothing  in  the  history  of  Kittitas  County  has  ever  been  more 
pleasing  or  has  more  distinctly  illustrated  the  varied  character  of  the  interests 
and  industries  of  the  people  than  the  leading  position  awarded  to  the  county 
at  the  Northwestern  Industrial  Exposition  at  Spokane  in  October,  1890. 

The  fact  that  this  exhibit  came  so  early  in  the  history  of  the  county 
makes  it  the  more  impressive  in  comparison  with  the  present-day  statistics  just 
given.  It  may  be  added  that  at  the  time  of  the  Northwestern  Industrial  Expo- 
sition. Kittitas  County  had  already  held  four  county  fairs  at  Ellensburg.  The 
exhibit  at  Spokane  was  thus  tabulated  in  the  "Register": 

The  Kittitas  Exhibits 

at  the  northwestern   industrial  exposition— kittit.\s  county  leads  all 

others  and  brings  home  a  record  to  be  proud  of 

Advance  sheets  of  the  official  report  of  the  Northwestern  Industrial  Expo- 
sition management  have  been  kindly  forwarded  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Robinson,  gen- 
eral manager.  The  report  upon  Kittitas  County's  exhibit  opens  as  follows: 
"Attention  was  drawn  to  the  exhibit  of  Kittitas  County  more  than  that  of  any 
other  exhibit,  owing  no  doubt  to  the  diversity  of  the  resources  and  the  attrac- 
tions which  were  daily  ofifered  by  Mr.  H.  C.  Walters.  Taken  as  a  whole  the 
display  was  wonderful,  showing  that  almost  everything  can  be  raised  in  Kittitas 
County." 


638  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  following  is  an  itemized  statement  of  the  exhibit  prepared  by  H.  C. 
Walters : 

Kittitas  County,  central  county  in  the  state  of  W^ashington,  aptly  termed 
"staple."'  ■■prolitic"  and  "diversitied  Kittitas,"  exhibits  as  follows: 

THRESHED  GRAIN 

Little  Club  wheat,  50  bushels  per  acre :  Blue  Stem  wheat,  SO  bushels  per 
acre :  Russian  side  oats,  60  bushels  per  acre :  Chevalier  barley,  60  bushels  per 
acre.  The  average  yield  of  these  crops  throughout  the  entire  county,  year  in 
and  year  out,  being  stated  at  wheat  30,  oats  45,  and  barley,  40  bushels  per  acre. 

GRAIN    AND    GRASSES    IN    SHEAF 

Wheat,  43^  inch  heads:  oats,  15  inch  heads;  barley,  4  inch  heads;  timothy, 
8  inch  heads;  Hungarian  millet,  14  inch  heads:  ne  grass   (native),  10  feet  tall. 

VEGETABLES 

Potatoes — Weight  2j^  pounds  each ;  usual  crop  350  to  500  bushels  per  acre. 

Onions — Weight  2  to  2%  pounds  each ;  usual  crop  300  to  500  bushels  per  acre. 

Beets — (Red  table),  weight  15  pounds  each;  a  prolific  annual  product. 

Squash — (Three  varieties),  20  to  45  pounds  each;  a  fine  crop:  often  attain 
50  to  90  pounds  each. 

Beets — (Sugar),  weight  20  pounds  each.     A  big  certain  crop. 

Beans — (White  Navy  and  Butter),  excellent  samples  of  large  annual  pro- 
duction. 

Sweet  Potatoes — (Yams),  4  specimens,  on  one  root,  weighing  7  pounds. 

Turnips — (White),  weighing  15  pounds  each. 

Tomatoes — (Vick's  early),  excellent  samples  of  a  large  annual  product. 

Carrots,  Parsnips  and  Rutabagas — Fine  samples  of  large  annual  yield. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Baled  Hay — Samples  of  1,0(X)  ton  crop,  cut  and  stacked  in  three  weeks  on 
the  famous  "Bull"  hay  ranch;  average  yield  IJ^  tons  per  acre. 

Timothy  Seed — Plump,  bright  seed  :  a  sample  of  one  of  the  favorite  local 
productions. 

FRUITS 

Peaches — Five  varieties,  many  weighing  one-half  j'ound  each  and  repre- 
senting a  yield  of  3,  4  and  5  year  old  trees. 

Pears — Four  varieties,  of  fine  appearance  and  flavor,  weighing  one-half  to 
1  pound  each. 

Plums— Three  varieties,  of  luscious  color  and  flavor. 

Prunes — Silver,  German  and  Italian  varieties,  of  excellent  size  and  ajipear- 
ance. 

Grapes— Zinfandel,  Riesling,  Black  Ferret,  Black  Hamburg,  Pinto  and  other 
varieties,  many  specimens  being  from  two  year  old  vines  and  several  from  this 
year's  cuttings.     All  finely  flavored,  richly  colored  and   full  bearing,  indicating 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  639 

admirable   character  of   the   Weiiatchee   and   Columbia   river  bottoms    for   vine 
culture. 

Apples — Bell  Flower,  Blue  and  White  Pyramid,  Rhode  Island  Greening, 
Yellow  Baldwin,  Winter  Swaugh,  Northern  Spy,  Rambo  and  other  varieties: 
large,  bright,  thin  skinned,  juicy  samples,  weighing  from  one-half  to  1  pound 
each  :  also  common  and  Siberian  crab  apples ;  a  most  prolific  annual  yield. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Russian  mulberry  tree,  2  years  old,  15  feet  high. 
.  Japanese  chestnut  tree,  1  year  old,  10  feet  high. 

Apple  tree,  a  root  graft,  planted  in  1889,  made  five  feet  and  ten  inches 
growth  the  first  year. 

Tobacco  plant,  45  inches  long. 

Chestnut  burrs,  well  filled  with  nuts. 

Grape  and  peach  brandy,  90  degrees  proof. 

Corn,  sweet  and  field:  many  well  filled  ears,  measuring  10  to  13  inches 
long  and  8  inches  around :  also  two  varieties  of  pop  corn. 

Note — While  all  staple  grains,  grasses,  vegetables  and  hardy  fruits  are  from 
the  general  agricultural  area  of  Kittitas  County,  peaches,  grapes,  sweet  potatoes 
and  the  larger  samples  of  corn  are  from  the  lowlands  bordering  upon  the  Wenat- 
chee  and  Columbia  Rivers. 


Nuggets  of  native  gold  from  John  Black's  mine  in  the  Swauk  placer  mines 
25  miles  north  of  Ellensburg,  contributed  by  Ben.  E.  Snipes  &  Company,  bank- 
ers, weighing  as  follows  :  , 

No.  1,  weight  14  oz.,  13  pwts.,  10  grain.s :  value,  $325. 

No.  2,  weight  8  oz.,  9  pwts.,  12  grains ;  value,  $135.60. 

No.  3,  weight  6  oz.,  18  pwts.,  4  grains;  value  $110.55. 

No.  4,  weight  3  oz.,  2  pwts.,  2  grains;  value  $49.66. 

No.  5,  weight  3  oz.,  7  pwts.,  3  grains:  value  $53.70. 

No.  6,  weight  2  oz..  18  pwts. ;  value  $46.40. 

No.  7,  small  nuggets :  value  $39.70. 

No.  8,  two  balls  retort  gold ;  value  $48.80. 

These  specimens  of  native  gold  were  washed  from  a  gravel  deposit  which 
employs  annually  an  increased  number  of  miners  and  has  yielded  to  date  $175,000 
in  coarse  gold. 

Gold  brick  from  George  W.  Seaton's  "Gold  Leaf"  quartz  mine  in  the  same 
mining  district  taken  from  1  ton  of  quartz:  weight  $38.00. 

Also  beautiful  specimens  of  native  gold  in  form  of  fern  leaves. 

Gold  quartz  from  the  "Humming  Bird,"  "Culver,"  (or  Shafifer)  "Pole  Pick," 
"Golden  Phoenix,"  and  other  mines  in  the  Peshastin  mining  district,  38  miles 
north  of  Ellensburg. 

Average  working  value  $20  per  ton  in  free  gold  and  ten  per  cent,  of  aurif- 
erous pyrites  worth  $175  per  ton.     Total  average  working  value  $37.50  in  gold 


640  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

per  ton.  Veins  regular  and  massive,  ranging  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  between 
walls. 

Gold-bearing  quartz  from  the  same  district — Sybil  mine — showing  consid- 
erable free  gold  and  high  grade  gold  sulphurets.  A  recent  discovery  of  excellent 
size  and  general  characteristics. 

Asbestos,  white,  silken  fibred,  from  a  recent  discovery  in  the  same  district. 
An  extensive  belt  of  parallel  veins  or  seams  (not  yet  determined  fully  which), 
each  18  to  24  inches  in  v\ridth. 

Copper  ore,  "Glance,"  showing  native  copper,  the  outcrop  of  the  "Kelly," 
a  recent  discovery  in  same  district;  massive  vein. 

Gold  and  silver  ores  from  the  "Silver  Dump,"  "Silver  King,"  "Madeline," 
"Aurora,"  "Mountain  Sprite,"  "Bald  Eagle,"  "Ida  Elmore,"  "Fortune,"  "Cle- 
Elum"  and  "Hawk"  mines,  in  the  Cle-Elum  district,  45  to  50  miles  north  of 
EUensburg,  and  twenty-two  to  thirty  miles  north  of  the  towns  of  Cle-Elum  and 
Roslyn.  These  properties  are  in  various  degrees  of  development  from  mere  pros- 
pects to  very  fairly  determined  propositions.  The  ore  bodies  are  large  and  well 
mineralized.    The  assay  values  range  from  $30  to  $45  per  ton. 

Copper  silver  ores,  copper  glance,  black  oxide  and  copper  pyrites  from  the 
"Bullion,"  "Copper  Head,"  numbers  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6;  "Bob  Tail,"  "Silver  Bow" 
and  "Copper  Bottom."  These  copper  veins  are  very  strong  and  well  defined. 
Development  inchules  a  120  foot  shaft  and  numerous  drifts. 

Copper  bullion,  a  bar  of  copper  weighing  three-fourths  of  a  pound,  melted 
in  EUensburg  sampling  works  from  two  pounds  of  ore:  labeled,  "Entire  Copper 
Product  of  State  for  1890.    Watch  the  Industry  Grow." 

Copper-Silver  ores,  assay  values  are  from  $30  to  $80  copper  and  from  $15 
to  $60  gold  and  silver  per  ton. 

Iron  ores,  red  and  brown  hematite,  magnetic,  limonitc  and  red  oxide  from 
the  different  massive  iron  veins  included  in  a  great  iron  belt,  extending  from 
the  southern  to  the  northern  boundaries  of  Kittitas  County,  parallel  with  and 
crossing  the  Yakima  and  Cle  Elum  rivers,  near  the  town  of  Cle  Elum.  These 
ores  carry  40  to  69  per  cent,  of  metallic  iron  ore,  remarkably  free  from  sulphur 
and  phosphorus. 

An  abundance  of  fine  "Bessemer"  ores  are  obtainable  at  several  central 
points  of  development.  Among  the  samples  exhibited  were  blocks  of  iron  ore 
weighing  from  500  to  5,700  pounds  each ;  also  two  lumps  of  magnetic  ore,  which 
by  their  extremely  powerful  "lode-stone"  properties  attracted  a  great  deal  of 
attention.  The  iron  product  of  Kittitas  County  as  indicated  by  the  samples,  is 
most  remarkably  abundant  and  highly  diversified. 


Samples  of  pure  lime,  also  several  fine  fluxing  limes  and  most  curious  stalag- 
mites resembling  huge  mushrooms,  or  other  fungus  growth,  were  included  in 
the  exhibit  and  represented  the  various  large  lime  deposits  discovered  in  the 
several  iron,  copper  and  coal  fields  of  Kittitas  County. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  641 


Semi-bituminous  gas  and  steam  coal  from  the  great  Cle  Elum  coal  fields. 
A  block  of  this  coal  contributed  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Coal  Company  from 
mine  No.  2  at  Roslyn,  was  a  leading  feature  of  the  exposition.  This  monster 
black  diamond  measured  2j4  by  4  by  12  feet  and  weighed  9,300  pounds.  Over 
375,000  tons  of  coal  were  shipped  from  these  mines  in  1890.  The  product  in 
September,  1890,  was  40,140  tons  and  the  output  will  be  steadily  increased  in 
response  to  continually  growing  demand.  Over  1,000  men  are  employed  directly 
or  indirectly  by  this  infant  industry.  Samples  of  excellent  coal  were  also  included 
from  several  discoveries  in  the  Wenatchee  region. 

BRICK  AND  CLAYS 

Fine  red  and  white  brick  made  from  clays  abounding  in  the  Kittitas  and 
Wenatchee  vallevs.     Also  several  varieties  of  untested  clavs. 


An  ordinary  coal  mining  pick,  being  the  first  regulation  pick  employed  in 
the  Roslyn  coal  fields,  was  profusely  decorated  with  ribbons  and  attracted  much 
attention,  as  the  simple  instrument  that  had  prepared  the  way  for  the  employ- 
ment of  thousands  of  people  in  Kittitas  County. 

N.MVIES   OF   CONTRIBUTORS 

The  names  of  contributors  and  their  addresses,  in  so  far  as  obtainable,  are 
as  follows : 

Wenatchee  Postoffice — Philip  Miller,  Jacob  Shotwell,  George  Miller,  W.  J. 
Gray,  James  Turner,  W.  H.  Brownlow,  Edward  Hinman,  Charles  B.  Reed,  T. 
J.  Graves,  Jacob  Bolenbaugh,  Gardner  &  Stewart,  C.  Roose,  John  Galler,  George 
Parrish. 

Colocken  Postofifice — Edward  Cook. 

Cle  Elum  Postoffice — Walter  J.  Reed,  John  Lynch.  E.  P.  Boyle,  Brannan 
&  Thomas  and  other  citizens. 

Roslyn  Postoffice — North  Pacific  Coal  Company. 

Ellensburg  Postoffice — E.  Messerly,  John  Amlin,  John  Catlin,  .\.  Stevens, 
J.  D.  Damman,  J.  Amlin,  Father  Taylor,  J.  M.  Hatfield,  P.  H.  Schnebly,  Jacob 
Salladay,  Walter  Bull,  W.  H.  Stoddard,  L.  Klein,  Emerson  &  Burch,  William 
Donahue,  Dalton  &  Lindsey,  Jessie  McDonald,  F.  N.  McCandless,  Walters  & 
Co.,  Leonhard  &  Ross,  A.  A.  Meade  and  others. 

A  photograph  of  the  fine  public  school  building,  under  construction  at 
Ellensburgh,  to  cost  fifty  thousand  dollars,  was  also  displayed. 

In  awarding  premiums  the  exposition  committee  decided  that  Kittitas 
County  was  entitled  to  receive  the  gold  medal  and  silk  banner  for  the  best 
combined  mineral  and  agricultural  display  made  by  any  county.  Also  that  for 
the  greatest  variety  of  natural  resources  our  county  should  receive  the  magnifi- 
cent mountain  sheep  head  offered  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Friedlander,  of  Wilbur. — Wash- 
ington State  Register,  November  28. 

(41) 


642  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

THE  FIRST  PIG  IRON 

In  order  to  (lenionstratc  that  pig  iron  can  be  made  in  Ellensburg  and  to 
determine  the  requisite  fluxing  material,  a  trial  run  was  made  at  the  Cornth- 
waite  foundry,  on  Tuesday.  Kittitas  County  iron  ore  and  lime  stone  was  used. 
The  experiment  was  a  decided  success,  a  high  grade  of  pig  iron  being  the  result. 
In  a  few  days  another  run  will  be  made,  and  in  the  light  of  experience  gained, 
a  fine  lot  of  iron  will  be  produced.  All  of  the  materials  necessary  to  the  up- 
building of  the  great  iron  industries  are  directly  tributary  to  Ellensburgh,  and 
such  practical  demonstrations  will  do  much  toward  their  early  establishment 
here. — "Washington  State  Register,"  November  28th. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  CITY  OF  ELLENSBURG 

FIRST  SETTLEMENT,  LAVING  OUT  OF  TOWNSITE  AND  CHARTER — YEARS  OF  EARLY 
GROWTH — ADVERTISEMENTS  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  "KITTITAS  STANDARD"  OF 
JULY,     1883,    INCLUDING    "DIRECTORY,"    EDITORIAL    AND    NEWS    ITEMS — POEM, 

"KITTITAS       valley" ELLENSBURGH       DESCRIBED,       DECEMBER,        1883 — FIRST 

T      INGS    IN    ELLENSBURG      C      RISTMAS    TREE    AND    SUNDRY    SOCIAL    EVENTS, 

1883 — CITY    CHARTER AN     ACT    TO    INCORPORATE     ELLENSBURGH,     ETC. — THE 

"standard"     SKETCHES    ELLENSBURGH    IN     1885 ITEMS     FROM     "LOCALIZER," 

APRIL,    1889 QUARTERLY  APPORTIONMENT   OF   SCHOOL   MONEY,   APRIL,    1889 — 

FIRE    OF    JULY    4,     1889 BUSINESS    FAILUKES — THE     WATER    QUESTION EDI- 
TORIAL   ON     CITY     WATER    SUPPLY' — CITY     GOVERNMENT MAYOR's     MESSAGE — 

MAYORS    AND    CLERKS,    1886   TO    1918 — CAUCUS    FOR    CITY   OFFICERS,    NOVEMBER 
5,    1918. 

The  chief  city  of  the  Kittitas  Valley  is  so  intimately  related  to  the  county 
in  history  and  present  conditions  that  in  some  degree  the  county  history  already 
given  anticipates  many  things  which  might  be  written  of  the  city.  It  will  be 
our  endeavor  in  this  chapter  to  present  such  facts  as  belong  to  the  history  of 
Ellensburg  in  its  municipal  organization  and  development,  reserving  for  later 
chapters  the  important  topics  of  the  newspapers,  schools,  churches  and  societies 
of  various  sorts. 

FIRST    SETTLEMENT,    LAYING    OUT    OF    TOWNSITE,    AND    CHARTER 

The  first  settler  on  the  location  of  Ellensburg  was  William  Wilson,  com- 
monly known  as  "Bud"  Wilson.  From  the  records  handed  down  from  that 
early  period  by  A.  J.  Splawn  and  others  in  book  and  paper  and  from  the 
remembrances  of  the  earliest  comers  it  would  seem  that  this  first  settler  was 
hardly  a  real  settler,  certainly  not  a  builder  in  any  true  sense.  He  seems  to  have 
been  simply  a  renegade,  consorting  with  the  Indians  and  finally  losing  his  life 
in  connection  with  too  close  an  attachment  to  some  other  man's  horses.  Wilson 
came  to  the  site  of  Ellensburgh  in  1868,  and  a  little  later  in  the  same  year 
Frederick  Ludi,  who  with  Jacob  Goller  had  lived  the  previous  Winter  on  the 
Alanashtash,  came  to  the  same  location  and  found  Wilson  there  with  the  Indians. 
The  location  was  such,  both  in  respect  to  the  valley  itself  and  the  river  and 
the  ingress  and  egress  each  way,  as  to  make  that  location  almost  necessarily  the 
site  of  the  future  city.  Besides  the  natural  conveniences  and  the  surpassing 
beauty  of  the  spot,  of  which  the  hill,  known  later  as  Craig's  Hill,  was  a  con- 
spicuous feature,  there  was  a  spring  back  of  the  subsequent  location  of  Shoudy's 
house,  between  Third  and  Fourth  streets,  and  Main  and  Water  streets. 

Wilson  had  a  rough  log  cabin,  and  when  in  1869,  A.  J.  Splawn,  then 
hardly  more  than  a  boy,  came  to  revisit  the  valley  through  which  he  had  driven 
cattle  some  years  earlier,  and  led  no  doubt  by  the  location  on  the  Tancum  of  his 
643 


644  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

brother  Charles  and  F.  M.  Thorp  with  his  family,  saw  the  spot  selected  by 
Wilson  for  that  first  cabin  on  the  site  of  Ellensburg,  he  decided  at  once  that 
there  would  be  a  natural  location  for  a  trading  post.  There  was  much  move- 
ment to  and  fro  by  cattlemen,  prospectors  and  Indians,  and  right  there  the 
adventurous  cowboy  decided  was  the  place  to  make  a  stake.  In  1870  Mr. 
Splawn  bought  out  Wilson,  finished  the  cabin,  and  started  a  post.  Mr.  Splawn 
gives  in  "Kamiakin,  the  Last  Hero  of  the  Yakimas,"  an  entertaining  account  of 
his  settling  at  that  place  and  how  the  name  "Robbers'  Roost"  came  to  be  at- 
tached. It  seems  that  J.  W.  Gillespie  was  responsible  for  that  not  very  inviting 
name.  Coming  along  one  day  he  asked  the  youthful  proprietor  if  he  did  not 
want  a  sign.  Upon  acquiescence  to  the  suggestion,  Gillespie  proceeded  to  make 
the  picturesque  and  alliterative  one  which  stuck  so  well  on  the  popular  tongue 
both  for  the  store  and  the  place  that  it  lasted  for  several  years.  The  location 
was  near  where  the  Rex  Hotel  is  now,  near  Main  and  Third  streets. 

■'Jack"  Splawn,  full  of  life  and  movement,  was  too  active  to  be  tied  down 
to  a  single  spot  and  soon  tired  of  the  store  business.  In  1871  John  A.  Shoudy 
of  Seattle  appeared  in  the  valley.  He  too  perceived  the  adaptability  of  the 
location  for  the  center  of  what  was  obviously  going  to  be  a  rich  and  attractive 
country.  He  soon  induced  the  tradesman,  who  was  only  too  glad  of  a  chance 
to  get  back  on  the  range,  to  sell  out  to  him.  As  Mr.  Splawn  says,  he  sold  his 
store  and  threw  in  the  claim. 

ISIr.  Shoudy  enlarged  the  building,  brought  in  a  new  stock  of  goods  and 
became  the  "Father"  of  Ellensburg.  A  man  named  Cooper  hauled  in  from 
The  Dalles  the  first  wagon  load  of  merchandise  for  Shoudy's  store.  In  1872 
the  pioneer  merchant  built  a  new  building,  the  first  frame  building  in  the  town. 
In  1875  Mr.  Shoudy  laid  out  on  his  claim  the  "original  town  of  Ellensburgh." 
The  plat  embraced  eighty  acres  and  derived  its  name  from  Ellen,  Mr.  Shoudy's 
wife.  The  final  h  of  the  name  was  retained  till  1894  when  the  post  office  depart- 
ment dropped  it. 

The  plat  of  Mr.  Shoudy's  eighty  acres  was  recorded  in  the  names  of  John 
A.  and  Mary  Ellen  Shoudy  on  July  20,  1875. 

It  embraced  twenty-four  blocks  on  the  west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  two,  township  seventeen  north,  range  eighteen  east,  Willamette  base 
and  meridian.  There  were  seven  streets  running  ea.'^t  and  west,  and  those 
received  the  numbers  from  one  to  seven.  The  streets  running  north  and  south 
were  Water,  Main,  Pearl,  and  Pine.  Block  8  was  set  aside  for  a  courthouse 
location,  and  block  14  for  a  park.  From  a  map  kindly  furnished  the  author  by 
Mr.  Gerrit  d'Ablaing  and  dates  derived  from  the  records,  it  appears  that  the 
following  additions  have  been  platted:  Shoudy's  first  addition,  January  13, 
1882 ;  an  addition  by  George  F.  Smith  and  wife  and  Jeflferson  Smith,  October  3, 
1883:  Shoudy's  second  addition,  August  11,  1885;  Homestead  addition.  Decem- 
ber 22,  1887;  Hick's,  March  22.  1888:  Elliott's,  1888;  Shoudy's  third,  June  13. 
1888:  Sunnyside,  June  13,  1888;  South  Ellensburgh,  June  21,  1888;  Tacoma. 
June  24,  1888;  Depot,  July  27,  1888;  Railroad  first,  October  5,  1888;  Railroad 
second,  November  21,  1888;  Sunny  Slope,  January  7,  1889;  Grandview,  Jan- 
uary 15,  1889;  Santa  Anna,  February  6,  1889;  Michel's  first,  Februar>-  14,  1889: 
Michel's  second,  February  23,   1889:  Smithson's,  February  27,   1889:  Central, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY-  645 

March  21,  1889;  Electric,  April  10,  1889;  Shoudy's  subdivision,  April  15,  1889; 
Columbia,  June  3,  1889;  Becker's,  August  31,  1889;  Lapointe's  first,  April  9, 
1890;  Ames',  May  26,  1890;  Knox  and  Mclntyre's,  Nbvember  12,  1890;  Lee's 
subdivision,  August  28,  1891;  Iron  Works  Annex,  Ottober  3.  1891.  It  appears 
that  of  the  twenty-nine  additions  recorded,  twenty  were  recorded  in  1888  and 
18cS9.     Those  were  the  great  "boom"  years. 

YEARS    OF    EARLY    GROWTH 

The  period  of  the  first  four  years  after  the  platting  of  the  town  was  one 
of  slow  growth.  In  1878,  seven  years  after  Mr.  Shoudy's  arrival  and  three 
after  the  platting  of  the  townsite,  there  was  but  a  small  group  of  business 
places.  These  were  grouped  around  the  crossing  of  Main  and  Third  streets. 
They  consisted  of  the  store  of  Shoudy  &  Stewart,  Jewett's  saloon,  Becker's 
blacksmith  shop,  a  hotel  conducted  by  Mrs.  James  Masterson,  the  post  office  and 
a  "hall"  in  Shoudy's  store.  There  were  a  few  residences.  In  1879  A.  A.  Bell 
and  H.  M.  Bryant  started  a  store  in  the  old  building  which  had  been  built  the 
previous  year  during  the  scare  from  the  Moses  Indians.  Hence  that  store  was 
often  referred  to  as  the  "Stockade  Store."' 

Later  in  1879  a  more  ambitious  mercantile  establishmetit  was  started  by 
Leopold  Blumauer  on  Main  and  Fourth  streets.  That  building  is  still  in  exist- 
ence.   T.  F.  Meagher  and  J.  H.  Smithson  started  a  butcher  shop  the  same  year. 

Beginning  in  1883  there  was  rapid  growth.  On  June  16th  of  that  year  the 
first  newspaper,  that  vital  necessity  of  any  growing  town,  was  launched. 

There  had  been  a  little  type-written  sheet  of  a  few  copies  called  the  "Kitti- 
tas Wau  Wau,"  which  contained  news  and  advertisements  and  must  be  ac- 
corded the  credit  of  preparing  the  way,  but  it  could  scarcely  be  called  a  news- 
paper. The  first  real  paper  was  the  "Kittitas  Standard,"  managed  and  edited 
by  Richard  V.  Chadd,  formerly  of  the  "Yakima  Record." 

We  speak  of  the  "Standard"  as  a  pioneer 'paper  in  the  chapter  on  The 
Press,  and  are  introducing  it  here  in  order  to  present  some  extracts,  advertise- 
ments, news  items,  and  some  editorial  comments,  as  casting  light  on  the  Ellens- 
burgh  of  the  summer  of  1883.  From  the  "Standard"  of  July  14th  we  draw 
the  following  announcement  of  its  own  business,  with  a  directory  of  state  and 
county  officers  and  the  arrivals  and  departures  of  the  mails: 

From  the  "Kittitas  Standard,"  July  14,  1883: 

THE  KITTITAS  STANDARD 

Published  By 

THE  STANDARD  PUBLISHING  CO. 


Richard  V.  Chadd, 
General  Manager. 

The   Kittitas   Standard   is   published   every    Saturday   at   the    following 
rates,  payment  invariably  in  advance : 

One    year    $3.00 

Six  months 1.50 


646  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Three   months    1-00 

Legal  advertising,  $1.50  per  square  for  the  first  insertion,'  and  50  cents 
each  subsequent  insertion. 

Transient  advertisements  same  as  legal. 

Local  notices  inserted  at  the  rate  of  10  cents  a  line.  No  local  notice  given 
short  of  50  cents. 

Ordinary  business  advertisements  will  be  charged  at  the    following  rates : 

One  inch,  one  month $1.50 

Two  inches,  one  month 2.50 

One-fourth  column,  one  month 4.50 

One-half  column,  one  month 7.00 

One  column,  one  month 12.00 

All  bills  payable  monthly. 


STANDARD  DIRECTORY 


Territorial  Officers 

Delegate  to  Congress,  Thomas  H.  Brents. 

Governor,  William  A.  Newell. 

Secretary,  N.  H.  Owings. 

Marshal,  Chas.  B.  Hopkins. 

U.  S.  Attorney,  John  B.  Allen. 

Auditor,  Thomas  R.  Reed. 

Treasurer,  Frank  Tarbell. 

Surveyor-General,  Wm.  McMicken. 

Judge  First  Judicial  District,  S.  C.  Wingard. 

Judge  Second  Judicial  District,  John  Hoyt. 

Judge  Third  Judicial  District,  R.  S.  Greene. 

Register  U.  S.  Land  Office,  R.  B.  Kinnie. 

Receiver  U.  S.  Land  Office,  J.  M.  Adams. 


Cou.xTY  Officers 

Representative,  J.  A.  Shoudy. 

Prosecuting  Attorney,  R.  O.  Dunbar. 

Probate  Judge,  L  A.  Navarre. 

.Auditor,  S.  T.  Munson. 

Sheriff,  J.  J.  Tyler. 

Treasurer,  J.  A.  Splawn. 

Superintendent  of  Schools,  Ella  S.  Stair. 

County  Surveyor,  T.  H.  Look. 

Commissioners,  D.  Murray,  J.  W.   Masters  and  S.  R.  Geddis- 

J.  W.  Masters,  Chairman. 
Clerk  of  District  Court,  R.  G.  O'Brien. 
Coroner,  W.  F.  Morrison. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


Ellensburgh  Postoffice 

The  mails  arrive  as  follows :  From  The  Dalles  daily,  Sunday  excepted,  at  6  p.  m. 

From  Yakima,  Selah  and  Natches,  daily,  at  6  p.  m. 

From  Milton,  Tuesdays,  at  12  o'clock  m. 

The  mails  depart  as  follows :  For  The  Dalles  daily,  Sunday  excepted,  at  6  a.  m. 

For  Yakima,  Selah  and  Matches,  daily,  at  6  a.  m. 

For  Milton,  Tuesdays,  at  12  m. 

Mail  closes  at  30  minutes  before  departure  of  mails. 

No  registering  done  after  5  p.  m. 

Registering  on  Sundays  only  while  the  office  is  open. 

The  office  will  be  open  two  hours  on  Sundays — from  11  a.  m.  to  1  p.  m. 
No  mail  delivered  on  that  day  except  while  the  office  is  open. 

JOHN  A.  SHOUDY,  P.  M. 

Perhaps  more  history  can  be  found  in  contemporary  advertising  than  in 
some  more  formal  and  ambitious  types  of  writing.  To  oldtimers,  especially, 
the  following  extracts  from  the  advertising  columns  of  that  issue  of  the  "Stand- 
ard" will  be  both  interesting  and  amusing: 

July  14,  1883. 
1883 


1883 

Attention      Attention      Attention 
THOMAS  JOHNSON 
Wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in 
General  Merchandise 
I  wish  to  announce  to  the  people  of 
Ellensburgh  and  vicinity  that  my  stock 
of   General   Merchandise   is  now  com- 
plete in  every  department,  comprising 
Ladies    Dress    Goods,    in   the    Latest 
Styles,  with  Trimmings  to  Match. 
I  call  special  attention  to  my  assort- 
ment  of    Millinery  and   Fancy   Goods, 
Trimmed  and  Untrimmed  Hats,  Flow- 
ers and  Hat  Trimmings 

AT    PRICES   TO  DEl'Y   COMPETITION 

A  splendid  assorrment  of  Ladies' 
Linen  Ulsters,  Men's  and  Boys'  Cloth- 
ing, Hats,  Boots  and  Shoes,  and  Fur- 
nishing Goods. 

I  call  special  attention  to  my  stock  of 
Ladies',  Misses',  and  Children's  Shoes, 
which  is  now  complete  as  any  house 
east  of  Portland. 

A  full  line  of  Jewelry,  Watches  and 
Clocks,  Groceries,  Carpets,  Tobaccos, 
Wall  Paper,  Stationery,  Cigars,  Crock- 


ery, Hardware,  Glassware,  Tinware, 
Cutlery,  Paints,  Oils,  Brushes,  Sponges, 
Etc. 

Always  on  hand  a  full  stock  of 
IRON  AND  STEEL 

I  am  Agent  for  the  Celebrated  Bain 
Wagon,  Buffalo  Pitts'  Farm  Engines, 
Buffalo  Challenger  Thresher,  New  Buf- 
falo Vibrating  Thresher,  Imperial  Ore- 
gon Header,  McCormick  Harvester  and 
Twine  Binder,  McCormick  Combined 
Mower  and  Reaper,  McCormick  Iron 
Mower,  McCormick  Daisy  Reaper, 
Champion  Single  Reaper,  Champion 
Combined  Mower  and  Reaper,  New 
Champion  Mower,  Tiger  Self-Discharg- 
ing Sulky  Rake,  Hollingsworth  Sulky 
Plow,  the  Thomas  Sulky  Plow,  Fan- 
ning Mills,  Plows,  Drills,  Broadcast 
Seeders,  Sulky  and  Gang  Plows,  and 
in  fact  everything  needed  by  Farmers. 

Also  Agent  for  the  Royal,  Norwich, 
Union,  Lancashire,  Connecticut,  Ore- 
gon Fire  and  Marine  and  Lion  of  Lon- 
don Insurance  Companies,  W.  F.  & 
Co.'s  Express. 

Office  of  The  Dalles,  Goldendale, 
Yakima  and  Ellensburgh  stage  line. 


648 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


EXCHANGE  BOUGHT  AND  SOLD 

Call    and    examine    my    goods    and 

prices  before  purchasing  elsewhere. 

THOMAS  JOHNSON 

Corner  of  Fourth  and  Pearl  Streets, 

Ellensburgh,  Washington  Territory 

'  PROFESSIONAL 

DR.  N.  HENTON 
Physician  and  Surgeon — Office  on 
Fourth  Street,  Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 

M.  V.  AMEN 
Physician — Office   on    Fourth    Street, 
adjoining  Church's  Saddle  and  Har- 
ness Shop.     Prompt  attention  to 
business. 

GEO.  STUART 

Physician  and  Surgeon — Office  at 

Postoffice  Drug  Siore,  corner  Main 

and  Fourth  streets,  Ellenburgh, 

W.  T.    Calls  promptly  attended  to. 

'  P.  SANFORD  BURKE 

Attorney-at-L.«ivv.  Attention  also  paid 

to  location  of   Claimants   on    U.   S. 

Lands.    Office  on  corner  of  Front 

and  Pine  Streets,  Yakima  City,  W.  T. 

J.  E.  Atwater       J.  H.  Naylor,  A.  Mires 

The  Dalles,  Or.     Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 

ATWATER,  NAYLOR  &  MIRES 

Attorneys  and  Counsellors  at  Law 

— Will  practice  in  ail  the  courts  of  the 

Territon,'.    Office  opposite  Postoffice. 

'Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 

'  SAM'L  C.  DAVIDSON 

Attorney-.\t-Law  and  Notary  Public 
— Fourth  Street,  adjoining  Church's 
Harness  Shop,  Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 
J.  B.  Reavis  &  E.  Pruyn        F.  S.  Thorp 
Yakima  Ellensburgh 

REAVIS,  PRUYN  &  THORP 
Attorneys  and  Counsellors  at  Law 
— Yakima  City,  W.  T.    Will  practice  in 
all  the  courts  in  the  Territory.     Of- 
fice near  C.  W.  Carey's  store,  Main 
Street,  Yakima. 


MISCELLANEOUS 
W.  S.  CROUCH 
Fourth  Street,  Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 
Dealer  in 
Stoves,  Ranges  and  Metals 
and  General  Hardware 
I  am  agent  for  the  following  machin- 
ery: Challenge  Feed  Mill,  Canton  Pitt 
Thresher,     Haines     Header,     Buckeye 
Mowers  and  Reapers,  New  Model  Vi- 
brating Thresher,   Buckeye   Self   Rak- 
ers, Twine  and  Wire  Binders,  Schutler 
Farm  and  Spring  Wagons,  Monitor  and 
Bookwalter  Engines,   The  Taylor   and 
Surprise    Sulky   Hay    Rakes,   and   the 
John  Deere  Gang  and  Sulky  Plows. 

I  am  now  prepared  to  sell  on  terms  to 
suit  everybody.     Send  in  your  orders. 

BECKER  AND  SEATON 

(Successors  to  J.  Becker  &  Son) 

Horse  Shoeing,  Plow  and  Wagon  Shop 

Repairing  of  all  kinds  in  iron  or  wood 

All  work  warranted 

Corner  Main  and  Third  Streets 

Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 

JAMES  J.  McGRATH 

Blacksmith  and  Horseshoer 

Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 

All  kinds  of  iron  work  executed 

With  promptness  and  dispatch 

All  I  ask  is  a  trial,  and  I  will  guarantee 

satisfaction. 

J.  J.  McGRATH 

BOARD  OF  TRADE  SALOON 

Third  Street,  Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 

H.  D.  Merwin,  Manager 

The  finest  brands  of  Wines, 

Liquors  and  Cigars 
Private  rooms  for  patrons. 

Ellensburgh 

Bath  Room  and  Barber  Shop 

Elliott's  Building,  Third  Street 

Alfred  Woods,  Proprietor 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


649 


"Our  Corner." 

Corner  of  Third  and  Main  Streets, 

Ellensburgh 

J.  T.  McDonald Proprietor 

The  above  popular  place  of  resort 
has  recently  been  refitted  and  refur- 
nished throughout,  and  none  but  the 
best  brands  of  \\'ines,  Liquors  (and 
Cigars  are  furnished  to  patrons.  Call 
and  sample. 

Notice  to  Pay  Up. 
All  persons  knowing  themselves  to 
be  indebted  to  the  firm  of  Becker  &  Son 
are  requested  to  settle  up.  Either  party 
of  the  old  firm  is  authorized  to  receipt. 
.  We  must  have  the  money. 

BECKER  &  SON. 

DREW, 
The  Painter. 

H.  REHMKE  &  BROS. 
Watch  Makers  and  Jezvelers. 
Repairing  and  fine  work  a  specialty. 
All  work  guaranteed. 

Ellensburgh W.  T. 

In  connection  we  have  a  Bakery  and  • 
Lunch  Room  where  patrons  can  have 
everything  in  the  line  of  edibles.     Re- 
member the  place,  near  the  Postofifice. 
Ellensburgh. 

Wanted  Wanted 

5,000  Men  to  Know 
That  they  can  always  find  at  the 
RED  FRONT  HARNESS  SHOP 
A  Complete  Stock  of  Harness,  Bridles, 
Men's    and    Ladies'    Saddles,    Whips, 
Spurs,  Bits,  Collars,  Snaps,  and  in  fact 
Everything  in  My  Line.     Also  a   Full 
Line  of  Hand-Made   California   .'^purs 
and  Bits,  Plain  and  Silver  Inlaid.     Re- 
pairing Work  Promptly  Done. 
Ellensburgh.  E.  P.  CHURCH. 


S.  B.  ADAMS 
(Successor  to  Edes  &:  Adams.) 
Manufacturer  and  Dealer  in  Woven 
Wire  Mattresses,  The  Dalles,  Oregon. 
Thos.    Howe,    Ellensburgh,    has    the 
Exclusive  Sale  of  My  Beds  for  Kittitas 
\'alley. 

THOMAS  HOWE, 
Odd  Fellows'  Building,  Third  Street, 
Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 
^Manufacturer  and  Dealer  in   Furni- 
ture of  all  kinds. 

I  make  a  specialty  of  W'oven  Wire 
Mattresses.     Satisfaction  guaranteed. 

DREW, 
The  Painter. 

GILMOUR  &  BROS.. 
Blacksmiths,  Corner  Second  and  Main 
Streets,  Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 
Wagon    Work    and    Repairing     on 
Short    Notice.      Horseshoeing   a    Spe- 
cialty.    Promptness  in  Meeting  Orders. 
Our  Motto:  "Low  Prices  for  Cash." 

KING'S  COMBINATION 

Will  Correct  the  Sight.     For  sale  only 

by 

P.  Laurcndeau. 

Sole  Agent, 

Optician,  City  Drug  Store,  Ellensburgh, 

W.  T. 

NORTHERN  PACIFIC  SALOON. 

Main  Street,  between  Second  and  Third 

Ellensburgh 

John  Lyon Proprietor 

The  finest  brands  of  Cutter  Liquors 
and  Cigars.  Private  Rooms  for  Pat- 
rons.   An  Orderly  House  at  All  Times. 

/.  L.  COLEMAN. 
Manufacturer  and  Dealer  in  'Harness, 
Saddlery-Ware,    .^addles    and    Bridles, 
Whips,  Etc.  * 

-Adjoining  Palace  Livery  Stable, 
Main  Street Ellensburgh.  W.  T. 


650 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


THE  HL-MBOLDT  SALOON, 

Main     Street,     between     Second     and 

Third,   Ellensburgh.  \V.  T. 

Smith  &   Shazer Proprietors 

The    finest   brands   of    Wines,    Liquors 
and  Cigars. 
Xo   pains   will   be    spared   to    please 
patrons,  and  to  maintain  a  quiet  place 
of  resort. 

G.  IV.  ELLIOTT'S 

(Formerly  Shoudy  &  Mill's) 

Livery  and  Feed   Stable,  Third   Street 

between  Main  and  Water  Streets. 
Buggy,  Pack  and  Saddle  Animals  con- 
stantly on  hand. 
Large  Corral  and  Sheds. 
Horses  boarded  by  the  day,  week  or 
month.    Terms  reasonable. 

MARTIN  SAUTTER 

Builder  and  Contractor 

Shop   on   Fourth  Street  Opposite  City 

Hotel 

Will  contract  for  the  construction  of 

Houses.   Stores  and   Other   Structures. 

The    Best    Material    Kept   on   Hand, 

such  as  Shingles  ami  Seasoned  Lumber. 

All    work   executed    with   dispatch   and 

warranted. 

PR  ESSE  V  &  SPRAGUE, 
Ellensburgh,  W".  T. 
Manufacturers  of  Doors.  .Sash,  Mould- 
ings and   Furniture  of  All  Kinds. 
In   our   manufactor\-    may   be    found 
machines  for  making  or  repairing  any- 
thing in  Wood  or  Iron.  Wagons,  Plows, 
Reapers,    Threshers,    Etc.,    repaired    at 
short  notice. 

In  the  "Standard"  of  July  14.   1883, 
items  of  much  suggestiveness. 


LITTLE   BLUE   RESTAURANT 

West    Side   of    Main    Street,    Between 

Second  and  Third. 

Hahn  &  Forest Proprietors 

Meals  at  all  hours. 
If  you  want  a  square  meal  give  the 
"Little  Blue"  a  call. 

POSTOFFICE  DRUG  STORE 

Charles  B.  Reed Proprietor 

\\holeslae  and  Retail  Dealer  in  Drugs, 
Chemicals,  Patent  Medicines  and  Drug- 
gist Sundries,  also  Paints,  Window 
Glass,  Stationery,  Oils,  Putty  and  Can- 
dies.    Promptness  in  filling  orders. 

TJOSSEM'S  MILL, 
Three  Miles  Southeast  of  Ellensburgh. 

R.    P.   Tjossem Proprietor 

Having  plenty  of  water  I  am  always 
ready  to  do  custom  work. 
Feed  and  flour  of  best  grades  and  brand 
for  sale. 
Cash  paid  for  wheat  and  barley. 

/.  T.  Gilinour.  George  Johnson. 

GILMOUR  &  JOHNSON 

Blacksmiths,  Corner  .Second  and  Main 

Streets,  Ellensburgh,  W'.  T. 

\\'agon  work  and  repairing  on  short 

notice.        Horseshoeing     a      Specialty. 

Promptness  in  meeting  orders. 

Our  Motto :  "Low  Prices  for  Cash." 

DISSOLUTION  NOTICE  ' 

The       co-partnership       heretofore 

existing  between  W.  L.  Webb  and  F. 

C.  Bagg  has  this  day  been  dissolved  by 
mutual  consent.  W.  L.  Webb  will  col- 
lect all  accounts  due  the  finu  and  settle 
its  indebtedness. 

U'.  L.  Webb.  F.  C.  Sa»,c- 

Ellensburgh,  June  9th,  1883. 
also  we  find  some  editorial  and  news 


July  14,  1883— From  "The  Kittitas  Standard." 

LOCK-UP   MEETING 

During  the  Fourth  considerable  noisy  demonstrations  were  made  by  a  few 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  651 

individuals  while  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  At  one  time  their  whooping  and 
yelling  was  simply  outrageous.  We  have  no  place  to  confine  such  characters, 
and  we  need  it.  The  doings  of  these  fellows  has  aroused  our  people  to  action, 
and  on  Friday  evening  a  number  of  citizens  assembled  at  Elliott's  Hall  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  into  consideration  the  construction  of  a  loci<-up. 

J.  T.  McDonald  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  H.  C.  Walters  was  elected 
secretary. 

Deputy  SherifY  Wynegar  informed  the  meeting  that  some  $200  had  already 
been  subscribed  for  the  desired  purpose,  and  that  leading  merchants  had  not  yet 
been  interviewed. 

At  the  suggestion  of  J.  H.  Naylor,  L.  C.  Wynegar,  G.  W.  Elliott  and  John 
Gilmour  were  appointed  by  the  chair  as  a  committee  to  receive  further  subscrip- 
tions, and  to  disburse  the  same  at  their  discretion. 

It  is  understood  that  the  courthouse  square  is  available  as  a  building  site. 

Mr.  Webb  suggested  that  1x6  lumber  be  used,  spiked  together  for  floor, 
same  on  outside  and  roof,  making  the  building  sufficiently  stout  to  withstand 
efforts  of  prisoners  to  escape,  as  well  as  to  admit  of  the  building  being  removed, 
should  it  be  necessary  to  vacate  the  square. 

On  motion  of  J.  H.  Naylor  the  Building  and  Soliciting  Committee  were 
ordered  to  report  at  Elliott's  Hall,  next  Saturday,  at  one  o'clock  p.  m. 

Adjourned. 

July  14,  1883 — From  "The  Kittitas  Standard." 

TOWN    .\ND    COUNTY 

Pressey  &  Sprague. — Among  the  many  enterprising  firms  of  this  section  is 
that  composed  of  the  gentlemen  whose  names  head  this  article.  Their  manufac- 
tory is  located  on  the  north  side  of  Wilson  Creek,  just  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
town.  Early  this  week  we  took  occasion  to  go  through  their  establishment, 
and  were  surprised  to  note  so  many  evidences  of  thrift  and  enterprise.  They 
have  machinery  for  nearly  every  class  of  wood  and  iron  work.  The  power 
used  to  drive  all  of  their  machinery  is  a  13-foot  wheel,  driven  by  water  taken 
from  Wilson  Creek,  above  town.  When  you  first  enter  their  establishment  you 
are  confronted  with  two  large  benches.  These  are  located  si  the  side  of  the 
building,  and  are  used  for  finishing  purposes,  as  well  as  repairing  and  wagon 
work.  To  the  side  of  this  room  is  the  machine  room,  where  machinery  to  do 
all  kinds  of  turning,  for  the  manufacture  of  doors,  sash  and  mouldings,  are 
located.  In  this  room  we  observed  one  of  the  handiest  little  machines  we  have 
seen,  and  it  is  the  invention  of  these  gents.  It  is  a  planer,  sticker,  tenanter,  sash 
and  rip-sawing  machine  all  combined  in  one.  Back  of  this  room  is  located  their 
new  20-inch  planer  and  moulding  machine,  and  to  the  side  of  this  the  drying 
room,  which  as  yet  has  not  been  completed.  Upstairs,  and  over  the  machine 
room  is  the  store  room,  where  they  keep  stored  a  full  stock  of  doors,  window 
sash  and  blinds  and  furniture  of  everj'  description.  Indeed,  taking  their  estab- 
lishment throughout  it  is  the  most  complete  of  any  in  the  county,  and  would 
really  be  a  credit  to  larger  and  more  populous  cities. 


652  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

LEG  CRUSHED 

On  \\'ednesday  morning  word  was  brought  to  town  that  Geo.  Donner,  than 
whom  don"t  live  a  better  hearted  fellow,  had  his  leg  crushed  at  Leonhard's  saw- 
mill. As  near  as  we  can  learn  the  particulars  of  the  accident  are  as  follows : 
George  had  a  lame  foot,  which  though  it  did  not  incapacitate  him  from  work 
prevented  him  from  moving  around  quickly.  He  was  helping  to  unload  some 
heavy  logs  from  a  truck,  w-hen  in  some  manner  a  log  got  the  start  of  him,  and 
rolled  down  upon  him  before  he  could  get  out  of  the  way.  It  crushed  his  leg 
in  a  fearful  manner.  Doctors  Stuart  and  Amen  were  called,  and  from  them 
we  learn  they  have  hopes  of  saving  his  leg.  George  was  brought  to  town  and 
placed  in  a  nice  quiet  room  in  the  rear  of  Chas.  B.  Reed's  drug  store,  where 
he  is  receiving  every  attention. 

SANDERS'    MILL 

This  mill  is  located  about  a  mile  and  a  half  northeast  of  town,  and  is  now- 
turning  out  a  first  class  grade  of  flour.  Read  the  proprietor's  notice.  It  is  our 
intention  of  going  through  this  and  like  establishments  throughout  the  valley, 
and  then  afford  our  readers  full  descriptions  thereof.  We  can  thus  best  show 
to  the  outside  world  what  we  are  doing. 

THE  "localizer" 

The  Kittitas  Localizer,  a  new  candidate  for  public  favor,  made  its  appear- 
ance on  Thursday  morning.  Its  inside  is  made  up  of  home  news,  w-hile  the 
outside  is  a  "patent."  It  presents  a  neat  and  tidy  appearance  We  judge  from 
the  tenor  of  a  communication  admitted  to  its  columns  that  it  is  opposed  to 
division. 

PERSONALS 

Col.  Prosser,  United  States  Timber  Inspector,  arrived  by  Wednesday's 
stage.  The  Colonel,  while  here,  will  investigate  the  cause  of  the  numerous 
forest  fires  now  raging  in  our  mountains.  On  Monday  E.  D.  Phelps  arrived. 
His  presence  was  welcomed  by  numerous  friends  by  many  a  hearty  handshake. 

MEN    WANTED 

Mr.  J.  J.  Legge  wants  two  experienced  miners  to  take  a  contract  for  sinking 
a  well  for  him.  The  well  is  now  down  31  feet,  and  he  wants  to  sink  it  55  feet 
deeper.  The  work  will  require  blasting  and  hence  none  but  experienced  work- 
men in  such  matters  need  apply. 

MONEY   ORDER   OFFICE 

This  Post  Office  is  now  a  money  order  office.  It  fills  a  want  long  felt 
in  this  section. 

HORSE    STEALING 

A  difficulty  occurred  on  \\'ednesday  between  two  native  .Kmericans.  Homer 
and  Indian  Jack.     The  former  stole  the  horse,  saddle  and  blankets  belonging 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  653 

to  the  latter.  Chase  was  given  to  him  by  friends  of  Jack,  and  he  was  captured 
a  short  distance  from  town,  and  everything  was  recovered.  A  "good"  Indian 
is  Hable  to  be  made  ere  matters  are  settled  between  them. 

FOR  THE  TE.\NAW.\Y 

On  Wednesday  two  teams  laden  with  immigrants  passed  through  town  on 
their  way  to  the  Teanaway  Country.  Between  here  and  there  it  is  said  there 
is  a  large  quantity  of  vacant  land.  In  the  Teanaway  neighborhood  there 
is  said  to  be  some  excellent  land. 

FOR  THE  SOUND 

Thursday  last  W.  H.  Crockette  started  for  the  Sound,  via  the  Snoqualmie 
Pass,  with  150  head  of  fine  beef  cattle.  They  are  intended  for  Tacoma,  Seattle 
and  Olympia. 

FOR  THE  CO.\L  FIELDS 

On  last  Wednesday  morning  a  party  of  three,  Humboldt  Packwood,  C. 
Whiting  and  Mr.  Kiser,  started  for  the  recently  discovered  anthracite  coal  fields. 

BORN 

In  Kittitas  Valley,  July  9th,  to  the  wife  of  J.  T.  Wilson,  a  son. 

SHORT  NOTES 

Two  of  our  principal  citizens  had  a  little  set-to  over  the  water  question, 
not  a  thousand  miles  from  town,  on  Tuesday. 

'Tis  a  hard  fight — running  a  man  out  of  town. 

Smith  Bros.  &  Co.,  sent  out  four  teams  on  Wednesday  laden  with  mer- 
chandise— two  for  Peshastin,  one  for  Miller  &  Freer  on  the  Wenatchie,  and 
one  for  the  N.  P.  R.  R.  force  in  the  canyon. 

Thos.  Howe  makes  the  finest  mattresses  in  town. 

The  opponents  of  division  are  squirming.  The  first  shot  from  our  locker 
is  only  the  beginning  of  the  campaign,  but  it  hit  square. 

David  Freer,  of  the  Wenatchie,  was  over  this  week.  He  says  Sam  Miller 
is  happy. 

Al.  Lillie  was  up  this  week  from  Yakima  looking  for  a  location.  He  was 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Reed,  the  well-known  musician. 

Shoudy  and  Phelps  started  for  the  mines  on  Wednesday. 

According  to  the  Treasurer's  statement  the  Executive  Committee  for  the 
Fourth  received  $64  in  licenses  and  subscriptions.  They  have  disbursed  $52.90, 
leaving  a  balance  of  $11.10  in  the  Treasury.  Against  this  is  a  bill  of  $24  of  J.  L. 
Mills  for  lumber.  Take  up  a  quarter  subscription  among  the  boys,  and  the 
deficiency  will  soon  be  made  up. 

Whew !    But  Sunday  last  was  a  hot  day — 110  in  the  shade. 

Mr.  J.  R.  Smith,  representative  of  D.  M.  Osborne  &  Co.,  of  Portland,  the 
well  known  agricultural  implement  dealers,  has  been  in  town  for  a  few  days, 
looking  after  the  firm's  interests. 


654  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

Charle\-  Walker,  a  new  comer,  has  obtained  a  situation  at  Leonhard's  mill. 

Thanks  to  W.  S.  Crouch  for  a  sample  of  Golden  Thread  tobacco.  It  was 
good. 

A  school  exhibition  is  the  next  thing  on  the  tapis. 
Cooke  &  Sons  have  lost  a  number  of  young  cattle  from  the  black  leg. 

The  smoke  in  our  valley  is  caused  by  forest  fires  in  the  mountains.  Rain 
is  needed. 

Our  farmers  are  now  in  the  haying  season.     Crop  excellent. 

Parkins,  photographer,  will  not  stay  long.     Call  early  for  picture. 

Crops  on  both  sides  of  the  river  will  be  excellent  this  year. 

Rev.  Dr.  Nevius,  missionary  in  the  interest  of  the  Episcopal  church,  has  been 
among  us  this  week  with  a  view  of  making  an  effort  to  establish  a  church 
here.  The  Dr.  held  services  at  the  school  house  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday 
evenings,  to  which  an  appreciative  audience  listened. 

The  wagon  road  company  offer  $35  per  month  for  100  men. 

Geo.  Preston  tells  us  the  force  of  men  at  work  on  the  road  over  the  moun- 
tains are  now  about  eight  miles  above  the  supply  camp,  and  doing  good  work 
as  they  go. 

Old  Harry  has  given  up  the  idea  of  a  skating  rink  and  now  proposes  to 
start  a  cranberry  marsh. 

Canaday  District. — Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  F.  LeClerc,  clerk  of  this 
district,  we  have  been  furnished  with  a  report.  A  term  of  three  months  has 
just  closed  with  Mr.  Fancher  as  teacher.  During  the  term  the  school  was  visited 
once  by  the  directors,  and  four  times  by  different  citizens.  The  number  of 
children  attending,  17 —  the  average  attendance  being  12.  The  school  was  also 
visited  b}'  the  County  Superintendent. 

"Skookum"  House. — Elsewhere  will  be  found  an  account  of  a  public  meet- 
ing, wherein  the  project  of  building  a  "skookum"  house  was  broached.  We 
hope  the  people  will  take  hold  of  this  matter  and  put  the  thing  through.  \\'e 
need  a  place  wherein  can  be  placed  occasionally  a  few  chronic  drunks  and 
hoodlums. 

Married. — At  the  residence  of  the  bride's  father,  Yakima  City,  July  9th, 
H.  L.  Tucker  to  Miss  Jennie  Leach.  We  acknowledge  receipt  of  the  compli- 
ments of  the  occasion,  and  there  is  none  who  wish  the  couple  greater  happiness 
than  the  editor  of  the  ".Standard."  May  no  clouds  of  adversity  darken  their 
path  through  life. 

Election. — Voters  must  remember  that  a  special  election,  in  this  precinct, 
for  Justice,  of  the  Peace,  will  take  place  at  the  schoolhouse  next  Saturday.  The 
polls  will  be  open  from  11  a.  m.  to  3  p.  m.  As  yet  we  have  not  heard  of 
any  candidates  who  aspire  to  fill  the  honors  of  the  position. 

Brick  House. — Smith  Brothers  &  Co.  are  hauling  brick  from  Heigel's  yard 
to  the  vacant  lot  between  their  tinshop  and  the  Board  of  Trade.  It  is  their 
intention  to  build  a  brick  warehouse  on  the  lot. 

The  "Standard"  of  July  7th  of  the  same  year  gives  a  "story"  of  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Fourth  which  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  early  rec- 
ords.    We  therefore  include  it  at  this  point : 

The  morning  of  the  Fourth  dawned  bright  and  clear.     .Around  the   town 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  655 

some  of  the  public  buildings  were  tastefully  decorated  with  evergreens — the 
Board  of  Trade  and  the  corner  saloons.  Some  display  of  bunting  was  mani- 
fested. In  fact,  every  man  who  had  even  the  semblance  of  an  American  flag 
had  it  displayed  in  some  manner.  At  an  early  hour  vehicles  of  every  descrip- 
tion from  the  aristocratic  buggy  to  the  everyday  farm  wagon,  laden  with  resi- 
dents from  the  country,  began  to  appear  upon  our  streets,  and  long  before 
ten  o'clock  the  town  was  crowded  with  people  coming  from  every  section  of 
our  valley.     We  noticed  also  a  few  familiar  faces  from  the  \\'enas  and  Yakima. 

At  about  a  quarter  after  ten  o'clock  the  delegation  from  the  West  Side 
drove  into  town  under  the  leadership  of  S.  T.  Packwood  and  V.  C.  Wynegar. 
It  was  headed  by  a  liberty  car,  laden  with  young  girls  representing  the  difter- 
ent  States  and  Territories,  over  whom  presided  Miss  Nora  Sharp  as  Goddess 
of  Liberty.  Marching  down  Main  street  to  Third,  down  Third  to  the  public 
square  this  procession  was  there  headed  by  the  band  wagon.  Making  a  circle 
arovmd  the  square  once  or  twice  an  opportunity  was  given  to  all  to  join  in 
the  procession.  Owing  to  a  slight  delay  in  making  preparations  the  liberty 
car  of  the  East  Side  did  not  make  its  appearance  in  the  line  until  one  or  two 
circles  of  the  square  had  been  completed.  Finally,  however,  the  huge  car 
joined  the  line.  It  was  tastefully  decorated  in  red,  blue  and  white,  over  which 
floated  the  national  banner.  Under  the  canopy  were  seated  numerous  young 
ladies  representing  the  different  States  and  Territories,  presided  over  by  Miss 
Clara  Becker  as  Goddess  of  Liberty. 

As  soon  as  the  car  made  its  appearance  in  line,  the  procession  again  formed 
under  the  combined  leadership  of  G.  W.  Elliott,  S.  T.  Packw^ood  and  V.  C. 
Wynegar,  headed  by  William  Mills  as  standard  bearer,  followed  by  the  band 
wagon,  the  liberty  cars  and  a  wagon  containing  the  orator,  Daniel  Gaby ;  and 
President  of  the  Day,  W.  H.  Peter.  In  the  rear  of  these  came  citizens  in 
vehicles  and  upon  horseback.  In  making  the  circle  of  the  public  square  we 
counted  eighty-seven  wagons  in  line  besides  numerous  horsemen. 

After  marching  and  countermarching  through  the  streets  several  times 
the  line  of  march  was  taken  up  for  the  grounds,  located  about  two  miles  ^vest 
of  town,  in  a  beautiful  grove.  Before  reaching  the  grounds  numerous  wagons 
joined  in  line,  causing  it  to  lengthen  out  considerably.  We  induced  a  friend 
whq  was  on  horseback  to  ride  back  and  count  the  number  in  line.  He  did  so, 
and  informed  us  there  were  ninety-eight,  exclusive  of  those  on  horseback, 
w-hich  were  not  counted. 

Arriving  at  the  ground  the  liberty  cars  were  unladen  and  their  precious 
contents  given  seats  in  front  of  the  grand  stand.  Here  an  immense  crowd 
had  already  assembled.  Through  the  grove  numerous  stands,  where  lemonade 
and  candies  were  sold,  had  also  been  erected.  Fronting  the  seats  a  huge  stand 
well  sheltered  from  the  rays  of  the  sun  had  been  erected,  and  back  of  the  seats, 
the  tables.  The  committee  having  this  work  in  charge  deserve  praise  for 
their  efforts. 

About  half-past  eleven  the  crowd  was  called  to  order  by  the  President  of 
the  Day,  infonning  them  that  exercises  would  begin  in  five  minutes. 

The   exercises  were  begun  by  a   "Greeting   Song"    from   the   choir,   which 


656  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

was  composed  as  follows:  Miss  Carrie  Becker,  Mrs.  Werthien,  Mrs.  Becker, 
and  J.  H.  Naylor.     The  song  was  well  rendered. 

The  President  then  introduced'  Miss  Irene  Cumberlin,  as  reader  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  This  lady  has  a  voice  of  peculiar  power  and 
compass,  and  her  reading  of  this  immortal  document  was  almost  faultless. 

Song  by  the  choir,  "Our  Country's  Natal  Mom." 

The  President  then  introduced  the  Orator,  Daniel  Gaby.  The  oration  of 
this  gentleman  did  not  follow  in  the  usual  rut  of  Fourth  of  July  addresses,  but 
aBounded  in  practical  wisdom  and  sense.  Yet  it  was  patriotic  in  tone.  His 
views  on  sumptuary  laws  and  the  railroad  question  we  indorse. 

Song  by  the  choir,  "Red,  White  and  Blue." 

The  President  then  introduced  R.  V.  Chadd,  who  read  an  original  poem 
upon  "Kittitas  Valley."  Before  reading  Mr.  Chadd  stated  he  was  not  the  au- 
thor, but  that  one  of  the  fair  residents  of  our  valley,  whose  "nom  de  plume" 
was  "Mattie"  was  entitled  to  that  honor.  At  the  request  of  numerous  readers 
we  republish  the  poem: 

KITTITAS   V.XLLEY 

No  fairer  vale  was  ever  sung. 
No  better  theme  could  poet  know, 
Or  far,  or  near,  for  pen  or  tongue, 
Than  picture  in  the  morning  glow, 
Our  valley  home,  inviting  all — 
Environed  by  a  mountain  wall. 

Afar,  the  rugged  mountains  rise, 
Cold,  gleaming  in  the  morning  sun, 
Reaching  as  if  to  meet  the  skies. 
I  fondly  turn  to  them,  as  one 
Would  turn  to  greet  a  long  tried  friend, 
I'nswerving,  constant  to  the  end. 

The  growing  fields,  on  every  side. 
Proclaim  a  bounteous  harvest  near; 
The  cooling  waters  dance  and  glide. 
With  wild  flowers  springing  everywhere. 
While  health  inspiring  breezes  blow, 
And  kiss  the  cheek  to  ruddy  glow. 

Anear.  a  thousand  beauties  spring. 

In  ])leasing  form  to  greet  the  eyes : 

Afar,  the  towering  mountains  fling 

A  glory  on  the  earth  and  skies, 

That    lifts,   and   fills,   and   thrills   the    soul 

.'\bove,  beyond  the  will's  control. 

T  love  the  mountains  most  of  all ; 
Somehow  they  are  so  grandly  free ; 


u^ 

1^, 

A 

1 

• 

i 

-niBiim-.  ' 

TWO  VI?:WS  OF   PEARL  STREET,  ELLENSBT-R(! 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  657 

A  nameless  gladness  seems  to  fall 
In  restful  joy  from  them  to  me, 
Such  as  I  never  elsewhere  know, 
Save  where  the  sea  tides  come  and  go. 

Dark,  frowning  sentinels  ye  stand, 
Thro'  all  the  good  God's  changing  years 
Unchanged:  To  ye  I  lift  my  hand. 
And  turn  my  eyes  with  reverent  tears 
As  turns  a  weary  child  to  rest. 
Blameless,  upon  its  mother's  breast. 

The  President  then  introduced  R.  M.  Canaday,  who  informed  the  audience 
he  had  something  particular  for  them  to  hear.  After  arousing  considerable 
interest  bv  his  remarks  he  proposed  three  cheers  for  that  immortal  Declara- 
tion of  Independence.     They  were  given  with  a  will. 

Song  by  the  choir,  "Marching  Through  Georgia." 

The  President  then  announced  the  judges  on  cake  and  bouquet.  On  the 
cake  Messrs.  Chadd.  Wynegar  and  Elliott  were  appointed.  On  the  bouquet: 
J.  N.  Naylor,  J.  J.  Suver  and  W.  H.  Peterson.  After  announcing  these  com- 
mittees Mr.  Peter  announced  to  the  audience  the  tables  were  at  their  disposal, 
and  later  in  the  day  he  would  announce  further  exercises  from  the  stand. 

The  committee  awarded  the  prize  for  the  most  tastefully  arranged  bouquet 
to  Miss  M.  Roland. 

A  rush  was  made  to  secure  seats  at  the  tables,  and  there  not  being  room 
enough  for  all  many  adjourned  to  the  shade  of  some  tree,  and  there  spread  a 
bounteous  collation.  At'  the  invitation  of  J.  D.  Damman,  the  editor  of  the 
"Standard"  dined.  It  is  perhaps  needless  to  say  he  partook  of  all  the  goodies 
spread  out  under  the  sylvan  shades  by  the  deft  hand  of  the  estimable  wife  of 
the  aforesaid  gent.  Excusing  ourselves  as  quickly  as  possible  after  dinner,  we 
proceeded  in  the  discharge  of  duty.  We  %isited,  in  company  with  the  balance 
of  the  committee,  numerous  little  parties.  We  tasted  of  all  their  goodies  and 
cakes,  and  have  not  as  yet  made  up  our  minds  as  to  who  had  tlfe  best.  Really 
all  were  so  good  that  the  committee  found  it  impossible  to  decide.  Some  fair 
hand  had  covered  a  small  grindstone  with  nice  frosting.  It  looked  very  tempt- 
ing and  nice,  and  we  were  invited  to  sample  it.  We  would  have  been  nicely 
sold  had  we  not  a  moment  before  observed  that  the  President  of  the  Day  had 
vainly  endeavored  to  cut  a  slice  from  the  aforesaid  "cake."  V 

Shortly  after  dinner  the  crowd  was  again  called  to  order  by  the  President, 
who  informed  them  that  foot  and  horse  races,  advertised  for  the  occasion, 
would  take  place  oh  the  track,  about  a  mile  north  of  town,  and  that  but  a 
short  time  would  elapse  before  they  would  take  place. 

Two-thirds  of  those  present  started  for  the  track.  Arriving  there,  the 
first  race  announced  was  the  fat  man's  race.  For  this  race  two  entries  were 
made,  the  distance  run  being  fifty  yards.  Jacob  Becker  was  the  winner  over 
his  contestant,  L.  C.  Wynegar. 

The  second  race  was  a  foot  race,  free  for  all,  100  yards.  In  this  race 
there  were  ten  contestants,  as  follows :  H.  S,  Anderson,  G.  C.  Charlton,  ].  M. 
(42) 


658  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  ^•ALLEY 

Gilmour,  11.  Willard,  R.  Billups,  J.  Grow,  B.  Coleman,  G.  W.  Elliott,  Alva 
Yokum,  and  Jacob  Becker.  The  last  named  gent  won  the  race.  Time,  13  sec- 
onds, and  over  a  bad  track.     Anderson  came  in  second,  and  Charlton  third. 

The  third  was  a  horse  race,  which  was  announced  by  Mr.  Elliott  as  a 
quarter  mile  race,  free  for  all,  for  a  $20  purse.  $5  entrance.  Billy  Mills  entered 
his  yellow  mare  "Fanny,"  Barnesy  More  entered  his  bay  horse  "Barney  Hagan," 
and  the  McEwens  and  Anderson  entered  the  bay  stallion,  "Phil  Sheridan." 
The  latter  was  the  favorite,  and  easily  won  the  race  by  a  half-dozen  lengths. 

This  was  the  last  race  of  note.  Bandry  and  Dix,  however,  afterwards  got 
up  a  slow  race  between  two  mules  in  which  both  were  winners.  This  race 
created  some  amusement.  After  this  a  majority  of  the  people  returned  to 
town,  while  a  few  w-ent  home. 

The  day's  festivities  were  closed  by  a  grand  ball  in  the  evening  at  Elliott's 
Hall.  The  music  for  the  occasion  was  furnished  by  Barnett's  string  band,  and 
there  was  a  supper  at  the  Valley  Hotel.  Both  were  exceptionally  good.  Dancing 
was  kept  up  till  a  late  hour  the  next  morning. 

To  sum  up:  The  Fourth  of  July,  1883,  will  long  be  remembered  by  those 
participating  as  one  of  the  most  pleasant  events  which  has  happened  in  our 
beautiful  valley. 

\Ye  may  also  interrupt  the  course  of  our  narrative  at  some  length  just 
here  to  present  some  correspondence  for  the  "Standard"'  from  Swauk  and 
other  places  in  the  vicinity.  Such  pictures,  right  off  the  film,  so  to  speak,  con- 
vey, in  the  author's  judgment,  more  vivid  impressions  of  the  real  spirit  of  the 
time  than  more  formal  and  dignified  history  which  has  to  be  warmed  over  to 
make  it  palatable. 

PICNIC   TO  SWAUK   AND  VICINITY 

Ed.  Standard — Thinking  a  few  notes  of  a  picnic  excursion  of  a  party  of 
Ellensburghers,  who  left  here  on  the  morning  of  July  3d,  would  be  of  interest 
to  your  readers,  I  herewith  transmit  the  following:  Aurora  had  scarcely  opened 
the  portals  of  the  morning  ere  we  had  started  upon  our  intended  picnic  to  the 
sylvan  shades  of  Swauk.  Our  happy,  joyous  party  consisted  of  the  following 
persons:  Miss  L.  Leaming,  Miss  C.  Maxey,  Miss  S.  Maxey,  Miss  Annie  Sallad, 
Messrs.  J.  McCloud,  G.  Hoge,  M.  Maxey,  C.  Maxey  and  J.  J.  McGrath.  The  gents 
of  the  party  had  generously  procured  a  four-horse  team,  two  saddle  horses  and  all 
the  luxuries  of  the  market.  Merrily  we  traveled  onward,  fanned  by  the  gentle 
zephyrs  of  morning  until  we  reached  Dry  Creek,  where  a  bounteous  midday 
repast  seemed  to  reanimate  us  with  an  elasticity  of  spirit  unknown  to  the  weary 
habitat  of  the  city.  Again  we  journey  toward  the  everlasting  hills  that  seem 
like  silent  sentinels  in  the  dim  distance, 'pass  through  Swauk's  environed  hills, 
and  reach  about  twilight  the  clear  meandering  Teanaway,  with  its  picturesque 
scenery  that  amply  repays  the  visit  of  the  tourist.  Here  we  pitch  camp  and 
after  a  pleasant  evening  spent  in  song,  jest  and  merriment  we  enjoyed  the 
sweet  embrace  of  Morpheus  in  the  realms  of  dreamland.  After  an  earl\  breakfast 
we  journey  back  to  Swauk,  and  here,  by  the  way,  noticed  hundreds  of  acres 
of  good  rich,  tillable  soil  that  will  in  the  near  future  be  dotted  with  bright  and 
happy  homes.     Continuing  our  journey   in   the   bracing  mountain   air  we   soon 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  659 

find  ourselves  once  more  in  the  romantic  vale  of  Swauk,  encircles  by  auriferous 
hills,  whose  hidden  wealth  may  yet  build  the  fairest  city  of  our  Territory  in  the 
fertile  vale  of  Kittitas.  Proceeding  up  Swauk  Valley,  enjoying  the  beauties  of 
nature  and  the  wild  and  picturesque  scenery  that  surrounded  us  on  every  hand, 
ere  the  sun  had  set  in  the  west,  we  pitched  camp  in  a  beautiful  retreat  near 
by  the  golden  sands  of  Swauk — a  fit  abode  for  the  gods.  Here  we  spent  three 
bright,  sunny  days  in  prospecting,  berrying,  and  visits  to  the  various  mining 
camps.  We  had  here  the  pleasure  of  an  exhibit  of  gold  nuggets  from  Mr.  Woolery 
of  $145  taken  from  a  piece  of  ground  12  feet  long  and  8  feet  wide.  We  also 
visited  the  mining  claim  of  Messrs.  Pike  and  Black  and  found  those  gentlemen 
working  with  a  will  evidently  assured  that  success  would  crown  their  efforts. 
We  also  had  the  gratification  of  a  visit  to  the  famous  Homolake  quartz  ledge, 
controlled  and  owned  by  Mr.  Quitsch  and  company.  We  found  Mr.  Livingstone 
and  Mr.  Toy  in  charge  of  the  quartz  mill,  were  received  very  courteously  by 
these  genial,  whole-souled  gentlemen  and  were  shown  everything  pertaining  to 
the  modus  operandi  of  crushing  and  extracting  the  precious  metal.  With  that 
courtesy  characteristic  of  the  true  gentleman  Mr.  Livingstone  kindly  conducted 
us  to  the  principal  ledge  of  the  company,  located  on  a  mountain  at  an  elevation 
of  3,200  feet  above  sea  level.  After  a  pleasant  jaunt  over  a  good  wagon  road  we 
finally  reached  this  elevated  ledge  and  were  amply  rewarded  by  the  prospect 
that  greeted  our  vision.  Before  us  in  plain  sight  lay  any  amount  of  gold- 
bearing  quartz  that  only  awaits  capital  and  labor,  to  enrich  and  develop  all  the 
various  avenues  of  trade.  After  obtaining  specimens  we  wend  our  way  down 
the  mountain  side  to  the  quartz  mill  where  we  partook  of  a  splendid  supper  kindly 
tendered  by  Mr.  Livingstone,  and  here,  Mr.  Editor,  we  feel  that  we  would  be 
ingrates  indeed  if  we  did  not  return  many  thanks  to  Mr.  Livingstone  for  his 
kind  and  generous  friendship.  Once  more  the  shades  of  night  overtake  us,  the 
usual  camp  fire  pleasantries  are  enjoyed,  and  at  early  dawn  preparations  are 
made  to  return  to  home  and  duty.  After  a  long  and  pleasant  drive  with  nothing 
to  mar  the  pleasure  of  the  occasion  we  arrive  in  EUensburgh,  proceed  to  the 
photographers  and  have  one  dozen  grouped  photos  taken  just  as  we  were.  Thus 
ended  one  of  the  most  pleasant  picnics  that  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  par- 
ticipate in,  and  no  doubt  we  shall  all  treasure  up  in  the  tablet  of  memory 
recollections  of  the  pleasant  hours  spent  together  on  this  occasion. 

One  of  the  Boys, 
letter  from  sw.\uk 

Eds.  Standard — Dear  Sir:  Enclosed  please  find  amount  of  six  months' 
subscription  to  your  interesting  little  paper  which  you  will  forward  to  me  here 
by  mail  until  further  notice.  And  although  I  do  not  wisii  to  be  styled  your 
regular  correspondent,  will  be  happy  to  give  you  any  little  news  which  may  be 
floating  around  this  sadly  neglected  mining  camp,  and  bring  before  your  readers 
the  name  of  Swauk  once  more,  in  whose  unexplored  banks  is  precious  metal  to 
amply  reward  the  hardy  prospector.  Among  the  tried  veterans  I  will  mention 
Mr.  Black,  who  is  running  a  bed  rock  drain  prior  to  opening  up  his  diggings.  In 
the  last  two  weeks  he  has  run  60  feet  of  drain  6  feet  deep  and  6  feet  wide,  and 
walled  up  on  both  sides,  and  two  and  a  half  feet  in  bed  rock.  Mr.  Pike  had  to 
quit  ground  sluicing,  as  the   water  has   given   out   on   Baker   Creek,   where  he 


660  HISTORY  OF  YAKI.MA  \ALLEV 

takes  the  supply.  Mr.  Boxall  is  running  a  drain  race  to  tap  his  diggings,  where 
he  expects  to  get  some  good  sized  nuggets.  Mr.  Woolery  is  running  his  main 
tunnel  hack  to  strike  the  channel.  The  work  has  been  rather  slow,  as  the  cement 
is  down  to  the  bed  rock.  He  is  cutting  down  about  three  feet  of  bed  rock  and 
expects  to  be  in  the  channel  shortly.  Mr.  Ramos  is  running  a  tunnel  above 
Baker  Creek,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Swauk.  He  is  now  in  thirty  feet  and  finds 
the  bed  rock  pitching  into  the  hill.  He  seems  confident  of  finding  a  channel 
where  none  was  supposed  to  exist. 

There  are  two  companies  of  Chinamen  working  on  the  creek  with  fair 
results.  Messrs.  Elliott  and  Devore,  below  the  mouth  of  Deer  Creek,  are  driving 
away  at  their  sluices  and  will  be  ready  for  washing  shortly.  We  had  a  pleasant 
visit  from  a  party  of  picnickers,  whose  names  I  do  not  remember,  who  visited 
Mr.  Woolery 's  tunnel  and  were  somewhat  surprised  at  the  modus  operandi  of 
getting  at  the  nuggets,  which  Mr.  Woolery  kindly  showed  them.  The  party 
enjoyed  themselves  on  the  hills  in  pursuit  of  the  most  luscious  of  all  fruit,  the 
strawberry,  and  went  away  no  doubt  pleased  with  their  trip.  Supervisor  Allen, 
of  the  Swauk  district,  passed  through  here  last  week,  on  the  rampage  for  men 
to  work  on  the  road,  which  sadly  needs  repair.  Mr.  Whitman,  an  old  Comstock 
miner,  with  McCormick's  express,  passed  through  here  today  for  Peshastin,  in- 
tending to  take  charge  of  the  Lockwood- Johnson  mine.  Should  this  gentleman 
take  the  reins  of  government  at  this  mine,  people  will  see  better  results  from 
the  Peshastin  mines  than  ever  before  known.  The  gentleman  is  certainly  quali- 
fied in  every  particular  to  make  the  mine  a  success,  which  is  all  that  is  necessary. 

Mr.  Wentz  took  his  family  down  to  the  valley  today,  and  will  leave  them 
down  there  for  a  while,  his  wife  not  being  in  the  best  of  health.  He  will  return 
in  a  day  or  two  and  will  then  strike  out  prospecting.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shroud  came 
up  here  yesterday  on  a  little  pleasure  trip  and  went  down  this  morning.  Jansen's 
pack  train  passed  through  for  Peshastin  this  morning,  loaded  with  .supplies  for 
the  mines.  And  now,  as  I  have  unloaded  myself  of  all  that  Swauk  will  at  present 
permit,  I  remain.  Respectfully. 

Prospector. 

From  the  "Standard"  of  December  8th,  we  extract  a  description  of  the 
Ellensburgh  of  that  date  which  contains  much  valuable  matter. 

ELLEXSBURGH 

"Standard,"  December  8,  1883. — \\'e  are  not  ashamed  of  the  following 
statement  concerning  our  town,  valley  and  surroundings,  sent  by  Postmaster 
Reed  to  Charles  S.  Fee,  assistant  superintendent  of  traffic.  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad,  in  response  to  a  circular  from  that  gentleman  asking  for  the  same: 

"First,  Ellensburgh  is  located  about  one  mile  north  of  the  Yakima  River. 
Second,  population  450,  an  increase  in  two  years  of  400.  Third,  water-power 
abundant  by  using  water  of  the  Yakima.  Fourth,  has  two  hotels,  capacity 
1.50:  one  National  hank,  capital  $50,000:  two  public  halls,  also  an  Odd  Fellows 
and  Ancient  Order  United  Workmen  combined,  and  a  Masonic  hall,  four 
general  merchandise  stores,  carrying  $.50,000  in  stocks:  six  retail  stores  and 
sundry   minor  establishments,   shops,   etc. :   two   newspapers,   two   livery   stables 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  661 

and  a  fine  t\vp-story  public  school  building  erected  entirely  by  private  subscrip- 
tions. Fifth,  in  immediate  vicinity  are  five  grist  mills  of  ten  to  twenty  barrel: 
capacity  and  excellent  equipment.  Also  three  sawmills,  capacity  eight  to 
twenty  thousand  feet  per  day.  Sixth,  in  adjacent  mountains  $75,000  in  placer 
and  $100,000  in  quartz  gold  has  been  taken  out  by  primitive  process  and  during 
the  past  season  an  extensive  field  bearing  copper  ore  (black  oxide)  assaying 
from  50  to  80  per  cent,  copper  and  carrying  $15  to  $1,000  in  silver  per  ton 
has  been  discovered.  In  the  same  vicinity  large  bodies  of  magnetic  iron  ore 
of  high  grade  have  long  been  known  to  exist  and  in  the  last  six  weeks  a  belt 
of  bituminous  coal  (pronounced  the  best  yet  discovered  in  Washington  Terri- 
tory) lying  in  veins  of  five  to  eight  feet  has  been  discovered  adjoining  the 
copper  and  iron  fields  and  immediately  upon  the  line  of  the  proposed  Cascade 
division  of  your  road.  Seventh,  Ellensburgh  is  located  in  the  center  of  Kittitas 
\'alley  and  is  the  county  seat  of  Kittitas  County,  recently  established  by  legis- 
lative action.  The  valley  proper,  comprises  twenty  by  thirty  miles  of  well 
watered,  highly  productive  agricultural  prairie  lands :  to  the  east  and  south 
are  almost  bo'undless  bunchgrass  grazing  lands,  and  upon  the  north  and  west 
are  half  open,  half  timbered  lands  extending  back  into  the  Cascade  Mountain 
range.  Eighth,  productions  are  grain,  hay  and  vegetables  of  all  kinds,  crops 
never  fail  and  will  compare  favorably  in  quality  and  amount,  to  the  acre,  with 
those  of  any  pther  section  in  the  Northwest  (or  anywhere  else),  large  numbers 
of  cattle,  horses,  sheep  and  hogs  are  also  grown.  Ninth,  our  shipments  are 
live-stock  to  the  amount  of  $500,000  per  annum,  driven  chiefly  over  the  Sno- 
quahnie  Pass  wagon  road  to  Puget  Sound  markets:  and  wood  hauled  150  miles 
by  wagon  and  shipped  to  Portland,  Oregon.  Tenth,  in  game  we  have  deer, 
bear,  grouse,  prairie  and  sage  chickens,  ducks,  and  geese :  while  in  fish,  everv 
stream  carries  in  season  fine  salmon  and  speckled  trout.  Eleventh,  our  neigh- 
boring towns  are  Yakima  City,  50  miles,  stage  fare  $5  :  Ainsworth,  125  miles, 
stage  fare,  $15;  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  150  miles,  fare  $15— daily  stages;  and 
Seattle,  Washington  Territory,  125  miles.  To  reach  the  latter  the  Snoqualmie 
Pass  wagon  road  is  being  constructed  upon  which  mail  service  has  been  ordered 
and  by  which  the  stage  fare  will  be  $12." 

The  foregoing  statement  is  one  every  person  at  all  acquainted  with  our 
section  can  heartily  endorse  and  will  certainly  prove  to  the  world  at  large  that 
Kittitas  County  comes  into  existence  with  a  queenly  natural  dowry. 

In  this  connection  also  we  shall  find  much  interest  in  a  list  of  "first  things 
in  Ellensburgh,"  prepared  by  Mr.  Gerrit  d'Ablaing. 

FIRST    IN     THE     CITY     OF     EI.LFNSBURGII,     KITTITAS     COUNTY,     WASHINGTON 

1868  The  first  settler  that  took  up  a  claim  where  Ellensbtirgh  now  stands  was 
a  man  by  the  name  of  William  Wilson,  known  as  "Bud"  Wilson.  He 
started  the  first  log  cabin. 

1869  Wilson    sold   out   to    A.    Jack    Splawn   and    he   finished    the    Wilson    log 

1870  cabin  and  started  a  trading  post  in  1870  and  called  it  the  "Robber's 
Roost." 

1871  Splawn  sold  out  to  John  A.  Shoudy  and  he  built  another  story  to  the 
log  cabin  and  carried  more  merchandise  in  it ;  most  of  the  merchandise 
at   that   time   was   brought    in   on   pack   horses ;   a  man  by  the   name  of 


662  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

Cooper  hauled  the  first  load  of  merchandise   from  Tlie  Dalles,  Oregon, 

by  wagon. 
1872     John  A.  Shoudy  built  the  first  frame  store  in  EUensburgh. 
1875     John  A.  Shoudy  and  his  wife  Ellen,  platted  the  first  80  acres  of  land 

called   "The   Original   Town   of    EUensburgh."     The   town   was   named 

after  Mrs.  Shoudy. 
The  first  Postmaster  was  John  A.  Shoudy  in  1882. 

EUensburgh  became  the  County  seat  of  Kittitas  County  November  24,  1883. 
The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  was  finished  to  EUensburgh  in  1886. 
The  first  City  Election  was  held  February  26,   1886. 

The  first  City  Councilmen  were  elected   February  26,  1886.     They  were  Fred- 
erick   Leonhard,    Mathias    Becker,    Thomas   Johnson,    George    Elliott,    and 
F.  S.  Schnebley. 
The  first  Mayor  was   Austin   Mires,  February  26,   1886. 
The  first  City  Officials  were  all  appointed  on  February  26,   1886. 
The  first  City  Clerk  was  Samuel  L.  Blumauer. 
The  first  City  Treasurer  was  Henry  Rehmke. 
The  first  City  .\ssessor  and   Surveyor  was  John  R.  Wallace. 
The  first  City  Street  Commissioner  was  L.   Pool. 
The  first  City  Marshal  was   Moses   Boleman. 
The  first  Hotel  was  "Shazer  House,"  owned  by  George  Shazer. 
The  first  Livery  Stable  was  owned  by  E.  N.  Lyen  &  Sons. 
The  first  Blacksmith  shop  was  owned  by  Jacob  Becker  Sr. 
The  first  Drug  store  was  owned  by  A.  Lawrence.  *■ 

The  first  Newspaper,  called  "Wau-Wau,"  was  by  Bell  &  Bryant. 
The  first  Candy  store  was  owned  by  Bell  &  Bryant. 
The  first  Barber  shop  was  owned  by  George  Elliott. 
The  first  Millinery  store  was  owned  by  Mrs.  Schnebly    (A.  M.) 
The  first  Harness  shop  was  owned  by  Church  &  McCloud. 
The  first  Bank  was  owned  by  A.  W.  Engle,  cashier. 
The  first  Fruit  store  was  owned  by  L.  Herman. 
The  first  Lumber  yard  was  owned  by  F.  Leonhard. 
The  first  Planing  mill  was  owned  by  Pressey  &  Sprague. 
The  first  Restaurant  was  owned  by  W.  B.  Price. 
The  first  Saloon  was  owned  by  J;  W.  Jewett. 
The  first  Billiard  table  was  owned  by  Humboldt   Packwood. 
The  first  Church  was  the  Presbyterian  church. 

The  first  Minister  of  Presbyterian  church  was  Rev.  J.  R.  Thompson.' 
The  first  Physician  was  Doc.  M.  \^,  Amen. 
The  first  Creamery  'plant  was  owned  by  Jas.  Gass. 
The  first  Lodging  house  was  owned  by  Crout. 
The  first  Law  office  was  owned  by  S.  C.  Davidson. 
The  first  Carpenter  shop  was  owned  by  Dillon. 
The  first  Building  contractor  was  Martin  Sautter. 
The  first  Real  Estate  office  &  Insurance,  F.  Leonhard. 
The  first  Music  teacher  was  Mrs.  Van  Dussen. 
The  first  Painter  and  paper  hanger  was  Wm.  Beans. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  663 

The  first  Automobile  built  here  by  Leveridge. 

The  first  Brick  layers  were  Hegel  &  Son. 

The  first  Bookstore  was  owned  by  Harry  Arment. 

The  first  Schoolhouse  was  The  Ellensburgh  Academy. 

The  first  Notion  store  and  second  hand  store,  owned  by  E.  A.  Willis. 

The  first  Auctioneer  was  Wolff. 

The  first  Tin  shop  was  owned  by  W.  B.  Starr. 

The  first  Shoe  store  was  owned  by  John  R.  Wallace. 

The  first  Bakery  was  owned  by  Rehmke  Bros. 

The  first  Jewelers  were  Rehmke  Bros. 

The  first  Cigar  store  and  factory  was  owned  by  Frank  Nagler. 

The  first  Furniture  store  was  owned  by  Thos.  Howe. 

The  first  Hardware  and  implement  store  was  owned  by  Frank  Williams. 

The  first  Shoemaker  was  Elliott. 

The  first  Music  store  was  owned  by  W.  A.  Privett. 

The  first  Photographer  was  Frisbee. 

The  first  Sewing  machine  agent  was  H.  C.  Ackley. 

The  first  Telegraph  operator  was  A.  C.  Parks. 

The  first  N.  P.  train  dispatcher  was  N.  V.  Stevens. 

The  first  Express  agent  was  A.  M.  Hall. 

The  first  Men's  tailor  shop  was  owned  by  John  Geiger. 

The  first  Dressmaker  was  Miss  Ada  Jude. 

The  first  Dentist  was  Doctor  Cutting. 

The  first  School  principal  was  J.  S.  Bingham. 

The  first  Gun  and  locksmith  was  Andrew  Stevenson. 

The  first  L''ndertaker  was  W.  L.  Webb. 

The  first  Brewery   (Ellensburgh  Brewery)   was  owned  by  Becker  &  Shang. 

The  first  Dance  hall  was  Elliott's  Hall. 

The  first  Dancing  Club  (Friday  Night  Club),  I.  N.  Power,  pres. ;  H.  Thielson, 

treas. ;  G.  d'Ablaing,  sec. 
The  first  Court  room  was  at  Elliott's  Hall. 
The  first  Brick  building  was  the  Geddis  building. 
The  first  Steam  laundry  was  owned  bv  S.  S.  Rhinehard. 
The  first  Foundry  was  owned  by  John  Cornthwaite. 
The  first  Abstractor  was  Judge  James  G.  Boyle. 
The  first  Hothouse  was  owned  by  Joseph  Clymer. 
The  first  Plumber  was  Edw.  C.  Ferguson. 
The  first  Soda  works  owned  by  Freiberger  &  Baskins. 
The  first  Plasterer  was  R.  R.  Morrison. 

The  first  Opera  House  (Lloyd  Opera  House),  Coply  Lloyd,  manager. 
The  first  Band  leader  was  Reed. 

The  first  Brick  veneer  dwelling  house  was  owned  by  Renfro. 
The  first  Butcher  shop  was  owned  by  Salsbury. 

The  first  Librarian  at  the  Carnegie  library  was  Mrs.  J.  B.  Davidson. 
The  first  City  water  works  was  owned  by  B.  E.  Craig. 
The  first  City  electric  light  works  was  owned  by  John  A.  Shoudy. 
The  first  Free  mail  delivery  was  August  7,  1908.  '      ' 


664  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

From  the  issue  of  the  "Standard'"  of  December  8th,  already  used,  we  take 
an  interesting  local  item  referring  to  the  return  of  J.  A.  Shoudy  in  triumph 
form  his  success  in  securing  the  passage  of  the  bill  providing  for  the  creation 
of  Kittitas  County.  From  the  issue  of  December  29th  we  take  several  locals. 
Following  this  series  of  locals,  is  an  account  of  the  county.  This  account  might 
very  fittingly  appear  in  the  chapter  on  the  county,  but  by  reason  of  its  connec- 
tion with  other  items  we  include  it  here. 

December  8,  1883. 

Returned — On  Tuesday  evening  the  Hon.  John  A.  Shoudy  returned  from 
the  field  of  his  legislative  labors  at  Olympia.  Coming  upon  us  without  notice 
'twould  be  folly  to  say  that  a  large  concourse  gathered  to  congratulate  him  upon 
his  successful  mission  and  safe  return,  but  we  do  venture  to  say  that  the  gentle- 
man has  no  charge  of  lack  of  heartiness  to  bring  against  his  numerous  friends 
who,  before  the  intelligence  of  his  arrival  had  grown  cold  upon  the  lips  of  their 
informant,  began  firing  anvils,  guns  and  side  arms,  had  a  huge  bonfire  lighted 
and  were  making  the  welkin  ring  with  "Hurrah  for  Shoudy,"  "Come  out  and 
show  yourself,"  etc.,  etc.  Responding  Mr.  Shoudy  stated  his  gratification  at 
being  able  to  once  more  greet  his  friends  upon  their  own  "De-late-close-Ill-a- 
he"  and  briefly  recounted  the  most  important  episodes  attendant  upon  his  leg- 
islative trip  assuring  his  hearers  (to  which  we've  yet  to  hear  a  dissenting  voice), 
that  he  had  done  all  in  his  power  to  faithfully  advance  and  protect  their  inter- 
ests in  the  late  Legislative  Assembly.  Being*  greeted  with  three  cheers  and  a 
tiger,  Mr.  Shoudy  retired,  and  Mr.  J.  T.  McDonald  "said  something"  to  the 
assemblage  that  led  them  to  adjourn  to  The  Corner  with  avidity. 


December  29,  1883. 

TOWN    .\ND    COUNTY 

The  Tjossem  Mume. — The  flume  projected  from  Tjossem's  sawmill  to  the 
mouth  of  the  canyon  below  is  estimated  to  cost  thirty-five  hundred  to  five 
thousand  dollars.  This  we  understand  the  mill  owner  is  determined  to  build, 
and  it  will  prove  a  thing  of  convenience  and  profit  and  hence  satisfaction  to 
all  concerned,  as  much  difficult  hauling  by  wagon  over  bad  roads  will  by  use 
of  this  flume  be  avoided.  From  the  mouth  of  the  canyon  to  EUensburgh,  or 
any  other  central  point  upon  the  east  side,  this  flume  may  be  constructed  at  a 
much  less  proportionate  cost  per  mile  than  that  from  the  mill  to  the  mouth  of 
the  canyon.  Mr.  Tjossem  offers,  we  believe,  to  join  means  and  forces  with 
interested  citizens  and  extend  the  flume  to  some  such  central  point,  making  the 
flume  a  co-partnership  or  joint  stock  aft'air.  entirely  independent  from  the  saw 
mill  business.  By  such  an  arrangement  the  flume  would  be  available  for  the 
carriage  and  delivery  at  any  point  along  the  line  of  lumber,  fencing,  wood,  etc., 
regular  tariff  rates  being  established,  based  upon  the  distance  from  the  head  of 
the  flume  to  the  point  at  which  freight  might  be  discharged.  Such  a  projeat 
should  certainly  commend  itself  to  any  community  similarly  situated  to  that  of 
this  locality  and  scarcely  requires  particular  notice  at  our  hand.  Cheap  lumber, 
fencing  and  fuel  will  settle  and  build  up  quickly  any  country  that  has  other 
qualities  capable  of  development,  and  it  is  only  necessary  to  look  into  the  work- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY  ■  665 

ings  of  flumes  in  other  sections  to  quickly  perceive  that  by  such  means  building- 
material,  fencing  and  fuel  is  much  more  cheaply  and  quickly  transported  than 
by  any  other  available  method.  This  is  true  even  where  flumes  are  in  the  hands 
of  monopolists,  and  the  acquaintance  our  people  'have  with  JMr.  Tjossem  is 
doubtless  a  sufficient  guarantee  that  a  flume  or  anything  else  with  which  his 
name  may  be  connected  will  be  run  upon  a  "live  and  let  live"  principle. 


A.  O.  U.  W.  Ball. — According  to  the  posters  this  was  "the  affair  of  the 
season."  Indeed,  the  Committee  of  Arrangements  worked  hard  to  make  it  so. 
For  weeks  before  the  event  they  were  making  preparations  for  it.  The  hall 
was  tastefully  decorated  with  evergreens  and  with  emblems  pertaining  to  the 
order,  while  a  decided  improvement  had  been  made  at  the  head  of  the  stairs 
by  closing  them  up  with  the  exception  of  a  door.  This  had  a  tendency  to  make 
the  hall  more  comfortable,  and  kept  the  bummers  out.  The  hall  was  crowded 
— some  ninety-three  numbers  being  sold.  At  an  early  hour  dancing  commenced, 
and  notwithstanding  the  large  number  present  we  believe  all  had  all  the  dancing 
they  wanted — as  many  as  ten  sets  being  on  the  floor  at  once.  The  music  in  the 
early  part  of  the  evening  was  good — not  so  in  the  latter  part  when  a  change 
in  one  of  the  musicians  was  made.  Still  later,  however,  this  was  rectified.  The 
supper  at  the  Valley  Hotel  was  very  good.  Finally  the  ball  was  a  success  in 
every  respect. 


Good  Assays. — Walter  A.  Bull  &  Company,  this  week,  received  from  the 
U.  S.  Mint  very  .satisfactory  average  sample  assays  from  two  of  their  claims  in 
the  Cle-el-um  district.  Number  One  yielding  in  gold  $301.40,  silver  $94.00„ 
Total  value  per  ton  $395.40.  Number  Two  yielding  in  gold -$15.07,  silver,  $.94. 
Total  $16.01.  These  assay  returns  are  especially  gratifying  to  the  owners,  since 
they  prove  the  correctness  of  previous  assays  ranging  as  high  as  $191.00  per  ton. 
As  many  as  five  packages  of  samples  per  week,  containing  twelve  to  fifteen 
samples  from  diiiferent  mining  prospects,  are  sent  by  this  firm  to  prominent 
mining  and  milling  people  throughout  the  world,  and  through  their  efforts  the 
character  of  our  mineral  developments  of  last  season  will  be  pretty  well  under- 
stood in  time  for  intelligent  action  next  season. 


Subscription  School. — Miss  Irene  Cumberlin,  our  county  school  superin- 
tendent, and  whose  qualifications  as  a  teacher  are  too  well  known  to  require 
any  encomiums  of  praise  from  us,  will  commence  a  term  of  subscription  school 
at  the  schoolhouse  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  January.  The  term  will  last  three 
months,  for  which  the  low  price  of  three  dollars  is  asked. 


Third  Anniversary. — The  Union  Sabbath  school  will,  on  the  second  Sab- 
bath in  January,  celebrate  its  third  anniversary.  A  concert  and  exhibition  will 
be  given  in  honor  of  the  occasion.  The  programme  will  be  published  in  the 
"Standard."     Hence  keep  your  paper   for  reference. 

Has  an  Appointment. — Hon.  J.  A.  Shoudy  has  the  appointment  of  one 
free  scholarship  to  the  University.     He  requests  us  to  give  notice  that  all  who 


666  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

mav  desire  to  avail  themselves  of  the  privilege  will  make  immediate  applica- 
tion to  him.     The  choice  will  be  decided  by  lot. 

New  Sign. — Coleman,  the  saddler,  has  treated  himself  to  a  new  sign.  It  is 
the  work  of  one  of  our  local  artists,  and  is  tasty  and  neat. 

To  "Nanim." — Would  be  pleased  to  answer  your  inquiries,  but  you  forgot 
to  send  your  name. 

111. — We  regret  to  hear  of  the  illness  of  the  wife  of  Dr.  Laurendeau. 

Pure  drugs.     Fresh  drugs.     Best  drugs  at  Watson  Bros. 


KITTIT.XS   COUNTY 

In  response  to  the  inquiry  of  B.  X.  Carrier,  Esq.,  a  prominent  attorney  and 
real  estate  dealer  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  and  for  the  information  of  others 
who  may  desire  to  know,  the  following  facts  are  stated  with  reference  to  Kitti- 
as  County.  This  county  has  just  been  set  ol¥  from  Yakima  County  by  legisla- 
tive action,  is  bounded  upon  the  north  and  east  by  the  Columbia  River,  upon 
the  north  and  west  by  the  Cascade  Range  of  mountains  and  upon  the  south  and 
west  by  the  boundaries  of  Yakima  County.  Its  principal  body  of  land  available 
for  settlement  is  Kittitas  Valley,  fifteen  by  twenty  miles  in  extent,  which  being 
centrally  situated,  together  with  other  natural  reasons,  debars  any  possibility 
of  further  divisions.  The  valley  is  well  settled  so  far  as  government  lands  are 
concerned,  but  surrounding  it  are  bunchgrass  rolling  hill  lands  that  will  with- 
out doubt  prove  valuable  as  grain  producing  lands  when  railroad  communica- 
tion shall  aiiford  us  a  ready  market  for  that  class  of  productions.  In  the  foot- 
hills of  the  Cascade  Range,  sloping  well  up  to  the  summit,  are  large  bodies  of 
half  open,  half  timbered  lands,  government  and  railroad,  that  have  been  proven 
to  be  very  productive,  and  which,  during  the  past  season,  have  attracted  and 
secured  many  actual  settlers.  In  the  valley  are  many  sections  of  prairie  rail- 
road land,  open  for  settlement,  with  probability  in  favor  of  the  settler  being 
compelled  to  pay  $2.60  cash  or  $4  on  credit  per  acre  under  the  present  manage- 
ment of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  ;  or  any  price  future  management  of  that 
company  may  ask  when  the  Cascade  division  of  that  company's  road  shall  have 
been  constructed  through  the  lands  in  question.  The  altitude  of  this  valley  is 
1,475  feet;  snow  fall,  eighteen  inches:  average  temperature.  Summer.  85  de- 
grees ;  Winter,  zero.  Climate  is  exceedingly  healthy ;  no  epidemics  have  ever 
prevailed.  Believed  to  be  favorable  climate  for  people  with  weak  lungs,  as  dur- 
ing its  twelve  years'  habitation  by  whites  we  do  not  know  of  one  case  per  annum 
of  death  from  lung  complaints.  Our  people  are  noted  for  their  hale,  hearty  ap- 
pearance. Our  fruit  prospects  are  up  to  average  in  hardy  climates.  A  few 
years  ago  it  was  believed  (even  here)  that  we  could  raise  nothing  but  beef, 
mutton  and  hor.ses  and  that  we  would  have  to  send  to  Portland  for  our  white 
beans.  Wheat  was  two  dollars  a  bushel  and  the  flour  used  in  the  valley  was 
ground  in  cofl'ee  mills  (an  actual  fact)  and  at  close  of  the  first  season's  settle- 
ment, two  ot  our  pioneer  agriculturists  rode  up  to  the  pioneer  cabin  of  the  re- 
maining third  with  all  their  worldly  goods  laden  upon  two  pack  animals  and 
urged  him  to  purchase  the  same  on  the  ground  that  he  had  all  the  agricultural 
land  available  in  this  county  within  the  limits  of  his  quarter  section  claim.    Today 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \^\LLEY  667 

the  self -same  three  men  have  four  thousand  acres  of  land  under  cultivation 
that  will  turn  of¥  from  one  to  three  tons  of  timothy  hay,  or  twenty-five  to  sixty 
bushels  of  grain  per  acre.  The  county  has  a  population  of  2,200  inhabitants 
who  have  grown  this  year  125,000  bushels  of  grain  more  than  is  required  for 
home  consumption,  three  thousand  tons  of  hay,  and  a  proportionate  amount  of 
other  agricultural  products  in  like  excess.  Today  our  exports  are  confined  to 
the  fitting  of  live  stock  for  Puget  Sound  markets,  the  same  being  driven  on  foot 
via  the  Snoqualmie  Pass  wagon  road.  Our  imports  are  hauled  by  wagon  from 
The  Dalles,  Oregon,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  distant,  because  our  capabili- 
ties and  needs  have  been  ignored  by  the  only  navigation  company  plying  the 
waters  of  the  Columbia  River,  although  we  have  an  easily  accessible  landing 
upon  that  stream  thirty-five  miles  distant.  Seattle,  Washington  Territory,  the 
principal  city  upon  Puget  Sound,  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  distant, 
via  Snoqualmie  Pass,  the  lowest  and  most  available  route  over  the  Cascade 
Mountain  range.  Through  Ellensburgh  and  this  county,  and  via  the  "Stamp- 
ede," a  pass  diverging  from  the  Snoqualmie,  the  proposed  Cascade  division  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  has  been  located,  and  some  work  has  been  re- 
cently done  upon  this  location  in  the  Yakima  canyon  below  this  town.  This 
work  has  been  stopped,  and  rumor  has  it  that  the  Natches  Pass  (farther  west) 
will  be  adopted.  Should  this  rumor  prove  well  founded  this  county  will  doubt- 
less be  favored  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Company  with  only  a  branch  of  that 
railway.  During  the  past  season  a  wagon  road  has  been  under  construction  to 
Seattle,  which  will  doubtless  be  completed  next  summer. 

Along  the  line  of  this  road  are  magnificent  bodies  of  pine,  fir  and  cedar  tim- 
ber, while  adjacent  to  it,  and  tributary  to  this  valley,  have  been  discovered  large 
bodies  of  magnetic  iron  and  copper,  assaying  as  high  as  80  per  cent.  Gold  and 
silver-bearing  lodes,  assaying  by  sample  selections,  $15  to  $400  per  ton,  and 
last,  but  by  no  means  least,  coking  coal,  in  veins  ranging  on  top  as  high  as  four 
feet  in  thickness.  Under  the  circumstances,  together  with  the  fact  that  we  are 
situated  upon  the  absolutely  direct  line  to  Puget  Sound,  our  valley  and  the 
Snoqualmie  Pass  can  not  be  ignored,  when  short  line  and  rapid  transit  shall 
enter  into  the  railroad  prospects,  and  will  increase  our  population  and  produc- 
tions to  an  almost  fabulous  extent  when  railway  projectors  shall  favor  us  with 
their  consideration.  Ellensburgh  temporarily  (and  in  all  probability  perma- 
nently) our  county  seat  has  at  a  low  estimate  a  population  of  450  souls  an 
increase  (in  moderate  figures)  of  three  hundred  souls  in  three  years.  We 
have  a  neat  two-story  public  schoolhouse,  erected  by  private  subscription,  four 
large  general  merchandise  stores,  each  carrying  a  fifty  thousand  dollar  stock  : 
two  weekly  newspapers  together  with  numerous  minor  mercantile  and  mechani- 
cal establishments  suitable  to  the  requirements  of  the  population.  Adjacent  to 
the  town  are  five  grist  mills,  with  a  joint  capacity  of  sixty  barrels  per  day.  In 
the  county  are  five  sawmills  (all  water-power  but  one)  ;  easily  run  throughout 
the  Summer  season  to  their  fullest  capacity. 

Gold  mines  adjacent  to  the  valley  have  been  worked  for  some  six  years  by 
primitive  processes  and  inexperienced  workers,  yielding  in  that  period  some 
one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  prospects  now  war- 
rant the  enlistment  of  capital  and  introduction  of  complete  working  apparatus. 


ZC& 


3RY  OF  YAKDIA  VALLEY 


the  Coinmbiz  Rhia,  is  covered 


:rtiaa  of  die  coimt 
-bo^Htable,  nor  a  tetotaDy 
-rovCed  dzmi  to  the  t^kii^ 
TOBtaer  section  of  die  ^dbe 


rpeciaE^ 
-.e  Oirrgtmag  tree,  tugeUier 


ifctit..  Tsrietis 


Xeck-ise  Par-.  _— ,-  _■.  .. 
aetmcEvi  tfayr  a  ineck-aBe  partr  ^ 
if^tpcrirrg     We  feeSev^  if  we  zse 

^r7ip  ILiit:Hfr.   £^eir  ^-'at^TiT    Bifc-^^       JLe   ivT 

Esecfc-iiie  wieIe  asE  ainnsEi  (K"  dsess 
die 


:   =^e 

EnicfeKBEg  siEpger. 

Has  c 

of  1± 
Asaei  ' 

We 

New-  Year's 


pnce  oi  ai._r', 

s  we  hear  is  tfcsi  of  the 
=etn  sod  JoinKon,  in  tiie 

z  of  W9san  Credc 


Mr. 

2saT 


lands  tMi  wire 
rof  fence.    Tbe 


srssET  acEE^ 


rratdr 


Isja-c  beic- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ V-IL^V  659 

Bros.  &  Co,  are  too  well  kncnrn  for  tlieir  rosds^  prodiritxs  m  mskt  it  nacss- 
saiT  to  add  that  the  people  want  to  see  tfaem  pidl  lluuu^ 


Disdbarged. — For  sooie  dme  tliese  has  been  oonaderafale  petij  thiermg^ 
goii^  <«  aroand  town.  Finally  sa^ickm  rested  on  a  maai  t1»  saddeah-  Ie& 
here  week  bebHe  last  for  Yakima.  A  w.m«mt  was  swona  asst,  and  he  was 
broc^ht  back  here  and  esammed  before  JosOce  Cia%  on  Fzidaj-  mtsmsg.  There 
not  beb^  sufficient  evidence  to  wanant  oonrictioo  die  pcisoaer  was  discbaiged. 
The  costs  were  ta:^  partlj  to  the  oounty  and  in  peit  to  the  nww|feflwiig  wit- 
ness. 


Watson  Bros. — The  abore-oar:ei   --r  ej-.i':E^ied  dn^  bosi- 

ness  three  Aocfrs  west  of  Fii?i  Xi:  n^ieSe  and  w^D 

assorted  stcyk  of  tralet  arricks.  jj-  r?,  Prescf^dons 

carefnllj  con^oonded,  day  «■  n^:  .  £  b  Mted 

with  the  fin^t  and  the  best  goods  -.  ^otld.    It 

is.  ia  fact,  a  ooorolete  dn^  estabH- "     .   :  _          -_       . 


New  Firn:. — ^As  indicated  soEiedrae  sr^r?  >Tesf-?  l>Z-c-r;  S:  W-aSer  have 
jo^sed  their  fortsn^  in  the  |dain  snd  x^r  ;  :ianess  at 

the  Dilloii  shop  in  Sm^'s  addition  to  Z  are  both 

reliable.  acoompE^ied  worionen  as  —^       -  ..    :    -jtsa&mfkk 

win  testijhr,  and  with  a  wcD  equip;  t  r  -sre  ps^eAct  for 

the  new  firm  plenty  of  wiHk  and  sz 

Chaise. — The  VaDey  Hotel  fe       ,  ;  lairay.  has  been 

placed,  we  bdiet^  under  the  msm^  :ru  leceniiy  with 

Smith  Bros.  &  Co_,  and  fonnerfy  o:    _. >  .rrr     .r  -z-O^rrsiand  imn  to  hxve 

been  an  espeiieooed  hotd  k^;per.    We  wi^  hsra  soogks  in  h^  new  loSe. 


Social  Dance. — A  social  dance  was  giveai  by  Mr.  D.  W'.  DiDoo  on  Satnniay 
tsght  at  the  openii^  iip  of  bis  new  ^lop.  We  regret  a  pnos'  ci^agoaent  pre- 
rented  oor  attendance,  bat  bear  it  was  a  pkasam  aSair. 


At  Cost. — ^Shondy  &  Stewait  hsvs  marked  damn  at  cost  all  kinds  of  VrrH- 
goods,  soch  as  scarfs,  nobias,  hoods,  carfioal  jackets,  ere 


Fine  Beer. — We  are  iader:ei  ::     :-~  ElccJCi-isi  for  a  kes 
It  is  first^ciass  in  CTery  respect. 


Goi^  UpL — In  defiance  of  ie  ^e^^^er  ].^ani-  Sarrirer  works  sts^t  an  ids 
rsew  bnildii^  on  Main  Street. 


For   drags,   medicijies.   ic   Ac:  ms"   rrescrirQans   ^o 

Laorendean's  Citv  Dn:r- — :    '''■--   -  ■ 


It  is  a  wdl  know-  -        .  ;;:  "   — 'reries,  pro-dsaoos 

and  tobaccos  is  2:  Liurer.cej.u  s. 


670  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \ALLEY 

THE   CHRISTMAS   TREE 

As  per  announcement  the  programme  of  tlie  Christmas  tree  entertainment 
was  carried  out  to  the  letter  on  Monday  evening  at  the  schoolhouse.  A  raised 
platform  had  been  constructed  in  the  rear  end  of  the  hall  and  before  which  slid- 
ing curtains  were  drawn,  preventing  the  large  audience  which  had  assembled, 
from  observing  how  well  things  had  been  arranged  upon  the  stage.  A  few  mo- 
ments before  the  curtains  were  drawn  aside  at  the  invitation  of  one  of  the  mem- 
ber of  the  Literary  Society  we  stepped  behind  the  curtain  and  observed  how 
well  and  tastefully  everything  had  been  arranged,  showing  conclusively  the  ladies 
had  exercised  their  usual  good  judgment.  Two  large  trees  had  been  provided, 
and  these  were  laden  from  top  to  lower  limbs  with  numerous  presents.  Between 
the  trees  and  in  the  center  of  the  stage  the  organ  was  placed  at  which  Mr.  A.  W. 
Engel  presided.  .\t  eight  o'clock  the  curtains  were  drawn,  and  the  jiresidenl  of 
the  society  stepped  forward  and  announced  the  song,  "Happy  are  We  to  Greet 
You."  This  was  well  rendered  by  a  full  choir.  An  appropriate  prayer  was 
given  by  Mr.  T.  H.  Look,  followed  by  another  song  by  the  choir,  "Merry 
Christmas."  The  president,  Mr.  J.  B.  Davidson,  then  stepped  forward  and 
delivered  the  opening  address.  His  address  referred  particularly  to  the  origin 
of  Christmas,  and  the  good  to  mankind  which  has  resulted  in  the  establishment 
of  rhis  Christian  holiday.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  address  the  speaker  was 
warmly  applauded.  The  subject  of  Mr.  D.  G.  C.  Baker's  essay  was  "Christmas." 
As  he  was  called  for  he  stepped  forward  and  in  a  clear  and  forcible  manner  read 
his  essay.  It  was  replete  with  sound  and  practical  suggestion  in  reference  to  the 
holiday.  The  song  by  the  choir,  "Christ  Our  King_"  was  in  good  time  and 
appropriate.  The  recitation  of  little  Nellie  Steele,  though  in  a  low  voice,  showed 
the  little  lady  had  been  well  instructed.  The  select  reading  by  Miss  Emma 
Look,  "Christmas,  1883,"  was  excellently  rendered  in  a  clear  voice,  and  with  a 
clear  understanding  of  the  subject  chosen.  The  song  of  little  Cassie  Barnett, 
"Earth  is  Fair,"  brought  down  the  house.  This  was  followed  by  a  select  read- 
ing by  S.  L.  Blumauer,  "The  Painter  of  Seville."  The  piece  was  rather  long, 
but  was  well  read.  The  declamation  of  Airs.  Kitty  Bonebrake,  "Kissing," 
brought  down  the  house  by  its  many  laughable  allusions.  "Gone  with  a  Hand- 
somer Man"  by  W.  O.  Ames,  Miss  S.  Blumauer  and  S.  C.  Davidson,  in  which 
the  former  took  the  leading  character,  was  a  most  laughable  dialogue.  The  reci- 
tation of  Httle  Cassie  Barnett,  "A  Merry  Christmas  to  All,"  showed  the  little 
one  had  been  thoroughly  instructed.  The  musical  talent  of  this  girl  should  be 
carefully  fostered.  It  was  then  announced  that  Santa  Claus  would  distribute 
the  i)resents.  Some  delay  occurred  before  the  appearance  of  this  noted  person- 
age, which  was  probably  caused  by  the  heavy  storm  prevailing.  As  soon  as 
Santa  Claus  made  his  appearance,  which  was  announced  by  the  merry  ringing 
of  sleigh  bells,  the  fun  began.  As  the  presents  were  distributed  many  were  the 
"sounds  of  pleasant  laughter  and  merriment  heard  over  the  hall.  Altogether  the 
entertainment  was  a  most  pleasant  affair  and  a  perfect  success.  Long  life  to  the 
Literary  Society. 

C.R.XND  B.\LI.,   NEW   VE.VR's  NIGHT,  J.\NU.\RV    IST,    1884. 

Proceeds  to  go  toward  finishing  the  Schoolhouse  Hall.     Tickets,  including 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY  671 

supper,  $2.50.  Grand  supper  at  Valley  Hotel.  The  best  of  music  has  been 
secured  and  the  managers  will  spare  no  pains  in  making  this  the  most  enjoyable 
dance  of  the  season.  Committee  of  Arrangements :  S.  L.  Blumauer,  Geo.  H. 
Smith,  J.  J.  Souver,  Jake  Becker,  Dr.  1.  N.  Power,  T.  J.  Watson.  Floor  Man- 
agers: J.  T.  McDowell,  Tom  Haley,  J.  J.  Souver,  C.  B.  Reed.  Don't  forget 
that  this  is  a  benefit  ball  and  the  proceeds  are  to  go  to  build  up  our  public  school. 
Sleighs  will  transfer  all  to  and  from  supper  free  of  charge. 


Crockery  sold  cheap  at  Watson   Bros. 


MISCELLANEOUS 

"SAM" 
Washing  and  Ironing 
EUensburgh,  Kittitas  County,  W.  T. 
Best    Laundry    for   everybody.      Family   clothes   washed.      The    best    China 
starch  and  ironing.  Sam  Yo  Ching,  Proprietor. 


VALLEY  HOTEL. 
Corner  Main  and  Third  Streets.  EUensburgh,  W.   T. 

Smith  Bros.  &  Co.,  Proprietors. 
The  Leading  Business  and  Family  Hotel  of  EUensburgh.     Stages  arrive  at 
6  P.  M,  and  depart  at  6  A.  M. 

Fire-proof   safe   for  the  accommodation  of   its  patrons. 

Smith  Bros.  &  Co. 


We  may  note  several  events  of  marked  importance  in  1883-84.  In  the 
former  year  the  EUensburgh  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  was  organized,  the 
town  was  designated  as  the  seat  of  the  newly  created  county  of  Kittitas.  On 
August  29,  1883,  came  the  first  of  several  fires  which  have  wrought  great  loss 
upon  the  city.  The  prevailing  dry  climate  and  liability  to  wind,  with  the  usual 
construction  of  wooden  buildings,  have  made  Ellensburg  somewhat  peculiarly 
subject  to  these  visitations.  In  this  fire  the  chief  sufiferer  with  Thomas  John- 
son, whose  loss  was  $45,000,  only  partly  insured.  Consideraing  that  the  town 
was  relatively  so  small  at  that  time,  that  amount  of  loss  denotes  a  large  stock 
of  goods.  Mr.  Johnson  seems  to  have  been  the  most  considerable  of  all  the 
early  merchants. 

An  interesting  item  in  business  history  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  first 
bank  in  Ellensburg  and  the  Kittitas  Valley  was  organized  in  1884.  It  was 
known  as  the  National  Bank  of  EUensburgh.  A.  W.  Engel  was  in  charge  of  this 
bank.  He  had  been  cashier  of  the  first  bank  in  old  Yakima  City,  a  bank  which 
was  moved  to  North  Yakima  in  1885. 

The  Bank  of  EUensburgh  was  located  on  the  north  sifle  of  Third  Street, 
between  Main  and  Pearl  street,  in  a  two-story  wooden  building.  The  first 
floor  of  that  historic  building  was  occupied  by  the  bank  and  the  office  of  Dr. 
Isaac  N.  Power.     The  second  story  was  occupied  as  a  hall,  known  as  Elliott's 


672  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Hall,  usually  eniployeci  for  dancing.  It  afterwards  became  the  first  superior 
court  room  for  the  court  presided  over  by  Judge  George  Turner. 

In  1884  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  was  in  progress  of  construction 
through  the  lower  Yakima.  There  was  of  course  great  interest  in  Ellensburgh 
as  to  whether  or  not  the  railroad  would  pass  through  the  town  and  make  its 
principal  depot  for  the  valley  there.  General  C.  B.  Lamborn,  land  manager  for 
the  comiKiny,  with  engineers  Bogue  and  Huson,  visited  the  Kittitas  Valley  in 
1884  in  order  to  determine  the  question  of  depot  sites.  It  became  evident  to 
the  railway  ofiticials  that  no  other  site  had  the  advantages  of  Ellensburgh  and 
they  therefore  decided  against  the  frequent  railway  policy  of  building  a  new- 
city. 

The  chief  owners  of  the  city  lots,  Messrs.  Shoudy,  Schnebly  and  Smith 
Brothers,  made  \ery  liberal  grants  of  land  for  depot  grounds,  and  the  whole 
question  was  amicably  arranged  two  years  in  advance  of  the  arrival  of  the  rail- 
road. 

In  1884  Rev.  James  A.  Laurie,  the  Presbyterian  mini.^ter,  with  associates 
of  his  church,  undertook  the  establishment  of  an  academy.  About  $800  was 
subscribed  by  the  Presbyterian  board  and  $500  by  citizens  interested  in  the 
project.  The  educational  features  of  the  academy,  like  those  of  other  schools, 
will  appear  in  the  chapter  on  schools.  We  are  concerned  with  it  here  as  mark- 
ing a  stage  in  the  progress  of  building  the  town. 

CITY    CHARTER 

During  this  period  the  progress  of  the  town  was  so  gratifying  that  its 
builders  felt  that  the  time  had  arrived  for  incorporation.  In  response  to  the 
representations  of  the  delegation  from  the  county  to  the  legislature,  that  body 
passed  an  act  providing  a  city  charter. 

With  the  feeling  that  many  readers  of  this  chapter  will  be  glad  to  read  this. 
we  include  at  this  point  the  major  parts  of  this  organic  law  of  the  city. 

AN   .\CT  To    I.VCOKl'DRATE  THE  CITY  OF   EI.LEN.SBURGH    .\ND   TO   DEFINE   THE    POWERS 
AND  BOUNDARIES  THEREOF. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Washington; 

Chapter  I. 

Section  1.  That  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Ellensburgh.  Kittitas 
County,  Washington  Territory,  within  the  metes  and  bounds  hereinafter  pre- 
scribed, shall  be  and  they  are  hereby  constituted  a  body  politic  and  corporate 
in  fact  and  in  law,  by  the  name  and  style  of  the  "City  of  Ellensburgh"  and  by 
that  name  and  style  they  and  their  successors  shall  be  known  in  law,  have  per- 
petual succession,  sue  and  be  sued,  plead  and  be  impleaded,  defend  and  be 
defended  in  all  courts  of  law  and  equity,  and  in  all  suits  and  actions  whatso- 
ever, -may  purchase  and  acquire,  receive  and  hold  property  real,  personal  and 
mixed  for  the  use  of  the  city,  may  lease,  sell  and  dispose  of  the  same  for  the 
benefit  of  the  city,  and  they  shall  have  and  use  a  common  seal  and  m.iy  alter  and 
amend  the  same  at  pleasure. 


Ill  i'i'li 


1  «^  »>i 


WASHIXGTOX   NATIONAL   BANK,   ELLENSBT'RG 


ill 


i)>«?ilil 


2  1 


FARMEk'S   HANK,    ELLENSIU' KG 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  673 

SiiC.  2.  The  corporate  limits  of  said  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  be  as  fol- 
lows: Commencing  at  the  northwest  corner  of  section  two  (2),  township 
seventeen  (17)  north,  range  eighteen  (18)  east  of  the  Willamette  meridian; 
running  thence  due  north  one-fourth  of  a  mile  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
southwest  quarter  (^)  of  the  southwest  quarter  ('4)  oi  section  thirty -five 
(35),  township  eighteen  (18)  north,  range  eighteen  (18)  east;  thence  running 
due  south  one  mile  to  the  southeast  corner  of  the  northwest  quarter  (^4)  of 
the  southwest  quarter  (}i),  section  one  (1),  township  seventeen  (17)  north, 
range  eighteen  (18)  east:  thence  due  west  one  mile  to  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  northeast  quarter  {%)  of  the  southwest  quarter  (^)  of  section  two  (2), 
township  seventeen  (17)  north,  range  eighteen  (18)  east;  thence  due  north 
one-fourth  of  a  mile,  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  the 
southwest  quarter  (y^)  of  said  section  two;  thence  due  west-one-fourth  of  a 
mile  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  northwest  quarter  (J4)  of  said  section  two 
(2)  ;  thence  due  north  one-half  mile  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Chapter  II. 

Section  1.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  assess,  levy  and 
collect  taxes  for  general  and  municipal  purposes  not  to  exceed  three  mills  per 
annum  upon  all  property,  both  for  territorial  and  county  purposes ;  Provided, 
however,  That  the  indebtedness  of  the  city  must  never  exceed  in  the  aggregate 
the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  ($2,000)  and  any  debt  or  liability  incurred  in 
excess  of  said  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  shall  be  invalid  and  void. 

Sec.  2.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  make  regulations  for 
the  prevention  of  accidents  by  fire,  to  organize  and  establish  a  fire  department, 
and  make  and  ordain  rules  for  the  government  of  the  same,  to  provide  fire 
engines  and  other  apparatus,  and  to  establish  fire  limits. 

Sec.  3.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  purchase  or  condemn 
and  enter  upon  and  take  any  lands  within  or  purchase  any  lands  without  its  ter- 
ritorial limits  for  public  squares,  streets,  parks,  cemeteries,  hospitals,  grounds, 
or  to  be  used  for  work-houses  or  houses  of  correction,  or  any  other  proper  and 
legitimate  municipal  purpose,  and  to  inclose,  ornament  and  improve  the  same,  and 
to  erect  necessary  public  buildings  thereon.  The  city  shall  have  entire  control 
of  such  buildings,  and  all  lands  purchased  or  condemned  under  the  provisions 
of  this  section,  and  of  all  streets,  alleys,  highways,  squares  and  other  public 
grounds  within  its  limits,  established  or  appropriated  to  public  use  by  authority 
of  law,  or  which  have  been  or  may  hereafter  be  dedicated  to  public  use  by  any 
persons  or  person,  and  has  power,  in  case  such  lands  are  deemed  unsuitable  or 
insufficient  for  the  purposes  intended,  to  dispose  of  and  convey  the  same;  and 
conveyances  of  such  property,  executed  in  the  manner  that  may  be  prescribed 
by  ordinance,  shall  vest  in  the  purchaser  all  the  right,  title  and  interest  of  the  city 
therein. 

Sec.  4.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  provide  for  the  light- 
ing of  streets  with  gas  or  other  lights  within  such  districts  or  limits  as  may  be 
prescribed  by  ordinance. 

Sec.  5.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  provide  for  cleaning, 
opening,   grading,   graveling,   guttering,    improving   and    repairing   streets,   high- 

(43)" 


674  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

ways  and  alleys,  and  for  the  prevention  and  removal  of  all  obstructions  there- 
from, and  from  any  side  or  crosswalk,  also  to  regulate  cellarways,  cellar  lights, 
and  sidewalks  within  the  city,  and  to  provide  for  cleaning  the  streets,  for  con- 
structing sewers  and  cleaning  and  repairing  the  same,  and  shall  have  power  to 
assess,  levy  and  collect  each  year  a  road  poll  tax  of  not  less  than  four  nor  more 
than  six  dollars  on  every  male  inhabitant  of  the  city  between  the  ages  of  twenty- 
one  and  fifty  years,  except  active  or  exempt  firemen  and  persons  that  are  a  public 
charge,  and  there  shall  not  be  levied  or  collected  by  the  county  of  Kittitas  or  the 
officers  thereof  any  road  tax  or  road  poll  tax  upon  the  property  or  inhabitants 
within  the  city  of  Ellensburgh. 

Sec.  6.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  cause  any  lot  of  land 
within  the  city  limits,  on  which  water  at  any  time  becomes  stagnant,  to  be 
drained  or  filled  up  and  to  cause  any  vault  upon  any  lot  or  block  within  the  city 
to  be  cleaned,  when  necessary,  and  in  case  of  failure  or  refusal  of  the  owner 
of  any  such  property  to  comply  with  the  requirements  of  any  ordinance  or 
resolution  that  may  be  prescribed,  the  work  necessary  may  be  done  at  the  expense 
of  the  city,  and  the  amount  so  expended  shall  be  recovered  against  the  owner 
of  said  property  by  an  action  at  law  as  for  debt. 

Sec.  7.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  provide  for  the  survey 
of  the  blocks  and  streets  of  the  city,  and  for  making  and  establishing  the  bound- 
ary lines  of  such  blocks  and  streets  and  of  establishing  the  grades  of  all  streets, 
within  the  city  limits,  and  to  lay  ofif.  widen,  straighten,  name,  change,  extend, 
vacate  and  establish  streets,  highways,  alleys  and  all  public  grounds,  and  to 
provide  for  the  condemnation  of  such  real  estate  as  may  be  necessary'  for  such 
purposes,  and  to  levy  and  collect  assessments  upon  all  property  benefited  by 
any  change  or  improvements  authorized  by  this  section. 

Sec.  8.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  prevent  injury  or 
annoyance  from  anything  dangerous,  offensive  or  unhealthy  and  to  cause  any 
nuisance  to  be  abated,  to  repress  and  restrain  disorderly  houses,  houses  of  ill- 
fame,  dance  houses  or  gambling  houses  and  to  authorize  the  destruction  of  all 
instruments  or  devices  used  for  purposes  of  gaming:  to  regulate  the  transporta- 
tion, storage  and  sale '  of  gunpowder,  giant  powder,  dynamite,  nitro-glycerine 
or  other,  explosives  or  combustibles  and  to  provide  or  license  magazines  for  the 
same,  and  to  prevent  by  all  possible  and  proper  means  danger  or  risk  of  injury 
or  damages  by  fire  arising  from  carelessness,  negligence  or  otherwise ;  to  pre- 
vent and  punish  fast  or  immoderate  riding  or  driving  of  horses  or  other  animals 
through  the  streets :  to  prevent  and  restrain  any  riots,  noise,  disturbance  or  dis- 
orderly assemblages ;  and  to  protect  the  property  of  the  corporation  and  its 
inhabitants  and  to  preserve  peace  and  order  therein :  to  prohibit  the  carrv'ing 
of  deadly  weapons  in  a  concealed  manner;  to  regulate  and  prohibit  the  use  of 
guns,  pistols  and  fire  arms,  fire  crackers,  bombs  and  detonating  works  of  all 
descriptions :  to  restrain  and  punish  intoxication,  fighting  and  quarreling  on 
the  streets ;  to  control  and  regulate  slaughter  houses,  wash  houses  and  public 
laundries  and  to  provide  for  their  exclusion  from  the  city  limits,  or  from  any 
part  thereof;  to  regulate  the  driving  of  stock  through  the  streets;  the  building 
and  repairing  of  sewers,  and  the  erection  of  gas  lights,  and  to  control  and  limit 
traffic  on  the  streets,  avenues  and  public  places,  to  regulate  the  use  of  the  street.s^ 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY  675 

and  sidewalks  for  signs,  sign  posts,  telegraph  posts,  awning  posts  and  other 
purposes :  to  prohibit  tiie  exhibition  of  deformed  or  crippled  persons,  and  to 
prohibit  professional  begging  upon  the  streets  or  in  public  places ;  to  regulate 
the  numbering  of  houses  and  lots  on  the  streets  and  avenues  and  to  provide  for 
the  cleaning  and  sprinkling  of  the  streets  and  avenues,  and  to  prohibit  persons 
from  roaming  the  streets  at  unreasonable  hours. 

Sec.  9.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  suppress  and  prohibit 
the  keeping  of  places,  houses  or  rooms  where  either  males  or  females,  adults 
or  minors  are  permitted  to  indulge  in  the  habit  of  smoking  opium,  and  provide, 
by  ordinance  for  the  summary  closing  of  such  places,  houses  or  rooms. 

Sec.  10.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  the  power  to  make  regulations, 
to  prevent  the  introduction  of  contagious  diseases  into  the  city,  and  to  remove 
persons  affected  with  such  diseases  therefrom,  to  suitable  hospitals  provided  by 
the  city  for  that  purpose ;  to  provide  for  the  support,  restraint  and  employment 
of  vagrants  and  paupers;  to  restrain  and  punish  disturbances  or  any  unlawful 
or  indecent  practices,  and  to  define  what  shall  constitute  the  same. 

Sec.  11.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  make  regulations  to 
prevent  animals  from  running  at  large  within  the  city  limits,  and  to  license,  tax, 
regulate  and  restrain  the  keeping  of  dogs  within  the  city  limits,  and  to  authorize 
the  distraining,  impounding  and  sale  of  the  same  for  the  penalty  incurred  and 
costs  of  proceedings  or  to  authorize  their  destruction. 

Sec.  12.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  regulate,  license  and 
tax  all  carts,  drays,  trucks,  wagons,  carriages,  coaches,  omnibuses  and  every 
description  of  vehicles  which  may  be  kept  for  hire  or  for  the  transportation  of 
persons  or  property  for  hire,  and  to  prescribe  and  fix  the  rates  thereof.  To 
license,  tax  and  regulate  or  prohibit  theatricals,  shows  and  other  exhibitions,  and 
l)ublic  amusements,  and  to  license  tax  and  regulate  auctioneers,  hawkers,  peddlers, 
bankers,  brokers  and  pawnbrokers ;  to  license,  tax,  regulate  or  prohibit  drinking 
saloons,  bar  rooms,  beer  shops,  breweries  and  all  other  houses  or  places  where 
intoxicating  or  other  beverages  are  sold  or  disposed  of,  also  to  license  and  regu- 
late all  billiard  tables,  pigeon  hole  and  Jenny  Lind  tables  kept  for  hire  within 
the  city,  and  any  person  or  persons  who  shall  keep  any  billiard  table,  Jenny  Lind, 
pigeon  hole  or  other  gaming  table  or  tables  in  a  drinking  saloon,  or  house,  or  in 
a  room,  or  building  adjoining,  or  attached  thereto  and  shall  allow  the  same  to 
be  used  by  two  or  more  persons  to  determine,  by  play  thereon,  which  of  the 
persons  so  playing  shall  pay  for  the  drinks,  cigars  or  other  articles  for  sale  ni 
such  saloons  or  drinking  house,  shall,  within  the  meaning  of  this  act  be  deemed 
to  keep  the  same  for  hire :  Provided,  however,  That  no  license  shall  be  required 
of  apothecaries  or  druggists  for  the  sale  of  wines,  spirits  or  malt  liquors  for 
medical  purposes,  when  sold  upon  the  authority  of  written  prescriptions  of 
practicing  phy.sicians.  No  law,  or  part  thereof,  authorizing  any  tribunal  or 
officer  of  Kittitas  County  to  grant  licenses  for  any  such  house,  place  or  business 
enumerated  in  this  section  shall  apply  to  be  held  to  authorize  the  granting  of 
such  licen.ses  within  said  city  by  said  county  or  its  officers,  and  all  such  licenses 
paid  to  the  city  shall  he  in  lieu  of  the  licenses  required  and  specified  by  the  gen- 
eral laws  of  the  Territory  for  similar  houses  or  places  of  business,  and  the  sum 
rcr|uired   for  such   licenses   shall   not  be  less  than   the  amount  required   bv  the 


676  HISTORY  OF  YAKl.MA  \'ALLEY 

general  laws  of  the  Territory  for  houses  or  business  of  like  character,  and  shall 
be  paid  to  said  city :  bonds  required  to  be  given  by  keepers  of  saloons  or  drink- 
ing houses  shall  be  upon  the  same  terms  and  for  like  amount  as  required  by  said 
general  laws,  and  shall  be  made  payable  to  said  city ;  to  license,  tax  and  regulate 
wash-houses  and  slaughter  houses,  and  to  prescribe  and  designate  places  for 
carrying  on  the  same :  to  license  and  tax  hotels,  restaurants,  chop  and  lodging 
houses,  livery  stables,  dry  goods  stores,  grocery  stores,  butcher  shops,  boot  and 
shoe  stores,  dentists,  photographers,  doctors,  lawyers  practicing  in  the  city 
courts,  tobacco  stores  fruit  stores,  variety  stores,  drug  stores,  furniture  stores, 
blacksmith  shops,  carpenter  shops,  contractors  and  builders,  jeweler  shops, 
express  companies,  hardware  stores,  printing  offices,  oyster  houses,  barber  shops, 
bath  houses,  wood  and  coal  dealers,  lumber  dealers,  news  dealer,  milliners'  stores 
and  all  business  houses  and  wholesale  and  retail  establishments  of  every  kind 
and  description,  and  to  fix  the  rates  of  such  licenses  in  all  cases  except  as  herein 
provided:  Provided,  however,  That  no  tax  shall  be  imposed  or  license  required 
for  the  sale  in  said  city  of  any  of  the  products  of  the  county  when  sold  by  the 
producer,  or  of  mechanics  who  expose  for  sale  only  the  goods,  wares  or  mer- 
chandise manufactured  within  the  city  limits. 

Sec.  13.  All  funds  derived  from  liquor  or  other  licenses,  granted  under 
the  provisions  of  this  act,  together  with  fines  shall'  be  paid  into  the  city  treasury, 
for  the  use  of  the  city  of  Ellensburgh :  Provided,  That  two-thirds  of  the  amount 
derived  from  liquor  license  shall  be  paid  into  the  Kittitas  county  treasury  by  said 
city  of  Ellensburgh,  to  be  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  general  school  fund. 

Sec.  14.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  establish  chain  gangs 
and  to  maintain  a  day  and  night  police,  and  to  provide  for  the  election  or  ap- 
pointmen  of  such  number  of  public  officers  as  may  be  necessary,  who  shall  have 
full  power  and  authority  to  make  arrests  with  or  without  warrants,  and  within 
or  without  the  limits  of  the  city,  and  such  police  officers  shall  also  have  authority 
to  summon  aid  and  exercise  all  powers  necessary  and  requisite  for  the  preven- 
tion of  crimes  and  for  the  apprehension  of  ofTenders,  and  in  all  cases  where 
arrests  are  made  for  ofTenses  against  the  general  laws  of  the  Territory  such 
police  officers  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  the  same  fees  as  are  allowed  to  sheriffs 
and  constables  for  similar  senices. 

Sec.  15.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  provide  cemeteries 
and  to  regulate  the  burial  of  the  dead,  and  to  prevent  any  interments  within  the 
limits  of  the  city,  and  to  cause  any  body  interred  within  the  city  limits  to  be 
taken  up  and  buried  without  the  limits  of  the  city,  and  shall  have  power  to  estab- 
lish cemeteries  or  burial  grounds  without  the  city  limits  and  to  have  the  authority 
and  jurisdiction  over  the  same  necessary  to  the  safety,  preservation,  regulation 
and  ornamenting  the  same. 

Sec.  16.  The  city  of  Ellenslnirgh  shall  have  power  to  establish  and  regulate 
markets;  to  provide  for  the  measuring  or  weighing  of  hay.  coal,  wood  or  other 
articles  of  sale. 

Sec.  17.  The  city  of  Ellensburgh  shall  have  power  to  adojit  jiroper  ordi- 
nances for  the  government  of  the  city,  and  to  carry  into  effect  the  power  given 
by  this  act,  and  to  provide  for  the  punishment  of  a  violation  of  an\-  ordinance 
of  the  city  by  a  fine,  not  exceeding  three  hundred  dollars  and  costs,  or  bv 
imprisonment  not  exceeding  thirty  (,TO)  davs.  or  bv  both  such  fine  and  imprison- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  677 

ment,  and  in  case  of  default  of  the  payment  of  such  fine  and  costs,  the  defendant 
shall  be  imprisoned  not  to  exceed  one  day  for  every  three  dollars  of  such  fine 
and  costs,  and  such  fine  and  costs  may  also  be  collected  by  execution  against 
the  property  of  the  defendant,  and  when  so  collected  shall  be  credited  on  the 
judgment,  and  any  person,  while  imprisoned  as  aforesaid,  may  be  compelled 
to  work  during  the  time  he  is  so  imprisoned  upon  the  streets  or  other  public 
grounds  or  works  of  said  city ;  and  the  city  may  also  cause  the  animals  found 
running  at  large  within  the  city  limits,  to  be  impounded,  forfeited  and  sold. 

Sec.  18.  The  city  of  EUensburgh  shall  have  power  to  establish  and  regu- 
late the  fees,  duties  and  compensation  of  its  officers  except  when  otherwise 
provided,  and  have  such  other  powers  and  privileges,  not  here  specifically 
enumerated,  as  are  incident  to  municipal  corporations  of  like  character  and 
degree  not  inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  the  United  States  or  of  this  Territory, 
and  as  may  be  necessary  for  carrying  into  efifect  the  provisions  of  this  act  accord- 
ing to  the  true  intent  and  meaning  thereof:  Provided,  that  the  mayor  and 
councilmen  shall  not  receive  any  compensation  for  their  official  services. 

Sec.  19.  The  city  of  EUensburgh  shall  have  power  to  construct  and  repair 
sidewalks  and  curb,  pave,  grade,  bridge  and  gutter  any  street  or  streets,  high- 
way or  highways,  alley  or  alleys  within  the  city  or  any  part  thereof,  and  to  levy 
and  collect  a  special  tax  or  assessment  on  the  lots  and  parcels  of  land  fronting 
on  such  street  or  streets,  highway  or  highways,  alley  or  alleys,  or  any  part  thereof 
sufficient  to  pay  the  expense  of  construction  of  said  sidewalks  and  graveling, 
grading,  paving  or  bridging  said  streets  and  alleys,  and  for  that  purpose  may 
establish  assessment  districts,  consisting  of  the  whole  or  any  portion  of  such 
street  or  streets,  highway  or  highways,  alley  or  alleys,  as  may  be  deemed  advis- 
able :  but  unless  the  owners  of  more  than  one-half  the  property  subject  to  assess- 
ment for  such  improvements  petition  the  council  to  make  the  same,  such  improve- 
ments shall  not  be  made  until  all  the  members  of  the  council  present,  by  vote, 
authorize  the  making  of  the  same. 

Sec.  20.  The  city  of  Ellen.sburgh  may  be  divided  into  two  or  more  wards 
by  the  city  council,  and  the  council  may  create  new  wards  and  increase  the  num- 
ber of  councilmen  not  to  exceed  eight,  also  change  the  boundary  lines  of  wards 
so  as  to  equalize  the  population:  Provided,  however,  That  no  wards  be  created 
or  boundary  lines  changed  within  ninety  days  prior  to  an}-  election. 

-Sec.  21.  The  city  of  EUensburgh  shall  have  power  to  erect  and  maintain 
waterworks,  or  to  authorize  the  construction  of  the  same  for  the  purpose  of 
furnishing  the  city  with  a  sufficient  supply  of  water,  but  no  such  works  shall 
be  erected  by  the  cit\-  until  two-thirds  of  the  (|ualified  \-oters  of  the  city  at  a 
general  or  special  election  shall,  by  vote,  assent  thereto. 

Sec.  22.  The  city  of  Ellen.sburgh  shall  have  power  to  construct  nr  authorize 
the  construction  of  such  water  works  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  city  and  for 
the  purpose  of  maintaining  and  protecting  the  same  from  injury  and  the  water 
from  pollution,  may  pass  the  necessary  ordinances  therefor. 

Sec.  23.  The  city  of  EUensburgh,  together  with  the  territory  now  com- 
prised in  school  district  No.  three  (3)  of  Kittitas  County,  Washington  Territory 
shall  constitute  a  .school  district  and  there  shall  be  elected  annually,  as  otlier 
city  officers,  five  school  directors  and  one  district  school  clerk,  who  shall  hold 
their  offices  for  one  year  and  until  their  successors  are  elected  and  qualified 


678  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

and  the  general  school  law  applicable  to  school  districts  in  incorporated  towns, 
except  as  herein  provided,  shall  apply  to  school  districts. 

Chapter  III. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Section  1.  The  power  and  authority  given  to  the  city  of  EUensburgh  by 
this  act,  shall  be  vested  in  a  mayor  and  common  council  together  with  such  other 
officers  as  are  in  this  act  mentioned,  or  may  be  created  under  its  authority. 

Sec.  2.  The  common  council  shall  consist  of  five  members.  They  shall  he 
elected  for  one  year  and  shall  hold  their  office  until  their  successors  are  elected 
and  qualified. 

Sec.  3.  The  mayor  shall  be  elected  by  the  city  at  large  for  one  year,  and 
shall  hold  his  office  until  his  successor  is  elected  and  qualified.  He  shall  be  a 
resident  and  qualified  elector  of  the  city,  and  a  property  holder  within  the  city. 

Sec.  4.  The  common  council  shall  be  elected  at  large  by  the  city,  unless 
wards  are  created  as  provided  in  this  act,  when  there  shall  be  two  members 
elected  from  each  ward.  They  shall  be  qualified  electors  and  residents  of  the 
ward  from  which  they  are  elected  and  property  holders  within  the  city. 

Sec.  5.  There  shall  be  elected  by  the  city  at  large,  a  city  marshal,  who  shall 
hold  his  office  for  the  term  of  one  year  and  until  his  successor  is  elected  and 
qualified.     He  shall  be  a  resident  and  qualified  elector  of  the  city. 

Sec.  6.  The  justices  of  the  peace  for  the  precinct  including  the  city,  who 
shall  have  been  duly  elected  and  qualified  as  required  by  law,  shall  have  juris- 
diction over  all  oft'enses  defined  by  any  ordinance  of  the  city,  and  all  actions 
brought  to  enforce  any  penalty  imposed  by  any  such  ordinances,  and  full  power 
and  authority  to  hear  and  determine  all  causes,  civil  and  criminal,  arising  under 
such  ordinances.  All  civil  and  criminal  proceedings,  before  such  justices  of  the 
peace,  under  and  by  authority  of  this  act,  shall  be  governed  and  regulated  by 
the  general  laws  of  the  Territory  relating  to  justices  of  the  peace  and  to  their 
practice  and  jurisdiction,  and  shall  be  subject  to  review  in  the  district  court  by 
certiorari  or  appeal,  the  same  as  other  cases. 

Sec.  7.  There  shall  be  elected,  as  hereinafter  provitled.  a  city  clerk,  city 
treasurer,  a  city  attorney,  city  assessor  and  street  commissioners  and  city  sur- 
veyor, who  shall  be  officers  of  the  municipal  corporation. 

Sec.  8.  The  city  treasurer,  city  attorney,  city  assessor,  street  commissioner 
and  city  surveyor  shall  be  elected  by  the  common  council  by  ballot,  and  shall 
hold  their  respective  offices  for  the  term  of  one  year,  or  until  their  successors  are 
elected  and  qualified  Provided,  however.  That  they  shall  be  liable  to  be  removed 
by  the  common  council  at  any  time  by  a  two-third  vote,  for  malfeasance  or 
misfeasance,  inattention,  incompetency  or  any  other  good  cause.  Nothing  in 
this  act  contained  shall  be  construed  as  prohibiting  the  election  of  one  and  the 
same  person  to  two  or  more  of  the  offices  mentioned  herein  where  the  duties  of 
such  are  not  incompatible. 

Six.  9.  No  person  shall  be  eligible  to  any  office  in  the  corporation  who, 
at  the  time  of  his  election  or  appointment,  is  not  entitled  to  the  privilege  of  an 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  679 

elector  according  to  the  laws  of  this  Territory,  and  who  has  not  resided  in  the 
city  for  six  months  next  preceding  his  election  or  appointment. 

Chapter  IX. 

Sec.  22.  For  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  this  act,  and 
for  organizing  and  creating  a  city  government  for  the  city  of  Ellensburgh  there 
is  hereby  established  an  election  board,  of  which  F.  Schnebly  shall  be  inspector 
and  J.  A.  Shoudy  and  David  Murray  shall  be  judges  and  upon  notice  of  the 
passage  and  approval  of  this  act,  said  inspector  and  judges,  or  either,  shall  call 
and  hold  an  election  in  and  for  the  city  for  the  purpose  of  electing  the  officers 
in  and  for  said  city,  giving  ten  days'  notice  thereof,  by  posting  five  notices  in  the 
most  public  places  in  the  city.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  judges  to  make  their 
returns  to  the  county  auditor  of  Kittitas  County,  Washington  Territory,  and 
he  shall  canvass  the  votes  and  forthwith  issue  certificates  of  election  according 
to  law.  Said  officers  so  elected  shall  qualify  within  five  days  after  election  or 
the  vacancies  caused  by  said  failure  to  so  qualify  shall  be  filled  by  appointment 
by  the  qualified  councilmen.  Should  any  judge  or  inspector  of  said  election  fail 
to  attend  or  act  at  the  proper  time,  the  voters  then  present  may  elect  another  in 
his  place.     [End  of  Charter.] 

The  "Standard"  of  January  3,  1885,  contains  a  sketch  of  the  town,  which, 
while  in  some  degree  duplicating  some  of  the  facts  already  given,  has  so  much 
of  real  value  and  interest  that  we  deem  it  worthy  of  incorporation,  as  showing 
how  Ellensburgh  appeared  to  one  familiar  by  direct  acquaintance  with  all  its 
development  to  that  time. 

ELLENSBURGH. 
PRE-RAILRO.\D   FACTS. 

Ellensburgh,  Kittitas  County,  Washington  Territory,  of  today  presents 
through  the  course  of  its  past  growth  and  present  attainments,  a  vivid  illustra- 
tion of  the  genuine  merit  and  vast  possibilities  of  the  region  in  which  it  is  the 
trade  center  and  seat  of  county  government. 

Until  1871  the  mercantile  undertakings  of  the  county  were  limited  to  a  store 
in  the  east  end  of  the  valley,  kept  by  J.  S.  Olmstead,  whose  name,  with  others, 
was  inadvertently  left  from  a  previous  sketch  of  early  settlers. 

In  August  of  that  year  Hon.  John  A.  Shoudy  and  William  Dennis  bought 
out  the  ranch  location  of  Jack  Splawn,  and  began  business  in  a  log  cabin  where 
the  store  of  Shoudy  &  Stewart  now  stands.  Packing  their  stock  of  wares  across 
the  mountains,  and  walking  alongside  of  the  pack  animals,  Shoudy  and  Dennis 
began  and  nurtured  their  little  business,  keeping  pace  with  progress  of  the  valley 
until,  having  passed  through  the  various  log  cabin  degrees,  embracing  the  first 
store  and  hotel  in  the  present  town,  and  all  the  vicissitudes  attending  the  building 
up  of  a  trade  where  at  one  time  a  single  side  of  bacon  offered  for  sale  by  an 
immigrant  could  not  be  purchased,  because  a  "side"  was  already  on  hand,  until 
the  present  mercantile  position  of  Shoudy  &  Stewart  has  been  attained.  The 
firm  now  has  an  annual  trade  in  excess  of  $50,000.  Mr.  Shoudy  (Mr.  Dennis 
having  retired  in   1876)    finds  himself  the  proprietor  of  a  flourishing  townsite. 


680  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

and  surrounded  by  and  in  competition  with  the  following  briefly  described  pro- 
gressive conditions  and  trade  factors  to  the  origin  and  growth  of  which,  by 
extending  general  judicious  encouragement,  his  firm  has  largely  contributed. 

In  May,  1870,  Messrs.  Blumauer  &  Block,  now  Blumauer  &  Son,  engaged 
in  general  merchandising  in  the  Sharp  dwelling,  upon  the  ground  now  occupied 
by  Dr.  Laurendeau.  In  response  to  increased  demands  of  trade  the  firm  subse- 
quently built  and  removed  to  their  present  location,  upon  which,  and  the  one- 
half  lot  adjoining,  they  will  erect  a  commodious  business  house  next  season. 
By  careful,  .satisfactory  dealing  the  firm  of  Blumauer  &  Son  have  built  up  a  fine 
trade,  second  to  none  in  the  town  and  the  senior  member  has  evinced  his  abid- 
ing faith  in  the  outcome  of  both  town  and  county  by  the  purchase  and  improve- 
ment of  the  fine  residence  occupied  by  himself  and  family  on  Society  Hill. 

In  1881,  Hon.  Thos.  Johnson  removed  from  Goldendale  to  Ellensburgh,  and 
opened  a  general  merchandise  stock  in  Odd  Fellows  Hall.  Subsequently  he 
built  and  removed  to  the  large  building  destroyed  by  fire,  corner  of  Fourth  and 
Pearl,  August  29,  1883.  Those  best  acquainted  with  Mr.  Johnson's  business 
qualifications  considered  his  coming  to  Ellen.sburgh  proof  positive  that  trade 
merit  of  no  mean  degree  was  possessed  by  the  town  and  county,  which  belief 
has  been  in  no  wise  diminished  by  his  subsequent  investment  in  residence  prop- 
erty, with  Masonic  Hal!  overhead  as  also  in  the  Dalles  and  Ellensburgh  stage 
line,  Johnson  and  Tjossem  saw  milling  and  Pole  Pick  and  Shafer  gold  mining 
enterprises.  After  the  fire,  Mr.  Johnson  removed  to  his  present  location,  in 
the  Leonhard  building,  corner  Third  and  Pearl  streets,  associating  with  him 
Messrs.  Dickson  and  Baker,  under  the  firm  name  of  Thomas  Johnson  &  Co.  A 
glance  at  the  Fall  and  Winter  stock  laid  in  by  this  firm  is  a  reliable  index  to  the 
fact,  that  "alongside,  or  ahead  of  competitors",  is  a  motto  the  gentlemen  fully 
intend  to  sustain. 

In  the  handsome  three  story  structure,  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Pearl 
streets,  is  located  the  general  merchandise  business  of  lion.  Walter  A.  Bull. 
This  gentleman,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Kittitas  County,  is  the  owner  of  one 
of  the  finest,  most  extensive  meadow  ranches  in  the  Northwest,  upon  which 
large  numbers  of  beef  cattle  are  fed  :  is  intimately  associated  to  greater  or  lesr-- 
degree  with  others  in  the  latter  industry,  as  also  in  mining  and  other  pioneer 
enterprises  of  the  county,  and  is  also  lessee  and  proprietor  of  the  \'alley  Hotel. 
Hence  to  make  any  estimate  of  his  trade  volume  other  than  immense  is  impos- 
sible.    Mr.  Bull  is  also  the  owner  of  town  residence  property. 

In  September,  1881,  Dr.  P.  Laurendeau  opened  a  drug  store  in  the  Odd 
Fellows'  Building  graduating  therefrom  six  months  later  into  his  present  loca- 
tion, east  side  of  Main,  between  Third  and  Fourth  streets.  Adding  a  few  staple 
groceries  to  his  stock  the  gentleman  received  such  encouragement  that  fancy 
g.roceries,  shelf  goods,  etc.,  were  speedily  made  a  leading  feature  of  his  thriving 
business.  Doctor  Laurendeau  has  certainly  not  fared  illy  in  nor  formed  a  poor 
opinion  of  either  town  or  county,  since  he  has  become  the  owne-r  of  his  present 
business  location  and  a  fine  valley  farm  as  well. 

At  the  pioneer  postofifice  drug  store  we  find  Qiarles  B.  Reed,  assisted  by 
C.  S.  Randolph,  a  graduate  of  the  Illinois  State  Pharmaceutical  College.  In 
addition  to  a   full  stock  of  drugs  and  medicines,  the   P.  O.  drug  store  carries 


PEAEL    STREKT    FROM    HEIGHTS,    ELLEXSBUEG 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  681 

candies,  nuts,  fruits,  assorted  books,  stationery,  toys,  cigars  and  medicinal 
liquors.  Mr.  Reed  came  to  Kittitas  A'alley  in  1869  and  in  addition  to  a  town 
residence  is  the  owner  of  an  admirable  West  Side  .farm  upon  which,  besides 
tons  of  timothy,  grain,  assorted  vegetables  and  increasing  quantities  of  fruits, 
the  berries  from  which'Reed's  celebrated  raspberry  wine  is  made,  are  grown. 

In  the  handsomely  fitted  store  erected  and  owned  by  J.  Mueller  on  Third, 
between  Main  and  Pearl  streets  is  the  newly  stocked  drug  house  of  Watson 
Bros.  Connected  with  the  business  of  Smith  Bros.  &  Co.  from  its  beginning. 
the  senior  Mat  Watson,  was  enabled  to  foresee  the  approaching  trade  possibil- 
ities of  town  and  county,  and  upon  arrival  of  his  brother,  Jesse,  an  accomplished 
pharmacist,  embarked  in  their  present  business.  Carrying  a  complete  new  stock 
of  drugs,  toilet,  notion  and  holiday  goods  and  always  busy,  the  young  men  have 
evidently  now  a  glimpse  of  success,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  they  propose  to 
reside,  as  evidenced  by  their  recent  purchase  of  the  Burrell  farm. 

In  April,  1881,  E.  F.  Church,  saddler  and  harness  maker,  arrived  in  Ellens- 
burgh.  Erecting  a  small  building  where  Watson  Bros,  now  are,  Mr.  Church 
after  a  few  months  removed  the  same  to  Fourth  Street,  and  enlarged  into  what 
is  now  the  Red  Front.  In  response  to  steadily  increasing  trade  the  Pioneer 
Saddler  made  several  additions,  and  finally  last  Spring  removed  to  more  com- 
modious quarters  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Main  streets.  That  the  people 
are  pleased  with  Mr.  Church  is  evidenced  by  his  success  and  that  he  has  con- 
fidence in  the  outcome  is  plainly  shown  by  the  purchase  of  additional  town  prop- 
erty, upon  which  in  1883  was  erected  his  private  dwelling. 

In  the  ( )d(l  Fellow's  Building,  from  which  have  graduated  so  many  of  bur 
successful  business  men,  is  the  present  location  o^  Mr.  J.  L.  Coleman,  formerly 
of  Fresno,  California.  This  gentleman  more  recently  came  from  a  country 
where  "business  makes  business",  has  not  been  weighted  down  with  the  natural 
caution  early  advent  into  comparatively  untried  fields  usually  endows  one  with 
and  in  consequence  carries  a  larger  and  more  diversified  stock  of  saddlerj'  and 
harness  wares  than  ordinarily  is  found  on  an  agricultural  frontier.  L^nex- 
jiectedly  large  sales  of  fine  harness  goods,  fancy  Russian  chimes  and  Swiss 
attuned  sleigh  bells,  give  evidence  that  Mr.  Coleman's  foresight  was  good,  and 
that  by  preparation  for  an  increased  Spring  and  Summer  trade  his  "after"  sight 
will  prove  equally  correct. 

At  the  northeast  corner  of  Fourth  and  Main  is  the  still  more  recent  saddlery 
and  harness  undertaking  of  W.  J.  Peed.  Mr.  Peed  had  the  benefit  of  several 
months  employment  in  Mr.  Coleman's  establishment  from  which  to  make  his 
estimate  of  Kittitas  trade  requirements,  and  his  proposition  to  "make,  sell  and 
repair  goods  in  his  line  at  hard  times  prices"  is  ample  evidence  that  he  had  the 
good  judgment  to  conclude  that  the  trade  would  rapidly  assume  proportions 
warranting  further  division. 

Just  west  of  the  grove  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Main  is  the  pioneer 
wood  working  establishment  of  Pressey  &  Sprague.  From  the  little  16x24 
shop,  erected  by  Mr.  Pressey  in  1879,  to  the  present  two-story  building  wth 
lumber  sheds  attached,  and  from  the  original  set  of  hand  working  tools  to  the 
present  large  planer,  lathes,  etc..  for  all  sorts  of  planing,  turning,  sash,  door  and 
furniture  making  by  aid  of  ample  wdter -power  the  working  capacity  of  Pressev 


682  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

&  Sprague's  plant  has  been  increased  just  a  little  in  advance  of  annual  require- 
ments, until  now  tliey  are  fully  prepared  for  the  trade  harvest  almost  ripe  for 
the  sickle  in  Kittitas  County. 

Webb  &  Baggs,  November  20,  1882,  began  the  erection  of  a  small  cabinet 
shop  on  main  street  in  the  rear  of  the  business  house  now  occupied  by  W.  L. 
Webb.  That  prosperity  has  attended  the  efforts  of  the  partner  who  here 
remained  is  witnessed  bv  additional  enlargement  and  improvement  of  both  the 
building  and  wood-working  machinery  equipment.  Mr.  W'ebb  in  addition  to 
his  business  location  is  the  owner  of  neat  town  residence  property,  and  in  1884 
added  stoves,  hardware,  sash,  doors  and  undertaking  to  his  previous  complete 
line  of  office  and  household  furniture  requirements. 

In  1883  the  irrepressible  Odd  Fellows'  store  room — which  by  the  way,  when 
the  writer  first  saw  it,  was  occupied  by  the  stockade  grocery  of  Bell  &  Bryant, 
and  was  surrounded  by  what  its  name  implied  as  a  refuge  of  defense  in  event 
of  Indian  attack— opened  its  lucky  portals  to  the  bidding  of  Mr.  Thomas  Howe, 
the  furniture  dealer,  who  still  continues  in  a  handsome  new  building  on  the  east 
side  of  the  public  square  his  original  undertaking — to  handle,  set  up.  make  and 
sell  exclusively  household  furniture,  woven  wire  mattresses  and  general  cabinet 
ware  that  can  always  l)e  warranted  according  to  price  for  complete  worth,  artistic 
finish,  or  both. 

Rehmke  Bros.,  jewelers  and  confectioners,  in  1883  pitched  their  tents  in 
Ellensburgh,  occupying  rented  premises  and  wondering  if  they  had  not  arrived 
too  far  in  advance  of  the  N.  P.  R.  R.  A  glance  at  their  complete  stock  of 
watches,  clocks,  jewelery  and  assorted  optical  goods,  neatly  displayed,  will 
speedily  show  that  the  boys-  came  not  a  day  too  soon  to  win  a  solid  foothold 
in  the  graces  of  our  people  in  advance  of  the  arrival  of  the  N.  P.  R.  R.,  with 
its  magic  trade  developing  wand.  Rehmke  Bros,  now  occupy  their  own  prem- 
ises on  Fourth  Street,  between  Main  and  Pearl. 

In  1883,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Schnebly,  a  long  time  resident  and  enter])rising  mil- 
linery dealer  of  Walla  Walla,  engaged  in  millinery,  dressmaking  and  later  in  the 
sale  of  the  White  sewing  machine  in  this  town.  Mrs.  Schnebly,  in  addition  to 
every  qualification  of  a  lady,  always  well  sustains  her  reputation  for  keen  busi- 
ness sagacity  and  never  in  greater  degree  than  by  purchase  of  the  premises 
occupied  for  business  and  residence  purposes  on  Main  Street,  near  the  corner 
of  Third. 

The  special  agricultural,  mill  and  farm  equipment  dealer  of  the  town  is 
Mr.  J.  J.  Imbrie,  who  during  the  past  two  seasons  has  sold  large  amounts  par- 
ticularly of  his  J.  I.  Case,  Osborn  and  Studebaker  specialties.  Coming  first  into 
the  field  as  an  exclusive  dealer  in  these  things  Mr.  Imbrie  had  a  surprisingly 
large  trade,  which  will  sink  into  insignificance  by  comparison  with  results  of 
succeeding  seasons,  when  railroad  shipping  facilities  will  immeasurably  increase 
acreage  and  demand. 

The  pioneer  City  Hotel  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  public  square  is  pre- 
sided over  and  owned  by  Mrs.  Shazer,  one  of  the  earliest  residents  of  the  valley. 
Less  pretentious  than  its  competitor,  the  City  has  yet  a  firm  homelike  hold  upon 
many  old  patrons  that  time  cannot  efface. 

The  \'alley  Hotel,  corner  Third  and  Main,  is  a  forty-room  house,  superior 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  683 

10  any  upon  the  northwest  coast  in  a  town  not  yet  accessible  by  steam  com- 
munication. Waher  A.  Bull  lessee  and  Harry  M.  Bryant  manager.  The  Valley 
Restaurant  attached  to  this  house,  is  of  like  size  and  appointments  and  under  the 
proprietorship  of  Frank  Forrest  and  wife.  The  bill  of  fare,  etc.,  graces  well  the 
house. 

The  Durr  Restaurant  is  on  Main  Street,  between  Second  and  Third.  To 
the  thousands  who  have  dined  at  Durr's  bridge,  or  the  Durr  station,  while 
staging  or  otherwise  traveling  by  wagon  road,  no  guarantee  of  merit  could  bet- 
ter set  forth  the  solid  excellence  of  every  appointment  that  is  presided  over  by 
Mrs.  Jacob  Durr. 

At  the  two  present  business  extremes  of  Main  street  are  located  creditable 
features  of  our  local  growth  in  shape  of  respective  livery,  feed  and  sale  stables 
of  George  W.  Elliott  and  Jacob  Durr.  Accommodating  each  upward  of  thirty 
horses  in  good  shape,  exclusive  of  shed  and  corral  room,  well  eciuipped  with 
-saddle  and'  driving  stock,  buggies,  hacks,  dog  carts,  cutters,  sleighs,  etc.,  it  is 
hard  to  draw  a  distinguishing  comparison  between  the  two  except  that  Mr. 
Elliott's  barn  is  the  newer  and  having  been  built  under  his  own  supervision  is 
more  modern,  and  perhaps  more  complete  in  its  appointments.  Both  gentlemen 
are  enterprising  pioneers  in  the  matter  of  Kittitas  County  development,  though 
hitherto  in  diflferent  sections.  The  one,  Mr.  Durr,  having  built  bridges,  wagon 
roads,  etc.,  in  response  to  demands  of  travel,  while  Mr.  Elliott,  as  in  the  location 
of  his  present  venture,  has  constructed  prominent  buildings  a  little  in  advance 
of  the  march  of  trade  in  different  quarters  of  town. 

On  Third  Street,  next  door  to  the  county  headquarters,  are  Smithson  & 
Meagher.  These  gentlemen  have  been  in  business  here  for  several  years  and 
certainly  deserve  credit  for  steering  their  bark  clear  of  the  breakers  upon  which 
particularly  frontier  meat  markets  are  usually  foundered.  In  addition  to  sub- 
stantial encouragement  toward  the  starting  and  development  of  Swauk  mining 
enterprises  these  gentlemen  own  business  and  residence  property  in  the  town. 
To  notice  in  even  the  previous  briefly  detailed  style  the  entire  business, 
professional  and  general  appointments  of  Ellensburgh  and  vicinity  not  being 
within  the  possibilities  of  space  in  this  little  exclusively  home  made  newspaper, 
we  condense  in  consequence  the  remaining  statement  with  an  accurate  estimate 
of  the  number  of  persons  named  who  are  property  owners  in  the  town  or  county. 
In  mechanical  contracting  lines  we  have  Gardner  Bros.,  Shotwell  &  Cameron, 
H.  H.  Swasey  and  Jacob  Becker  as  blacksmiths;  Shuler  Bros.,  wheelwrights:  J. 
Sands,  repairing  machinist :  Starr  the  Tinner ;  Drew,  the  painter ;  Elliott,  Dawes 
and  ^larvin  the  respective  boot  and  shoe  makers.  In  fine  arts.  Wood  and 
Deitzel  the  respective  barbers.  In  the  professional  list,  Drs.  Henton,  Catto, 
Amen  and  Dr.  Cutting,  the  dentist.  Attorneys,  Austin  Mires,  J.  H.  Xaylor, 
Daniel  Gaby,  Davidson  &  Davidson  and  Thorp  &  Barry ;  civil  engineer  and  sur- 
veyor, J.  Roy  Wallace:  builders,  Martin  Sautter,  D.  W.  Dillon,  Robert  Fleming. 
Nicholas  Rollinger.  Breweries,  The  Ellensburgh,  Theo.  Hess:  the  Kittitas,  J. 
Blomqvist :  the  City,  Chang  &  Becker.  Saloons,  The  Corner,  J.  T.  McDonald : 
the  North  Pacific,  J.  Lyons :  the  Palace,  C.  W.  Thompson :  the  Board  of  Trade, 
Keyes  &  Jackson.  Beer  halls,  the  Germania,  Wm.  Von  Hollen  :  the  Kittitas,  J^. 
lUomqvist.     Church  edifices,  Pre.sbyterian,  J.  .\.  Laurie,  pastor:  Methodist,  Ira 


684  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

Wakefield,  pastor:  Catholic,  Father  Parodi,  pastor.  Educational  institutions, 
,111  academy  and  graded  public  school.  Newspapers,  Localizer  and  Standard. 
Secret  societies.  Odd  Fellows,  .Masons,  A.  O.  V.  \V.,  G.  A.  K.,  and  L  O.  G.  T. 
Literary  societies,  two.     Private  libraries  open  to  the  public,  one. 

Thirtx -three  persons,  including  acadeni\ ,  churches  and  two  societies  con- 
nected with  the  condensation  which  is,  through  lack  of  space,  abruptly  termin- 
ated, are  property  owners  in  Ellensburgh  or  immediate  vicinity,  thus  testifying 
clearly  their  approval  of  its  location  and  confidence  in  its  future  growth  to  more 
than  ordinary  inland  greatness.  In  the  surrounding  valley,  20  x  25  miles  in 
extent,  is  a  large  and  rapidly  increasing  agricultural  population,  merely  await- 
ing the  shrill  whistle  of  the  locomotive  to  spring  into  activity,  the  like  of  which 
in  productive  and  consequent  commercial  and  manufacturing  greatness,  has  but 
illy  been  conceived  by  the  most  imaginary  mind  in  the  vicinity.  Standing  upon 
Capitol  Hill  in  the  immediate  suburbs  of  Ellensburgh,  every  portion  of  the 
natural  grandeur  of  the  fertile  valley,  as  also  its  bordering  forest  or  grass  clad 
mountains,  is  clearly  seen  in  about  equal  proportions  as  to  distance  encircling 
the  point  of  observation.  Exactly  midway  between  the  two  terminal  points  of 
the  Cascade  division  of  the  \.  P.  R.  R.  and  already  with  option  of  the  railroad 
town  at  disposal  of  town  site  proprietors,  Ellensburgh  with  no  mishappen  set- 
back through  individual  avaricious  greed  should  certainly  justify,  upon  com- 
jiletion  of  the  Cascade  division  in  1885,  her  pre-railroad  attainments,  in  which 
the  matter  of  deceptive  "boom"  has  had  neither  part  nor  parcel,  by  securing,  not 
onl\-  the  middle  division  advantages,  but  the  capital  crown  as  well  of  the  com- 
ing state  of  Washington.     [End  of  excerpt.] 

Population  increased  rapidly  from  1885  to  1889.  While  in  the  Autumn 
of  the  former  year  there  were  not  over  600  there  were  at  least  2,500  in  the 
later  year,  and  by  the  census  of  1890  there  were  2,768.  Each  of  the  years  1887 
and  1888,  and  indeed  1889  till  the  great  fire,  had  a  remarkable  record  of  con- 
struction. In  1887,  as  it  appears  from  the  report  of  Austin  Mires,  first  mayor, 
seventy-three  dwellings,  a  two-story  bank  building,  the  great  three-story  flour- 
ing mill  of  Shoudy  and  Tjossem,  the  roundhouse  and  machine  shops  of  the 
railroad  company,  and  a  number  of  lesser  business  structures,  went  up. 

In  the  same  year  the  brick  courthouse,  still  occupied,  was  erected,  at  a 
cost  of  $15,000.  The  next  year  of  1888,  however,  saw  far  more  extensive  im- 
I)rovements.  Real  estate  was  fairly  jumping  in  that  year.  Transfers  in  town 
])roperty  exceeded  half  a  million  dollars. 

Over  two  hundred  dwellings  were  built.  Nine  brick  business  blocks  and 
one  of  stone  added  to  both  the  business  facilities  and  the  beauty  of  the  town. 
Among  the  most  prominent  buildings  of  the  year  these  may  be  enumerated : 
the  Opera  House.  $25,000:  the  Lynch  Block.  $20.ai0 :  the  Odd  Fellows  Build- 
ing. $12,000;  the  Ben  E.  Snipes  stone  bank  building,  $20,000:  Cadwell's  Hotel, 
$25,000;  Ellensburgh  National  Bank  building.  $8,000.  There  were  a  number 
of  others  of  less  cost.  It  is  probable  that  the  expenditures  for  the  year  for 
buildings,  private  and  business,  came  close  to  half  a  million  dollars. 

A  considerable  change  had  taken  place  from  1883  to  1889  in  the  personnel 
of  the  business  and  professional  community.  This  is  well  indicated  by  the  re- 
production of  part  of  a  page  of  advertisements  and  locals   from  the  "Localizer" 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  685 

of  April  6,  1889,  from  which  the  reader  can  note  the  new  names  in  comparison 
with  the  names  already  given  in  the  advertising  pages  of  the  "Standard"  of 
July  14,  1883. 

Of  special  interest  at  the  close  of  these  excerpts   from  the  "Localizer"  is 
the  apportionment  of  school   funds  to  the   districts. 
.April  6,  1889.     Items  copied  from  "Kittitas  Localizer." 

The  Kittitas  Localizer. 

Published  every   Saturday 

-by- 

D.  J.  Schnebly. 

Office — Corner  of  Main  and  Fourth  Sts. 

Legal  advertising.  $1.08  per  square  for  the  first  insertion,  and  50  cents  each 

subsequent   insertion. 

Transient  advertisements  same  as  legal. 

Local  notices  inserted  at  the  rate  of  lO  cents  a  line.     No  local  notice  given 
short  of  50  cents. 


James  Parson  Post  No.  11,  G.  A.  R.,  meets  every  Saturday  night  at  7 
p.  m.  Room  on  Main  Street,  over  Perry's  drug  store. 

Ellensburgh  Lodge  No.  39,  F.  &  A.  M.,  meets  first  and  third  Saturdays  of 
each  month. — J.  P.  Sharp,  W.  M. ;  H.  M.  Baldwin,  Sec'y. 

Stated  convocations  of  Ellensburgh  Chapter  No.  11,  R.  A.  M.,  held  at 
Masonic  Hall,  second  Saturday  evening  of  each  month. — M.  Gilliam,  Sec'y ; 
S.  C.  Davidson,  H.  P. 

Stated  conclaves  of  Temple  Commandery  No.  5,  Knights  Templar,  on  the 
second  and  fourth  Thursdays  of  each  month.  Sojourning  Sir  Knights  cor- 
dially invited. — E.  T.  Wilson,  E.  C. ;  M.  A.  Cole,  Recorder. 


CHURCH    DIRECTORY 

Presbyterian — Preaching  every  Sabbath  at  the  Academy  chapel  at  11  a.  m. 
and  8  p.  m.  Sabbath  school  at  10  a.  m.  Prayer  meeting  Wednesday  evenings 
at  8. — Rev.  Jas.  A.  Laurie,  pastor. 

M.  E.  Church — Services  every  Sabbath  morning  at  11  and  evening  at  8 
o'clock.  Sabbath  school  at  12:30  p.  m.  Prayer  meeting  eVery  Thursday  even- 
ing.— Rev.  J.  W.  Maxwell,  pastor. 

Church  of  Christ — Preaching  every  Sunday  night  at  7  o'clock — J.  E. 
Denton,   pastor. 

Baptist  Church — Preaching  in  the  Presbyterian  chapel  Sunday  at  3  p.  m. 
Sunday  school  at  4  p.  m. — A.  M.  Allyn,  pastor. 

Congregational  Church — Services  in  old  Masonic  Hall  on  Fourth  Street. 
Sunday  11  a.  m.  and  7  p.  m.     Sunday  school  12:20  p.  m. ;  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  6:15 


686  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

p.  m.     Prayer  meeting  Thursday   eve   at  7 :30  at   the   Christian   Church.      The 
luililic  invited. — Alfred  P.  Powelson,  pastor. 

PROFESSIONAL 

A.  SHOUE 

Physician. 

Office 


N.   HENTON,   Physician   and  Surgeon. 
Office — On  Pearl  Street.     All  calls  will  be  promptly  attended  to. 


Notary  Public.  U.  S.  Commissioner. 

S.   C.   Davidson 

ATTORNEY-AT-LAW 

(Jffice  first   building  west  of  Johnson   House. 

Ellensburgh.  Washington    Ter. 


J.   H.    Naylor,   Attorney-at-Law. 

Office^One  door  north  of  Ellensburgh  Keg  House. 

Main  St.,  Ellensburgh,  Washington  Ter. 

48   Im  

J.  B.  Reavis.  A.  Mires.  C.  B.  Graves. 

REAVIS,  MIRES  &  GRAVES, 

Attorneys-at-Law. 

Will  attend  to  all   U.   S.   Land   Office  business.     Office   at   Ellensburgh   and   at 

North  Yakima.  47 — tf 


W.    G.    Porter,   Attorney-at-Law    and    Notary    Public. 

Prompt  attention  given  to  collections.     Office   in   Odd  Fellows  Block. 

Ellensburgh.  W.    T. 


Jno.  B.  Davidson,  H.  E.  Houghton, 

Ellensburgh.  Frank  H.  Graves, 

Spokane  Falls. 

HOUGHTO'N,   GRAVES   &  DAVIDSON, 

Attorneys-at-Law    and    Notaries    Public. 

Ellensburgh,  Washington   Ter. 

Special  attention  given  to  collections  and   Real   Estate   matters. 


S.    O.    Morford.  F.    H.    Rudkin. 

MORFORD   &   RUDKIN, 
Attorneys-at-Law. 
Will  practice  in  all  the  courts  and  attend  to  business  in  the  U.   S.  Land 
office.    Office— Upstairs  in  Geddis  Block,  Ellensburgh,  W.  T.  430 

Corner  of  Fourth  and  Pearl  Streets. 
.'Ml   operations  pertaining  to  dentistry  skilfully  executed.      Prices   within   reach 
of  the  poor.  2.^26 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


DR.  A.  M.  AlUSSER, 
Dentist. 


Daniel  Gaby.  F.  W.  Ewing. 

GABY  &  EWING 

Attorneys   and    Councillors-at-Law. 

Office  one  door  west  of  Ben  E.  Snipes  &  Co.'s  Bank. 

Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 


L.  A.  VINCENT 

Attorney-at-Law  and  Notary  Public. 

Real  Estate  and  Insurance  Agent. 

Office  in  Odd  Fellows  Building,  Corner  of  Third  and  Pearl  Streets. 

Ellensburgh,  Washington  Ter. 

DR.  WILLIAMS 

Dentist 

Is  located  in  Room  N|o.   13,  Geddis  Block. 

Teeth  extracted  without  pain.     People  who  wish  artificial  teeth  can  come  in  the 

morning,  get  a  new  set  made  the  same  day.     Gold  filling  a  specialty. 

DR.  T.  J.   NEWLAND 

Local  Surgeon  N.  P.  R.  R.,  who  guarantees  to  give  satisfaction  to  those  who 

patronize   him. 

Surgical  Cases 

Are  especially  solicited  as  long  experience  insures   successful  treatment. 

Office— Main  street,  Ellensburgh,  W.  T.  47-tf 

GEORGE  BETHUNE 

Assayer  and  Chemist. 

Tacoma,  W.  T. 

Assays  Gold  and  Silver $1.50 

Assays  Gold,  Silver,  Copper  and  Lead 3.50 

Assays  Iron   2.50 

Also  assays  of  coal,  fire  clays,  limestone,  tin  and  nickle   ores,  etc.     Send 
samples  by  mail.     Prompt  attention. 

GREAT  ATTRACTION 

—at  the— 

NEW    DRY    STORE 

— in  the — 

LYNCH    BLOCK 

Corner  Fifth  and  Pearl  Streets 

New  Goods.  New  Prices. 

No  More  Mining  Camp  Prices  for  Ellensburgh. 

We  are  showing  goods  at  Eastern  Prices.     Come  and  see  for  yourselves.     Our 

stock  is  the  most  complete  in  the  city.    We  are  receiving  new  goods  by 

express  daily.    We  carry  everything  in  the  DRY  GOODS  line. 


688  HISTORY  OF  VAKLMA  VALLEY 

Silks,      Dress    Goods,      Velvets,      Plushes,      Linens,      Muslins,      White    Goods, 

Mannels,     Pjlankets.  'Comfortables,     House    Linen,     Batting.     Rihljons. 

Laces,      Corsets,      Gloves,      Hosiery,      Underwear. 

Gents'  Furnishing  Goods 

Of  All  Descriptions.     Goods  Marked  in  Plain  Figures.     Only  One  Price. 

Samples  Sent  to  all  Parts  Free  on  application. 

O'CONNOR  &  HOGAN 

Ellensburgh,  W.  T. 


C.  D.  OSBURN,  M.  D. 

Physician  and  Surgeon 

Ofifice  over  Capital  Drug  Store. 

Ellensburgh,  Washington. 


EDNA  BAXTER,  ^L  D. 

Physician  and  Surgeon. 

Ofi'ers  her  professional  services  to  the  ladies  of  Ellensburgh  and  vicinity. 

Room  2,  Geddis  Block,  opposite  the  Johnson  House. 

Ellensburgh,  Washington. 


LOCALIZER  OFFICE 

All  Kinds  of  Job  Printing. 

Office  on  Third  Street  near  Main.  Do  Commercial  Printing  and  General  Job 

Work  at  Portland  prices  (freight  added).    All  kinds  of  blanks  printed  to  order. 

Remember  that  the  Localizer  has  the  best  equipped  office  in  central  Washington. 


WANTS,    FOR   RENT,    S.\LE,    ETC. 

MRS.  C.  E.  CLARK 
Dress   and    Cloak    Maker,    Machine    Stitching,    Ladies'    Underwear,    Gents' 
Shirts  Made  to  Order.     Davidson  Block,  opposite  Johnson  House.         21 


MASONIC. 

Wm.  S.  C.  Davidson  has  been  appointed  local  agent  of  the  Masons'   Fraternal 

Accident  Association  of  America,  located  at  Westfield,  Mass. 


HORSES  FOR  SALE. 
Two  fine,  stylisli  work  horses,  warranted  to  draw :  also  a  new  wagon  and 
harness    for  sale.     The    whole    can    be    purchased    for    $300,    spot    cash.     They 
will  weigh  about  1,300  pounds  each.    Incjuire  at  this  office.  34 


AFTER  GREAT  EFFORT 
Kleinberg  Brothers  have  secured  the  agency  for  the  well-known  James  Means 
$3  and  $4  shoes.    This  shoe  is  known  all  over  the  United  States  to  be  the  best 
for  the  money.     Just  the  thing  for  winter  wear  and  none   should  be  without. 
They  are  comfortable,  warm  and  easv.  27 


ANTLERS   HOTEL,   ELLEXSBURG 


WOOLEN    MILLS.    ELLKXSlil 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  689 

ELLENSBURGH  KEG  HOUSE 
The  Ellensburgh  Keg  House,  corner  of  Main  and  Fourth  Streets,  is  run  by 
O.  B.  Castle,  who  continues  to  sell  at  wholesale  and  retail  the  choicest  liquors 
and  imported  cigars.  This  well  established  house  allows  its  patrons  to  go  and 
help  themselves  from  the  casks  the  liquors  are  imported  in,  and  every  one  gets 
the  worth  of  the  money  they  say.    Patronage  solicited.  12tf 


BACK  AGAIN. 
C.  McVicar,  watchmaker  and  jeweler,  would  respectfully  announce  to  the 
citizens  of  Ellensburgh  that  he  has  opened  a  shop  in  the  California  Fruit  Store, 
on  Pearl  Street,  opposite  the  Kittitas  Meat  Market,  where  he  will  be  on  hand  to 
do  all  kinds  of  job  work  in  his  line  of  business.  He  will  be  pleased  to  see  all 
'his  old  customers  and  as  many  new  ones  as  have  work  in  his  line.  Prices  at 
hard-times  rates — lower  than  the  lowest.  C.  McVicar. 


SPECIAL  NOTICE. 
Having  withdrawn  from  the  firm  of  Walters  &  Co.,  of  this  city,  I  have 
established  an  office  of  my  own  and  will  hereafter  be  alone  in  my  real  estate 
business.  I  would  say  to  those  seeking  property  for  improvement  or  invest- 
ment, I  solicit  a  share  of  their  business.  My  entire  attention  will  be  given  to 
real  estate,  and  I  trust  my  long  residence  here  justifies  me  in  saying  that  I  have 
a  fair  knowledge  of  local  values.  Patrons  may  depend  upon  promptness  and 
fair  dealing.  I  shall  make  a  specialty  of  front  foot  business  lots,  yet  will  handle 
all  safe  property.  Geo.  W.  Elliott. 

28 


DESERT  LANDS— NOTICE  OF  INTENTION   TO   MAKE  PROOF. 
U.  S.  Land  Office  at  North  Yakima,  W.  T.,  Feb.  19,  1889. 
I,  Ira  Canaday,  of  Wenatchee,  W.  T.,  who  made  desert  land  application 
No.  125  on  the  15th  day  of  March,  1886,  for  the  S  K'  SE  %,  Sec.  27,  and  N  ]/. 
NE  y^,  Sec.  34,  Tp.  22  N,  r  21  E,  containing  160  acres,  hereby  give  notice  of  my 
intention  to  make  final  proof  to  establish  my  claim  to  the  land  above  described 
before  W.  H.  Peterson,  Clerk  District  Court,  Kittitas  Countv,  W.  T.,  at  Ellens- 
burgh, on  .'\pril  25th.  1889,  and  that  I  expect  to  prove  that  said  land  has  been 
properly  irrigated  and  reclaimed  in  the  manner  required  by  law,  by  two  of  the 
following   witnesses :  George  Voice  and   Reuben   Steadman,  of   Wenatchee,   W. 
T. :  Robert  N.  Canaday,  of  Ellensliurgh,  W.  T. :  and  E.  W.  Lockwood,  of  Con- 
connuUy,  W.  T. 
3241  T.   H.   Thom.\s.    Register. 


NOTICE  FOR  PUBLICATION. 
U.  S.  Land  Office  at  North  Yakima,  W.  T..  March  23,  1889. 
Notice  is  hereby  given  that  the  following  named  settler  has  filed  notice  of 
his  intention  to  make  final  proof  in  support  of  his  claim,  and  that  said  proof 
will  be  made  before  the  judge,  and  in  his  absence  before  the  clerk  of  the  district 
court  of  Kittitas  County,  W.  T.,  at  Ellensburgh,  on  May  21,  1889,  viz.: 
John   Maher 
(44) 


690  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  , 

Who  made  Homestead  Application  No.  840,  for  the  SW  ji,  Sec.  22,  Tp.  20  N, 

R  16  E.  1 

He  names  the  following  witnesses  to  prove  his  continuous  residence  upon 
and  cultivation  of  said  land,  viz. : 

Oscar  James  of  Roslyn,  W.  T. ;  George  S.  Priest,  William  Mack  and 
Joseph  B.  Stevens,  of  Teanaway,  W.  T. 

Any  person  who  desires  to  protest  against  the  allowrance  of  such  proof,  or 
who  knows  of  any  substantial  reason,  under  the  law  and  regulations  of  the  In- 
terior Department,  why  such  proof  should  not  be  allowed  will  be  given  an  op- 
portunity at  the  above-mentioned  time  and  place  to  cross  examine  the  wit- 
nesses of  said  claimant,  and  to  offer  evidence  in  rebuttal  of  that  submitted  by 
claimant.  Ira   M.   Kruiz,  Register. 


QU.^RTERLV    APPORTIONMENT    OF    SCHOOL     MONEY     MADE    APRIL    4,     1889. 

No. 

1.  Canaday    $    343.40 

2.  Bond    227.25 

3.  Ellensburgh 2,075.55 

4.  Cooke     383.80 

5.  Whitson    222.20 

6.  Kittitas    J 212.10 

7.  Sparta    222.20 

8.  Reeser   .-!*k 257.55 

9.  Bates    217.15 

10.  Thorp    151.50 

11.  Kolockem    111.10 

12.  Polyhutz    186.85 

13.  Wallace   252.50 

14.  Peterson    217.15 

15.  Swauk   292.90 

16.  Cove 186.85 

17.  Teanaway    171.70 

18.  Pleasant 'Hill   252.50 

19.  Wenatchee    191.90 

20.  Naneum    257.55 

21.  West  Side 136.35 

22.  Preston    75.75 

23.  Lake  Valley  75.75 

24.  Roslyn   ___! 1,646.30 

25.  Cle-elum    398.95 

26.  Columbia  River 176.75 

27.  Mission  Creek 156.55 

28.  Easton 90.90 

29.  Alorrison  ' 80.80 

J.   L.   ATcDowELL, 
County  Supt.  Common  Schools. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  691 

^^■ith  the  Oldening  of  the  year  1889  there  was  just  a  little  shade  of  busi- 
ness anxiety.  The  orgy  of  speculation  in  which  Los  Angeles,  San  Diego, 
Seattle,  Tacoma  and  Spokane,  had  been  reeling,  was  bound  to  end  in  a  tumble, 
unless  it  could  be  slowed  up  and  cooled  ofif  before  its  feet  hit  something.  The 
smaller  places  did  not  feel  the  breath  of  impending  depression  so  soon  as  did 
the  larger  ones,  especially  those  of  southern  California.  Ellensburg  entered 
the  year  1889  with  as  bright  hopes  as  ever,  but  there  was  beginning  to  be  a 
little  less  exuberance  on  the  part  of  the  outside  buyers.  But  while  the  invest- 
ing public  were  beginning  to  tread  a  little  more  cautiously,  suddenly  there 
swejit  down  upon  three  Washington  cities  the  most  destructive  calamities  that 
they  had  ever  known.  These  were  the  great  fires  of  1889  in  Seattle,  Spokane, 
and  Ell^isburg.  While  of  course  each  city  would  have  suffered  the  financial 
reverses  of  the  great  depression  from  1889  to  1897,  the  fire  in  each  of  those 
cities  made  it  the  harder  to  meet  the  other  losses. 

It  was  on  the  night  of  July  4th  that  this  great  calamity  befell  Ellensburg. 

The  fire  began  in  a  store  belonging  to  J.  S.  Anthony,  between  Fourth  and 
Fifth  streets,  on  Main.  A  furious  wind  was  blowing  and  there  was  no  adequate 
supply  of  water  or  other  fire-fighting  facilities.  The  "big  fire"  was  a  disaster 
of  the  utmost  magnitude  and  in  conjunction  with  other  events  made  the  date 
of  1889  a  central  point  of  reference  in  the  history  of  the  city.  The  remem- 
brances of  old-timers  are  largely  hinged  upon  such  and  such  a  time  before  and 
after  the  "big  fire." 

From  the  history  of  central  Washington  and  the  "Ellensburgh  Capital" 
we  derive  a  full  statement  of  the  losses  incurred.  This  summary  of  the  build- 
ings and  the  losses  is  a  valuable  historical  record,  for  the  reason  of  its  preser- 
vation of  the  names  of  the  business  men  of  the  time  and  it  gives  moreover  a 
view  of  the  extent  of  the  different  lines  of  business  enterprises  at  that  time. 
FIRE  OF  JULY  4,   1889. 

At  10:30  P.  M.  July  4th,  the  dread  tones  of  the  fire  bell  called  the  attention 
of  all  to  the  fact  that  J.  S.  Anthony's  grocery  store  on  the  east  side  of  Main 
Street,  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  was  on  fire.  Forthwith  the  people  began  the 
imequal  battle,  but  as  a  furious  gale  was  blowing  at  the  time  and  water  was 
.scarce,  the  fight  was  hopeless  from  the  start.  The  store  melted  like  wax ;  the 
adjoining  buildings,  all  frame  structures  and  as  dry  as  tinder,  soon  caught  and 
shared  a  similar  fate.  Nothing  withstood  the  progress  of  the  flames  toward 
the  north,  until  they  reached  Nash's  brick  building,  which  efifectually  stayed  their 
progress  in  that  direction.  The  buildings  to  the  southward  and  eastward  of 
the  starting  place  did  not  escape,  however.  By  the  time  the  fire  had  reached 
the  brick  and  stone  buildings,  it  was  hot  enough  to  consume  these  like  so  much 
straw.  On  the  south  side  of  Main  it  soon  swept  over  Armstrong's  and  Imbrie's 
offices  to  O.  B.  Castle's  keg  house ;  thence  across  Fourth  to  the  "Localizer" 
office,  carrying  everything  along  Main  on  either  side  of  the  street  with  the 
exception  of  Blumauer  &  Sons,  store,  Spencer's  lodging  house,  Gass  &  Ramsey's 
and  the  saddlery  store.  Main  street  was  swept  to  First,  but  the  gale  being  from 
the  northwest,  the  fire  spread  more  rapidly  to  the  southeast.  All  the  saloons 
on  the  north  side  of  Fourtli  above  the  keg  house  crumbled  before  it  like  egg 
shells,  as  did  Gross's  and  Davidson's  offices,  Louis  Herman's  store,  the  old  John- 


692  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

son  house  and  the  Ashler.  Here  the  fire  was  terrific,  the  roar  of  the  flames  being 
as  deafening  as  a  stomi  at  sea.  The  Geddis  Block,  Snipes  &  Company's  Bank 
and  the  Davidson  Bku-k  all  melted  away  before  the  fury  of  the  devouring  ele- 
ment, and  the  only  hope  of  the  buildings  south  and  east  was  gone.  They  soon 
became  enveloped  in  a  sea  of  fire. 

"By  superhuman  eflfort",  says  a  paper  of  the  time,  "the  Lynch  Block,  the 
Ellensburgh  National  Bank,  the  old  City  Hotel  and  all  that  portion  of  the  city 
between  Pearl  and  Fifth  and  the  Presbyterian  Academy  was  saved  from  destruc- 
tion. The  greatest  effort  was  made  to  save  the  City  Hotel,  directly  opposite 
the  Masonic  Temple,  on  Fourth  and  Pine.  The  water  supply,  meager  enough 
at  first,  was  now  almost  exhausted,  but  men  got  on  top  of  the  building  with 
hose  and  a  constant  stream  was  kept  flowing  over  the  roof  and  down  the  sides 
until  the  Temple  fire  had  ceased  and  danger  from  that  direction  no  longer  threat- 
ened. This  effort  saved  the  north  side  of  Fourth  Street,  the  Baptist  Church, 
the  public  school  building  and  at  least  fifty  other  buildings." 

While  it  is  hardly  possible  to  compile  a  complete  list  of  the  buildings 
destroyed,  such  a  list  would  certainly  include  the  following: 

The  Ashler  brick  block,  old  Johnson  house,  Geddis  Block,  Odd  Fellows' 
Hall,  Masonic  Hall,  Snipes  &  Company's  Bank,  Willis  &  Bryant's  store.  Oak 
Hall  restaurant,  Becker  &  Cox's  meat  market,  Kittitas  meat  market,  Ames  drug 
store,  Bull  Block,  Ifstiger  house,  Shuler's  blacksmith  shop,  Meagher's  house, 
former  residence  and  office  of  Dr.  Henton,  Leonhard  &  Ross's  real  estate  office, 
City  Bakery,  the  old  Post-Office,  the  Oriental,  Kreidel's  store,  Adler's  barber 
shop.  Stevenson's  gun  store,  Davidson's  Block,  Davidson  &  McFall's  Block, 
Davis  &  Adams'  meat  market,  Anthony's  store,  Elliott's  residence,  Imbrie's  real 
estate  office,  Armstrong's  oflfice,  the  keg  house,  "Localizer"  oflftce,  Ramos  & 
Meagher's  office,  Caro's  clothing  house.  Round's  barber  shop,  De  Bord's  barber 
shop,  grocery  store.  Capital  Restaurant,  Lyon's  saloon.  New  Corner,  Old  Cor- 
ner. Shoudy's  Block,  Chinatown,  Capital  drug  store,  Perry's  drug  store,  La- 
pointe's  real  estate  office,  John  Geiger's  tailor  shop.  Wood's  barber  shop,  Wyn- 
mann's  confectionery,  Rehmke's  jewelery  store,  Bushnell's  photograph  gallery. 
Feed's  harness  shop,  Peterson's  saloon,  Cascade  saloon.  Gross's  insurance  and 
real  estate  office,  Davidson's  law  office,  Louis  Herman's  clothing  store,  David- 
son &  McFall's  law  offices.  Board  of  Trade  rooms,  Walter  &  Company,  Dr. 
Richardson.  Dr.  Newland's,  Dr.  Gray's,  Hare  &  Wallace's,  Dr.  Musser's,  Dyer's 
agricultural  warehouse.  Fish  Block,  new  Post  Office,  Johnson's  stables.  Tacoma 
lodging  house,  four  .small  dwellings  belonging  to  W.  W.  Fish.  Isabella  Block, 
Fogarty's  store,  Bennett's  store  and  warehouse.  D.  G,  C.  Baker's  two  resi- 
dences, Oldham's  blacksmith  shop,  the  Beebe  residence,  Lloyd  Mercantile  Com- 
pany Block,  Mrs.  Schnebly's  residence,  Holbrook  boarding  house,  four  Chinese 
wash  houses.  Chafee's  residence,  Thompson's  residence,  Crawford's  cigar  fac- 
tory, Harmon's  dry  goods  store,  Kleinberg's  clothing  store,  Travers  Brothers' 
hardware  establishment,  Pearson's  place,  the  old  Senate,  the  Tivoli,  Delmonico 
Restaurant,  Dexter  stables,  California  stables,  three  houses  of  Walters  &  Com- 
pany, one  -stable  of  Walters  &  Company,  the  county  superintendent  of  schools 
office  with  all  records  and  papers. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  two  luindred  houses  and  ten  brick  blocks  with 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  693 

their  contents  and  all  the  other  property  destroyed  by  the  fire  were  of  an  aggre- 
gate value  of  not  less  than  two  million  dollars.  Of  course  the  distressed  city 
was  the  recipient  of  much  sympathy  and  substantial  assistance  in  the  form  of 
money,  provisions,  etc.,  from  other  towns  of  the  territory,  so  that  actual  want 
of  the  necessities  of  life  did  not  exist. 

Every- disaster  has  its  hero.  The  hero  of  the  Ellensburgh  fire  was  D.  A. 
Holbrook,  who  at  the  imminent  risk  of  his  life  climbed  to  the  third  story  of  the 
Ashler  Block,  while  it  was  a  mass  of  flames,  for  the  purpose  of  rescuing  a 
stranger  supposed  to  be  sick  in  one  of  the  rooms.  Holbrook  escaped  by  descend- 
ing a  burning  electric  light  pole,  though  not  without  serious  injury  to  arms  and 
face.  But  the  Ellensburgh  fire  developed  more  than  one  hero.  Indeed  one 
would  almost  conclude  that  the  town  possessed  a  citizenship  of  heroes  from 
the  fortitude  and  courage  with  which  all  received  the  blow  and  set  about  recuj^er- 
ating  from  it.  July  6th,  the  people  held  a  rousing  street  meeting,  at  which  sev- 
eral enthusiastic  speeches  were  made,  strongly  urging  the  rebuilding  of  the  city 
at  once.  By  the  10th,  carpenters,  bricklayers,  graders  and  laborers  were  busy  in 
llie  burnt  district  clearing  away  the  debris  and  laying  the  foundation  for  new 
blocks.  Within  ten  days  after  the  fire,  work  either  on  the  plans  or  the  actual 
construction  of  forty-three  business  blocks,  averaging  in  cost  $12,000  each,  was 
under  way,  and  the  resurrection  of  Ellensburgh  had  fairly  begun.  [  tuul  of 
excerpt.] 

Ellensburg  has  surely  been  a  sufl:'erer  from  the  "fire-fiend".  Before  the 
"great  fire"  there  had  been  a  distressing  fire  in  1885,  in  which  the  old  \'alley 
Hotel,  a  center  of  all  sorts  of  activities,  business  and  social,  had  been  destroyed 
and  a  man  had  been  burned  ta  cinders  in  it.  Following  the  great  misfortune 
of  1889  came  several  fires,  less  in  amount,  but  such  as  to  make  in  the  aggregate 
severe  additions  to  the  larger  affliction.  On  Febniary  24,  1890,  the  school 
building  was  burned,  entailing  a  loss  of  $4,000,  of  which  $2,500  was  covered 
by  insurance.  April  24th  of  the  same  year  witnessed  the  destruction  by  fire 
of  the  railroad  round-house  and  machine  shops.  The  company  at  once  replaced 
the  round-house. 

On  February  13,  1900,  the  splendid  mill  of  Tjossem  and  Son,  the  best  grist 
mill  in  the  valley,  went  up  in  smoke,  entailing  a  loss  of  $12,000  or  more  beyond 
insurance.  A  fire  that  threatened  to  be  serious  broke  out  in  the  furniture  store  of 
Tripp  &  Jackson  on  July  10,  1901.  While  the  contents  of  the  store  were  badly 
damaged  the  conflagration  was  checked  without  getting  beyond  control. 

As  already  stated,  the  year  1889,  aside  from  being  the  date  of  the  fire, 
was  a  point  of  reference  in  other  important  events.  It  was  the  year  of  state- 
hood. It  was  the  time  of  strenuous  attempt,  destined  to  disappointment,  to 
locate  the  state  capital  at  Ellen.sburg.  .An  addition  had  been  laid  out  called 
the  "State  Capital  Addition,"  near  the  present  location  of  the  Milwaukee  Depot. 

But  perhaps  more  important  than  any  of  those  events  as  a  point  of  refer- 
ence was  the  fact  that  1889  represented  the  crest  of  the  wave  of  business 
activity  (genuine  construction)  and  of  over-speculation  (largely  frolhv)  whicii 
Ellensburg  shared  with  most  parts  of  the  state  and  of  the  whole  Pacific  Coast. 

The  recession  of  the  wave  of  speculative  excitement  coincided  most  unfor- 
tunately with  the  fire,  to  jilunge  ihc  metropolis  of  Kittitas  Countv  into  a  dark 


694  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

cloud  of  financial  embarrassment.  The  business  men  prior  to  1889  had  mani- 
fested great  enterprise  and  ability  in  reaching  out  in  all  directions  in  the  en- 
deavor to  bring  adjacent  productive  regions  into  business  relations  with  Ellens- 
burg.  One  enterprise  of  great  interest,  now  almost  forgotten,  was  described 
for  us  by  Judge  J.  B.  Davidson. 

This  was  the  organization  of  the  territory  up  and  across  the  Columbia 
River,  so  as  to  divert  the  trade  of  that  vast  region  from  Spokane  and  Walla 
Walla  to  Ellensburg. 

This  movement  looking  to  the  trade  of  the  Okanogan  and  Big  Rend  regions 
was  in  active  progress  in  1888  and  1889.  Thomas  L.  Nixon  was  the  most  active 
promoter  of  this  mo\enient.  Me  was  not  hiniiself  an  Ellensburg  man,  but  the 
business  men  of  the  city  backed  the  undertakings  initiated  by  him.  A  steamer, 
the  "City  of  Ellensburgh,"  was  placed  on  the  run  from  Port  Eaton  on  the  Co- 
lumbia, near  the  present  Beverly,  to  Chelan  and  (  )kanogan  points.  Work  of 
blasting  rocks  from  the  channel  at  Cabinet  and  Rock  Island  Rapids  was  under- 
taken and  considerable  was  actually  accomplished.  The  plans  contemplated  the 
construction  of  a  railroad  from  Ellensburg  to  Port  Eaton.  Between  S7.^,000 
and  $100,000  was  actually  pledged  at  Ellensburg  to  construct  this  railroad. 
Nearly  ten  miles  was  graded  out  of  Ellensburg.  The  leading  men  at  Ellens- 
burg in  the  enterprise  were  J.  A.  Shoudy.  E.  P.  Cadwell,  John  McCandless, 
Frank  McCandless,  A.  N.  Hamilton,  H.  C.  Walters,  and  John  B.  Davidson. 
That  was  one  of  the  finest  enterprises  ever  undertaken  in  Kittitas  County  and 
it  was  deserving  of  large  success.  But  like  other  ambitious  and  hopeful  aims, 
the  times  were  not  propitious,  and  the  scheme  could  not  be  revived. 

BUSINESS    F.MLURES 

Beginning  with  December,  1889,  a  series  of  business  failures  began  to 
shake  the  confidence  of  the  business  community.  The  large  wholesale  and 
retail  tore  of  Lloyd  Brothers  closed  its  doors  on  the  26th  of  the  month.  Other 
failures  followed  in  quick  succession.  But  the  people  who  had  created  the  fine 
little  city  and  had  done  so  much  to  develop  the  valley  around  it  were  not  dis- 
mayed to  the  extent  of  folding  their  hands  and  suspending  enterprise.  This 
is  well  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  the  city  entered  at  once  upon  a  bond  issue 
for  a  new  school  building  to  replace  that  which  had  been  burned.  The  electric 
light  plant  was  purchased  by  the  city  for  $34,000,  and  bonds  were  issued  to 
the  amount  of  $200,000  for  water-works  and  a  sewage  system.  Until  1897, 
the  financial  clouds  hung  low.  In  that  year  there  was  a  marked  revi\al.  With 
each  year  following,  business  conditions  improved.  The  developments  in  agri- 
cultural, orchard,  dair>^  and  live  stock  industries,  lumbering,  mining  of  both 
coal  and  gold — all  combined  to  reestablish  Ellensburg  in  the  po^inon  of  sub- 
stantial security  which  she  now  enjoys. 

The  growth  has  not  been  rapid,  but  has  been  sound.  The  attractive  vision 
which  at  one  time  danced  before  the  eyes  of  the  builders,  of  becoming  the  "irst 
city  of  the  Yakima  Valley,  the  capital  of  the  state,  and  a  great  distribution 
center  of  all  central  Washington,  gradually  faded  away,  and  the  people  have 
become  reconciled  to  the  fact  that  the  destiny  of  the  city  was  rather  to  provide 
a    solid,   attractive   local    point    for   one    of   the    most    beautiful    and    productive 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  695 

rey;ions  in  the  Xorthwcst.  L'p  to  about  189.5  Ellensburg'  led  \'akinia  in  the 
race  for  wealth  and  population.  After  that  date  it  became  clear  that  the 
ijeography  and  distribution  of  areas  and  resources  were  such  that  the  largest 
city  of  the  Yakima  Valley  must  inevitably  be  in  the  central  rather  than  the 
upper  part.  The  recent  great  growth  of  the  city  of  Yakima  is  the  logical  con- 
sequence of  the  natural  centralizing  of  productive  resources  through  the  vast 
irrigation  enterprises  of  the  Government.  The  enormous  tracts  of  fertile  land 
brought  into  profitable  use  by  the  Tieton,  the  Ahtanum,  the  Wapato,  the  Sunny- 
side,  and  other  irrigating  projects  were  bound  to  seek  some  common  denomina- 
tion of  exchange.     Yakima  was  the  logical  spot  for  that  common  center. 

The  question  of  great  interest  to  the  student  of  geographical  locations  and 
commercial  and  municipal  evolution  is  whether  with  the  immense  development 
promised  by  the  completion  of  the  projects  in  the  lower  valley,  between  Prosser 
and  the  Columbia  River,  with  the  sure  increase  of  transportation  facilities,  both 
rail  and  water,  up  and  down  and  across  the  line  of  the  Columbia  River,  the 
metropolis  of  the  great  Yakima  Valley  may  not  ultimately  be  at  Kennewick 
or  at  the  junction  of  the  Yakima  with  the  western  "Father  of  Waters,"  the 
Columbia. 

Whatever  the  future  of  the  state  may  bring  it  is  obvious  to  the  observer 
that  at  this  writing  both  Yakima  and  Ellensburg  have  an  assured  position  as 
beautiful  and  progressive  cities,  commensurate  in  all  respects  with  the  country 
about  them,  in  which  the  industry  and  intelligence  of  the  builders  have  kept 
pace  with  the  bounty  so  lavishly  bestowed  by  Nature. 

THE   WATER  QUESTION 

One  of  the  most  important  questions  for  any  municipality  is  that  of  a 
proper  water  supply.  Ellensburg  went  through  the  usual  stages  of  that  ex- 
perience. The  first  city  water  works  were  privately  owned.  The  supply  came 
from  Wilson  Creek  in  the  open  ditch  to  a  reservoir  on  Craig's  Hill.  That 
reservoir  was  one  of  the  interesting  objects  of  early  days.  B.  E.  Craig  was 
the  first  to  undertake  the  establishment  of  this  system.  Subsequently  Carl  A. 
Sander  became  chief  owner  of  the  system.  He  made  considerable  improvements 
in  1887.  In  1891  Mr.  Sander  sold  the  system  to  a  New  York  company.  As  is 
likely  to  be  the  case  when  any  public  utility  of  that  sort  is  owned  by  outside 
capital,  the  water  service  became  unsatisfactory. 

An  editorial  from  the  "Register"  of  April  22,  1893,  right  in  the  midst  of 
the  tightest  stage  of  the  hard  times,   indicates  the  beginnings  of  an   agitation 
for  a  publicly  owned  water  system.     We  include  that  editorial  here. 
"Register,"  April  22,   1893. 

EDITORI.\L  ON   THE   CITY   WATER   SUPPLY 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  Ellensburg,  there  are  to  be  steps  taken 
to  regulate  and  control  the  water  supply.  Heretofore  the  system  has  simply 
been  tolerated  for  the  benefit  of  private  use,  but  the  public  has  received  no 
benefit  or  protection  from  it.  In  this  respect  honors  are  easy,  for  the  public 
has  paid  nothing  for  its  use. 


696  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Following  the  change  in  ownership  of  the  water  works  comes  a  different 
proposition  which  the  city  council  is  called  upon  to  meet,  which  is  that  in  the 
event  the  water  works  are  made  proficient  as  a  protection  against  fire,  the 
city  shall  pay  for  protection.  An  attempt  has  been  made,  and  is  still  in  progress, 
by  the  new  company  to  so  improve  the  service  that  the  requirements  imposed 
may  be  met.  The  necessary  pressure  upon  the  water  mains  is  fixed  by  the  com- 
jiany  in  a  proposed  ordinance  at  sixty  pounds  to  the  inch  east  of  Pine  street 
as  the  minimum.  The  company  has  offered  to  reduce  the  price  of  hydrants 
Sli  per  year  provided  the  city  will  waive  any  right  to  purchase  the  plant  during 
the  existence  of  the  franchise  which  is  for  twenty-five  years,  or  in  other  words 
bind  the  city  to  a  contract  for  water  at  a  certain  price  for  a  certain  time  willy 
nilly.  The  proposition  further  eliminates  privileges  of  the  city  which  are  of 
minor  importance  though  not  altogether  objectionable.  It  is  further  required 
by  the  company  that  the  city,  when  paying  in  warrants  drawn  upon  a  fund  in 
which  there  is  no  money,  shall  pay  such  additional  sum  as  shall  equal  the 
jirice  in  cash. 

To  all  these  propositions  the  council  objects,  and  as  it  now  stands  there 
are  no  propositions  pending.  The  city  council  is  alive  to  the  exigencies  -of  the 
case  and  proposes  to  carefully  and  prudently  legislate  upon  this  question  in  the 
best  interests  of  the  city  and  with  fairness  and  justice  to  the  company. 

The  problem  must  be  met  and  the  city  supplied  with  water  for  fire  pur- 
poses, or  the  business  men  of  tlie  city  will  more  than  pay  the  cost  in  the  increase 
of  insurance  rates.  Whether  or  not  the  present  system  has  been  up  to  the 
requirements  of  the  franchise  it  has  been  the  means  of  holding  the  rates  of 
insurance  at  one-half  what  they  otherwise  would  be.  This  aft'ects  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  taxable  property  within  the  corporation.  That  the  city  water 
must  be  paid  for  or  shut  oft'  are  the  alternatives  for  consideration  of  the  coun- 
cil, and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  an  early  choice  will  be  made.     [End  of  excerpt.] 

The  agitation  for  a  municipal  water  system  continued  and  in  1910  a  vote 
by  the  people  accomplished  the  desired  end.  But  a  rather  peculiar  situation 
resulted  which  continues  to  this  day.  For  the  Ellensburg  Gas  and  Water 
Company  still  supplies  water  to  portions  of  the  city.  Hence  the  people  of 
Ellensburg  are  blessed,  or  otherwise,  with  two  water  systems.  The  source 
of  water  for  the  municipal  system  is  deep  wells,  deriving  their  supply  from  a 
subterranean  flow.  These  wells  are  equipped  with  three  large  centrifugal 
pumps,  which  pump  the  water  into  a  storage  reservoir  holding  1,469.000  gallons, 
from  which  the  water  reaches  the  city  mains.  The  source  of  the  city  water 
insures  an  abundant  supply  of  clear  pure  water  unaffected  by  flood  or  drought. 

The  city  also  owns  its  electric  light  plant,  an  unusual  fact  in  a  small  city. 
All  evidence  indicates  that  this  municipal  enterprise  is  highlv  satisfactorv.  To 
the  "Father"  of  Ellen.sburg.  John  A.  Shondy,  is  credited  tJie  first  establishment 
of  an  electric  system. 

In  1890  the  city  acquired  the  existing  light  system  and  made  large  im- 
])rovements.  The  power  is  located  on  the  Yakima  River,  about  three  miles 
from  the  city.  A  canal  three  miles  in  length  conveys  water  for  generating 
the  power.  The  passage  of  the  water  through  a  pair  of  large  turbine  wheels 
produces  about  700  horse  power. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  697 

The  power  is  used  for  running  a  large  number  of  dynamos  for  manufac- 
turing purposes  as  well  as  light.  The  cost  to  the  city  for  installing  the  plant 
was  about  $55,000,  and  it  is  stated  that  on  that  valuation  it  is  a  money  making 
investment. 

CITY    GOVERNMENT 

We  have  given  at  an  earlier  point  in  this  chapter  the  original  city  charter. 
That  charter  went  into  effect  in  1886.  It  has  continued  with  no  material 
amendments  to  this  date. 

The  first  election  of  city  officers  took  place  on  February  26.  1886.  Two 
of  the  most  prominent  of  the  old-timers  of  Ellensburg  were  apposing  candi- 
dates for  the  honor  of  the  first  mayoralty,  one  of  whom,  Mr.  Shoudy,  passed 
away  a  number  of  years  ago,  the  other  of  whom  continues  to  the 
present,  still  held  in  the  same  honor  by  his  fellow  citizens.  These  two  first 
candidates  for  mayor  were  Austin  Mires  and  J.  A.  Shoudy.  Mr.  Mires  re- 
ceived 279  votes  and  Mr.  Shoudy  received  93.  According  to  the  provisions  of 
the  charter  the  mayor,  marshal  and  councilmen  were  to  be  chosen  by  popular 
election,  and  the  council  was  to  appoint  clerk,  treasurer,  surveyor,  assessor, 
and  street  commissioner.  The  results  of  that  first  election  were  these:  mayor, 
Austin  Mires ;  marshal,  J.  R.  Wallace ;  councilmen,  Fred  Leonhard,  Mathias 
Becker,  Thomas  Johnson,  George  Elliott,  F.  D.  Schnebly. 

On  March  1,  1886,  the  newly  chosen  officials  met  and  duly  inaugurated 
the  first  city  government  for  Ellensburg.  The  appointees  to  the  other  offices 
were  as  follows:  S.  L.  Blumauer,  clerk;  Henry  Rehmke,  treasurer;  J.  R.  W^al- 
lace,  surveyor;  J.  R.  Wallace,  assessor;  L.  Pool,  street  commissioner. 

This  was  an  occasion  of  so  much   interest  that  the   inaugural   address  of 
the  mayor  may  well  have  a  permanent  record.     We  therefore  are  glad  to  incor- 
porate here  the  address  of  Mayor  Austin  Mires. 
mayor's  message 

Gentlemen  of  the  Common  Council : — The  charater  of  our  city  makes  it 
the  duty  of  the  mayor  to  communicate  to  you  at  the  first  regular  meeting  in 
each  year  a  general  statement  of  the  condition  of  the  afifairs  of  the  city  as 
well  as  to  recommend  the  adoption  of  such  measures  as  he  may  deem  expedient 
and  proper.  In  the  performance  of  this  duty  I  ask  your  indulgence  for  a  few 
moments. 

The  city  government  was  organized  on  the  second  day  of  March,  1886, 
something  over  ten  months  ago.  Since  that  date  there  has  been  made  one 
general  assessment  at  the  rate  of  three  mills  per  annum  upon  the  taxable  prop- 
erty of  the  city,  and  the  levy  of  a  road  poll  tax  at  the  rate  of  $4.00  on  all  male 
inhabitants  between  the  ages  of  twenty-one  and  fifty  years. 

There  has  been  realized  from  all  sources  up  to  January  first,  1887,  the 
following  amounts : 

General  tax   $    601.98 

Liquor  licenses   3,000.00 

Fines  812.28 

Business  licenses 1,196.10 

Making  a  total  of $5,610.36 


698  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  expenditures  up  to  January  1,  1887,  as  reported  to  me  by  our  treas- 
urer and  clerk  are  as  follows : 

Justice's  court $    329.02 

Street   improvements   1,007.16 

This  embraces  amount  paid  by  city  for  cross-\valks-$624.25 

Lumber   _— 1 111.96 

Materials,  such  as  nails,  etc.  26.70 

Amount  paid  street  commissioner 184.50 

Street  lamps 39.75 

Fixtures    362.10 

Fire  department  526.00 

Police  force 1,663.50 

Drawing  and  publishing  ordinances 187,62 

Incidental   166.00 

.'\mount  paid  Kittitas  County  out  of  liquor  licenses 2,000.00 

Treasurer's  commission 108,21 

Total $6,349.61 

The  street  commissioner's  report  shows  that  ninety  persons  have  worked 
out  their  road  poll  ta.x,  which,  in  money,  would  amount  to  $360.00,  thus  making 
a  total  of  $1,367.16  expended  upon  street  improvements  for  the  year. 

There  has  been  constructed  during  the  year  5,800  feet  of  sidewalk,  1,792 
feet  of  cross-walk,  and  270  feet  of  alley  crossings,  making  a  total  of  7,852  feet. 

There  had  already  been  a  highway  constructed  on  the  extension  of  Third 
Street  from  Water  Street  to  the  railroad  depot  at  the  date  of  organization  of 
our  city  government.  Lately  Fifth  Street  has  been  opened  and  graded  to  the 
line  of  the  railroad,  thus  making  two  commodious  highways  from  our  city  to 
the  depot,  which  seem  to  me  to  be  ample  for  the  present. 

Before  leaving  this  subject  I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that 
Hon.  John  A.  Shoudy  has  filed  a  claim  against  the  city  in  the  sum  of  $927.50 
for  work  done  and  material  furnished  in  constructing  the  first  mentioned  high- 
way from  Water  Street  to  the  railroad  depot  on  the  line  of  the  extension  of 
Third  Street.  There  seems  to  me  to  be  no  doubt  that  Air.  Shoudy  should 
receive  a  just  recompense  for  the  work  mentioned.  I  have  labored  under  the 
belief,  however,  that  our  city  charter  does  not  contemplate  the  payment  of  such 
claims  from  the  general  fund.  Rut  if  you  conclude  that  the  city  should  make 
such  recompense  to  Mr.  Shoudy,  I  think  you  will  find  ample  provision  for  doing 
so  by  the  levy  of  a  special  tax  for  that  purpose. 

The  peace  and  order  of  our  city  during  the  last  ten  months  has  fulfilled 
the  most  sanguine  expectations,  and  it  is  in  striking  contrast  to  the  order  that 
prevailed  for  some, time  immediately  prior  to  our  city  organization.  Taking  into 
consideration  the  fact  that  ours  is  a  frontier  city,  and  that  our  ten  months' 
existence  as  a  city  has  covered  over  a  period  when  the  Northern  Pacific  Rail- 
road has  been  in  course  of  active  construction  through  our  valley,  thus  making 
EUensburgh  during  all  this  time  the  actual  terminal  point,  circumstances  which 
invariably  draw  to  such  locations  a  large  transient  population.  I  am  constrained 
to  say  to  you  the  order  of  the  place  has  been  exceedingly  good. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  699 

This  happy  state  of  things  has  been  due  in  great  measure  to  the  laws 
ordained  by  the  City  Council  in  furtherance  of  peace  and  quiet,  and  to  the 
efficiency  of  our  city  police  force.  It  will  be  your  province,  gentlemen,  to  pass 
additional  laws  whenever  it  appears  that  good  morals  and  good  order  will  be 
enhanced  thereby. 

I  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  although  there  has  already  been  quite 
an  amount  of  money  and  labor  expended  upon  our  streets,  yet  they  are  suscep- 
tible of  great  improvement.  Main  and  Third  Streets,  especially,  should  be 
graded  and  guttered  at  the  very  earliest  moment. 

It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  since  our  organization  our  city  has  not 
been  visited  by  a  single  fire  and  this  in  face  of  the  fact  that  building  and  improve- 
ments of  various  kinds  have  been  continually  going  on.  How  much  good  fortune 
in  this  direction  we  owe  to  the  sensible  and  vigorous  measures  taken  at  the  early 
existence  of  the  old  council  against  the  maintenance  of  stove  pipes,  cannot  be 
told.  At  present  I  believe  there  is  not  a  stove  pipe  passing  through  roof  or  wall 
within  the  business  portion  of  our  city.  Notwithstanding  our  good  fortune  in 
the  past  the  rapid  building  up  of  our  city  with  wooden  buildings  makes  it  im- 
perative with  you  to  provide  against  danger  from  fire  in  the  future.  It  is  high 
time  to  consummate  the  organization  of  a  well  equipped  fire  department.  The 
city  has  already  1,200  feet  of  hose,  which  will  be  sufficient  for  the  present,  and 
a  hand  engine  has  been  ordered,  which  should  have  been  here  ere  this.  I  urge 
upon  you  the  necessity  of  procuring  a  hose  cart  at  once,  and  of  providing  a 
building  suitable  for  the  storage  of  your  fire  apparatus.  We  cannot  expect  to 
put  in  extensive  water  works  at  present,  but  we  should  make  all  possible  prep- 
arations against  fire,  and  to  that  end  I  recommend  the  immediate  sinking  of 
three  or  more  good  wells  or  cisterns  available  to  the  business  portion  of  the 
city  to  answer  until  more  elaborate  preparations  can  be  made. 

The  city  has  already  made  some  provision  for  lighting  the  streets.  Some 
eight  lamps  are  in  position,  but  more  will  be  required.  There  should  be  at  least 
two  lamps  at  appropriate  points  on  Fourth  Street,  between  Pine  Street  and  the 
Academy  Building,  and  an  equal  number  on  Third  Street,  between  Pine  Street 
and  the  new  schoolhouse. 

While  we  have  never  as  yet  been  visited  with  an  epidemic  of  any  magni- 
tude, the  immediate  future  health  and  comfort  of  our  city  demands  your  earnest 
attention.  I  urge  upon  you  the  necessity  of  providing  a  system  of  sewerage  at 
as  early  a  date  as  the  condition  of  affairs  will  permit. 

Our  charter  gives  the  city  power  to  levy  and  collect  each  year  a  road  poll 
tax  of  not  less  than  $4  nor  more  than  $6  on  ever}'  male  inhabitant  of  the  city, 
between  the  ages  of  21  and  50  years,  except  active  or  exempt  firemen  and  [)er- 
sons  who  are  a  public  charge. 

The  city  has  provided  in  ordinance  No.  4  for  the  levy  and  collection  of  this 
tax  but  it  seems  to  me  the  ordinance  is  either  deficient  or  the  proper  officers 
have  failed  to  perform  their  duties  under  the  same;  for  not  only  has  there  been 
no  money  paid  into  this  fund,  but  moreover  only  ninety  persons  are  reported  as 
having  worked  out  their  tax  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  ordinance. 
I  call  attention  to  this  fact  and  recommend  an  amendment  to  the  ordinance  so 
that  the  tax  may  be  properly  collected  in  money.     I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the 


700  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

amount  of  the  assessment  for  any  year,  properly  expended  in  money  on  contract, 
would  have  more  than  double  the  effect  in  street  improvements  than  it  would 
by  allowing  each  one  the  privilege  of  working  out  his  tax.  The  ordinance  should 
be  amended  so  as  to  compel  floating  inhabitants  to  pay  their  taxes  and  in  all 
ways  bear  their  just  share  of  the  expenses  of  government. 

It  seems  to  me  that  there  exists  some  deficiency  in  our  vagrant  law  :  too 
many  persons  are  on  our  streets  from  day  to  day  who  follow  no  laudable  calling 
—too  many  who  pursue  no  visible  calling  whatever.  These  classes  add  nothing 
to  the  funds  of  the  city,  contribute  nothing  to  its  good  order  or  good  morals.  I 
therefore  call  your  attention  to  our  city  ordinance  defining  and  punishing  vagrants. 
If  it  is  inadequate  amend  it:  if  the  fault  is  in  the  lack  of  its  vigorous  enforce- 
ment by  our  police  officers,  then  take  such  steps  as  will  cause  a  strict  perform- 
ance of  duty  in  this  regard,  and  if  possible  rid  the  city  of  this  growing  evil. 

Gentlemen,  these  are  all  the  communications  or  recommendations  that  I 
have  to  submit  to  you  at  the  present  time.  With  the  admonition  that  the  future 
welfare  of  our  city  depends  upon  the  enactment  and  vigorous  enforcement  of 
laws  in  the  interest  of  good  order,  morality  and  substantial  improvements,  and 
feeling  confident  that  you  will  weigh  well  the  capacity  in  which  you  have  been 
called  to  labor  by  your  fellow  citizens,  and  that  you  will  study  assiduously  to 
perform  your  duty  as  councilmen  without  fear  of  censure  from  the  disaffected 
or  hope  of  any  other  reward  than  the  approval  of  your  own  consciences,  I  re- 
spectfully submit  to  you  this  message. 

A.  Mire?.  Mayor. 

MAYORS  ,\ND  CLERK-S   1886  TO   1918 

The  records  of  the  succeeding  councils  and  appointive  officers  do  not  seem 
to  be  complete,  but  through  the  kindness  of  B.  L.  Titus,  city  clerk,  we  are  able 
to  give  at  this  jjoint  an  unbroken  list  of  the  mayors  and  clerks  to  the  present  date. 


1886— Austin  Mires  1003— J.  H.  Smithson 

1887— Austin  Mires  l')04— M.  E.  Flynn 

1888— O.  P.  Jackson  1905— A.  M.  \\'right 

1889— W.  R.  Abrams  190r>— M.  Bartholet 

1890— John  B.  Davidson  1907— J.  H.  Morgan 

1891— John  A.  Shoudy  1908— W.  J.   Peed 

1892— H.  M.  Baldwin  l'X39— W.  }.  Peed 

1893— H.  L.  Stowell  1910— F.  E.  Craig 

189-1— J.  H.  Smithson  1911— F.  E.  Craig 

1895— j.  W.  Bean  1912— T.  A.  Mahan 

1896— J.  W.  Bean  1913- j.  A.  Mahan 

1897— P.  p.  Gray  1914— J.  A.  :\Tahan 

1898— P.  P.  Gray  1915— Samuel  Kreidel 

1899— T.  C.  McCauley  1916— Samuel  Kreidel 

1900— J.  C.  McCauley  1917— Samuel  Kreidel 

1001— J.  C.  McCauley  l')l  8— Samuel   Kreidel 
1902— J.  H.  Smithson 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  701 


S.  L.  Blumauer  George  Sayles 

S.  L.  Blumauer  George  Sayles 

J.  R.  Wallace  George  Sayles 

J    p>    \\'allace  Louis  H.  Bloomfield 

"t.  R.  \\'allace  J-  J-  Poyser 

T.  R.  Wallace  J-  J-  Poyser  to  June  7th— resigned 

Tnmes  G.  Boyle  John  A.  Shoudy  from  June  7th 

Tames  G.  Boyle  John  A.  Shoudy 

Tames  G.  Boyle  John  A.  Shoudy  to  October  4th,  resigned 

Tames  G.  Boyle  J-  A.  Crimp  from  October  4th 

James  G.  Boyle  J-  A.  Crimp 

I'red  W.  Agatz  Fred  T.  Hofmann 

W.  H.  Greenhow  Fred  T.  Hofmann 

Tames  G.  Boyle  ''  '5' Reuben  Crimp 

Tames  G.  Boyle  Reuben  Crimp 

George  Sayles  Reuben  Crimp 

George  Sayles  Reuben  Crimp  to  AIa\-  6th 

George  Sayles  B.  L.  Titus  from  ;\Iay  6th 

The  complete  list  of  officers  at  present  is  as  follows:  Samuel  Kreidel, 
mayor:  B.  L.  Titus,  clerk;  Mrs.  Bessie  Nesbit,  treasurer:  E.  J.  Lindberg,  city 
attornev  :  E.  L.  Butler,  superintendent  light  and  water  department :  A.  F.  Ed- 
wards, city  engineer. 

On  November  5.  1918,  a  preliminary  caucus  was  held  for  city  officers, 
which  under  the  conditions  was  equivalent  to  election.  The  report  in  the  "Eve- 
ning Record"  of  November  6th  is  therefore  worthy  of  preservation  here : 

Despite  the  influenza  quarantine,  a  caucus  was  held  at  the  city  hall  yester- 
day and  placed  a  complete  ticket  in  the  field  for  the  city  election  in  December. 
The  ticket  is  headed  by  Mayor  Kreidel,  who  has  consented  to  again  act  as  mayor 
for  another  two  year  term.  B.  L.  Titus  is  renominated  for  clerk  and  Mrs. 
Bessie  Nesbit  renominated  for  treasurer.  Harry  W.  Hale,  who  had  previously 
served  as  city  attorney,  became  a  candidate  for  that  position.  E.  J.  Lind- 
berg refusing  to  again  be  a  candidate.  Mr.  Hale  died  in  February,  1919,  and 
F.  .\.  Kern  succeeded  him. 

The  first  ward  councilmanic  candidates  are  to  be  C.  H.  Flummerfelt 
for  the  four  year  term  and  C.  W.  Fulton  for  the  two  year  term.  Air.  Flummer- 
felt has  served  as  councilman  previously  while  Mr.  Fulton  was  recently  elected 
temporary  councilman  bv  the  city  council  to  replace  Jesse  Waters,  who  left 
the  city. 

A.  C.  Busby,  well  known  blacksmith,  is  to  be  the  new  councilman  from 
the  second  ward  for  the  two  year  term  in  place  of  Walter  Schmid,  who  resigned 
because  of  the  Mc.\doo  order  asking  all  railroad  men  to  give  up  all  political 
offices. 

In  the  third  ward  the  candidates  nominated  are  M.  L.  Bridgham  and  Peter 
Garvev.   both    for    four  vear  terms,      .Mr.    Garvey   has  been   a   member   of   the 


702  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

council  for  years,  being  the  senior  of  all  city  officers  in  term  of  service.  Mr. 
Hridgham,  an  undertaker  and  county  coroner,  was  recently  shot  by  an  unknown 
assassin  and  A.  T.  Gregor\-  was  appointed  coroner. 

John  Killmore,  who  has  served  several  terms  as  councilman,  is  the  candi- 
date for  councilman  at  large  for  the  two  year  term. 

There  were  seven  men  present  at  the  caucus  with  C.  C.  Churchill  as  chair- 
man and  H.  B.  Carroll  as  secretary  of  the  meeting.  The  others  present  were 
C.  R.  Hadley,  E.  J.  Lindberg,  R.  Crimp,  W.  F.  Webster  and  B.  L.  Titus. 


CHAPTER  IV 
SCHOOLS,  CHURCHES  AND  SOCIETIES  OF  ELLENSBURG 

THE  SCHOOLS — DISTRICTS — KITTITAS  COUNTV  TEACHERS SCHOOL  BOARD — TEACHERS 

IN    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS CLE    ELUM    SCHOOLS STATE    NORMAL    SCHOOL    BOARD    OF 

TRUSTEES — STATE     BOARD    OF     EDUCATION ADMINISTRATIVE     STAFF FACULTY 

FOR  1918-19 CHURCHES  OF  ELLENSBURG INTO  THE  HOSTILE  CAMP FRA- 
TERNAL AND  MISCELLANEOUS  SOCIETIES THE  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE:  CON- 
STITUTION AND  BY-LAWS OFFICERS  AND  TRUSTEES7— KITTITAS  COUNTY   IN   THE 

SPANISH-AMERICAN    WAR — CIT\'    LIBRARY    OF  ELLENSBURG 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  or  possible  to  enlarge  upon  the  vital  value  of  the 
institutions  which  compose  the  heading  of  this  chapter.  If  it  be  true  that  the 
natural  environment  and  the  industries  of  farm,  mine,  mill,  and  orchard  which 
we  have  presented  in  the  chapter  on  county  history  provide  the  tangible  and 
material  necessities  of  life,  and  if  it  also  be  true  that  the  business  instrumen- 
talities which  appear  in  the  history  of  the  town  be  essential  to  the  proper  ex- 
change and  organizing  of  those  commodities,  it  is  no  less  true  that  the  intel- 
lectual and  moral  and  social  instrumentalities  are  essential  to  the  proper  use 
of  those  material  things.  If  production  and  business  furnish  the  materials  of 
life,  the  school,  the  church,  the  social  or  fraternal  organization,  the  club  or  the 
music  hall,  teach  people  what  to  do  with  those  materials.  Without  these 
ameliorating  and  refining  agencies,  the  products  of  industry  would  be  simply 
piles  of  matter,  with  no  significance  beyond  mere  "food." 

THE    SCHOOLS 

It  has  been  said  so  many  times  as  to  be  a  tedious  truism,  but  it  is  none  the 
less  true,  that  the  public  schools  of  the  United  States  form  the  very  cornerstone 
of  her  life.  And  this  is  true  not  only,  not  even  mainly,  for  the  knowledge 
acquired  there,  but  for  the  lessons  of  essential  democracy — Liberty,  Equality, 
Fraternity — imparted  in  the  classroom  and  on  the  playground,  the  A.  R.  C. 
of  that  great  social  entity  which  we  call  Americanism,  the  present  hope  of  a 
world  wrecked  and  all  but  ruined  by  the  reign  of  kings. 

The  public  school  is  even  more  a  political  and  social  than  an  educational  fact. 

In  the  counties  with  which  we  are  dealing  in  this  history  we  find  the  usual 
American  pride  and  interest  in  the  schools.  While  this  interest  is  common  all 
over  the  American  Union  many  observers  think  that  the  schools  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  surpass  even  those  of  the  older  states  in  the  outlay  and  attention  given 
to  them.  Some  years  ago  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation  stated  in  its  educa- 
tional report  that  for  "all-round  efficiency  the  public  school  system  of  Washing- 
ton surpassed  that  of  any  other  state  in  the  Union." 

W'e  expect  to  find  and  do  find  that  for  high  standards  of  education  the 
schools  of  Yakima,  Kittitas,  and  Benton  counties  are  in  the  forefront  in  this 
703 


704  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

forefront  state.  In  some  measure  this  high  standard  has  been  produced  by  the 
presence  at  Ellensburg  of  the  State  Normal  School,  an  institution  whose  in- 
fluence has  extended  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  county  in  which  it  is  located, 
but  which  in  the  nature  of  things  has  been  especially  marked  in  the  counties 
which  compose  the  Yakima  Valley. 

The  public  schools  of  the  valley  began  in  the  year  1868  at  Yakima  City, 
then  the  county  seat  and  the  only  town  between  Walla  Walla  and  Seattle.  The 
first  record  of  school  organization  is  of  the  same  interest  to  the  Kittitas  reader 
as  to  the  Yakima  reader.  We  find  in  the  county  superintendent's  office  at 
Yakima  the  first  book  of  records  of  the  first  superintendent,  George  W.  Par- 
rish.  His  first  record  is  this : — "I  was  appointed  school  superintendent  by  the 
county  commissioners  on  the  first  Monday  of  February,  1868.  I  had  no  prede- 
cessor, consequently  no  records  or  precedents  in  the  county  by  which  to  act. 
The  settlements  were  few  and  far  apart.  It  became  my  duty  to  divide  the 
county  into  school  districts :  which  I  did,  making  most  of  them  large,  contem- 
plating their  subdivision  as  the  public  welfare  might  require.  The  following 
is  a  statement  of  the  boundaries  and  numbers  of  the  several  districts  of  Yakima 
County,  Washington  Territory,   to-wit : —     *     *     *" 

In  pursuance  of  this  purpose  Superintendent  Parrish  laid  out  seven  dis- 
tricts. Districts  6  and  7  as  outlined  here  were  never  organized,  and  the  perma- 
nent Number  6  appears  in  subsequent  reports  with  new  boundaries  as  organ- 
ized July  4,  1869. 

The  initial  boundaries  of  I'ebruary,  1868,  gi\en  in  the  report  are  as  follows: 

DISTRICT   NO.   ONE 

Application  for  its  formation  was  made  by  Mr.  F.  M.  Thorp.  A  notice 
of  its  boundaries  was  sent  to  him  on  the  28th  of  June.  1868.  It  is  bounded  as 
follows :  Commencing  on  Yakima  River,  two  miles  south  of  the  Third  Standard 
Parrellel,  thence  due  east  to  Columbia  River,  thence  up  said  river  to  the  Fourth 
Standard  Parallel  line,  thence  west  along  said  line  to  Range  20  east,  thence  due 
south  to  Township  13  north  on  said  range,  thence  due  west  to  Yakima  River, 
thence  down  said  river  to  place  of  beginning. 


By  application  notice  was  sent  to  IMr.  Walter  Lindsey  on  the  28th  day  of 
June,  1868.  It  is  bounded :  Commencing  on  Ahlanum  River  at  the  crossing 
of  the  line  between  Ranges  17  an4  18  east:  thence  north  along  said  line  to 
Natches  River;  thence  down  said  river  to  Yakima  River:  thence  down  said 
river  to  Ahtanum  River;  thence  up  Ahtanum  River  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

DISTRICT    NO.   THREE 

Notice  was  sent  too  Mr.  ojseph  Bowzer  on  the  28th  of  June,  1868.  It  is 
bounded  so  as  to  include  all  that  part  of  the  county  between  Natches  and 
Ahtanum  rivers  west  of  the  line  between  Ranges  17  and  18. 


L'llLK.'    St'HOOL,   ELLEX8BUKG 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  705 

DISTRICT  NO.  FOUR 

Notice  for  the  creation  of  District  No.  Four  was  sent  to  G.  S.  Taylor  on 
June  28,  1868.  It  began  at  the  mouth  of  the  Natches  and  went  to  the  summit 
of  the  Cascade  Mountains  and  along  the  range  to  the  divide  between  Wenas 
and  Umptanum  creeks. 

DISTRICT    NO.    FIVE 

Notice  of  the  formation  of  District  No.  Five  was  given  to  E.  French  on 
October  16,  1868,  and  included  all  the  county  north  and  east  of  Yakima  River 
south  of  District  No.  One. 

Since  Districts  Nos.  6  and  7  were  not  organized,  though  laid  out  to  include 
all  the  rest  of  the  county,  we  may  regard  the  first  five  as  including  the  "Charter 
Districts"  of  the  old  Yakima  County.  Inspection  of  a  map  shows  that  No.  1 
included  the  larger  part  of  the  present  Kittitas  County  and  quite  a  piece  of 
Benton.  The  only  settlement  in  the  whole  vast  area  was  that  of  the  Moxee, 
for  the  sake  of  which  the  district  was  laid  out. 

The  second  superintendent  was  C.  P.  Cooke,  who  later  became  one  of  the 
first  settlers  on  the  Kittitas,  known  as  one  of  the  best  educated  men  in  the 
new  county,  as  he  had  been  in  the  old.  Mrs.  Cooke  still  lives  at  the  date  of 
this  publication  on  the  home  place  on  Cooke  Creek  ten  miles  north  of  Ellens- 
burgh.  The  number  of  pupils  in  the  report  of  1868  was  as  follows  No.  1,  15; 
No.  2,  31;  No.  3,  24;  No.  4,  23;  No.  5,  23;  total,  116.  There  was  a  total  of 
130  in  the  report  of  1869.  The  amount  of  school  tax  for  1867  was  zero ;  for 
1868,  $275.64;  for  1869,  $407.76.  In  1874,  the  tax  had  reached  $1,408.46,  and 
in  the  next  year  it  was  $1,653.06. 

County  division  came  in  1883,  and  hence  the  statistics  which  we  are  giving 
here  belong  properly  to  the  old  Yakima  County. 

The  preceding  part  of  the  present  chapter  is  a  repetition  of  the  earliest 
part  of  the  chapter  dealing  with  the  Yakima  County  school  history.  We  have, 
however,  reached  a  stage  where  we  may  center  our  attention  on  the  Kittitas 
history,  even  some  years  in  advance  of  county  division.  It  may  be  noted  that 
for  the  sake  of  unity  the  public  schools  of  Kittitas  County,  as  well  as  of  Ellens- 
burg,  are  included  in  the  succeeding  pages. 

According  to  the  information  derived  from  Mr.  d'Ablaing,  to  whom  we 
have  so  many  times  made  acknowledgments,  Charles  Splawn  was  the  first 
teacher  in  the  county,  or  rather  in  the  region  which  is  now  Kittitas  County. 
The  school  was  near  Mr.  Splawn's  place  on  the  Taneum,  the  time  was  1874, 
the  pupils  were  twelve  in  number,  all  Indians.  In  the  same  place,  known  as 
District  No.  10,  the  successive  terms  following  the  first  had  teachers  as  follows : 
The  second  term  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Yocum,  the  third  by  Louisa  Yocum,  after- 
wards Mrs.  Edward  Cooke,  the  fourth  by  Mr.  Charles  Splawn  again. 

Mrs.  William  Taylor,  now  living  in  Ellensburg,  was  the  first  teacher  in 
the  Denmark  School  in  1876.  J.  P.  Marks  was  at  that  time  superintendent  of 
the  county. 

The  number  of  districts  and  schools  increased  rapidlv  after  1875.     In  1880 

(45) 


706  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

there  were  twenty-three  in  the  old  county,  and  in  1883,  just  prior  to  division, 
the  number  was  thirty-two. 

The  regular  succession  of  superintendents  appears  in  the  records  of  county 
officers  in  the  second  chapter  of  this  part.  We  shall  not  endeavor  to  give 
statistics  of  all  the  different  years,  but  will  regard  a  few  typical  years  as 
sufficiently  illustrating  the  progress  of  the  school  system.  A  report  by  Super- 
intendent J.  H.  Morgan  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891,  will  indicate  condi- 
tions at  a  point  about  midway  between  the  formation  of  the  county  and  the 
opening  of  the  new  century.  According  to  that  report  the  children  of  school 
age  included  1,231  boys  and  1,188  girls,  a  total  of  2,419.  The  school  records 
showed  an  attendance  of  909  boys  and  861  girls,  rather  a  poor  percentage  of 
attendance.  There  were  at  that  date  thirty-six  districts  and  forty-four  teachers. 
The  average  monthly  salar\'  paid  the  male  teachers  was  $57.90:  the  female, 
$49.70.  The  total  expense  of  maintaining  the  schools  during  the  year  covered 
by  the  report  was  $69,924.52.  Of  that  amount  the  salary  expenditure  amounted 
to  $14,595.31.  The  expense  of  purchasing  new  locations,  erecting  new  build- 
ings, and  providing  furniture  and  apparatus  was  $55,329.21.  There  were  at 
that  date  no  high  schools,  though  there  were  two  graded  schools,  one  at  Ellens- 
burg  and  one  at  Roslyn. 

Passing  on  over  another  period  of  twelve  years  we  find  the  report  of  Super- 
intendent H.  F.  Blair  to  give  the  following  figures :  The  school  population 
was  3,120,  with  an  enrollment  of  2,975.  There  were  then  thirty-seven  districts 
with  seventy-two  teachers.  The  estimated  value  of  school  property,  including 
grounds,  buildings,  furniture,  books  and  apparatus,  totalled  $100,665.00.  There 
had  been  a  marked  increase  in  teachers'  salaries,-  the  monthly  wages  for  male 
teachers  being  $71.13,  and  that  for  female  teachers  being  $55.20.  At  that  time 
there  were  no  four  year  high  schools,  but  the  Ellensburg  schools  had  eleven 
grades,  the  Roslyn  schools  had  ten  grades,  and  the  Cle  Elum  schools  had  nine. 
In  the  year  following,  1904,  Ellensburg  inaugurated  her  high  school. 

In  the  year  closing  June  30,  1918,  we  find  the  report  by  Superintendent  S. 

A.  Bartlett  to  embrace  the  following  directory  of  teachers  and  general  statistics: 

District  1 — Amy  Skone,   Ellensburg. 

District  2 — Ruth  McClanahan,  Ellensburg. 

District  3 — Evelyn  I.  Platner,  Ellensburg. 

High — Mildred  C.  Struble,  Ellensburg:  Clara  Burch,  Ellensburg:  Linden 
McCullough,  Ellensburg;  J.  C.  StaufTer,  Ellensburg;  F.  M.  Lash,  Ellensburg; 
l\Iary  A.  Boedcher,  Ellensburg;  Olea  M.  Sands,  Ellensburg:  G.  W.  Callendar, 
Ellensburg:  F.  B.  Daily,  Ellensburg;  A.  J.  Dunnington.  Ellensburg;  J.  H.  Mor- 
gan, Ellensburg;  Elsie  M.  Cody,  Ellensburg:  Ethel  Calhoun,  Ellensburg;  Cora 

B.  Weaver,  Ellensburg;  Lena  Bozorth,  Ellensburg:  Elise  Luff.  Ellensburg; 
Mabel  Garvey,  Ellensburg;  Lilly  Garvey,  Ellensburg;  Frances  Charlton.  Ellens- 
burg; Juanita  Dixon,  Ellensburg;  Helen  Winslow,  Ellensburg;  Ora  Davis, 
Ellensburg;  Olive  Jenkins,  Ellensburg;  Ruth  Jones,  Ellensburg,  Johnson  Sher- 
rick,  Ellensburg. 

District  4 — Gertrude  Mosier,  Ellensburg,  R.  3. 
District  5 — Katherine  Burroughs,  Ellensburg,  R.  2. 
District  6 — Florence  Foster,  Ellensburg,  R.  2. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  707 

District  7 — Charles  A.  Barker,  Ellensburg,  R.  1 ;  Bessie  Whittendale, 
Ellensburg,  R.  I. 

District  8 — ^Margaret  Gallagher,  Ellensburg,  R.  4. 

District  9— Pauline  Rollinger,   Cle   Elum. 

District  11— Helen  Pebbles,  Ellensburg,  R.  1. 

District  12 — C.  M.  Armstrong,  Ellensburg,  R.  2:  Anna  Pederson,  Ellens- 
burg, R.  2;  Tollie  Tooker,  Ellensburg,  R.  2,  Badger  Pocket;  Alargaret  Taylor, 
Beverly :  Carimme  Whitlow,  Yakima,  Squaw  Creek. 

District  13 — Florence  Foltz,  Ellensburg,  R.  4;  Elizabeth  Richards,  Ellens- 
burg. R.  4. 

District  14 — Erie  Gates,  Ellensburg,  R.  3 ;  Grace  Mclnnis,  Kittitas,  Whisky 
Dick. 

District  15 — Mrs.  Leila  Thomas.  Cle  Elum. 

District  17 — Mrs.  Daisy  Fish,  Cle  Elum. 

District  18— Lillian  Nylen,  Ellensburg,  R.  3. 

District  19 — Ellen  Spaulding,  Alalaga. 

District  20— Madge  Charlton,  Ellensburg,  R.  3. 

District  21 — Elizabeth  Dixon,  Boylston. 

District  22— W.  T.  Martin,  South  Cle  Elum;  Elma  E.  Mooney,  South  Cle 
Elum ;  Sara  E.  Baldwin,  South  Cle  Elum. 

District  23 — Winifred  Sanders,  Easton. 

District  24,  High  School— Wilmot  G.  Whitfield.  Roslyn  :  Willie  Hogarty, 
Roslyn :  \'erne  Hall,  Roslyn :  Lottie  Trencholme,  Roslyn  :  Beatrice  Kittrell,  Ros- 
lyn :  Ethel  Shirls,  Roslyn;  Grace  E.  Uhl,  Roslyn:  E.  C.  Cavey,  Roslyn:  Millie  M. 
Pritchard,  Roslyn :  Martha  Simpson,  Roslyn :  Elsie  Randolph,  Roslyn  :  Cornelia 
Hooper,  Roslyn :  Hazel  Gilkey,  Roslyn :  Elizabeth  Manning,  Roslyn :  Emmlie 
Mills.  Roslyn  :  Evelyn  Driese,  Roslyn  ;  Florence  L.  Wharton,  Roslyn  :  Ina  DeCann, 
Roslyn:  I.  A.  Johnson,  Roslyn:  Lavonda  Matthews,  Roslyn;  Esther  S.  Ferine, 
Roslyn ;  Edwina  Rase,  Roslyn  ;  Helena  Jenkins,  Roslyn ;  Marie  Grundy,  Roslyn ; 
Ina  Back,  Roslyn ;  Bessie  McCandless,  Roslyn ;  Elizabeth  D.  Schmidt,  Roslyn ; 
Corine  Saindon,  Roslyn ;  Selma  Holland,  Roslyn. 

District  High  25— G.  I.  Wilson,  Cle  Elum:  H.  E.  Studebaker,  Cle  Elum; 
Alice  T.  Stach,  Cle  Elum:  Dora  E.  Knapp,  Cle  Elum;  Mabel  McMillen,  Cle 
Elum :  ^Myrtle  Schmitkin,  Cle  Elum ;  Blanche  E.  Kleeb,  Cle  Elum ;  Katharine 
^^  Hoag,  Cle  Elum ;  Wm.  C.  Will,  Cle  Elum ;  Theresa  Moore,  Cle  Elum ;  Carolyn 
Coulee,  Cle  Elum ;  Johannes  C.  Bergman,  Cle  Elum ;  Hildore  Carlson.  Cle  Elum ; 
Maud  Filmore.  Cle  Elum ;  Edna  M.  Avery,  Cle  Elum ;  Nell  Davnie,  Cle  Elum ; 
Hazel  A.  Wood,  Cle  Ehini :  Eva  liuckler,  Cle  Elum;  Ida  Mitchell,  Cle  Elum; 
Rebecca  Flynn,  Cle  Elum:  Eva  Buckler.  Cle  Elum;  Ida  Mitchell,  Cle  Elum; 
^Fary  Hutter,  Cle  Elum  ;  Kathryn  Flynn,  Cle  Elum ;  J.  N.  Spicer,  Cle  Elum ; 
Effie  A.  Olson.  Cle  Elum ;  Alonica  Brain,  Cle  Elum ;  Helen  Sargent,  Cle  Elum. 

District  26— May  'SL  Maxwell,  Cle  Elum:  Mrs.  G.  L.  Barkley,  Ellensburg. 

District  High  4S — G.  C.  Shrader,  Thorp:  Fern  Burns,  Thorp;  Dorothy 
W'ade,  Thorp;  Glenn  Osborn,  Thorp;  Eva  Wakelee,  Thorp;  Bessie  Hicks,  Thorp; 
Ethel  A.  Anderson,  Thorp;  Rhea  Hogue,  Thorp:  Mrs.  Edna  Betts  Shrader, 
Thorp. 


708  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

District  28— Lynn  Markey,  Easton ;  ]\Irs.  H.  J.  Oliphant.  Easton ;  Cather- 
ine M.  Ryan,  Easton;  Mabel  Anderson,  Keechelus. 

District  29 — Inez  Webber,  Thorp;  Grace  Anderson,  Thorp. 

District  30 — Alice  Donahue,  Thorp. 

District  31 — Mrs.  Elma  S.  Morgan,  Ellensburg,  R.  3. 

District  32 — Henry  S.  Gibson,  Cle  Elum. 

District  33 — Kate  Stroud,  Wymer. 

District  3-1 — C.  H.  Barton,  Ronald:  Alice  Pickering.  Ronald:  Ruby  Mitchell, 
Ronald:  Bernice  Whitaker,  Ronald;  Annie  Laura  Jones.  Ronald:  Birdie  Esther 
Mitchell,  Ronald:  Angelina  Fera.  Ronald:  Odell  Erb,  Ronald. 

District  35— Howard  Barnes,  Ellensburg,  R.  1  :  Daisy  P.  Weaver,  Ellens- 
burg, R.  1. 

District  36 — Elma  Wilson,  Ellensburg,  R.  2. 

District  37 — Kathleen  O'Neil,  Trinidad:  Mae   Currier.  Trinidad. 

District  38 — George  Bowers.  Kittitas :  Bertha  E.  Meinecke,  Kittitas : 
Cora  McEwen,  Kittitas. 

District  39— Mildred  Chapman,  Kittitas,  R.  1:  Edith  Meyer,  Kittitas.  R.  1. 

District  40 — Francis  Keefe,  Cle  Elum;  Elsie  J.  Matterson,  Cle  Elum. 

District  43 — Mary  Underwood,  Ellensburg,  R.  4. 

District  44 — Mabel  Cornwall,  Liberty. 

District  47— Ruth  ]Mullin,  Cle  Elum;  Clara  M.  Roseburg,  Cle  Elum. 

District  49— Manra  Shelton,  Roza. 

District  High  200 — A.  D.  Foster,  Kittitas:  Ivy  Peterson.  Kittitas:  Minnie 
Gerriets,  Kittitas ;  Vern  Lathrop,  Kittitas. 

To  the  above  directory  of  the  teachers  of  Kittitas  County,  we  are  append- 
ing a  summarv'  of  property  valuations  and  other  general  data  of  the  county 
schools : 

Value   of   grounds   and   buildings    $341,245 

\'alue  of  apparatus,  furniture  and  books 69,857 

Number  of  books  in  school  libraries 10,797 

Number  of  free  text  books 19,350 

Census  of  children  of  school  age   5,389 

Enrollment    in    the    .schools    4,523 

Number  of  school  buildings 58 

Seating  capacity 5,489 

For  the  above  data  we  are  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  County  Superintend- 
ent S.  A.  Bartlett. 

From  information  furnished  by  City  Superintendent  Linden  McCullough 
we  give  the  following  summary  of  the  school  board,  the  teaching  force,  and  the 
school  property  of  the  city  of  Ellensburg  at  the  date  of  this  publication,  1918. 

SCHOOL  BOARD 

J.  C.  Sterling,  President ;  A.  E.  Emerson ;  Mrs.  Gertie  Baker,  Clerk :  Linden 
McCullough,  City  Superintendent. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  709 

HIGH  SCHOOL  FACULTY 

J.  H.  Morgan,  Principal. 

Alildred  C.  Struble,  University  of  Washington;  English. 

Florence  Ball,  University  of  Washington ;  English. 

Lucia  Hall,  University  of  Washington ;  Latin,  French,  Spanish. 

Moulton  G.  Clark,  Beloit ;  Science. 

Verne  Hall,  University  of  West  Virginia ;  Manual  Training  and  Agriculture. 

Olea  M.  Sands,  W.  S.  C. ;  Domestic  Science  and  Art. 

Mrs.  Myra  Richardson,  W.  S.  C. ;  Domestic  Science  and  Art. 

Ruth  Jones,  Peru,  N.  S.  Neb. ;  Commercial. 

Beatrice  Kittrell,  University  of  Washington ;  History. 

IMrs.  Shrader,  Iowa  Wesleyan ;  Mathematics. 

J.  Sherrick,  on  war  leave ;  former  principal. 

Ray  Green,  W.  S.  N.  S.,  Ellensburg;  Manual  Arts. 

GRADE  PRINCIPALS 

Lilly  Garvey,  Lincoln ;  S.  C.  Shrader,  Washington ;  Edith  Morton,  Edison. 

High  School  was  built  in  1912.  Cost,  including  grounds,  heating,  ventilat- 
ing, wiring  and  plumbing,  %72,Z22.     Equipment  and  furniture,  $11,010. 

Washington  building,  including  grounds,  $63,055;  equipment,  $9,679.36. 

Lincoln  building,  grounds  and  equipment,  $70,500. 

Physical  valuation  of  all  property,  $166,566. 

Professor  Wilmot  G.  Whitfield,  city  superintendent  of  the  Roslyn  schools, 
has  kindly  furnished  us  with  information  regarding  the  schools  in  his  charge. 
From  this  we  learn  that  the  high  school  was  started  in  1901  with  two  teachers, 
Mr.  Gifford  I.  Wilson,  now  superintendent  at  Cle  Elum,  and  Miss  L.  Grindrod, 
now  of  Seattle.  The  enrollment  of  pupils  for  the  year  just  closed  is  950.  The 
value  of  school  grounds,  buildings  and  equipment  is  $56,000.  The  school  board 
consists  of  John  E.  Morgan,  president ;  F.  C.  Bannister ;  W.  H.  Clark,  clerk. 

The  teachers  are  as  follows: 

TE.\CHERS   IN    PUBLIC   SCHOOLS 

Roslyn,  Wash.,  1918-19. 

Wilmot  G.  Whitfield — Superintendent. 

Elizabeth  D.  Schmidt — Assistant  Superintendent. 

Nellie  Hagerty — Supervisor  of  Music. 

Ethel  Skirls — Supervisor  of  Physical  Education. 

H\gh  School — Beatrice  Graham,  History ;  Ruby  Mosebar,  Manual  Training ; 
Frances  M.  Mossfprd,  Mathematics,  Latin;  Eva  Packwood,  Science;  Millie 
Pritchard,  Sewing;  Frances  Ray,  English:  Harriett  Stedman.  Commercial:  Mar- 
garet Swartwood,  Modern  Languages;  Grace  Uhl,  Home  Economics;  Florence 
Wharton,  Mathematics. 

Central  School — Ingeborg  Johnson,  Principal,  Sixth  Grade  :  Leonore  Rhoads, 
Sixth  Grade:  Elizabeth  Palmer,  Fifth  (irade;  Edwina  Rose,  Fifth  Grade;  Selma 


710  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Holland,  Fourth  Grade ;  Marie  Grundy,  Fourth  Grade ;  Mabel  Anderson,  Third 
Grade. 

Primary  School — Martha  Simpson,  Principal,  Second  Grade ;  Elizabeth  Man- 
ning, Primary  Supervisor,  First  Grade  :  Hazel  Gilkey,  First  Grade ;  Vera  Sprinkle, 
First  Grade ;  Cornelia  Hooper,  Second  Grade ;  Corinne  Saindon,  Second  Grade. 

South  School — Emilie  Mills,  Principal,  First  Grade ;  Ina  Bock,  Second  Grade ; 
Grace  Dancer,  Third  Grade ;  Mary  Packenham.  Fourth  Grade ;  Fanny  Guptil. 
Fifth  Grade;  Ruby  Drager,  Sixth  Grade. 

CLE   ELUM    SCHOOLS 

From  Professor  G.  I.  Wilson,  city  superintendent  of  the  Cle  Elum  schools, 
we  secure  the  following  data  on  the  schools  of  that  system.  The  high  school 
was  inaugurated  in  1909,  with  eight  pupils  and  three  teachers.  The  teachers 
were  G.  I.  Wilson,  Carl  G.  Helm  and  Edith  Hawley.  The  present  estimated 
value  of  school  property  in  Cle  Elum  is  $65,000.  The  total  number  of  pupils 
for  the  year  past  was  683.  The  teaching  force  for  the  past  \ear  follows,  but  it 
should  be  prefaced  with  the  statement  that  the  destructive  fire  of  the  summer  of 
1918  has  so  affected  population  and  conditions  as  to  reduce  teachers  by  three  and 
pupils  by  nearly  two  hundred. 

Present  High  School  Teachers — Herman  Pfeifer,  Principal:  Alice  T.  Stach, 
Madeline  Schaefer,  Mrs.  J.  Lanigan,  Sophie  Mesher,  Ella  J.  Sundby,  Aileen 
Shepard,  J.  C.  Bergman,  E.  F.  Davis,  Jennie  B.  Mendham. 

Grade  Teachers — J.  N.  Spicer,  Helen  Sargent,  Clara  Roseburg,  Odell  Erb. 
Rebecca  Flynn,  Minnie  P.  Sharrar,  Cecelia  G.  Will,  Eva  B.  Scobie,  Xell  D. 
Lane,  i\Tae  I'ollen,  Kathryn  F.  Flynn.  \'erna  S.  \\'ilson.  Mrs.  P.  Henry. 

Value  of  grounds,  buildings  and  equipment,  $65,000.  Total  number  of 
pupils,  685. 

THE  WASHINGTON   STATE   NORMAL  SCHOOL 

The  most  important  single  educational  institution  in  the  Yakima  Valley,  and 
one  of  the  great  educational  forces  of  the  state,  is  the  Washington  State  Normal 
School.  This  institution  is  one  in  which  the  [)eople  of  Ellensburg  take  just 
pride.  It  provides  a  nucleus  for  the  intellectual  as  well  as  civic  life  of  the  com- 
munity, and  in  fact  is  one  leading  object  for  the  very  existence  of  the  town. 

For  the  essential  facts  in  the  history  of  the  Normal  School  we  are  indebted 
to  an  article  by  Prof.  J.  H.  Morgan  in  the  beautiful  publication,  "Quarter  Cen- 
tury and  Kooltuo,"  edited  by  the  faculty  and  students  of  the  school,  and  appear- 
ing in  1916,  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  life  of  the  school. 

The  first  legislature  of  the  state  enacted  a  law  in  1890  providing  for  the 
establishment  at  Ellensburg  of  a  "school  for  the  training  and  education  of  teachers 
in  the  art  of  instructing  and  governing  in  the  public  schools  of  the  state."  A 
similar  law  had  been  made  for  a  normal  school  at  Cheney.  Governor  E.  P. 
Ferry  signed  the  bill  for  the  Cheney  Normal  on  March  22,  1890,  and  that  for 
the  Ellensburg  Normal  on  March  28.  1890.  The  law  provided  for  the  appoint- 
ment by  the  Governor  of  three  trustees,  who  with  the  Governor  and  the  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Instruction  were  to  constitute  the  Board  of  Regents.     The 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  711 

three  first  appointees  were  W.  R.  Abrams,  Dr.  T.  J.  Newland  and  F.  W.  Agatz, 
all  residents  of  EUensburg. 

During  the  first  three  years  of  its  existence  the  Normal  School  occupied 
the  second  floor  of  the  public  school  building  now  known  as  the  Central  Build- 
ing. The  use  of  this  location  was  made  free  of  charge  by  the  city,  with  pro- 
vision that  the  state  make  an  appropriation  for  maintenance.  The  legislature 
of  1891  accordingly  appropriated  $15,000  for  maintenance  for  two  years.  In 
1893  the  legislature  provided  $25,000  for  maintenance  for  another  two-year 
period. 

The  Normal  School  was  opened  September  7,  1891,  with  the  following 
faculty:  Benjamin  F.  Barge,  principal;  W.  N.  Hull,  assistant  principal;  Miss 
Fannie  C.  Norris  and  Miss  Rose  M.  Rice,  teachers.  Mrs.  John  Gass  was 
appointed  matron  of  the  dormitory,  and  for  the  housing  of  pupils  a  brick  build- 
ing on  Craig's  Hill  was  rented.  Although  the  facilities  were  necessarily  meager 
at  this  beginning  of  things,  the  faculty  was  capable  and  enthusiastic,  the  towns- 
people felt  an  intelligent  interest  and  furthered  the  aims  of  the  management 
in  ever>'  way  possible,  and  enough  students  presented  themselves  to  make  an 
excellent  working  body.  A  three  years'  course  was  prescribed  and  a  senior 
class  of  thirteen  was  formed  of  the  advanced  students.  During  the  first  year 
eighty-six  students  were  enrolled  from  twenty-five  counties. 

From  the  "Register"  of  June  25,  1892,  we  take  an  account  of  the  first  year's 
work,  which  is  interesting  as  indicating  the  contemporary  estimate  of  the  school. 

ST.\TE    NORMAL   SCHOOL 

Review  of  first  year's  work  and  what  it  has  cost. 

The  Normal  School  year  ending  June  1  has  established  permanently  what 
many  chose  to  term  an  experiment  in  the  beginning.  Our  legislators  chose 
wisely  and  well  in  providing  this  institution  of  learning  for  the  benefit  of  the 
common  schools  in  our  state,  and  now  having  gone  thus  far,  having  established 
the  nucleus  of  what  shall  in  time  become  the  greatest  institution  of  learning  in 
the  state,  it  is  well  to  consider  the  means  necessary  to  carry  on  this  great  under- 
taking. 

We  have  first  to  consider  that  it  is  reasonably  expected  the  school  will  in- 
crease in  number  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  per  year  for  the  next  five  years. 
The  first  year,  just  closed,  has  given  the  teachers  of  the  state  a  hint  of  what  is 
expected  of  them,  and  what  their  standard  of  education  shall  be.  To  be  a 
qualified  teacher  in  the  state  oi  Washington  five  years  hence  will  necessitate  a 
thorough  and  practical  knowledge  of  hygiene,  physical  culture,  mental  discipline 
and  human  nature,  as  well  as  of  books  and  elementary  training.  Nine-tenths 
of  those  following  the  avocation  of  tutor  as  a  profession,  will  require  this  special 
training,  and  the  Normal  School  is  specially  organized  for  that  purpose,  and 
with  that  end  only  in  view.  The  rapid  settlement  of  the  state  will  require  a 
school  in  every  neighborhood,  and  nothing  short  of  an  army  of  teachers  will 
supply  the  demand. 

Having  established  this  high  standard  of  proficiency  in  the  teacher,  the 
state  will  require  nothing  short  of  a  certificate  of  qualification  before  license  to 
teach  will  be  given.     As  a  result,  the  Normal  School  will  be  an  extensive  insti- 


712  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

tution,  and  as  an  extensive  institution  will  demand  large  appropriations  from 
the  state  for  its  maintenance,  so  large  appropriations  must  be  made.  At  its  in- 
ception $15,000  was  appropriated  for  the  expense  of  the  school  for  eighteen 
months. 

By  the  courtes_v  of  Mr.  Fred  W.  Agatz,  assistant  secretary  of  the  board  of 
trustees,  we  are  enabled  to  furnish  the  following  statement  of  disbursements,  in- 
curred in  carrying  on  the  school  from  September  1,  1891,  to  June  1,  1892: 

Incidental  expenses  $    839.98 

Taking  care  of  Normal  School  grounds 324.45 

Furniture  for  school 737.95 

Salaries  of  faculty 5,739.31 

Books   and    apparatus 712.17 

Furniture  and  fixtures,  ladies'  boarding  hall,  etc.,  nine  months..   1,082.15 

Total    disbursements    $9,436.31 

The  trustees  are  composed  of  the  following  gentlemen,  who  have  by  strict 
economy  and  unquestioned  ability  obtained  resuhs  that  have  proven  satisfactory 
to  the  state : 

W.  R.  Abrams,  president,  Ellensburg. 

R.  B.  Bryan,  secretary,  Olympia. 

Dr.  T.  F.  Newland,  Ellensburg. 

Fred  W.  Agatz,  assistant  secretary,  Ellensburg. 

Hon.  E.  P.  Ferry,  ex-officio,  Olympia. 

The  school  will  continue  to  be  held  in  the  public  school  building  until  the  state 
building  is  built.  The  trustees  have  given  much  time  and  attention  in  fitting  up 
the  grounds  for  the  new  building.  The  ground  has  been  graded  and  seeded  to 
lawn,  trees  planted  and  cared  for  and  everything  done  as  far  as  possible  to  place 
the  site  in  readiness. 

The  members  of  the  faculty  have  been  re-elected  by  the  trustees  for  the  en- 
suing year  and  are  as  follows : 

B.  F.  Barge,  principal. 

W.  N.  Hull,  assistant  principal. 

Miss  Fannie  C.  Norris  and  Miss  Rose  M.  Rice,  teachers  of  the  Model  school. 

The  faculty,  although  few  in  numbers,  are  strong  and  capable,  as  is  shown 
by  the  past  year's  work.  When  the  yearly  report  of  the  trustees  is  submitted  to 
the  legislature,  that  body  must  surely  recognize  the  importance  of  a  liberal  appro- 
priation for  the  succeeding  two  years.  It  will  no  doubt  appreciate  the  careful 
management  by  the  trustees  of  the  financial  affairs  of  the  school,  and  can  safely 
base  their  estimate  for  future  appropriations  upon  the  record  of  the  past  year, 
not  losing  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  school  is  yet  in  its  infancy. 

The  next  year  will  begin  September  1  with  a  senior  class  of  twenty-five. 
Over  one  hundred  applications  for  scholarships  have  been  received  and  all  the 
room  the  school  has  will  be  crowded  to  its  uttermost. 

More  apparatus  should  be  supplied  in  order  that  the  faculty  may  be  fa- 
cilitated in  their  work. 

The  city  of  Ellensburg  feels  justly  proud  of  this  institution  and  the  board  of 
trustees  and  faculty  may  both  rest  assured  that  they  have  the  hearty  cooperation 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  713 

and  encouragement  of  her  citizens,  who  will  do  all  in  their  power  to  assist  in 
building  up  and  maintaining  the  institution.     [End  of  excerpt.] 

In  the  progress  of  the  second  year  Miss  Norris  and  Miss  Rice  resigned  and 
were  succeeded  by  Miss  Elvira  Marquis  and  Miss  Christina  Hyatt.  The  enroll- 
ment of  the  second  year  increased  to  139,  and  there  were  23  graduates  at  the  end 
of  the  year. 

The  third  year  began  with  some  faculty  changes,  as  a  result  of  which  J.  H. 
Morgan  became  vice-principal  and  instructor  in  mathematics;  J.  A.  Mahan  became 
head  of  the  science  department;  Elvira  Marquis,  of  the  English  language  and 
literature ;  Christina  Hyatt,  principal  of  the  training  school ;  C.  H.  Knapp,  general 
assistant ;  Anna  L.  Steward,  assistant  in  mathematics.  In  the  third  year  the  en- 
rollment was  117  and  the  graduating  class  numbered  24. 

After  three  years'  service  Professor  Barge  resigned,  becoming  a  citizen  of 
Yakima  and  entering  upon  a  business  career.  He  became  one  of  the  pioneers 
in  irrigating  enterprises  and  one  of  the  most  respected  citizens  of  the  Yakima 
Valley.  Professor  P.  A.  Getz,  formerly  of  the  Normal  School  of  Monmouth, 
Oregon,  became  the  successor  of  Professor  Barge. 

In  September,  1894,  the  new  building  was  occupied.  This  building  is  in  a 
sightly  position  upon  a  body  of  land  400  feet  by  680,  the  larger  part  of  which  was 
a  gift  from  the  city  to  the  state. 

This  fine  campus  of  over  six  acres  has  been  improved  from  year  to  year 
until  it  has  become  a  truly  beautiful  place,  one  to  which  students  look  back  with 
affection,  and,  as  returning  visitors,  look  forward  to  seeing  with  pride  and  pleasure. 
The  state  has  made  appropriations  for  a  gradual  increase  of  buildings,  until  at 
the  present  time  we  find  upon  the  grounds  the  following  structures :  The  Cen- 
tral Building,  containing  the  administrative  offices,  asuditorium,  library,  gym- 
nasium, music  studio,  laboratories  and  class  rooms ;  the  Training  School ;  the 
Home  Economics  and  Industrial  Arts  Building;  Kamola  Hall,  the  dormitory 
for  women ;  Eswin  Hall,  an  affiliated  dormitory.  These  two  dormitories  accom- 
modate about  125  students. 

At  the  close  of  the  school  year  of  1897-98,  Principal  Getz  resigned,  and, 
like  his  predecessor,  entered  business  life.  His  successor  was  Professor  W.  E. 
Wilson,  formerly  principal  of  the  Rhode  Island  State  Normal  School. 

Professor  Wilson  made  a  great  place  for  himself  in  the  respect  of  educators 
throughout  the  northwest  and  in  the  deep  affection  of  his  students  and  asso- 
ciates. The  Normal  School  made  great  advances  in  educational  standards  and 
attainments  during  his  long  administration. 

Its  activities  have  been  enlarged  in  many  directions,  the  chief  of  which  may 
perhaps  be  considered  under  the  heads  of  increase  in  library  to  over  10,000 
volumes ;  the  union  of  the  training  school  with  the  city  school  system ;  the  great 
additions  to  the  biological  department  and  the  gradual  strengthening  of  the  other 
scientific  lines ;  the  Summer  schools,  by  which  sessions  have  been  held  under 
the  Normal  School  management,  both  in  Ellensburg  and  Centralia ;  and  the 
lyceum  course  maintained  by  the  joint  action  of  the  Normal  and  the  Ellensburg 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  One  of  the  specially  interesting  forms  of  activity  has 
been  the  publication  during  most  of  the  history  of  the  Normal  of  the  "Outlook," 
a  magazine  of  school  life,  begun  in  1899.     The  "Outlook"  was  some  of  the  time 


714  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

a  monthly  and  sometimes  a  quarterly.  In  1906  it  became  an  annual  and  the 
spelling  of  its  name  was  reversed,  so  that  it  is  now  known  as  "Kooltuo."  In 
1916,  the  quarter  century  anniversary,  a  special  number,  "The  Quarter  Century 
and  Kooltuo"  of  great  artistic  and  literary  merit  and  interest,  was  produced  by 
the  joint  labor  of   faculty  and  students. 

Professor  \\'ilson  ended  his  long  and  successful  administration  of  the  Nor- 
mal School  in  the  Summer  of  1916  and  retired  with  the  interest  and  affection  of 
the  entire  body  of  of^cers,  faculty  and  students,  as  well  as  of  his  fellow  citizens 
of  Ellensburg.  His  successor  was  Professor  George  H.  Black,  formerly  presi- 
dent of  the  Idaho  State  Normal  School  of  Lewiston.  Professor  Black  came  to 
Ellensburg  with  the  highest  of  professional  standing  and  his  administration  has 
sustained  both  his  own  previous  reputation  and  that  of  the  Normal  School. 

The  present  board  of  trustees,  state  board  of  education,  administrative  offi- 
cers and  faculty  are  as  follows : 

Board  of  Trustees — Fred  P.  Wolff,  president,  Ellensburg;  Airs.  Frank 
Horsley,  secretary,  Yakima;  H.  C.  Lucas,  Yakima. 

State  Board  of  Education — Mrs.  Josephine  Corliss  Preston,  superintendent 
of  public  instruction,  president  ex  officio,  Olympia  ;  Arthur  Wilson,  acting  sec- 
retary ex  officio,  Olympia;  Henry  Suzzallo,  president.  University  of  Washing- 
ton, Seattle;  E.  O.  Holland,  president,  Washington  State  College,  Pullman; 
George  H.  Black,  president.  State  Normal  School,  Ellensburg ;  W'illiam  F.  Geiger, 
superintendent  of  schools,  Tacoma ;  H.  M.  Hart,  principal,  Lewis  and  Clark 
high  school,  Spokane :  IMiss  Cieorgiana  Donald,  county  superintendent  of  schools. 
Okanogan. 

Adm'mistrath'c  Staff — George  H.  Black,  president;  Mabel  Lytton,  dean  of 
women ;  Angeline  Smith,  registrar  and  recorder ;  O.  E.  Draper,  accountant. 

F.\CCLTY    FOR    1918-1919 

George  H.  Black,  president. 

Edward  G.  Anderson,  assistant  in  the  department  of  manual  training;  Chi- 
cago Art  Institute,  Bradley  Polytechnic  Institute,  University  of  Washington. 

Mabel  Anderson,  observation  teacher,  third  grade,  training  school ;  graduate 
Washington  State  Normal  School,  Ellensburg,  Washington. 

Ida  Collings,  teacher  of  penmanship,  graduate  normal  training  class,  Du- 
buque, Iowa ;  graduate  A.  N.  Palmer  School,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa ;  student  Uni- 
versity of  Nebraska. 

Margaret  Adair  Davidson,  assistant  in  English  department ;  graduate  Emer- 
son College  of  Oratory;  graduate  Washington  State  Normal  School,  Ellensburg, 
Washington. 

O.  E.  Draper,  head  of  the  department  of  business  education,  and  ex  officio 
accountant ;  graduate  Vories  Business  College,  Indianapolis ;  student  Hayward 
College,  Fairfield,  Illinois;  student  International  Accountants"  Society;  student 
Washington  State  College. 

Elsie  Dunn,  supervisor  of  rural  training  center ;  graduate  Maryville  State 
Normal  School,  Missouri ;  graduate  Drake  University. 

Louise  Farwell.  observation  teacher,  first  grade,  training  school ;  Ph.  B., 
L^niversity  of  Chicago. 


LOURDES    ACADEMY,    ELLEXSBURi 


GIKLS'   nOKMITORY,  WASHINGTON  STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL,  ELLENSBURG 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  715 

Mary  A.  Grupe,  head  of  the  department  of  psychology  and  child  study; 
graduate  State  Normal  School,  Oswego,  New  York;  Ph.  B.,  University  of  Chi- 
cago; graduate  student  Columbia  University. 

Verne  Hall,  assistant  in  rural  department  and  teacher  of  agriculture  and 
club  work;  graduate  West  Virginia  State  Normal  School;  student  College  of 
Agriculture,  West  Virginia ;  student  University  of  Washington. 

Nicholas  E.  Hinch,  head  of  the  department  of  English  and  modern 
languages;  graduate  Ontario  Normal  College;  A.  B.,  Toronto  University; 
graduate  student  University  of  Chicago,  Harvard  University  and  Columbia  Uni- 
versity. 

Josephine  Hoffarth,  assistant  in  department  of  home  economics;  graduate 
College  of  St.  Teresa,  Winona,  Minnesota ;  Ph.  B.,  University  of  Chicago. 

Adeline  B.  Hunt,  head  of  the  department  of  fine  and  applied  arts;  B.  P., 
Syracuse  University;  graduate  Pratt  Institute;  student  Julien's  Academic  and 
Ecole  des  Beaux- Arts,  Paris ;  New  York  School  of  Art ;  Teachers  College,  Co- 
lumbia University;  University  of  Chicago;  Cape  Cod  School  of  Arts;  Ogonquist 
School  of  Arts ;  New  York  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Arts. 

Edna  Johnson,  observation  teacher,  fifth  grade,  training  school ;  graduate 
Washington  State  Normal  School.  Ellensburg,  W^ashington. 

Ena  P.  Kindschy,  observation  teacher,  fourth  grade,  training  school ;  gradu- 
ate Northern  Normal  and  Inciustrial  School,  Aberdeen,  South  Dakota ;  graduate 
Washington  State  Normal  School,  Ellensburg,  Washington. 

Madeline  Libert,  head  of  the  department  of  home  economics  and  house- 
hold administration;  graduate  State  Normal  School,  Lewiston,  Idaho;  B.  S.,  Co- 
lumbia University. 

Mary  Lutz,  assistant  in  department  of  physical  education  and  kindergarten; 
B.  S.,  Columbia  University :  student  University  of  Pittsburgh ;  graduate  Chicago 
Kindergarten  Institute. 

]\Iabel  Lytton,  dean  of  women ;  B.  L.,  Ohio  Wesleyan  University ;  A.  M., 
Teachers  College,  Columbia. 

Sadie  R.  McKinstry,  observation  teacher,  sixth  grade,  training  school ; 
graduate  Washington  State  Normal  School,  Ellensburg,  Washington. 

*Clara  Meisner,  director  of  the  kindergarten  training  department;  graduate 
Teachers  Training  School,  Davenport,  Iowa ;  graduate  Chicago  Kindergarten 
Institute  :  student  L'niversity  of  Chicago. 

Zella  H.  Morris,  supervisor  of  intermediate  grades,  training  school ;  B.  S., 
Teachers  College,  Columbia  University. 

Edith  J.  Morton,  supervisor  of  grammar  grades;  student  Geneva  College, 
Pittsburgh  ;  student  Ohio  Normal  School ;  student  Rawalpinde  College,  India. 

John  P.  Munson,  head  of  the  department  of  biological  sciences;  Ph.  B., 
Yale ;  M.  S.,  University  of  Wisconsin ;  Ph.  D.,  University  of  Chicago. 

Marie  Pierson,  observation  teacher,  seventh  grade,  training  school :  graduate 
Washington  State  Normal  School,  Ellensburg,  Washington. 

Rebecca  B.  Rankin,  librarian;  B.  A.,  University  of  Michigan;  S.  B.,  in  Li- 
brary Science,  Simmons  College  Library  School,  Boston. 

Mrs.  Nellie  A.  Roegner,  assistant  librarian ;  Student  College  for  Women, 
Oxford,  Ohio;  Riverside  Library  Service  School,  California. 

•Leave  of  absence  the  first  quarter. 


716  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Floy  A.  Rossman,  head  of  the  department  of  music ;  Ph.  B.,  Hamline  Uni- 
versity;  M.  A..  University  of  Minnesota. 

Myrtle  Sholty,  supervisor  of  primary  grades,  training  school ;  Ph.  B.,  in 
Education,  L'niversity  of  Chicago:  graduate  student  Teachers  College,  Columbia 
University. 

Helen  Smith,  assistant  in  the  kindergarten  department;  student  New  Eng- 
land Conservatory  of  Music,  Boston;  graduate  Washington  State  Normal  School, 
Ellensburg,  Washington;  student  University  of  Chicago. 

Selden  Smyser,  head  of  the  department  of  social  sciences ;  Ph.  B.,  De  Pauw 
University;  Fellow  in  Economics;  M.  A.,  Ohio  State  University;  graduate 
student  Cornell  University. 

William  T.  Stephens,  head  of  the  department  of  education ;  A.  B.,  A.  M., 
Indiana  University;  A.  M.,  Harvard;  graduate  student  University  of  Chicago. 

Jessie  G.  Stuart,  supervisor  of  rural  training  center ;  graduate  Iowa  State 
Teachers  College,  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa. 

Ralph  W.  Swetman,  director  of  the  graded  training  school ;  Ph.  B.,  Hamil- 
ton College ;  A.  M.,  Teachers  College,  Columbia  University. 

Alfce  Wilmarth,  head  of  the  department  of  physical  education :  graduate 
Chicago  School  of  Physical  Education  and  Expression ;  student  University  of 
Wisconsin  and  Iowa  State  University. 

W.  E.  Wilson,  president  emeritus. 

*Henry  J.  Whitney,  head  of  the  department  of  vocational  education;  B.  S., 
Northwestern  University ;  graduate  student  University  of  Wisconsin. 

Earl  S.  Wooster,  director  of  extension  work  and  head  of  the  department 
of  rural  training;  graduate  Cortland  Normal  School;  A.  B.,  Amherst  College. 

Mrs.  Hazel  Sherrick,  observation  teacher,  eighth  grade,  training  school; 
graduate  University  of  Washington. 

Lois  Fisher,  observation  teacher,  second  grade,  training  school ;  graduate 
Washington  State  Normal  School,  Ellensburg. 

By  the  catalogue  of  1918  we  learn  that  the  enrollment  of  the  jiast  \ear 
was  491.     Graduates  at  the  commencement  of  1918  were  109. 

The  Normal  School,  like  the  other  institutions  dependent  for  maintenance 
upon  the  state,  has  in  general  had  generous  provision  for  its  needs.  The  total 
appropriations  from  the  year  of  foundation,  1891,  up  to  and  including  1915, 
were  $972,825.00. 

No  historical  record  of  the  State  Normal  School  or  of  the  schools  of  Ellens- 
burg would  be  complete  without  special  reference  to  Prof.  J.  H.  Morgan.  He 
may  justly  be  called  the  dean  of  all  the  teachers  of  the  Yakima  \'alley.  Pro- 
fessor Morgan  came  to  Washington  Territory  in  1880.  He  has  been  constantly 
engaged  in  educational  work  since  that  date.  For  three  years  he  was  teacher 
in  country  districts  in  Walla  Walla  Cbunty,  two  years  principal  of  the  Dayton 
schools,  four  years  in  the  same  capacity  in  Waitsburg,  two  years  superintendent 
of  Walla  Walla  County.  In  1887.  by  appointment  of  Governor  Eugene  Semple, 
he  became  territorial  superintendent  of  schools,  from  which  position  he  removed 
to    Ellensburg,    becoming    both    county    superintendent    and    principal    of    the 

*Leave  of  absence  the  first  quarter. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  717 

EUensburg  school  system.  In  1892  he  became  vice-principal  of  the  State  Nor- 
mal School  and  head  of  the  mathematics  department.  That  position  he  held 
twenty-three  years,  resigning  in  1916  and  becoming  principal  of  the  EUensburg 
High  School.  Professor  Morgan  was  for  several  terms  a  member  of  the  State 
Board  of  Education  and  president  of  the  State  Educational  Association.  It  is 
stated  that  he  has  been  upon  the  staff  of  instructors  of  institutes  in  twenty  coun- 
ties. It  is  probable  that  no  one  in  central  Washington,  possibly  no  one  in  the 
entire  state,  has  come  in  personal  contact  with  so  many  pupils  and  teachers  as 
Professor  Morgan. 

Besides  the  public  schools  and  the  Normal  School,  there  have  been  two 
private  schools  worthy  of  mention.  One  of  these  was  the  Presbyterian  Acad- 
emy. That  institution  was  organized  in  1884  by  Rev.  James  Laurie,  pastor  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  A  fund  of  $1,300  was  raised  for  the  purpose  of 
equipping  the  school.  $500  being  contributed  by  the  people  of  the  town  and 
the  remainder  by  the  church  board.  With  the  means  provided  the  promoters 
of  the  academy  purchased  the  public  school  building,  adapting  it  to  the  new  use. 
The  academy  was  maintained  some  ten  years,  being  quite  a  center  of  light  and 
learning  to  the  young  people  of  the  community,  until  with  the  improved  and 
larger  life  of  the  public  schools  it  became  plain  that  any  private  academy  could 
no  longer  hold  its  own.  The  building  was  therefore  made  part  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  it  fulfills  that  function  to  this  day. 

There  is  now  in  existence  in  EUensburg,  a  Roman  Catholic  School  for  pri- 
mary scholars.  This  is  Lourdes  Academy.  It  is  housed  in  a  very  comfortable 
and  attractive  brick  building  and  is  well  patronized  and  sustained.  It  is  under 
the  general  charge  of  Father  Luytin,  pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church.  The 
principal  is  Sister  Angelas. 

CHURCHES   OF    ELLENSBURG 

There  seem  to  be  somewhat  varying  statements  as  to  the  priority  in  church 
organization.  Our  constant  and  reliable  authority,  Mr.  Gerrit  d'Ai)laing,  tells 
us  that  Rev.  Robert  Hatfield  of  the  Methodist  Church  was  the  first  minister  in 
EUensburg,  but  that  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  the  first  to  be  organized  and 
to  maintain  regular  services.  That  was  in  1879.  Rev.  Father  Aloysius  Parrodi 
of  the  Catholic  Church,  is  quoted  in  the  "History  of  Central  Washington"  as 
saying  that  he  held  the  first  Roman  Catholic  services  in  Kittitas  County.  In 
that  year  Father  Parrodi  built  a  small  church  about  two  miles  south  of  EUens- 
burg. In  1885  he  built  the  church  still  used  by  his  denomination  in  the  city. 
In  1887  Father  Parrodi  was  succeeded  by  Father  Custer,  and  he,  in  turn,  by 
Father  Sweens  in  1895. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  J.  R.  Thompson,  and  the 
church  was  organized  July  20,  1879.  We  find  in  the  little  pamphlet  history  of 
EHensburg  gotten  out  by  the  sixth  grade  children  of  the  Edison  School  (the 
information  was  derived  from  old-timers  and  is  generally  found  correct)  the 
assertion  that  Mr.  David  Thomas  was  the  first  preacher  and  that  he  was  a 
Presbyterian.  Rev,  James  Laurie  was  the  second  Presbyterian  pastor  during 
the  period  1884-89,  and  during  his  pastorate  the  EUensburg  Academy  was 
organized  under  the  auspices  of  his  church.  The  Methodist  Church  began  at 
just  about  the  same  period  as  the  Presbyterian.     Rev.   George  W.   Kennedy, 


718  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

one  of  the  genuine  frontier  preachers,  well  known  all  over  central  and  eastern 
Washington,  from  whose  book,  "Pioneer  Campfires,"  we  have  made  extracts 
in  an  earlier  chapter,  was  in  the  Kittitas  \'alley  very  early,  probably  the  earliest 
of  any  preacher,  but  not  to  have  regular  appointments. 

It  appears  from  some  interesting  records  in  "Pioneer  Campfires"  that  Mr. 
Kennedy  held  church  services  in  the  Kittitas  Valley  as  early  as  1873.  We  take 
from  that  book  an  extract  centering  around  the  famous  Indian,  Smohalla 
"the  Dreamer": 

"Across  on  the  Columbia  at  Priest  Rapids,  there  was  the  Smohalla  band 
of  about  500.  Then  Chief  Moses  and  his  band  were  just  a  little  beyond,  on  the 
Wenatchee. 

"During  all  the  early  settlement,  there  was  constant  alarm.  The  Spring 
of  73  the  j\Iodoc  War  came  on.  The  Indians  all  over  the  interior  were  uneasy, 
and  many  of  them  took  the  'warpath.' 

"At  the  culmination  of  the  battle  at  the  lava  beds  those  treacherous  Modocs 
proposed  a  treaty,  and  General  Canby.  Doctor  Thomas,  Agent  Dyer,  and  Super- 
intendent Meacham  went  out  to  treat  with  the  Indians.  But  Captain  Jack  and 
those  four  others,  came  with  concealed  weapons,  and  at  a  signal  struck  down 
and  murdered  the  peace  commission.  This  inflamed  the  whole  Indian  popula- 
tion of  the  Northwest.  At  this  time  I  must  go  to  the  upper  valley  and  meet 
my  appointments,  forty  miles  away,  and  through  the  Indians'  range,  without 
a  single  settler.  Dodging  through  as  best  I  could,  I  found  the  people  badly 
scared  and  ready  to  fort  up.  Old  Chief  Smohalla  and  his  band  of  200  had  cume 
over  from  Priest  Rapids  and  were  camped  within  the  Valley. 
"into  the  hostile  camp" 

"All  the  people  came  out  on  Sunday.  ]\Ionday  came;  something  must  be 
done  to  relieve  the  terrible  strain.  Accordingly,  four  of  us  saddled  our 
horses  and  started  for  Smohalla's  camp.  We  went  unarmed,  thinking  it  safer 
to  meet  tljpm  on  square  footing  of  friendship.  We  took  them  completely  by 
surprise.  We  asked  to  see  the  chief.  The  Indians  spoke  in  the  jargon  tongue, 
and  told  us  to  tie  our  horses  and  wait  the  appointment  of  Chief  Smohalla.  We 
took  a  position  on  a  hill  in  the  middle  of  their  camp,  and  had  a  full  view.  Xot 
long  after  we  saw  all  the  Indian  men  going  down  to  the  council  tent.  Then 
they  sent  out  an  escort  for  us. 

"As  we  entered  the  door  of  that  long  wigwam,  nearly  every  warrior  was 
present,  ranged  on  both  sides,  the  chief  at  the  rear  end.  He  looked  like  a  king. 
Stolid  as  a  statue.  He  was  the  war  leader  of  the  Columbias.  We  thought  of 
the  treachery  of  the  Modocs,  but  we  could  not  back  out  now.  ( ^n  we  went 
until  just  before  the  chief.  He  motioned  us  to  stand  there :  then  asked  the 
reason  for  our  coming.  I  spoke  to  him  in  jargon  and  explained  the  purpose 
for  our  meeting.  Then  said,  we  wanted  first  to  preach  a  sermon  to  him  and 
bis  pco])lc  from  the  'white  man's  book  of  heaven.' 

"That  seemed  to  relieve  all  apprehension  on  his  ])art  and  such  a  stillness 
I  never  saw  in  any  audience  before.  For  the  space  of  half  an  hour  not  a 
muscle  moved :  not  an  eyelid  quivered.     Rigid  attention. 

"I  then  told  them  that  our  people  had  become  alarmed,  for  they  thought 
so  large  a  band  of   Indians  meant  hostilitv.     And  that   God  had   made   us  all 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  719 

brothers  and  not  enemies.  So  the  Great  Father  wanted  us  all  to  live  together 
in  peace  on  earth.  Then  the  old  chief  spoke:  'If  we  are  all  brothers,  why 
has  the  white  man  taken  our  lands  from  us?  Has  the  white  man  any  rights 
here  in  Kittitas  that  the  Indian  has  any  right  to  respect?  The  Indians  came 
l^rst.' 

"W'ell,  that  was  an  unanswerable  speech.  But  I  excused  the  white  man 
all  possible.  "That  we  could  plow  and  plant  where  they  could  not  and  still 
let  them  hunt  and  fish.'  And  I  promised  utmost  friendship  on  the  part  of 
the  white  brothers. 

"We  gave  them  our  hand  shake  and  pronounced  benediction  of  God  on 
them,  and  Chief  Smohalla  agreed  to  accept  that  as  the  'Pipe  of  peace.'  We 
finally  got  a  change  of  countenance  in  that  stern  face ;  his  hearty  farewell — 
'Klose  tillacum  mika,'  and  then  under  those  balm  and  fir  trees  we  most  devoutly 
thanked  God  for  saving  us  from  savage  treachery,  and  rode  away." 

In  a  sketch  prepared  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Smith  for  the  "History  of  Central 
Washington,"  it  is  asserted  that  the  first  Methodist  sermon  was  preached 
in  the  schoolhouse  by  Rev.  Robert  Hatfield  in  the  Spring  of  1880.  In  Septem- 
ber of  that  year  Rev.  D.  L.  Spalding  organized  the  first  class,  Dr.  Newton 
Henton  being  leader.  The  first  church  building  was  erected  during  the  pastor- 
ate of  Rev.  S.  W.  Richards.  It  received  improvements  and  enlargements  under 
Rev.  Ira  Wakefield  and  J.  W.  Maxwell. 

The  fire  of  1889  destroyed  both  the  parsonage  and  the  church  of  the  Metho- 
dist congregation.  It  has  been  estimated  that  1,500  members  have  been  received 
into  the  Methodist  Church. 

The  first  Christian  Church  came  into  existence  in  April,  1886.  Rev.  J-  P- 
McCorkle  was  the  first  pastor.  A  church  was  at  once  erected  and  that  has 
escaped  the  various  disastrous  fires  and  is  still  occupied.  The  next  year  Rev.  J.  E. 
Denton  became  pastor.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  several  short  terms  followed 
until  1904,  when  Rev.  C.  H.  Hilton  was  chosen  to  the  pastorate.  A  second 
Christian  Church  was  formed  in  1900,  the  first  pastor  of  which  was  Rev.  W.  M. 
Kenney.  After  meeting  in  various  places  for  three  years,  the  congregation 
built  a  church  of  their  own  in  1903.  On  January  19,  1919,  the  Christian  denomi- 
nations dedicated  a  new  brick  church,  thefinest  in  the  town,  costing  $29,000, 
with  seating  capacity  for  five  hundred. 

The  Baptist  Church  dates  from  1887.  In  that  year  Rev.  Mr.  Reese  organ- 
ized what  became  known  as  the  First  Baptist  Church.  In  1888  a  building  was 
provided  arid  that  is  used  at  the  present  time.    , 

Services  of  the  Episcopal  Church  had  been  held  at  intervals  after  1883. 
In  1894  Bishop  Lemuel  Wells,  one  of  the  great  organizers  of  eastern  Wash- 
ington, organized  a  church  of  his  denomination.  In  1896,  Rev.  Andreas  Bard, 
later  of  Walla  Walla,  and  at  the  present  time  of  Kansas  City,  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  orators  ever  known  to  the  pulpit  of  the  state,  became  first  rectorl  of 
the  Episcopal  Church,  which  became  known  as  Grace  Episcopal  Church. 

The  churches  named  above  constituted  the  permanent  churches  of  Ellens- 
burg.  There  were  several  attempted  church  organizations  which  ultimatelv 
blended  with  the  stronger  churches.  Among  these  was  an  early  Congregational 
Church,  which  by  a  system  of  cooperation  instituted  by  the  Presbyterian  and 


720  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Congregational  bodies,  became  merged  with  the  I'resbyterian,  with  the  agree- 
ment that  the  Congregational  denomination  maintain  a  church  at  some  other 
point  which  might  absorb  the  Presbyterians.  The  Free  ]\Iethodists  and  Men- 
nonites  also  had  transient  organizations.  Lutheran  churches  were  organized 
later  and  have  been  maintained  to  the  present.  There  is  a  considerable  body 
of  negroes  in  Ellensburg  and  to  meet  their  church  needs  an  African  Methodist 
Church  was  formed. 

At  the  present  date  the  churches  and  pastors  are  as  follows:  Grace  Epis- 
copal, Rev.  H.  I.  Oberholtzer;  First  Presbyterian,  Rev.  Paul  J.  Lux;  First 
Methodist,  Rev.  W.  B.  Young;  Christian,  Rev.  F.  E.  Billington;  First  Baptist, 
Rev.  C.  R.  Cleringer;  Roman  Catholic,  Rev.  Father  Luyten ;  Good  Hope  Luth- 
eran, Rev.  Ewald  Kirst :  African  Methodist.  Rev.  C  I'..  Clements;  F\t>{  Luth- 
eran, Rev.  G.  Blessum. 

FR.\TERNAL    AND     MISCELLANEOUS    SOCIETIES 

Like  other  cities  in  the  active-minded  and  well-educated  state  of  Washing- 
ton, Ellensburg  has  its  full  quota  of  organizations  for  cultivating  the  fraternal, 
social,  intellectual,  and  moral  welfare  of  the  community. 

The  usual  fraternal  orders  came  in  with  the  town.  The  Masons  were  first 
in  the  field.  Ellensburg  Lodge  No.  39  was  organized  in  or  just  before  1880. 
In  1886  the  Ellensburg  Chapter  No.  11,  R.  A.  M.,  and  the  Temple  Commandery 
No.  5,  K.  T.,  came  into  being.  The  Masons  had  a  home  of  their  own  in  1888, 
a  building  very  creditable  to  themselves  and  ihe  young  city,  but  the  fire  of 
1889  robbed  them  of  their  pleasant  quarters.  A  subsequent  building  was  lost 
by  reason  of  the  financial  stringency.  The  order  has,  however,  maintained  an 
active  existence.     At  the  present  date  the  secretary  is  E.  J-  Lindberg. 

The  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  dates  back  to  the  year  1881.  At 
that  time  Ellensburg  Lodge  No.  20  w-as  established  by  the  grand  master  of  the 
state,  G.  T.  McConnell.  In  1884  the  lodge  laid  out  a  cemetery  on  Craig's  Hill. 
In  1890  Ellensburg  Encampment  No.  16  was  founded,  and  at  the  same  time 
Miriam  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  25  was  instituted.  At  the  present  date  the  three 
lodges  are  in  active  existence  and  their  officers  are  as  follows :  Ellensburg 
Encampment,  C.  W.  Turner,  C.  P.;  F.  M.  Cheney,  S.  W. ;  W.  P.  Hiddleson, 
Scribe;  Peter  Garvey,  Treasurer.  Miriam  Rebekah  Lodge,  Valentine  Cheney, 
N.  G. ;  Loella  Winslow,  V.  G. ;  Emma  J.  Vincent,  R.  S. ;  Grace  Shaw,  Treas- 
urer. Ellensburg  Lodge  No.  20,  R.  L.  Harris,  N.  G. ;  Herman  Eyman,  Y.  G. ; 
W.  P.  Hiddleson,  Secretary ;  W.  A.  Edmonson,  Treasurer. 

The  Woodmen  of  the  World  are  represented  by  Ellensburg  Camp  No.  88, 
founded  in  1891.    Alki  Circle,  Women  of  Woodcraft,  was  organized  in  1900. 

The  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  have  Ellensburg  Camp  No.  5.714,  which 
came  into  being  September  24,  1898.  In  1902  Harmony  Lodge  No.  3,001,  Royal 
Neighbors,  came  into  existence. 

The  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  was  organized  in  1896  with  Fra- 
ternal Lodge  No.  70.     In  1901  Cascade  Lodge  No.  37  was  duly  established. 

In  1901,  also,  Ellensburg  Aerie  No.  120,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  was 
established. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  721 

The  Knights  of  Pythias  were  organized  at  about  the  same  date  and  liave 
maintained  one  of  the  strongest  fraternal  societies  in  Ellensburg.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  their  commander  is  William  Freybarger  and  their  secretary  is  Beck- 
with  Hubbell.  The  Elks  have  also  a  strong  society,  in  Ellensburg  No.  1102. 
At  this  date  Thomas  Cunningham  is  secretary. 

One  of  the  organizations  which  beyond  all  others  the  people  of  this  coun- 
try ought  to  and  almost  always  do  honor  is  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  In 
the  nature  of  the  case  the  days  of  this  noble  society  are  numbered  and  except  for 
its  heritages,  which  can  never  cease  to  pass  down  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, it  must  soon  cease  to  be.  It  occupies,  for  that  fact  in  part,  but  yet  more 
for  its  unique  and  exalted  character,  a  place  alone  in  American  estimation. 
Ellensburg  Post  No.  11,  G.  A.  R.,  came  into  being  April  25,  1884.  The  first 
officers  of  this  post  were  as  follows,  and  in  giving  these  names  it  is  interesting 
to  remember  that  the  list  embraces  not  alone  members  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  but  also  some  of  the  genuine  builders  of  the  Kittitas  country. 
Commander,  J.  L.  Brown;  senior  vice-commander,  H.  D.  Marwin;  junior  vice- 
commander,  S.  T.  Packwood :  surgeon,  S.  T.  Mason ;  chaplain,  J.  D.  Dammon ; 
quartermaster,  D.  Ford ;  officer  of  the  day,  William  Tillman ;  officer  of  the 
guard,  B.  Lewis;  inside  sentinel,  J.  J.  Swett;  sergeant  major,  H.  H.  Swasey; 
quartermaster  sergeant,  G.  W.  Carver;  adjutant,  J.  C.  Goodwin;  other  charter 
members,  John  A.  Shoudy,  J.  W.  Dixon,  J.  B.  Swett,  E.  H.  Love,  J.  Wilson, 
and  H.  Davies.  One  very  interesting  event  in  connection  with  the  G.  A.  R. 
is  the  first  Decoration  Day,  May  30,  1884.  An  account  of  this  appears  in  the 
"Standard"  of  June  7th.  The  meeting  was  held  in  what  seems  to  have  been 
the  usual  public  gathering  place  at  that  time,  Elliott's  Hall,  and  the  orator  of 
the  day  was  Rev.  James  Laurie  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  At  the  date  of 
this  work,  David  Kinkaid  is  past  commander  of  the  Ellensburg  G.  A.  R.  An 
active  Woman's  Relief  Corps  is  maintained,  of  which  the  president  is  Mrs. 
Martha  Beddoes. 

The  women  of  Ellensburg  are  in  the  forefront  in  associations  for  the  cul- 
ture and  improved  morality  of  the  city. 

Several  women's  clubs  have  served  to  keep  an  ever  progressive  movement 
of  mind  and  taste  so  vital  in  a  new  region  where,  in  the  nature  of  things,  art 
works  and  accumulations  of  objects  of  historical  and  cultural  value  are  attain- 
able to  a  less  degree  than  in  old  communities.  The  Friday  Club  was  the  earliest 
of  the  women's  clubs,  dating  its  origin  to  1895.  The  Gallina  Club  was  organized 
in  1900.  Mrs.  S.  B.  Weed  was  first  president  of  the  Gallina  Club.  The  Ellens- 
burg Art  Club  was  formed  in  1900.    Mrs.  J.  B.  Davidson  was  first  president. 

A  little  later  the  Women's  Municipal  Society  came  into  existence  with  the 
avowed,  and  in  fact  attained,  aim  of  bettering  the  civic  life  of  the  city.  It  goes 
without  saying  that  the  general  refinement  and  the  usual  high  standard  of  life 
in  Ellensburg  owes  much  to  these  various  organizations  of  the  women  of  the 
city.  That  most  active  of  all  the  politico-moral  organizations  of  the  women 
of  the  United  States,  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  has  been  well 
represented  here.  In  1887  a  local  society  was  formed,  and  Mrs.  Emily  Horn- 
beck  was  chosen  president.     Through  the  efl'orts  mainlv  of  the  W    C   T    V   the 

(46) 


722  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

ornament  and  convenience  of  the  drinking  fountain  in  the  center  of  the  intersec- 
tion of  Fifth  and  Pearl  streets  was  provided. 

The  Ladies'  Municipal  Club  has  been  in  existence  for  many  years  and  is 
in  a  very  flourishing  condition,  with  one  hundred  members. 

The  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  was  organized  by  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Davidson,  who  became  the  first  regent  in  the  Spring  of  1918.  The  society  be- 
gan with  twenty-two  members.  The  first  work  was  to  organize  the  first  Red  Cross 
Auxiliary  in  Kittitas,  March  29,  1918.  Twenty-five  sewing  circles  were  organ- 
ized with  250  members.  In  May,  Mrs.  Davidson  was  chosen  to  represent  El- 
lensburg  in  the  great  Red  Cross  meeting  in  Portland.  Following  this,  a  chapter 
of  the  Red  Cross  was  established  at  Ellensburg,  and  by  the  efforts  of  Mrs. 
Davidson  and  the  Circle  leaders,  over  $700  was  raised  by  the  women  alone 
in  membership  fees,  as  a  working  fund  for  the  new  society. 

Ellensburg  has  had,  in  addition  to  its  societies,  schools,  and  churches,  the 
advantage  of  location  on  the  main  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  and, 
since  1909,  of  the  Milwaukee  Railroad,  and  that  fact,  together  with  the  existence 
of  a  fine  auditorium  in  the  Normal  School  and  of  a  first  class  small  opera  house, 
has  made  it  possible  to  secure  the  best  theatrical,  operatic,  musical  and  lyceum 
circuits  and  the  best  lecturers  on  educational,  political,  and  general  themes. 
Owing  to  the  happy  conjunction  of  suitable  buildings  and  convenient  transpor- 
tation facilities,  Ellensburg  has  enjoyed  all  these  forms  of  culture  and  enter- 
tainment unusual  in  a  town  of  its  size. 

THE    CHAMBER    OF    COM.MERCE 

In  many  respects  the  -organization  which  beyond  all  others  reflects  the  life 
of  a  community  and  organizes  that  life  for  practical  improvement  is  the  Com- 
mercial Club  or  Chamber  of  Commerce.  There  may  be  towns  which  attain 
growth  and  prosperity  and  set  goals  of  civic  improvement  well  ahead  without 
such  bodies,  but  if  so  they  are  a  peculiar  phenomenon  in  history.  The  author 
has  not  discovered  any  such  phenomenon.  Usually  towns  rise  or  fall  with  the 
activity  and  progressiveness  of  their  commercial  organizations. 

The  first  steps  in  the  history  of  the  commercial  society  of  Ellensburg  were 
taken  in  February,  1902.  A  meeting  of  citizens  was  held  in  the  office  of  the 
city  clerk.  P.  A.  Getz  was  temporary  chairman  and  J.  C.  Hubbell  temporary 
secretary.  After  interchange  of  ideas  and  general  discussion  as  to  the  nature 
and  aims  of  the  society,  the  meeting  adjourned  to  February  26.  A  committee  of 
which  C.  P.  Graves  was  chairman  had  been  appointed  to  solicit  attendance  at 
the  forthcoming  meeting.  The  committee  performed  its  functions  so  well  that 
when  the  26th  arrived  a  good  attendance  arrived  with  it.  The  committee  on 
permanent  organization  rendered  a  report  by  its  chairman,  Ralph  Kaufifman, 
M-hich  after  some  modification  was  adopted.  The  "Ellensburg  Club,"  as  it  was 
first  called,  came  duly  into  the  light  of  life.  The  following  were  the  first  execu- 
tive committee  and  officers :  Executive  committee,  J.  C.  Hubbell,  Mat  Bartholet, 
James  Ramsay  and  C.  H.  Stewart.  President,  R.  B.  Wilson ;  vice-president,  H. 
W.  Wager ;  secretary,  P.  A.  Getz ;  treasurer,  E.  H.  Snowden. 

Many  questions  of  importance  and  interest  to  the  vital  needs  of  the  com- 
munity were  discussed  and  action  taken  upon  them  in  the  meetings  of  the  "Ellens- 
burg Club."     It  must  be  noted,  however,  that  it  soon  ceased  to  be  the  "Ellens- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  723 

burg  Club."  On  March  21,  1904,  the  name  became  the  Kittitas  County  Com- 
mercial Club. 

On  May  11,  1906,  action  was  taken  to  promote  the  inauguration  of  raising 
sugar  beets  and  securing  the  erection  of  a  sugar  factory.  The  club  was  divided 
into  two  rival  companies,  the  Hustlers  and  the  Rustlers,  for  the  purpose  of  work- 
ing up  enthusiasm  and  enlisting  farmers  to  raise  beets  and  capitalists  to  build 
the  factory.  J.  C.  Hubbell  was  captain  of  the  Hustlers  and  F.  E.  Craig  was 
captain  of  the  Rustlers.  The  list  of  each  company  as  recorded  in  the  minutes 
examined  by  the  author  is  a  practical  directory  of  the  community  of  that  date, 
for  substantially  all  the  business  and  professional  men  of  the  town  were  in  one 
or  the  other  company. 

The  Hustlers  were  as  follows :  J.  C.  Hubbell,  Dr.  McCauley,  Mat  Bartho- 
let,  B.  A.  Gault,  J.  W.  Vanderbilt,  R.  A.  Turner,  S.  Pearson,  R.  Lee  Purdin,  H. 
F.  Blair,  J.  P.  Flynn,  A.  C.  Steinman,  F.  L.  Calkins,  James  Ramsay,  S.  C. 
Boedcher,  James  Stevenson,  S.  P.  Fogarty,  J.  C.  Sterling,  E.  H.  Snowden,  J.  A. 
Shoudy,  A.  T.  Schultz,  H.  M.  Baldwin,  Oliver  Hinman,  S.  W.  Barnes,  J.  E. 
Ferrel,'  A.  C.  Spaulding,  J.  H.  McDaniels,  W.  C.  Reece,  F.  P.  Wolflf,  F.  Bossong, 
R.  B.  Wilson,  L.  E.  Palmer,  S.  Kreidel,  F.  A.  Home,  P.  Garvey,  H.  S.  Kurtitz, 
R.  Lee  Barnes,  B.  F.  Reed,  Thomas  Cody,  Thomas  Haley,  J.  B.  Davidson,  W. 
C.  Hayward,  F.  C.  Porter,  F.  J.  Page. 

That  certainly  made  an  imposing  array,  but  it  was  well  matched  by  the 
Rustlers.  Their  membership  was :  F.  E.  Craig,  H.  E.  Thompson,  C.  W.  John- 
son, P.  H.  Ross,  C.  S.  Palmer,  Ralph  Kauflfman,  W.  B.  Price,  E.  S.  Coleman,  C. 
R.  Honey,  S.  P.  Wippel,  C.  H.  Flummerfelt,  Dr.  J.  .\.  Mahan.  Andrew  Oleson, 
O.  W.  Sinclair,  Mitchel  Stevens,  G.  E.  Dickson,  H.  E.  Dodd,  H.  L.  Stowell,  M. 
Cameron,  W.  H.  Talbot,  P.  G.  Fitterer,  H.  S.  Elwood,  Dr.  Felch,  T.  H.  Mc- 
Granahan,  J.  B.  Fogarty,  H.  F.  Nichols,  W.  H.  Packwood,  Herbert  Williams, 
A.  H.  Stulfauth.  E.  G.  Grindrod,  H.  W.  Haley,  W.  F.  Zetzsche,  J.  H.  Wippel, 
C.  O.  Johnson,  V.  U.  Blackmore,  William  Dignon,  W.  J.  Robbins,  E.  D.  Lamar, 
F.  D.  Scott,  R.  H.  Stevens,  E.  J.  Brain,  W.  D.  Bruton.  As  a  result  of  the 
efforts  of  the  club,  1,278  acres  for  sugar  beets  were  contracted  for.  The  beets 
seem  to  have  done  well,  but  conditions  in  1907  and  onward  were  difficult 
financially,  and  in  spite  of  a  favorable  outlook  for  beet  sugar  production,  the 
factory  has  never  been  erected.     It  is  one  of  the  coming  things  "after  the  war." 

The  club  initiated  special  efforts  at  the  meeting  of  June  8,  1906,  to  secure 
the  location  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Railroad  at  Ellensburg. 
Favorable  conditions  for  right  of  way  «nd  depot  grounds  were  made  and  in 
1909  that  great  transcontinental  line  completed  its  passage  of  the  Columbia 
River,  climbed  the  lofty  ridge  between  the  Columbia  and  the  Kittitas  Basin, 
clove  Craig's  Hill  with  a  deep  cut,  and  became  a  definite  part  of  the  transporta- 
tion instrumentalities  of  Kittitas.  During  the  same  period  that  the  club  was 
encouraging  the  location  of  the  Milwaukee,  it  was  providing  for  a  readable  and 
inviting  pamphlet  for  publicity  purposes,  "Kittitas,  the  Land  of  Plenty."  This 
fine  advertisement  of  the  resources  and  attractions  of  Kittitas  was  gotten  out 
jointly  by  the  JCittitas  Club  and  the  Cle  Elum  Commercial  Club.  In  this  con- 
nection the  activity  and  progressive  character  of  the  business  men  of  Cle  Elum 
may  well  be  noted. 


724  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

During  -a  large  part  of  the  early  history  of  the  club,  under  two  names,  the 
secretary  was  P.  H.  W.  Ross,  and  to  his  industry  and  vision  the  success  of  the 
club  is  largely  attributable. 

A  very  important  meeting  was  held  on  June  8,  1908.  This  is  noted  in  the 
minutes  as  "important,  though  irregular."  It  was  not  on  a  regular  meeting 
night.  It  was  called  especially  to  discuss  the  location  of  the  Milwaukee  depot, 
with  representatives  of  that  road.  At  that  meeting  the  club  joined  the  Spokane 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  appointed  a  committee  to  provide  for  a  permanent 
exhibit  at  the  Spokane  Apple  Show.  The  committee  consisted  of  B.  F.  Reed, 
J.  P.  Flynn,  T.  T.  Wilson,  J.  E.  Farrell  and  S.  P.  Wippel.  There  was  still  an- 
other interesting  feature  of  that  exceptionally  important  meeting.  J.  C.  Hub- 
bell,  then  president  of  the  club,  made  an  address,  welcoming  the  city  council, 
who  were  present  in  a  body,  setting  forth  the  purpose  of  the  club  to  co-operate 
with  the  city  ofificials  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  town,  and  especially  at 
that  time  in  beautification  of  it.  Mayor  \V.  J.  Peed  responded  in  a  like  cordial 
spirit,  making  special  mention  of  improved  fire  protection  just  then  provided. 

On  August  17,  1908,  another  important  step  was  taken.  The  name  was 
changed  to  Ellensburg  Chamber  of  Commerce.  At  that  meeting  provision  was 
made  for  the  purchase  and  distribution  of  a  thousand  copies  of  the  Kittitas  num- 
ber of  the  "Coast  Magazine,"  a  valuable  number  to  which  we  are  indebted  for 
some  of  the  facts  used  in  this  work. 

At  the  time  of  adoption  of  the  new  name  a  new  constitution  was  provided. 
As  indicating  the  organization  under  which  the  Chamber  has  been  carrying  on 
its  work  for  ten  years  this  constitution  may  well  find  a  permanent  place  in  this 
volume.     We  accordingly   include   it  at  this   point. 

CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  ELLENSBURG   CH.\MBER  OF  COMMERCE 

Article  I. 

Name.  The  name  of  tlie  corporation  shall  be  the  "Ellensburg  Chamber 
of  Commerce." 

Article  II. 

Aim.  The  aim  of  the  corporation  shall  be  to  originate  and  further  everj- 
possible  movement  looking  to  the  improvement  and  enlargement  of  the  material 
resources  and  activities  of  the  city  of  Ellensburg  and  county  of  Kittitas.  Wash- 
ington. 

Article  III. 

Members.  The  members  of  this  corporation  shall  be  the  signers  of  the 
constitution,  and  such  other  persons  as  may  be  elected  in  accordance  with  the  by- 
laws to  be  hereafter  adopted. 

Article  IV. 

Officers.  The  officers  of  this  corporation  shall  be  a  president,  vice  president, 
secretary,  treasurer  and  nine  trustees. 

Article   V. 
Government.     The  president,  the  vice  president  and  the  board  of  nine  trus- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  725 

tees  shall  constitute  a  governing  board,  which  shall  manage  the  business  and 
property  of  the  corporation,  control  its  atifairs,  provide  for  such  regular  and 
special  meetings  of  the  corporation  as  they  may  deem  proper,  fill  vacancies  of 
offices  for  any  unexpired  term,  and  enforce  all  rules  necessary  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  corporation  and  not  in  conflict  with  the  by-laws.  The  governing 
board  may  discipline  members,  and  to  that  end  may  impose  fines  and  expel 
members  for  grave  ofTenses :  provided,  that  any  member  shall  have  the  right  of 
appeal  to  the  Chamber  from  the  decisions  of  the  board. 

Article  VI. 

Amendments.  This  constitution  may  be  amended  by  a  ballot  vote  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  present  at  any  regular  monthly  meeting  of  the  cor- 
poration, provided  that  nine  days'  written  notice  embodying  a  copy  of  the  pro- 
posed amendment,  or  amendments,  shall  have  been  mailed  or  otherwise  given 
to  each  member  by  the  secretary. 


Article  I. 

Membership 

Section  1.  Classes.  Membership  shall  be  in  five  classes,  namely:  Resi- 
dent, non-resident,  junior,  commercial  traveler  and  honorary. 

a.  Resident  members  shall  be  those  residing  personally,  or  maintaining 
a  place  of  business,  within  one  mile  of  the  city  limits  not  less  than  ten  w-eeks 
in  any  twelve  consecutive  months  of  their  membership.  Dues,  $18.00  per  year, 
payable  i|uarterly  in  advance. 

b.  Non-resident  members  shall  be  all  members  not  specified  in  sections 
a.  c,  d  and  e,  of  this  article.  Dues,  $12.00  per  year,  payable  semi-annually  in 
advance. 

c.  Junior  members  shall  be  all  persons  under  21  years  of  age.  Dues, 
$6.00  per  year,  payable  semi-annually  in  advance. 

d.  Commercial  travelers  shall  be  any  commercial  travelers  actually  en- 
gaged in  business  on  the  road,  not  residing  in  Ellensburg.  Dues,  $1.00  per 
year,  payable  in  advance. 

e.  Honorary  members  shall  be  those  so  elected  by  the  Chamber,  exempt 
from  dues. 

f.  Each  class  of  membership  is  ecjual  to  every  other  class  in  voice  and 
vote.     Only  resident  or  non-resident  members  may  hold  office. 

Section  2.  Applicants.  Every  applicant  for  membership  shall  sign  a 
blank  form,  stating  his  acceptance  and  purpose  of  allegiance  to  the  constitution 
and  by-laws  of  the  corporation,  filled  in  with  his  name,  occupation  and  address, 
and  endorsed  Iiy  a  member  of  the  corporation.  His  application  must  be 
announced  at  a  regular  meeting  of  the  corporation,  after  which  he  may  be- 
come a  member  by  the  acceptance  of  the  majority  of  the  governing  board. 

Section  3.  Dues  and  Delinquency,  a.  Dues  shall  be  payable  dating 
from  the  first  of  the  month  of  the  member's  application,  unless  the  application 


726  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

be  dated  on  or  after  the  20th  of  the  month,  in  which  case  his  dues  shall  date 
from  the  first  of  the   following  month. 

b.  Delinquency  in  the  payment  of  any  liability  to  the  Chamber  for  thirty 
days  after  notice  by  the  secretary  shall  suspend  the  delinquent  from  member- 
ship until  the  liability  be  met.  Three  months  delinquency  shall  constitute  a 
forfeiture  of  membership.  Forfeited  membership  can  be  redeemed  only  on 
payment  of  the  delinquent  dues  and  by  the  consent  of  the  governing  board. 

Section  4.  Resignations.  Resignation  may  be  received  by  the  governing 
board  upon  the  payment  of  all  dues  and  liabilities  incurred  up  to  the  time  of 
resignation. 

Section  5.  Leave  of  Absence.  Any  person  who  may  be  absent  from  the 
vicinity  of  EUensburg  for  the  period  of  six  months  or  more,  and  who  shall, 
before  leaving,  give  notice  of  such  contemplated  absence,  may  be  granted  a 
leave  of  absence  without  dues;  provided,  that  a  return  of  such  member  within 
six  months  shall  forfeit  the  leave  of  absence  granted  and  make  him  liable  for 
back  dues. 

Section  6.  Trial  of  Charges.  All  charges  against  members  shall  be  tried 
by  the  governing  board,  according  to  the  forms  laid  down  in  "Roberts'  Rules 
of  Order." 

Article  II. 


Section  I.  President  and  Vice  President.  The  president  and  vice  presi- 
dent, acting  without  salary,  shall  perform  the  duties  usually  ascribed  to  those 
officers,  and  shall  serve  in  terms  of  one  year.  In  the  absence  of  both  at  any 
meeting  of  the  Chamber  or  governing  board,  the  secretary  shall  call  the  meet- 
ing to  order  and  a  member  of  the  governing  board  shall  be  chosen  to  fill  the 
chair. 

Section  2.  Treasurer.  The  treasurer  shall  serve  without  salary  for  a 
term  of  one  year.  He  shall  give  a  bond  or  not,  in  the  discretion  of  the  gov- 
erning board.  He  shall  pay  out  no  money  save  by  check  on  a  voucher  signed 
by  the  president  and  secretary.  He  shall  report  monthly  and  annually  to  the 
governing  board. 

Section  3.  Secretary.  The  secretary  shall  be  appointed  by  the  governing 
board,  and  shall  hold  office  during  the  board's  approval.  He  shall  draw  a 
salary  fixed  by  the  governing  board  with  the  ratification  of  the  Chamber,  and 
may  appoint  an  assistant  or  assistants  at  such  cost  as  the  governing  board  may 
approve.  He  shall  keep  all  minutes  and  other  records  and  conduct  all  official 
correspondence  of  the  Chamber  and  governing  board,  collect  all  moneys  and 
deposit  them  immediately  with  the  treasurer,  submit  in  writing  detailed  financial 
and  general  reports  at  each  monthly  and  annual  meeting  of  the  Chamber  and 
perform  such  additional  duties  as  the  governing  board  may  require  or  occasion 
may  suggest.  He  shall  give  a  surety  bond  or  not,  in  the  discretion  of  the 
governing  board.  He  shall  have  the  standing  of  a  resident  member,  exempt 
from  dues. 

Section  4.  Trustees.  The  trustees  shall  serve  for  terms  of  three  years, 
in  overlapping  classes,  three  trustees  to  be  elected  each  year. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  727 

Section  5.  Resignations  and  vacancies.  All  officers  shall  serve  for  the 
terms  for  which  they  are  elected,  and  until  their  respective  successors  are 
elected  and  qualified.  Resignations  of  officers  shall  be  accepted  or  rejected, 
and  all  vacancies  for  unexpired  terms  filled  by  the  governing  board. 

Article  III. 
Committees 

Section  1.  Standing  Comtnittees.  At  its  first  meeting  in  each  fiscal  year, 
the  governing  board  shall  decide  what  standing  committees  will  be  required 
for  the  work  of  that  year.  The  president  shall  then  appoint  such  committees, 
subject  to  the  approval  of  the  governing  board.  These  committees  shall  re- 
port to  the  Chamber. 

Section  2.  Ex-Officio  Committeemen.  Each  standing  committee  shall  in- 
clude in  its  membership  at  least  one  member  of  the  governing  board,  and  the 
president  shall  be  an  e.x-officio  member  of  each  standing  committee. 

Section  3.  Special  Committees.  Special  committees  may  be  appointed 
by  the  president,  or  elected  in  the  manner  chosen  by  the  meeting  of  the  govern- 
ing board  or  Chamber  creating  the  committee;  and  in  such  cases  it  shall  be 
specified  whether  the  committee  shall  report  to  the  governing  board  or  to  the 
Chamber.  Special  committees  shall  serve  until  their  work  is  accomplished 
or  until  they  are  discharged. 

Section  4.  Committee  Meetings  and  Vice  Chairmen.  Meetings  shall  be 
called  by  the  chairman  or  by  a  majority  of  the  committee.  Committeemen 
shall  be  vice  chairmen  in  order  of  their  names  in  appointment. 

Section  5.  Reports  Written.  All  committee  reports  shall  be  in  writing, 
and  signed  by  each  committee  member  concurring  in  the  conclusions  of  the 
report. 

Article  IV. 

Meetings 

Section  1.  Annual  Meeting.  The  annual  meeting  of  the  Chamber  shall 
be  held  on  the  second  Wednesday  of  February,  at  which  time  new  officers  shall 
be  installed  and  the  out-going  officers  make  their  annual  reports. 

Section  2.  Monthly  Meetings.  The  regular  monthly  business  meeting  of 
the  Chamber  shall  be  held  on  the  second  Wednesday  of  each  month. 

Section  3.  Weekly  Meetings.  Each  Wednesday  at  noon  there  shall  be 
held  a  luncheon  meeting,  which  shall  be  a  regular  business  meeting  for  all  pur- 
poses o£  action,  save  the  passing  of  amendments  to  the  constitution  and  by- 
laws. At  any  weekly  meeting,  if  desired  for  the  purpose  of  saving  time,  the 
reading  of  minutes,  hearing  of  reports  and  other  routine  business  may  by 
common  consent  or  by  a  majority  vote  of  those  present  be  deferred  until  the 
next  following  monthly  meeting. 

Section  4.  Special  Meetings.  Special  meetings  of  the  Chamber  may  be 
called  by  the  president,  or  by  the  secretary  on  the  signed  request  of  a  quorum 
of  members;  provided,  that  written  notice  of  the  time  and  place  and  business 


728  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

of  the  meeting  shall  be  mailed  by  the  secretary  to  every  member  not  less  than 
twenty-four  hours  in  advance  of  the  time  of  the  meeting. 

Section  5.  Meeting  Public.  All  regular  meetings  of  the  Chamber  shall 
be  open  to  the  public;  but  the  Chamber  may  at  any  meeting,  on  a  majority 
vote  of  those  present,  resolve  itself  into  executive  session. 

Section  6.  Quorum  of  Chamber.  At  any  meeting  of  the  Chamber, 
fifteen  members  shall  constitute  a  quorum. 

Section  7.  Board  Meetings.  The  governing  board  shall  meet  once  a 
month,  at  a  time  preceding  the  monthly  meeting  of  the  Chamber  and  as  close 
thereto  as  convenience  will  allow. 

a.  Additional  meetings  may  be  called  by  the  president ;  or  by  the  vice 
president  in  the  president's  absence  or  inaccessibility ;  or  by  th  scrtary  on  the 
signed  request  of  three  trustees;  provided,  that  in  any  case  a  notice  of  the 
time  and  place  and  business  of  the  meeting  shall  be  mailed  by  the  secretary  to 
each  member  of  the  board  not  less  than  24  hours  in  advance  of  the  time  of 
meeting.  But  such  written  notice  may  be  waived  by  the  unanimous  consent 
of  the  members  of  the  board,  written  and  filed  as  a  part  of  the  minutes  of  such 
meeting. 

Section  8.  Quorum  of  Board.  A  quorum  of  the  governing  board  shall 
consist  of  five  members. 

Section  9.  Non-Attendance  of  Board  Members.  Absence  by  any  mem- 
ber of  the  governing  board  for  three  consecutive  meetings,  unless  excused  by 
the  board,  shall  be  deemed  a  resignation,  and  the  office  vacated. 

Section  10.  Order  of  Business.  At  every  meeting  of  the  Chamber  or 
governing  board,  the  order  of  business  shall  be  as  follows: 

1.  Minutes. 

2.  Announcements    and    communications. 

3.  Reports. 

4.  Unfinished  business. 

5.  Special  order  of  the  day. 

6.  New  business. 

7.  Miscellaneous. 

8.  Adjournment. 

Section  11.  Motions  Written.  Upon  the  request  of  any  member  in  good 
standing  at  any  meeting  of  the  Chamber  or  governing  board,  a  motion  must  be 
written  in  the  form  in  which  it  is  to  appear  on  the  minutes,  before  a  vote  is 
taken  on  it. 

Section    12.     Committee   Meetings.     See  Article  3,   Section  4. 

Article  V. 
Elections 

Section  1.  Annual  Election.  The  annual  election  of  the  Chamber  shall 
be  held  on  the  last  Wednesday  of  January,  and  the  polls  shall  be  open  from 
6  to  9  P.  M. 

Section  2.  Nominating  Committees.  The  governing  board  shall,  not  less 
than  three  weeks  previous  to  the  annual  election,  select  two  nominating  com- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  729 

mittees  of  three  men,  from  non-official  members  of  the  Chamber  in  good  stand- 
ing. These  committees  shall  each  nominate  a  full  ticket  for  the  offices  to  be 
vacated,  and  they  shall  confer  together  to  the  end  that  no  man  shall  be 
nominated  for  more  than  one  office,  nor  the  same  man  be  nominated  for  the 
same  office  by  both  committees.  The  nominating  committees  shall  announce 
their  tickets  at  the  weekly  meeting  two  weeks  previous  to  the  election. 

Section  3.  Independent  Nominations,  a.  Any  ten  members  in  good 
standing  may  nominate  a  full  or  partial  ticket  in  addition  to  the  nominations 
made  by  the  nominating  committees,  by  signing  and  delivering  to  the  secre- 
tary such  nominations  in  writing;  but  no  man  may  be  nominated  in  any  manner 
for  more  than  one  office,  nor  can  any  member  join  in  the  nomination  of  more 
than  one  man  for  any  office.  Such  nominations  shall  be  announced  by  the 
secretary  at  the  weekly  luncheon  meeting  one  week  prior  to  the  election,  and 
shall  be  equal  in  all  respects  to  those  made  by  the  two  nominating  committees. 

Section  4.  Consent  of  Nominees.  The  acceptance  of  each  nominee  for 
office  shall  be  obtained  by  the  committee  or  group  of  ten  members  making  the 
nomination,  before  the  presentation  to  the  chamber  of  the  name  of  such 
nominee. 

Section  5.  Closing  of  Nbminations.  Nominations  shall  close  at  the  ad- 
journment of  the  weekly  luncheon  meeting  one  week  prior  to  the  election,  and 
no  person  shall  be  eligible  to  office  unless  nominated  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  sections  2,  3  and  4  of  this  article. 

Section  6.  Judges  of  Election.  The  governing  board  shall  name  three 
judges  of  election  from  non-official  members  (^f  the  Chamber.  These  judges 
shall  sit  at  the  polls  from  6  to  9  P.  M.  They  shall  be  provided  by  the  secre- 
tary with  a  complete  alphabetical  list  of  members  qualified  to  vote,  and  shall 
check  on  such  list  each  voter's  name  as  he  receives  from  them  his  blank  ballot, 
and  cross-check  his  name  as  he  returns  his  ballot.  They  shall  then  deposit  the 
voter's  ballot  in  a  covered  box;  and  shall  count  the  ballots  and  declare  the  re- 
sult immediately  on  the  closing  of  the  polls. 

Section   6.     Miscellaneous,     a.     Delinquent   members    may    not   vote. 

b.  No  proxies  shall  be  "voted,  nor  any  ballots  be  cast  except  in  person 
by  the  voter. 

c.  A  plurality  of  votes  shall  elect  to  any  office. 

d.  Ties  shall  be  decided  by  lot. 

e.  Ballots  shall  be  provided  by  the  secretary,  bearing  the  names  of  candi- 
dates and  offices  and  plainly  indicated  spaces  for  vote  by  pencil  mark. 

Article  VI. 

finance  and  Bookkeeping 

Section  \.  Debt.  The  governing  board  may  not  at  any  time  incur  a  debt 
beyond  the  amount  of  unappropriated  moneys  in  the  treasury,  without  the  sup- 
porting vote  of  the  Chamber. 

Section  2.  Records.  The  secretary  shall  so  keep  the  records  of  the  cor- 
poration as  to  show  under  classified  headings  the  amounts  received  and  ex- 
pended in  any  month  or  year. 

Section  3.     Precedence  of  Claims.     In  the  payment  of  claims  against  this 


730  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

corporation,  the  order  of  honoring  shall  be  first,  wages ;  second,  rents ;  third, 
all  other  claims,  age  of  claim  to  establish  precedence  unless  other  and  stronger 
considerations  obtain. 

Article  VII. 

Miscellaneous 

Section  I.  Endorsement  by  Chamber.  The  name  of  the  corporation  shall 
not  be  committed  to  the  endorsement  of  any  private  or  public  enterprises  with- 
out a  vote  of  the  Chamber;  and  under  no  circumstances  may  the  support  of 
the  corporation  be  extended  to  any  candidate  for  public  ofifice. 

Section  2.  Publication  of  Affairs  by  the  Chamber.  No  plan,  purpose  or 
action  of  this  Chamber,  its  board  or  its  committees,  may  be  given  out  for  pub- 
lication except  through  the  secretary. 

Section  3.  Visitors.  The  courtesies  of  the  Chamber  shall  be  open  to 
any  visitor  or  stranger,  on  application  in  his  behalf  by  a  member  in  good 
standing  to  the  secretary  or   president   for  a   card   of   introduction. 

Section  4.  Contingencies.  In  the  absence  of  provisions  for  any  con- 
tingency in  this  document,  all  meetings  of  the  Chamber,  board  or  committees 
shall  conduct  their  proceedings  according  to  "Roberts'  Rules  of  Order." 

Section  5.  Amendments.  These  by-laws  may  be  amended  by  a  two-thirds 
vote  of  those  present  at  any  monthly  meeting  of  the  Chamber,  provided,  that 
a  written  notice  of  the  proposed  amendment  or  amendments  shall  have  been 
mailed  by  the  secretary  to  every  member  at  least  9  days  prior  to  the  meeting 
at  which  action  is  taken,  and  that  a  copy  of  the  proposed  amendment  or  amend- 
ments shall  have  been  posted  at  headquarters  an  e(|ual  length  of  time.  [End  of 
constitution.] 

During  these  ten  years  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  has  been  the  rallying 
point  for  the  promotion  of  enterprises  looking  to  civic  and  commercial  better- 
ment in  all  their  many  forms.  The  rooms  of  the  Chamber  are  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  splendid  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building,  and  that  fact,  together  with  the 
work  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  itself,  makes  that  building  one  of  the  just  causes  of 
pride  to  Ellensburg,  the  veritable  brain  of  the  community. 

OFFICERS    AND    TRUSTEES 

At  this  date  the  officers  and  trustees  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  are  as 
follows :  F.  A.  Kern,  president ;  J.  Kelleher,  vice-president ;  S.  S.  Nesbit,  treas- 
urer; Blanche  Hofacker,  acting  secretary;  trustees:  A.  L.  Kreidel,  E.  H.  Snow- 
den,  J.  N.  O.  Thomson,  A.  L.  B.  Davies,  J.  C.  Kaynor,  J.  N.  Faust,  A.  E.  Emer- 
son, J.  A.  Whitfield,  J.  Kelleher. 

KITTITAS  COUNTY  IX  THE  SP.\NISH-.\MERIC.\N   W.\R 

One  event  of  peculiar  interest  in  the  history  of  Ellensburg,  though  not 
strictly  speaking  coming  under  any  one  of  the  headings  of  this  chapter,  belongs 
to  the  spirit  of  the  chapter  and  we  are  therefore  giving  it  a  place  here.  We 
refer  to  the  "Home-Coming"  of  the  Kittitas  boys  who  participated  in  the  Span- 
ish-American War.  The  event  touched  the  pride  and  patriotism  of  the  people 
more  than  anything  up  to  that  date. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  731 

A  full  account  of  the  Kittitas  Company,  its  membership,  and  the  welcome 
home,  derived  largely  from  the  "Capital"  is  given  in  the  History  of  Central 
Washington,  and  as  this  seems  to  be  an  accurate  and  well-written  account, 
nearly  contemporary  with  the  events,  and  deriving  the  major  part  directly  from 
the  contemporary  press  of  Ellensburg,  we  are  incorporating  it  here. 

"Great  as  was  the  excitement  over  the  discoveries  in  the  Klondyke,  it  was 
almost  lost  sight  of  in  the  stirring  events  which  took  place  the  following  year. 
As  soon  as  the  news  had  reached  Kittitas  Valley  that  the  United  States  had 
taken  up  the  cause  of  the  struggling  Cuban  people  and  was  resolved  to  punish 
Spain  for  her  inhumanity,  the  whole  county  was  aroused  to  a  sudden  burst  of 
patriotic  enthusiasm."  The  "Capital"  of  April  23,  1898,  says:  "The  effect  was 
like  a  fire  alarm  and  the  throng  was  soon  surging  around  the  'Capital'  bulletin 
window.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  flags  and  bunting  were  fluttering 
in  the  air;  patriotic  excitement  ran  high,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  afternoon 
little  besides  the  war  prospect  was  discussed." 

At  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  Kittitas  County  had  but  one  military  organ- 
ization. Company  A,  officered  as  follows:  Captain,  A.  C.  Steinman;  first  lieu- 
tenant, S.  C.  Davidson;  second  lieutenant,  E.  E.  Southern;  sergeants,  J.  J. 
Charlton,  L.  L.  Seely,  Robert  Murray,  Ralph  Brown,  W.  O.  McDowell,  Holly 
V.  Hill;  musician,  Whit  Church;  corporals,  C.  A.  Swift,  Willis  Gott,  James 
Shaw,  G.  M.  Hunter,  John  Hoskins,  J.  J.  Putnam;  wagoner,  Edwin  Barker; 
artificer,  Charles  P.  Morgan. 

The  company  offered  its  services  to  the  governor,  who  promptly  accepted 
them,  and  early  in  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  April,  Captain  Steinman  received 
orders  to  have  his  company  ready  to  take  the  train  for  the  west  at  ten-twenty- 
five  that  evening.  From  Ellensburg  the  company  proceeded  to  Camp  Rogers 
where  it  was  mustered  in,  May  11th,  as  Company  H,  First  Washington  Vol- 
unteers. Seventy-five  of  the  company,  including  the  officers,  were  taken  from 
Kittitas  County;  the  remainder  were  recruited  at  Tacoma  and  Seattle  from  all 
parts  of  the  state.     The  personnel  of  this  company  was  as  follows: 

Colonel,  John  H.  WhoUey,  commanding;  major,  John  J.  Weisenburger ; 
major,  W.  J.  Canton;  captain,  Alfred  C.  Steinman;  first  lieutenant,  S.  C.  David- 
son, who  was  honorably  discharged  and  was  succeeded  by  Edward  E.  Southern, 
who  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  John  J.  Charlton,  promoted  December  9,  1898; 
wounded  in  action  April  11,  1899;  second  lieutenant,  John  J.  Charlton,  pro- 
moted September  3,  1899;  wounded  in  action  April  13,  1899;  sergeants:  first, 
Robert  Murray;  quartermaster,  Luke  L.  Seely,  Ralph  Brown,  William  O. 
McDowell,  James  Shaw,  John  R.  Hoskins ;  corporals,  Caddy  Morrison,  Car- 
stens  H.  Junge,  George  M.  Burlingham,  wounded  April  20,  1899;  John  Brus- 
tad,  William  M.  Pearson,  William  George,  George  S.  Smith,  James  A.  Harris, 
Burrel  B.  Wright,  Charies  H.  Eiselstein,  William  Chambers,  Charles  Hagen- 
son,  Bert  Gordanier  (cook);  artificer,  Arthur  E.  Snyder;  wagoner,  William 
Craig;  privates,  John  A.  Aim,  Fred  L.  Ballou,  wounded  July  26,  1899;  Edwin 
Barker,  George  A.  Clark,  wounded  by  gun  explosion  July  27,  1899,  John  R. 
Clark,  James  Cross,  Clark  E.  Davis,  Sidney  O.  Dickinson  wounded  March  7 
and  April  27,  1899,  Alexander  Eraser,  Steven  A.  Griffin,  Robert  Hovey  wounded 
April  27,  1899.  Philip  W.  Harner,  William  T.  Hill.  Ralph  Hepler,  Edward  T. 


732  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLF.Y 

Johnson,  Francis  B.  Jones,  Thomas  P.  Kerwin,  John  Lundy,  Arno  H.  Moeckcl 
wounded  February  5,  1899,  Vanrancelar  Martin,  George  C.  McCarthy,  Lee  M. 
Putman,  Albert  J.  Paulist,  Byars  E.  Romane,  William  F.  Ritchey,  Solomon 
Russell  wounded  March  6,  1899;  Arthur  F.  Ridge,  William  Ridley,  Joseph 
Vomacka,  Thomas  Williams,  Robert  C.  Wenzel ;  transferred  privates :  George 
W.  Fitzhenry,  to  Company  B ;  Martin  Forrest,  to  hospital  corps ;  Paul  Roberts, 
to  Tenth  Pennsylvania,  died ;  Corporal  George  W.  Hovey,  wounded  April  27, 
1899,  died  April  28,  1899;  privates,  Albert  J.  Ruppert,  killed  February  22,  1899; 
Joseph  Eno,  killed  April  27,  1899;  Clyde  Z.  Woods,  wounded  April  27,  died 
April  28,  1899;  Sherman  T.  Shepard,  wounded  April  17.  1899,  died  June  18,  1899; 
discharged  on  account  of  illness.  First  Lieutenant  Samuel  C.  Davidson,  Oct.  29, 
1898 ;  Second  Lieutenant  Joseph  Smith,  wounded  February  5,  1899,  resigned  Sep- 
tember 2,  1899:  Sergeant  Holly  V.  Hill,  resigned  to  accept  commission  in  the 
Eleventh  U.  S.  Cavalry;  Sergeant  Willis  L.  Gott,  reenlisted ;  corporals,  George 
M.  Hunter,  Robert  Bruce,  James  J.  Putnam,  Charles  A.  Swift,  William  B. 
Tucker,  wounded  February  22,  1899 ;  Corporal  Israel  F.  Costello,  reenlisted ; 
musicians,  John  L.  Grandin  and  Louis  G.  Frenette,  reenlisted;  musician,  Joseph 
R.  Whitchurch ;  artificers,  Charles  A.  Morgan  and  Stephen  S.  Blankenship : 
privates,  William  H.  Adkins,  wounded  June  5,  1899;  William  S.  Bullock, 
Frederick  Bollman,  reenlisted ;  Henry  H.  Cassriel,  Clinton  H.  Campbell,  John 
S.  Ellis,  Edward  Friel,  reenlisted;  Otto  N.  Gustavson,  reenlisted:  Byron  E. 
Kersey,  William  E.  Howard  wounded  April  27,  1899;  William  W.  McCabe, 
Emmett  C.  Mitchell,  Roland  D.  McCombs,  reenlisted;  Fred  Nelson,  Abel  Nils- 
son,  wounded  April  27,  1899;  Frank  E.  O'Harrow,  Frank  Rothlisberger, 
Thomas  Richardson,  Arthur  J.  Stoddart,  Victor  E.  Sigler,  reenlisted ;  Win- 
ford  E.  Thorp,  Harvey  R.  Van  Alstine,  William  Ward,  reenlisted;  James  W. 
Walsh. 

The  company  was  organized  as  Company  A,  at  Ellensburg,  October,  1890. 
They  were  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  as  Company  H,  at  Camp 
Rogers,  Washington,  May  11,  1898;  did  garrison  duty  from  that  time  until 
October  28,  1898,  when  the  company  embarked  on  the  United  States  Trans- 
port "Ohio,"  arriving  at  Manila,  November  26th.  The  company  went  ashore 
November  30th,  and  did  outpost  duty  until  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  with  the 
Filipino  insurgents.  While  in  the  Philippines  they  took  part  in  the  following 
engagements:  Engagements  with  the  insurgents,  1899,  around  2^Ianila ;  at 
Santa  Ana,  February  4th  and  5th;  Pateros,  February  15th;  San  Pedro  Macati, 
February  17th ;  Guadaloupe,  February  19th-22d  and  March  13th  in  trenches  at 
San  Pedro  Macati,  February  15th  to  March  13th;  Taguig,  March  18th;  Bay 
Lake,  March  19th;  Taguig,  April  9th,  16th,  20th  and  27th,  May  19th  and  June 
12th;  Calamba,  June  26th,  27th  and  30th  (expedition);  a  detachment  of  scouts 
took  part  in  an  expedition  to  Santa  Cruz,  April  8th  and  in  engagements  at 
Santa  Cruz,  April  9th  and  10th;  at  Pagsanvan,  April  11th;  at  Lamba,  April 
12th,  and  at  Paete,  April  13th.  Detachments  also  took  part  in  engagements  at 
Cainti,  Tayti  and  Morong. 

They  embarked  for  San  Francisco  on  the  United  States  Transport  ■"Penn- 
sylvania." September  4,  1899.  They  sailed  September  5th  by  way  of  Nagasaki, 
the   Inland   Sea  and  Yokohama,  arriving  in   San   Francisco   Bay,   October  9tli. 


LIBKAI;V,    KI.I.KNSIU 


MARYLAND    HALL,   ELLEXSBUl; 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  733 

They  were  mustered  out  at  the  Presidio,  California,  November  1,  1899,  after 
almost  a  year  and  a  half  of  service.  On  being  mustered  out,  Colonel  WhoUey 
presented  the  company  with  the  sights  of  the  Krupp  gun  captured  in  the  big 
battle  of  February  5th. 

jMeanwhile,  all  necessary  preparations  were  being  made  for  receiving  the 
returning  soldiers  at  home  with  a  formal  welcome.  The  "Capital,"  September 
2i,  1899,  says : 

"At  a  special  mass  meeting  held  Monday  night,  September  18th,  the  follow- 
ing committee  was  appointed  to  act  in  conjunction  with  the  Women's  War  So- 
ciety in  welcoming  our  soldier  boys:  J.  B.  Davidson,  W.  H.  Talbott,  Austin 
Mires,  E.  H.  Snowden  and  H.  S.  Elwood.  The  soldiers  left  Nagasaki,  Japan, 
September  16th  and  should  arrive  in  San  Francisco  about  October  8th.  The 
following  sub-committees  were  appointed:  Finance,  G.  E.  Dickson,  chairman; 
program,  J.  B.  Davidson,  chairman ;  decoration,  S.  P.  Fogarty,  chair- 
man ;  speaking,  Ralph  Kaufifman,  chairman ;  music,  C.  V.  Warner,  chairman ; 
reception.  Dr.  J.  W.  Bean,  chairman;  print  and  press,  A.  H.  Stulfauth,  chair- 
man ;  house  and  hall,  E.  T.  Barden ;  banquet,  Mrs.  P.  P.  Gray,  chairman ;  hos- 
pital and  memorial,  Rev.  J.  P.  Smith,  chairman;  marshal  of  the  day,  J.  E. 
Frost." 

A  later  issue  of  the  "Capital,"  November  11th,  gives  this  further  informa- 
tion about  the  arrival  and  reception  of  the  returning  soldiers : 

"On  a  train  of  fourteen  coaches.  Company  H,  and  other  eastern  Washing- 
ton soldiers  rolled  into  the  depot  at  5:50  Tuesday  evening,  the  7th.  The  time 
of  arrival  had  been  spread  broadcast  and  the  result  was  that  such  a  crowd  as 
gathered  to  welcome  them  has  never  before  been  seen  in  Ellensburg.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  between  the  depot  and  armory  from  4,000  to  5,000  people  were 
lined  up  and  scattered,  each  trying  to  outdo  the  other  in  noisy  demonstration.  It 
was  unfortunate  that  the  train  did  not  arrive  in  daylight  as  the  demonstration 
could  have  been  seen  and  better  appreciated  by  the  soldiers;  nevertheless  it  was 
a  magnificent  affair  and  the  reception  was  a  success  from  every  point  of  view. 

"The  public  and  private  decorations  were  beautiful  and  the  soldiers  passed 
many  compliments  on  the  display.  The  evergreen  arch  on  Fourth  and  Pearl 
was  a  beautiful  structure,  both  by  day  and  night,  and  was  a  handsome  tribute 
to  the  good  taste  and  industry  of  the  decoration  committee.  The  business  men 
vied  with  each  other  in  beautifying  their  windows  and  the  result  was  creditable 
to  all. 

"All  the  efforts  above  referred  to  were  good — above  criticism,  but  to  the 
women  of  Ellensburg  and  Kittitas  Valley  working  under  the  direction  of  the 
Women's  Aid  Society,  must  the  greatest  credit  be  given.  When  the  troops  left 
the  train  Marshal  Frost  quickly  formed  the  parade  an  dthe  march  to  the  arm- 
or)', with  the  volunteers  in  the  place  of  honor,  began.  Besides  the  returning 
soldiers  there  were  several  companies  of  militia  and  cadets,  making  in  all 
about  300  men  who  were  to  partake  of  the  ladies'  hospitality.  On  reaching  the 
armory,  the  volunteers,  amid  the  playing  of  bands  and  a  gorgeous  display  of 
fireworks,  were  admitted  to  the  banquet  hall;  after  them  the  militia  and  cadets 
went  in. 

"The  sight  that  met  their  gaze  as  they  entered  the  vast  hall  was  a  beautiful 


734  HISTORY  OF  YAKLAIA  VALLEY 

one.  The  long  tables  beautifully  decorated  and  loaded  with  the  choicest  deli- 
cacies, presented  an  inviting  appearance  under  the  brilliant  electric  lights  and 
without  a  moment's  confusion  the  soldiers  were  seated  by  companies  and  were 
soon  enjoying  the  good  things  prepared  for  them.  After  they  had  been  seated, 
the  crowd  was  admitted  and  soon  filled  every  inch  of  standing  room.  Large 
delegations  were  in  town  from  Cle  Elum  and  Roslyn  and  the  band  from  the 
latter  place  contributed  no  small  amount  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  occasion." 

Valuable  as  were  the  events  of  that  demonstration  of  twenty  years  ago 
following  the  Spanish-American  War,  the  issues  \vere  as  nothing  compared 
with  the  solemn  and  stupendous  issues  of  the  World  War  just  closed  while 
these  pages  are  in  preparation.  For  in  it  the  very  destiny  of  the  world 
hung  in  the  balance,  and  in  the  maintenance  of  our  country's  part  every  village 
and  hamlet,  almost  every  farm,  bore  some  share. 

It  is  not  yet  possible  to  give  complete  records  of  Kittitas  County,  but  we 
preserve  here  some  general  summaries  as  follows :  Total  number  of  names  as 
given  in  the  files  of  the  "Record"  over  1,000,  of  which  449  were  found  in  the 
draft  rolls ;  about  50  officers ;  number  killed  and  missing,  25  :  volunteer  troop 
of  cavalry,  Troop  A,  consisting  of  110  men,  Captain  Sands  in  command,  and  he 
was  especially  recommended  for  bravery  in  action. 

Incomplete  as  the  record  available  yet  is,  it  is  well  known  that  the  Kittitas 
men  bore  a  noble  part,  with  their  brothers  of  the  nation  in  helping  save  the 
world   from  the  curse  of  Hundom. 

CITY    LIBRARY    OF    ELLENSBURG. 

An  institution  of  much  interest  in  connection  with  the  intellectual  develop- 
ment of  the  town  and  country  around  is  the  library.  For  a  comparatively  small 
library  this  is  remarkably  well-selected  and  administered,  and  to  an  unusual 
degree  has  become  a  practical  force,  especially  among  the  boys  and  girls  in  the 
way  of  stimulating  ambition  and  industry  in  the  direction  of  genuine  culture. 
Certain  general  facts  in  the  history  of  this  important  institution  may  well  tind 
a  place  here. 

It  was  built  during  the  year  1909,  by  W.  O.  Ames,  contractor.  There  was 
appropriated  for  it  $10,000  by  Andrew  Carnegie;  $1,500  subscriptions  from  citi- 
zens of  Ellensburg;  $3,000  by  City  Council  of  Ellensburg.  The  first  board  of 
trustees  was  J.  H.  Alorgan,  J.  C.  Hubbell  and  Mrs.  David  Murra\,  up  to  com- 
pletion of  building  and  opening  of  library.  Mrs.  Murray  resigned  and  Rev. 
J.  H.  Sweens,  Mrs.  F.  A.  Home  and  Airs.  H.  Hale  were  appointed.  The 
present  board  of  trustees  is  C.  H.  Flummerfelt,  J.  H.  Morgan,  Rev.  W.  B. 
Young,  Mrs.  David  Murray  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  Munson. 

The  value  of  the  building  is  from  $12,000  to  $14,000:  the  furniture  is  valued 
at  $500.00 ;  the  books  are  valued  at  about  $8,000.00. 

There  are  8,000,  books.  The  library  was  first  opened  for  visitors  on  Janu- 
ary 10,  1910,  with  the  request  that  each  visitor  bring  a  book.  300  volumes  were 
taken  in  that  evening.  The  furniture  was  located  and  books  placed  on  shelves 
and  library  opened  for  loaning  February  1,  1910. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  735 

First  librarian  was  Mrs.  J.  B.  Davidson,  who  acted  for  seven  years  until 
February  19,  1918.     The  present  librarian  is  Mrs.  H.  L.  Stowell. 

It  is  fitting  that  the  tribute  made  to  Mrs.  Davidson  by  the  Library  Trustees 
at  the  expiration  of  her  long  period  of  service  be  recorded  here.  As  found  in 
the  records  of  the  city  office  this  recognition  of  her  work  is  as  fololws: 

Mrs.  Davidson  during  her  administration  maintained  a  very  high  standard 
of  efficiency.  Full  of  energy  and  an  indefatigable  worker,  she  accumulated  a 
vast  quantity  of  magazines  and  historical  material — material  that  will  be  invalu- 
able in  the  years  to  come.  One  room  in  the  basement  is  filled  with  old  files 
of  Century,  Harper  and  other  standard  magazines  awaiting  the  time  when  there 
will  be  a  fund  appropriated  for  their  binding. 

There  is  also  a  very  complete  collection  of  the  newspapers  of  Ellensburg, 
from  which  may  be  gathered  vitally  important  historical  data. 

During  Mrs.  Davidson's  administration  over  8,000  books  were  collected 
and  some  rare  volumes  were  added. 

The  City  Council  and  the  Board  of  Trustees  expressed  their  regret  at  the 
resignation  of  Mrs.  Davidson  from  the  position  after  seven  years  of  faithful 
service 


PART  III 
CHAPTER  V 

POLITICAL  HISTORY  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  BENTON  COUNTY 

EARLIEST    SETTLERS — BENTON     COUNTY     A     NATURAL     UNIT AGITATION     FOR     NEW 

COUNTY AN    ACT   TO    CREATE    THE    COUNTY    OF    EENTON BENTON    COUNTY    AN 

ACTUAL      FACT — BENTON      COUNTY      GETTING      READY BENTON      COUNTY — THE 

RAILROAD    COMMISSION — BENTON     COUNTY    DOING    BUSINESS OFFICERS'     BONDS 

FILED COUNTY     NEWS     NOTES — RECORD    OF    ELECTIONS ELECTION     OF     1912 

ELECTION     OF     1914 ELECTION     OF     1916 ELECTION     OF     1918 COUNTY     SEAT 

QUESTION — SCHOOLS    OF   THE    COUNTY — TEACHERS    OF   BENTON    COUNTY. 

We  have  given  in  another  chapter  a  view  of  the  beginnings  throughout  the 
valley,  including  that  part  which  later  became  Benton  County.  For  the  sake  of 
brevity  we  are  repeating  briefly  the  essentials  of  that  part  of  the  history,  and 
giving  added  details. 

As  stated  in  the  chapter  referred  to  the  first  coiners  into  tlie  Yalcima  \'alley 
followed  hard  upon  the  close  of  the  Indian  wars.  The  closing  campaigns  of 
the  series  of  wars  of  the  decade  of  the  fifties  were  those  of  Wright  in  the 
Spokane  country  and  Garriett  in  the  Yakima  in  1858.  In  the  next  year  a  group 
of  cattlemen  began  to  drive  stock  into  the  middle  Yakima  \'alley.  Among  these 
men  were  some  of  the  chief  makers  of  Yakima ;  Ben  Snipes,  the  Aliens,  the 
Murphys,  Nelson,  Connell,  Henderson  and  Jefifrey.  In  1861  and  immediately 
following,  the  first  settlements  were  made  in  the  Moxee  by  the  Thorps,  the 
Hensons,  the  Splawns  and  a  rapidly  increasing  number  of  immigrants,  of  whom 
an  enumeration  has  been  given. 

EARLIEST    SETTLERS. 

We  derive  from  the  valuable  book  by  A.  J.  Splawn,  "Kamiakin,  the  Last 
Hero  of  the  Yakimas,"  information  as  to  those  who,  in  those  earliest  days  located 
in  the  lower  valley.  Apparently  J.  B.  Nelson  was  the  first  to  locate  in  the  limits 
of  the  present  Benton  County.  Even  his  location  was  temporary.  In  1864 
some  of  his  horses  had  been  run  oft'  by  thieves  and  in  his  endeavors  to  locate 
the  scattered  bands  he  with  his  family  became  established  for  a  year  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Yakima.  Subsequently  he  moved  to  a  place  on  the  river  between 
the  later  Mabton  and  Sunnyside,  afterwards  the  Jock  Morgan  ranch.  Still  later 
the  Nelsons  made  their  permanent  home  near  Yakima  on  the  Naches.  Various 
old-timers  seem  to  have  been  on  the  borders  during  that  early  date,  whose 
permanent  liomes  were  later  in  Yakima.  Among  others  was  Col.  H.  D.  Cock, 
conspicuous  in  the  Indian  wars  and  later  the  first  marshal  of  Yakima.  He  was 
active  through  wliat  is  now  the  North  Prosser  and  Grandview  regions  and  in 
1867  and  a  little  later  established  the  first  ferr}'  across  the  Yakima  below  what 
is  now  the  Mabton  road. 

736 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  77,7 

But  apparently  the  first  permanent  settler  on  the  lower  Yakima  was  Smith 
Barnum.  His  place  was  on  the  bottom  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  in  part 
the  place  now  owned  by  J.  B.  Clements.  In  1875  the  Barnum  place  was  made 
a  station  on  the  first  mail  route  from  Yakima  to  Wallula  and  thence  to  Umatilla. 

During  the  early  seventies  a  number  of  locations,  at  first  entirely  for  stock 
raising,  were  made  on  the  Yakima  between  The  Horn  and  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  Among  those  early  families  were  the  McNeills,  the  Souths,  the  Mc- 
Alpines,  Doctor  Cantonwine,  Joe  Baxter,  Lockwood,  Ben  Rosencrantz,  Jack 
Roberts,  B.  S.  Grosscup,  the  Robinsons  and  a  number  of  cowboys,  whose  tenure 
was  so  short  that  their  names  seem  not  preserved.  The  place  occupied  by  the 
Souths,  now  the  home  of  Mr.  S.  Foot,  is  said  to  be  the  first  in  that  region.  Amy 
South  became  Mrs.  A.  G.  McNeill,  and  is  known  to  every  one  in  Prosser  as  one 
of  the  best  informed  on  early  history  of  all  that  section.  Her  father's  family 
located  in  that  section  in  1871.  Ben  Rosencrantz,  now  living  at  Pasco,  though 
not  quite  so  early  in  time  as  some  of  those  named,  became  the  most  of  all  a 
permanent  resident  in  what  became  later  the  Richland  section. 

He  went  in  1879,  locating  at  first  on  the  former  Smith  Barnum  place  and  a 
short  time  later  moving  across  the  Yakima  River.  There  he  located  a  pre- 
emption, a  homestead  and  a  desert  entry,  and  later  acquired  three  sections  of 
Northern  Pacific  R.  R.  land  at  half  a  dollar  an  acre.  He  could  have  got  16 
sections  at  the  same  price,  but  did  not  consider  them  worth  it. 

His  nearest  neighbors  were  Robinson  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima  and  Bax- 
ter about  six  miles  up  the  river.  He  tells  us  that  in  1880  he  got  a  gang-plow 
of  Bill  Jones  of  Walla  Walla  for  $450,  with  which  he  broke  up  80  acres  of  land 
at  Badger  Springs  below  Kiona.  During  that  period  Levi  Ankeny  was  a  fre- 
quent visitor  on  hunting  and  fishing  trips.  He  pointed  out  to  Mr.  Rosencrantz 
what  he  regarded  a  good  town  site.  Later  the  place  was  laid  out  by  Howard 
Amon  and  became  Richland,  deriving  its  nam.e  from  Nelson  Rich,  who  had 
become  associated  with  Mr.  Amon  in  the  irrigation  enterprise  of  the  Benton 
Land  and  Water  Company.  Of  those  early  irrigation  enterprises  we  have 
spoken  at  length  in  the  chapter  on  Irrigation. 

Settlements  in  the  vicinity  of  Prosser,  although  it  became  the  county  seat 
and  the  largest  town,  were  later  in  time  than  those  on  the  lower  section  of  the 
river. 

We  shall  speak  of  the  first  settlers  under  the  heading  of  the  city  of  Prosser. 
It  may  suffice  to  note  here  that  the  first  comers  to  that  location  of  Prosser  Falls 
were  Col.  W.  F.  Prosser,  Joe  Kinney  and  A.  M.  Ward.  They  located  at  that 
point  in  the  early  eighties.     The  Warneckes  came  only  a  little  later. 

The  same  general  statement  may  be  made  in  regard  to  Kennewick.  C.  J. 
Beach  made  the  first  filing  on  Government  land  in  that  vicinity.  Doctor  Livingston 
built  the  first  house,  and  Joe  Dimond  was  the  first  in  business.  Of  Kennewick, 
too,  we  shall  speak  at  length,  and  need  not  use  further  space  here.  Most  of  the 
pioneer  history  of  what  may  be  termed  the  permanent  Benton  County,  follow- 
ing the  cowboy  days,  is  connected  with  irrigation,  and  of  that  we  have  written  at 
length  in  an  earlier  chapter.  During  the  decade  of  the  nineties  and  onward 
two  great  wheat  farming  sections  have  developed.  These  are  the  Horse  Heaven 
and  the  Rattlesnake  Mountain  sections.     Both  these  regions  have  scant  rain- 

(47) 


738  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

fall,  though  more  than  the  valley.  The  soil  is  of  the  finest,  and  in  the  native 
state  both  regions  were  perfect  seas  of  the  finest  bunch-grass.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  the  stockmen  found  a  paradise  in  those  two  vast  areas.  The  former 
has  nearly  as  much  land  available  as  the  entire  Yakima  Valley;  that  is,  about 
half  a  million  acres.  This  great  plateau  ofifers  so  inviting  a  field  for  irrigation 
that  much  attention  has  been  devoted  to  investigation  with  a  view  to  a  water 
supply. 

It  has  been  proposed  to  impound  the  chief  sources  of  the  Klickitat  River  at 
the  base  of  Mount  Adams,  fed  by  never-failing  glaciers,  and  convey  a  ditch 
along  the  crest  of  the  Simcoe  Ridge,  whence  laterals  could  be  constructed  reach- 
ing the  Columbia  River  on  the  south  and  the  Yakima  on  the  north.  The  region 
around  Cleveland,  Bickleton  and  other  little  places  in  Klickitat  County  as  well 
as  the  section  eastward  in  Benton  is  a  gently  rolling  plateau,  and  under  water  it 
would  duplicate  the  Yakima  country  itself  for  beauty  and  productiveness.  The 
question  of  water  supply,  however,  is  a  serious  one,  and  Government  engineers 
doubt  whether  the  proposed  reservoirs  will  be  adequate  to  the  immense  demands 
of  half  a  million  acres.  Meanwhile  the  Horse  Heaven  Irrigation  District  has 
been  formed  and  the  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  that  region  will  be  all  ready 
to  utilize  the  water  if  a  way  can  be  found  to  convey  it  to  them. 

The  Rattlesnake  region  is  not  as  large  as  the  Horse  Heaven,  but  it  has  the 
advantage  of  lower  altitude  for  a  large  part  of  its  area.  The  soil  is  equally  good 
and  a  number  of  enterprising  wheat  farmers  have  reaped  sufficient  products  to 
give  their  section  a  standing  as  one  of  the  regular  grain  supply  points  of  the 
state.  But  the  great  feature  of  the  Rattlesnake  region  is  that  large  areas  are 
accessible  to  the  Sunnyside  extension  of  the  High  Line  Canal.  Probably  nearly 
200,000  acres  will  ultimately  become  irrigated,  and  the  wonders  of  Yakima  and 
other  old  irrigation  sections  will  be  repeated  in  the  former  stockman's  paradise. 
Another  unique  feature  of  this  remarkable  section  is  the  natural  gas  in  the 
Rattlesnake  plateau  about  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Prosser  and  an  equal  dis- 
tance west  of  Richland. 

It  had  been  known  twenty  or  more  years  ago  to  stockmen  that  there  was 
gas  sufficient  to  furnish  light  and  warmth  for  the  winter  days  which  occasionally 
visited  that  ordinarily  balmy  section.  In  fact  the  gas  burned  there  for  years 
unheeded  except  by  cowboys  in  their  winter  range.  Within  a  few  years  pro- 
moters have  organized  a  company  for  getting  this  great  possibility  before  the 
investing  world.  It  is  as  yet  too  soon  to  forecast  developments,  but  there  is 
every  reason  to  anticipate  that  the  next  historian  of  Benton  County  will  chronicle 
a  great  manufacturing  center  supplied  from  these  subterranean  resources  of 
heat,  power  and  light. 

There  is  still  another  area  of  Benton  County,  not  belonging  strictly  to  the 
Yakima  Valley  at  all.  This  is  the  southern  section  bordering  the  Columbia 
River.  This  section  is  arid  and  semi-tropical  in  climate,  but  has  the  same  vol- 
canic soil,  capable  of  anything  with  water. 

There  are  several  little  stations,  as  Mottinger,  Plymouth,-Paterson,  Carley, 
Luzon,  on  the  Spokane,  Portland,  and  Seattle  R.  R.,  at  which  beginnings  have 
been  made  in  the  production  of  fruit  and  alfalfa. 

The  two  remarkable  features  of  this  river  section  are  the  artesian  well  near 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  739 

Luzon  and  Blalock  Island  in  the  Columbia,  the  latter  commemorating  the  name 
of  Dr.  X.  G.  Blalock  of  Walla  Walla,  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  revered  of 
all  the  builders  of  the  State.  With  the  developments  sure  to  come,  this  section 
will  some  day  be  one  of  the  garden  spots  of  the  world. 

In  giving  these  views  of  the  county  we  have  digressed  a  little  from  the 
story  of  settlement.  It  may  be  said,  however,  that  the  development  in  all  these 
sections  was  initiated  before  the  creation  of  the  county.  We  see,  moreover, 
from  this  general  picture  the  fact  that  there  was  abundant  need  of  a  new  county 
in  the  vast  area  still  left  to  Yakima  after  the  early  excision  by  which  Kittitas 
was  removed. 

BENTON  COUNTY  A  NATURAL  UNIT. 

Furthermore  the  area  upon  which  Benton  County  was  erected  is  a  natural 
unit.  It  is,  too,  not  surpassed  by  any  county  in  the  state  in  the  percentage  of 
land  which  may  be  utilized.  \\'ith  the  exception  of  the  bluffs  along  the  Columbia 
River  on  the  south  and  the  lofty  ridges  of  the  Rattlesnake  Mountains,  it  is 
entirely  cultivable  land  and  under  water  will  sometime  become  a  veritable  garden 
of  delights,  one  of  the  choice  home  lands  of  the  continent. 

With  all  the  natural  conditions  and  their  possible  developments  which  the 
eastern  half  of  Yakima  County  afforded,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  inhabitants 
felt  a  growing  desire  for  a  separate  organization. 

In  1901  Nelson  Rich,  one  of  the  best  builders  in  the  lower  valley,  still  at  this 
writing  living  in  Prosser,  was  in  the  legislature  for  Yakima  County.  Supported 
by  the  sentiment  of  his  part  of  the  county  he  initiated  measures  looking  to  a  new 
county. 

The  proposal  contemplated  a  county  to  be  known  as  Riverside,  taking  the 
region  east  of  a  line  running  north  and  south  three  miles  west  of  Mabton. 
Correspondence  from  Olympia  to  the  "Yakima  Herald"  denotes  that  Mr.  Rich 
met  with  considerable  opposition.  Remonstrances  poured  in.  It  was  pointed 
out  that  the  new  county  would  have  to  assume  indebtedness  of  $66,000  and  erect 
new  buildings  worth  $100,000,  thus  being  heavily  handicapped  with  debt  at  a 
time  when  they  were  in  no  condition  for  burdens.  Klickitat  County  also  opposed 
the  proposal,  not  wishing  to  lose  the  Horse  Heaven  country.  The  bill  introduced 
by  Mr.  Rich  never  came  to  a  vote,  and  everything  waited  for  a  new  advance. 

AGITATION    FOR    NEW    COUNTY. 

In  1903  the  agitation  for  a  new  county  was  renewed.  On  July  30th  a  mass 
meeting  at  Rich's  Hall  in  Prosser  formulated  a  plan  for  a  county  with  boundaries 
diminished  from  those  of  the  fonner  demand.  Still  another  meeting  was  held  at 
Prosser  on  December  18th,  by  vote  of  which  a  bill  was  prepared  for  introduc- 
tion at  the  forthcoming  meeting  of  the  legislature,  embodying  the  demands  of  the 
former  meeting.  This  bill  was  duly  presented  by  S.  A.  Wells  on  behalf  of  the 
committee  of  the  lower  house  on  county  organization.  It  provided  that  the  new 
county  should  be  known  as  McKinley  County.  The  lines  proposed  in  the  bill 
were  not  acceptable  to  the  Sunnyside  people.  The  western  boundary  was  only 
three  miles  east  of  Zillah  and  the  effect  would  have  been  to  bisect  the  Sunny- 
side  country.  The  people  there  desired  to  be  all  in  or  all  out  of  the  new  county. 
The  bill  therefore  was  defeated. 

The    "Columbia    Courier",    of    Kennewick,    of    August    1,    1902,    expressed 


740  HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY 

undoubtedly  a  sentiment  which  had  much  to  do  with  the  spirit  leading  to  the 
defeat  at  that  time  of  the  division  movement.  The  "Courier"  says :  "The  ghost 
of  Yakima's  historic  past  will  sometime  haunt  the  men  who  clamor  to  divide 
for  selfish  ends.  Fifty  miles  from  Prosser  to  North  Yakima  is  no  greater  dis- 
tance than  50  miles  would  be  from  the  country  southeast  of  Kennewick  to  the 
prospective  county  seat  at  Prosser.  This  is  no  time  to  increase  an  already  heavy 
tax  by  the  creation  of  a  new  county  seat,  with  half  a  score  or  more  of  hungr}' 
offices.  Sunnyside  business  men  and  leading  citizens,  twenty-seven  in  all,  were 
interviewed  on  division  last  week.  More  than  twenty  of  them  were  positive 
in  their  declarations  against  division  now. 

"The  Kennewick  country  will  poll  almost  a  unanimous  vote  against  division 
if  it  gets  a  good  chance. 

"Yakima  County  will  not  be  divided — this  time." 

"Pea"  Greene  renews  the  attack  on  division  in  the  ver\-  next  number,  end- 
ing with  the  assertion,  "as  a  matter  of  fact  there  are  but  two  or  three  precincts 
that  are  mixed  up  in  the  affair  at  all,  and  when  it  comes  to  a  vote,  the  thing  will 
undergo  an  interment  of  considerable  depth." 

It  is  somewhat  obvious  from  still  another  squib  in  the  "Courier"  that  the 
division  proposition  was  regarded  as  a  Prosser  move.  For  Brother  Greene  says : 
"Prosser  people  are  in  terrible  misery  because  a  few  of  the  remote  inhabitants 
of  the  county  are  compelled  occasionally  to  go  a  considerable  distance  to  the 
county  seat.  Some  of  these  remote  people  that  I've  talked  with  on  the  subject 
say  that  they  would  prefer  to  go  quite  a  distance  for  the  sake  of  going  some- 
where when  they  do  go." 

After  the  failure  in  the  legislature  of  1903,  the  advocates  of  division  rested 
on  their  oars  for  a  time.  There  was  a  rapid  development  in  1903  and  1904  in 
all  parts  of  the  lower  Valley.  Opposition  in  and  around  Kennewick  seems 
to  have  declined.  Moreover,  on  March  3,  1903,  C.  O.  Anderson  succeeded  E.  P. 
Greene  as  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  "Columbia  Courier".  The  new  manager 
was  not  so  contentious  as  the  old  one,  and  seems  to  have  devoted  himself  to 
consistently  striving  to  build  up  the  local  interest  with  harmony  and  good  feel- 
ing to  his  journalistic  brethren  of  adjoining  towns.  Mr.  Anderson  was  suc- 
ceeded in  turn  on  August  4,  1904,  by  W.  J.  Shaughnessey.  He  in  like  manner 
followed  an  amicable  course,  devoting  his  energies  mainly  to  local  upbuilding. 

In  the  files  of  the  "Courier"  in  1903  and  1904  we  find  hardly  a  reference 
to  county  division.  The  Kennewick  people  meanwhile  had  become  intei'ested  in 
establishing  a  city  government  of  their  own,  which  was  done  on  February  5, 
1904. 

The  result  of  the  combined  conditions,  internal  and  external,  was  that  in 
the  legislature  of  1905,  with  no  great  contention,  the  act  creating  the  new  co"  ity 
of  Benton  was  duly  passed. 

The  leading  objection  formerly  held  against  the  proposal  was  obviatei.  - 
running  an  exact  north  and  south  line  far  enough  east  to  leave  the  whole  Sunnv- 
side  country  in  the  old  county.  Such  division  gave  the  new  comity  a  scanty 
population,  not  more  than  one-fifth  that  remaining  in  Yakima  County.  But 
with  every  assurance  of  rapid  development  the  inhabitants  of  the  new  Benton 
County   faced  the  future  in   1905   with  high  hopes.     It   is  worthy  of  note  that 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY  741 

the  division  left  Yakima  County  with  just  about  half  its  area  in  the  Indian 
Reservation.  It  is  the  half,  too,  containing  far  the  larger  ratio  of  arable  land. 
This  condition  is  offset  in  a  degree  by  the  fact  that  the  Government  regulations 
permit  creation  of  townsites  and  renting  of  Indian  lands.  By  reason  of  this, 
and  of  the  great  Wapato  irrigation  system,  there  has  been  great  development 
in  that  part  of  Yakima  County. 

The  separation  of  the  former  vast  area  of  Yakima  County  into  two  natural 
divisions  is  doubtless  regarded  now  by  the  people  of  both  as  in  the  line  of 
progress. 

The  Act  creating  Benton  County  is  incorporated  herewith: 
An  act  to  create  the  county  of  Benton,  subject  to  the  requirements  of  the 
state  constitution  and  statutes  in  respect  to  the  establishment  of  new  counties. 

BE   IT  ENACTED  BY  THE   LEGISLATURE  OF  THE  STATE  OF  WASHINGTON  : 

Section  1.  All  those  portions  of  the  counties  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat 
described  as  follows,  lo-wit:  Beginning  at  the  point  of  intersection  of  the 
middle  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Columbia  River  with  the  township  line  between 
township  thirteen  north,  range  twenty-three  east,  and  township  thirteen  north, 
range  twenty-four  east,  Willamette  Meridian :  thence  running  south  along  the 
township  lines,  being  the  line  between  range  twenty-three  east  and  range  twenty- 
four  east,  to  the  line  between  Yakima  County  and  Klickitat  County ;  thence  south 
along  the  township  lines,  along  the  line  between  ranges  twenty-three  east  and 
twenty-four  east,  to  the  point  of  intersection  with  the  middle  of  the  main  channel 
of  the  Columbia  River,  or  to  its  intersection  with  the  lines  between  the  states 
of  Washington  and  Oregon;  thence  northeasterly,  northerly  and  northwesterly 
and  westerly  along  the  middle  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Columbia  River  and 
up  said  stream,  following  the  line  between  Klickitat  County  and  the  state  of 
Oregon  and  the  county  of  Walla  Walla  and  the  line  between  Yakima  County 
and  Walla  Walla  County.  Franklin  County,  and  Douglas  County,  to  the  place 
of  beginning — shall  be  and  hereby  is  created  and  established  as  the  county  of 
Benton ;  Provided,  however,  That  said  Benton  County  is  hereby  created  as  afore- 
said, subject  to  the  requirements  of  the  constitution  of  the  state  of  Washington 
in  respect  to  the  establishment  of  new  counties,  and  subject  to  an  ascertainment 
of  the  fact  of  such  compliance  as  hereinafter  provided,  and  that  the  creation 
of  said  Benton  County  hereby  shall  not  become  operative  to  establish  said 
county  until  such  compliance  shall  have  been  so  had  and  the  fact  of  such  com- 
pliance so  ascertained. 

Sec.  2.  At  any  time  within  three  months  after  this  act  shall  take  effect,  any 
qualified  voter  living  in  any  portion  of  Yakima  or  Klickitat  counties  embraced 
within  the  boundaries  of  Benton  County  as  hereinbefore  defined,  may  present  to 
the  governor  in  substance,  that  the  signers  of  such  petition  are  a  majority  of  the 
voters  living  in  the  portions  of  Klickitat  and  Yakima  counties  embraced  within 
the  boundaries  of  Benton  County  as  defined  within  this  act,  and  praying  that  in 
case  it  shall  be  found  that  the  constitutional  provisions  relating  to  the  creation 
of  new  counties  have  been  complied  with,  the  county  of  Benton  shall  be  deemed 
fully  established :  Provided,  That  said  petition  shall  be  accompanied  bv  a  good 
and  sufficient  bond  to  the  superior  judge  to  whom  said  petition  shall  be  trans- 
mitted by  the  governor  to  be  approved  by  said  superior  judge,  in  the  sum  of 


742  HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY 

$1,000.00  to  cover  costs  of  proceedings  under  this  act,  and  in  case  the  said  county 
shall  not  be  established. 

Sec.  3.  The  governor  shall  forthwith  transmit  said  petition  to  the  superior 
judge  of  Yakima  County  and  the  said  superior  judge  shall  within  thirty  days 
thereafter  examine  said  petition  and  ascertain  whether  said  petition  bears  the 
signatures  of  persons  living  within  the  territory  of  Benton  County  and  entitled 
to  vote  therein,  in  number  equal  to  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  by  voters  living 
within  said  territory  at  the  last  preceding  general  election,  as  nearly  as  the 
number  of  such  voters  voting  at  such  preceding  election  can  be  ascertained ; 
if  the  judge  finds  the  petition  sufficiently  signed,  then  the  said  judge  shall  ascei- 
tain  to  his  satisfaction,  upon  evidence  received  in  open  court,  that  the  striking 
therefrom  of  the  territory  proposed  to  be  set  over  into  Benton  County  will  not 
reduce  the  remaining  population  of  said  Yakima  County  or  Klickitat  County  or 
either  of  them  respectively  to  a  population  of  less  than  four  thousand,  and  that 
such  territory  so  proposed  to  be  set  over  contains  a  population  of  two  thousand 
or  more:  Provided,  however,  That  the  judge  may  in  his  discretion  appoint  an 
elector  or  electors  who  shall  be  a  freeholder,  residing  within  the  territory  of 
Benton  County,  to  take  a  special  enumeration  of  the  population  of  the  counties 
of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  or  of  any  part  thereof  which  he  may  desire  so  that  it 
will  show  separately  the  number  of  the  population  living  in  such  portion  thereof 
within  the  boundaries  of  Benton  County,  and  living  in  the  rest  of  said  counties 
of  Yakima  and  Klickitat.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  person  or  persons  so 
appointed  to  qualify  by  filing  with  such  court  an  oath  that  he  will  take  such 
enumeration  truly  and  impartially,  and  therefrom  he  or  they  shall  take  such 
enumeration  and  return  the  same  verified  by  his  affidavit  to  the  effect  that  he 
believes  the  same  to  be  a  true  and  correct  enumeration  of  such  county,  or  as  ihe 
case  may  be,  of  the  portions  of  such  county  as  to  which  the  same  relates,  in  such 
court,  and  to  file  the  same  in  such  court  within  one  month  after  such  enumeration 
has  been  completed. 

Sec.  4.  If  it  shall  be  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  such  judge  of  the  superior 
court  of  Yakima  County  that  there  are  two  thousand  or  more  inhabitants,  within 
the  boundaries  herein  set  forth  for  the  county  of  Benton,  and  that  there  shall 
remain  four  thousand  or  more  inhabitants  in  the  remaining  portion  of  Yakima 
and  Klickitat  counties  respectively,  thereupon  he  shall  make  a  decree  setting 
forth  the  fact  that  the  provisions  of  the  constitution  of  the  state  of  Washington 
have  been  complied  with.  Upon  the  filing  of  such  decree  it  shall  be  the  duty 
of  the  clerk  of  such  court  to  make  and  transmit  to  the  board  of  county  com- 
missioners of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  respectively,  a  certified  copy  thereof, 
and  also  a  certified  copy  thereof  to  the  governor  of  the  state,  and  to  the  secretary 
of  state. 

Sec.  5.  Immediately  upon  receipt  of  said  certified  copy  of  the  tlecree  of  the 
superior  court  of  Yakima  County,  the  governor  shall  make  a  proclamation 
declaring  the  county  of  Benton  fully  established. 

Sec.  6.  The  county  of  Benton  shall  assume  and  pay  to  the  counties  of 
Yakima  and  Klickitat  respectively,  its  proportion  of  the  bonded  and  warrant 
indebtedness  of  each  of  said  counties  respectively,  in  the  proportions  that 
assessed    valuation    of    that   part    of    Benton    County    lying    within    the    present 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  743 

boundaries  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  respectively,  bears  to  tbe  assess- 
ed valuation  of  the  whole  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  respectively.  The 
adjustment  of  said  indebtedness  shall  be  based  upon  the  assessment  for  the  year 
1904 :  Provided,  That  in  the  accounting  between  the  said  counties  neither  county 
shall  be  charged  with  any  debt  or  liability  incurred  in  the  purchase  of  any  county 
property  or  the  purchase  of  any  county  building  which  shall  fall  within  and  be 
retained  by  the  other  county. 

Sec.  7.  The  county  seat  of  said  Benton  County  is  hereby  located  at  the 
town  of  Prosser,  and  shall  there  remain  until  the  same  shall  be  removed  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  provisions  of  law. 

Sec.  8.  Until  otherwise  classified  said  county  of  Benton  is  hereby  desig- 
nated as  belonging  to  the  twenty-second  class. 

Sec.  9.  Carl  A.  Jenson,  W.  P.  Simms  and  J.  W.  Carey,  all  being  residents 
within  the  herein  proposed  county  of  Benton,  shall  be  the  first  board  of  county 
commissioners  of  said  Benton  County,  and  they  shall  hold  office  until  the  second 
Monday  in  January,  1907,  and  until  their  successors  are  elected  and  qualified, 
and  shall  meet  at  the  county  seat  of  said  Benton  County  within  thirty  days  from 
the  date  of  the  governor's  said  proclamation,  as  hereinbefore  provided,  and  shall 
qualify  as  such  county  commissioners  by  filing  their  oath  of  ofiice  with  the 
judge  of  the  superior  court, -who  shall  approve  their  bond  in  the  manner  pro- 
vided by  law ;  Provided,  however,  That  if  any  of  the  above-named  commission- 
ers shall  fail  to  qualify  within  the  time  specified,  then  the  governor  shall  appoint 
a  bona  fide  resident  and  qualified  elector  of  said  Benton  County  to  fill  the 
vacancy. 

Sec.  10.  Such  commissioners  shall  divide  their  county  into  precincts, 
townships  and  districts,  as  provided  for  by  the  law  then  existing,  making  only 
such  changes  as  are  rendered  necessary  by  the  altered  condition  of  the  bounda- 
ries occasioned  by  the  segregation   from  the  original   counties. 

Sec.  11.  In  all  townships,  precincts,  school  and  road  districts  which  retain 
their  old  boundaries,  the  ofificers  thereof  shall  retain  their  respective  offices  in 
and  for  such  new  county  until  their  respective  terms  of  office  expire,  or  until 
their  successors  are  elected  and  qualified,  and  shall  give  bonds  to  Benton  County 
of  the  same  amount  and  in  the  same  manner  as  had  previously  been  given  to 
the  original  county. 

Sec.  12.  Except  as  provided  in  the  preceding  section  such  commissioners 
shall  be  authorized  and  required  to  appoint  all  of  the  county  officers  of  the 
county  organized  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  and  of  which  they  are  com- 
missioners, and  the  officers  thus  appointed  shall  commence  to  hold  their  office 
immediately  upon  their  appointment  and  qualification  according  to  law  and 
shall  hold  their  offices  until  the  second  Monday  of  January,  1907,  or  until  their 
successors  are  elected  and  qualified. 

Sec.  13.  Until  otherwise  provided  by  law,  said  Benton  County  shall  be 
and  hereby  is  attached  to  the  district  composed  of  Yakima,  Kittitas  and  Frank- 
lin counties,  for  judicial  purposes. 

Sec.  14.  The  board  of  county  commissioners  at  a  regular  meeting  held 
within  one  year  from  the  time  when  they  shall  qualify  as  commissioners  of  the 
county  of  Benton,  by  an  order  duly  entered  in  the  minutes  of  their  proceedings. 


744  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

shall  divide  Benton  County  into  three  commissioners'  districts  in  the  manner 
provided  by  law,  and  shall  designate  the  boundaries  thereof,  and  at  the  next 
general  election  in  said  county  there  shall  be  elected  three  commissioners,  one 
from  each  of  said  districts ;  the  commissioner  for  district  number  one  to  be 
elected  for  four  years  and  the  commissioners  for  districts  two  and  three  for  two 
years. 

Sec.  15.  For  the  purpose  of  representation  in  the  legislature  until  other- 
wise provided  by  law,  the  county  of  Benton  shall  be  included  in  the  fifteenth 
senatorial  district  and  shall  constitute  the  fifty-eighth  representative  district, 
and  be  entitled  to  one  representative. 

Sec.  16.  L-ntil  the  county  of  Benton  is  organized  by  the  appointment  and 
qualification  of  its  officers,  the  jurisdiction  of  the  present  officers  of  Yakima  and 
Klickitat  counties  respectively,  shall  remain  in  full  force  and  efifect  in  those 
portions  of  the  territory  constituting  the  said  county  of  Benton,  lying  within  the 
boundaries  of  said  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  respectively. 

Sec.  17.  Within  such  time  as  they  shall  be  transcribed  after  the  gover- 
nor's proclamation,  as  hereinbefore  provided,  the  county  auditors  of  Yakima 
and  Klickitat  counties,  respectively,,  shall  certify  from  the  records  of  said 
counties  respectively  all  records  and  all  papers  and  documents  on  file  in  any 
wise  aiTecting  the  title  to  any  estate  or  property,  real  or  personal,  situated  with- 
in the  county  of  Benton,  and  the  county  commissioners  of  Benton  County  shall 
provide,  at  the  expense  of  the  county,  proper  and  suitable  record  books  to  which 
such  records  shall  be  so  transcribed  and  shall  transcribe  said  records  as  herein- 
after provided,  in  legible  writing,  and  said  record  books  and  papers  shall  be 
delivered  to  the  auditor  of  Benton  County,  and  said  records  and  documents  so 
transcribed  shall  be  accepted  and  received  as  evidence  in  all  courts  and  places 
as  if  the  same  had  been  originally  recorded  or  filed  in  the  office  of  the  auditor 
of  Benton  County. 

Sec.  18.  All  actions  and  proceedings  which  shall  be  pending  in  the  su- 
perior courts  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  at  the  time  of  the  governor's 
proclamation  hereinbefore  referred  to,  affecting  the  title  or  possession  of  real 
estate  in  Benton  County,  or  in  which  one  or  all  the  parties  are  residents  of  Ben- 
ton County,  and  all  further  proceedings  had  therein  shall  be  in  Benton  County, 
the  same  as  if  originally  commenced  in  that  county.  .\11  other  proceedings, 
civil  or  criminal,  now  pending  in  the  superior  courts  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat 
counties  shall  be  prosecuted  to  termination  thereof  in  the  superior  courts  of 
Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  respectively. 

Sec.  19.  All  pleadings,  processes,  do'cuments  and  files,  in  the  offices  of  the 
county  clerks  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  affecting  pending  suits  and  pro- 
ceedings to  be  transferred  as  provided  in  the  preceding  section  of  this  act,  shall 
be  transferred  and  all  records  therein  transcribed  as  hereinafter  provided  and 
certified  by  the  county  clerks  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  respectively,  and 
transmitted  to  the  county  clerk  of  Benton  County,  after  said  clerk  shall  have 
entered  upon  the  duties  of  said  office. 

Sec.  20.  All  records,  papers  and  documents  of  record  or  on  file  in  the 
office  of  the  county  clerks,  county  auditors  and  all  other  officers  of  Yakima  and 
Klickitat  counties  respectively,  in  anywise  affecting  the  title  or  possession  of  real 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  745 

estate  or  other  property  in  Benton  County,  and  required  to  be  transcribed  shall 
be  transcribed  and  transmitted  to  the  county  clerk,  county  auditor  or  other 
officer  of  Benton  County  by  such  person  or  persons  as  may  be  employed  by 
the  county  of  Benton  for  such  purpose  under  the  certificates  of  the  county 
clerks,  county  auditors  and  other  officers  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  re- 
spectively, and  said  records  and  documents  when  so  transcribed  and  trans- 
ferred, shall  be  received  as  evidence  in  all  courts  and  places  as  if  originally 
recorded  or  filed,  as  the  case  may  be,  in  the  county  of  Benton. 

Sec.  21.  All  records  of  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties  required  by  this 
act  to  be  transcribed  shall  be  transcribed  by  a  person  or  persons  to  be  employed 
by  the  board  of  county  commissioners  of  Benton  County,  as  follows,  to-wit : 
Said  transcribing  shall  be  done  by  a  person  or  persoiis  under  contract  who  shall 
receive  said  contract  after  bids  for  said  work  shall  have  been  advertised  and  the 
contract  given  to  the  best  bidder ;  all  records  so  transcribed  shall  be  certified 
by  the  officer  of  the  respective  office  from  which  said  record  shall  be  tran- 
scribed, under  the  seal  of  his  office,  in  the  manner  following,  to-wit:  Each  book 
of  transcribed  records  shall  be  certified  to  be  a  correct  transcript  of  the  records 
of  Yakima  or  Klickitat  counties,  as  the  case  may  be,  contained  therein,  describ- 
ing in  the  certificate  the  office  in  Yakima  or  Klickitat  County  from  which  the 
same  are  transcribed  and  each  officer  so  certifying  shall  finally  certify  to  the 
completeness  of  all  records  so  transcribed  from  his  office. 

Passed  the  senate,   February  20,    1905. 

Passed  the  house,  March  1,  1905. 

Approved  by  the  governor,  March  8,   1905. 


In  the  "Prosser  Falls  Bulletin"  of  June  22,  1905,  we  find  the  following 
account  of  the  initiation  of  countyhood ;  followed  by  editorial  comment,  together 
with  an  account  of  the   initiation  of  the  county  business: 

BENTON    COUNTY    AN    .\CTUAL    FACT 

Benton  County,  according  to  a  proclamation  issued  by  Governor  Mead  last 
Saturday,  June  17th,  is  "fully  and  completely  created  and  established."  The 
proclamation  reached  here  Sunday,  being  sent  to  F.  H.  Gloyd,  who  carried  the 
petition  to  the  governor,  and  was  framed  and  placed  on  exhibition  Monday  in 
one  of  the  windows  of  the  Prosser  State  Bank.  The  proclamation,  it  was  ex- 
pected, would  provide  for  the  new  county  to  begin  business  July  1st,  the  be- 
ginning of  the  fiscal  year,  and  has  caught  the  county  commissioners  unawares. 
The  courthouse  quarters  are  not  ready  for  the  officers,  none  of  them  had  pre- 
pared their  bonds,  there  is  no  jail,  books  or  other  supplies,  all  of  which  would 
have  been  provided  for  by  the  first  of  the  month.  Some  tall  hustling  is  now 
being  made,  however,  to  get  Benton  County  ready  for  business  and  the  com- 
missioners will  no  doubt  be  equal  to  the  emergency. 

The  issuance  of  the  governor's  proclamation  is  the  result  of  the  action  of 
Judge  Rigg's  court  last  Friday.  As  stated  in  "The  Bulletin''  last  week,  a  com- 
mittee consisting  of  F.  H.  Gloyd,  P.  E.  Harris,  A.  G.  McNeill,  M.  W.  Smith, 
Dr.  D.  M.  Angus,  E.  L.  Boardman  and  C.  W.  Mauer  of  Lone  Spring,  went  to 
North  Yakima  to  furnish  testimony  as  to  the  population  of  Benton  County  and 


746  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  genuineness  of  the  signatures  on  the  petitions  praying  for  its  creation.  At- 
torney Ira  P.  Englehart  appeared  in  court  to  represent  the  new  county  and  it 
took  only  twenty-five  minutes  for  Judge  Rigg  to  hear  the  testimony  and  issue 
a  decree  stating  that  the  constitution  and  the  law  with  reference  to  the  esab- 
lishment  of  new  counties  had  been  fully  complied  with.  This  decree  was  for- 
warded to  Governor  ]Mead,  who  issued  the  following  proclamation: 

COVER XOR's    proclamation 

"Whereas,  heretofore,  on  the  9th  day  of  June,  A.  D.,  1905,  a  petition  was 
duly  presented  to  the  undersigned  praying  for  the  creation  of  the  county  of 
Benton  in  the  state  of  Washington,  subject  to  the  requirements  of  state  consti- 
tution and  statutes  in  respect  to  the  establishment  of  new  counties,  said  peti- 
tion then  and  there  reciting-  that  the  names  appended  thereto  constitute  a 
majority  of  the  \oters  residing  in  the  certain  portions  of  the  counties  of  Klicki- 
tat and  Yakima  embraced  within  the  boundaries  of  the  county  of  Benton  as  the 
same  are  fixed  by  an  act  of  the  legislature  of  the  state  of  Washington  approved 
March  8,  1905,  and, 

"Whereas,  Said  petition  was  thereafter  duly  and  regularly  transmitted  to 
the  Hon.  H.  B.  Rigg,  judge  of  the  superior  court  of  the  state  of  Washington 
in  and  for  the  county  of  Yakima,  to  the  end  that  said  court  should  ascertain 
if  the  provisions  of  the  constitution  of  the  state  of  Washington  had  been  com- 
plied with ;  and, 

"Whereas,  On  the  17th  day  of  June,  A.  D.,  1905,  there  was  presented  to 
the  undersigned  a  certified  copy  of  a  decree  of  said  superior  court  of  Yakima 
County  to  the  ettect  that  said  court  had  duly  and  regularly  determined  and 
found  that  the  requirements  of  the  constitution  and  statutes  of  the  state  of 
Washington  in  respect  to  the  establishment  of  new  counties  had  been  fully  com- 
plied with  in  the  matter  of  the  creation  and  establishment  of  Benton  County; 

"Therefore,  I,  Albert  E.  ^lead,  governor  of  the  state  of  Washington,  by 
virtue  of  the  aiUhority  in  me  vested  and  of  the  said  proceedings  had  in  said 
superior  court,  and  under  and  in  conformity  with  the  constitution  of  the  state 
of  Washington  and  the  laws  thereof,  do  hereby  proclaim  and  declare  the  county 
of  Benton,  as  described  by  act  of  the  legislature  of  the  state  of  Washington, 
entitled  'An  act  to  create  the  county  of  Benton,  subject  to  the  requirements  of 
the  state  constitution  and  statutes  in  respect  to  the  establishment  of  new 
counties,'  approved  March  8,  1905,  fully  and  completely  created  and  established. 

"In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused  the  seal  of 
the  state  to  be  suffixed  this  17th  day  of  June,  A.  D.,  1905. 

[seal]  "Albert   E.    Mead,    Governor. 

"J.   Thomas  Hickev,   Sec'y  of   State." 

BENTON    COUNTY   GETTING  READY 

The  county  commissioners  of  Benton  County  will  meet  tomorrow,  Friday 
morning,  with  County  Attorney-elect  Anderson  present,  make  out  their  bonds, 
take  the  oath  of  office  before  a  notary  public  and  forward  bonds  to  Judge  Rigg 
of  the  Superior  Court  at  North  Yakima  for  approval.     Each  bond  is  in  the  sum 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  747 

of  $5,000.  The  commissioners,  at  tomorrow's  meeting,  will  probably  arrange 
to  purchase  steel  cells  for  the  jail  and  material  for  the  vault,  as  well  as  fur- 
niture for  the  county  offices.  The  board  will  hold  its  first  regular  meeting  on 
Saturday,. July  1st,  when  the  new  county  will  be  ready  for  business.  At  that 
meeting  they  will  appoint  the  county  officers,  all  of  whom  can  be  sworn  in  by 
any  person  authorized  to  administer  an  oath,  except  J.  D.  Marsh,  clerk  of  the 
Superior  Court.  He  must  take  the  oath  of  office  before  Judge  Rigg.  Between 
now  and  the  first  of  the  month  the  commissioners  will  have  the  Riverside  Hotel 
fixed  up  for  courthouse  quarters,  work  on  which  is  now  proceeding  under  di- 
rection of  Commissioner  Carl  A.  Jenson. 

At  North  Yakima  last  Monday  morning.  County  Attorney  Ira  M.  Krutz 
instructed  the  county  officers  to  file  no  papers  or  transact  any  business  from 
the  territory  comprising  Benton  County,  which  he  had  no  legal  right  to  do  and 
which  is  liable  to  cause  some  confusion.  It  is  also  liable  to  involve  Yakima 
County  for  damages  if  it  should  decline  to  transact  business  for  residents  of 
Benton  County  between  now  and  July  1st  in  which  any  financial  liability  is 
involved.  This  matter  is  fully  covered  by  Section  16  of  the  bill  creating  Benton 
County  which  reads  as  follows: 

"Until  the  county  of  Benton  is  organized  by  the  appointment  and  qualifica- 
tion of  its  officers,  the  jurisdiction  of  the  present  officers  of  Yakima  and  Ivlick- 
itat  counties  respectively,  shall  remain  in  full  force  and  effect  in  those  portions 
of  the  said  Benton  County  lying  within  the  boundaries  of  said  Yakima  and 
Klickitat  counties  respectively." 

The  commissioners  of  Benton  County  expected  the  governor's  proclama- 
tion to  provide  for  its  establishment  June  17th.  The  section  quoted  above, 
however,  fully  covers  the  question  and  is  the  only  law  on  the  subject.  Certainly 
the  officers  of  this  county  can  transact  no  business  until  they  have  qualified  and 
their  bonds  are  approved  and  until  this  is  done  Yakima  and  Klickitat  counties 
must  take  care  of  the  business.  ^ 

Commissioners  Jenson  and  Carey  have  informally  tendered  the  position  of 
auditor  to  F.  H.  Gloyd  of  this  city,  who  will  probably  accept,  as  he  is  about  to 
retire  from  the  Prosser  State  Bank,  as  noted  elsewhere  in  this  issue.  He  was 
formerly  auditor  of  Pierce  County,  worked  around  the  court-house  in  Tacoma 
for  years  and  no  person  better  qualified  for  the  position  could  be  selected.  The 
county  convention  declared  that  this  office  should  go  to  A.  H.  Potter  of  Kenne- 
wick,  who  would  have  been  appointed,  but  he  recently  forwarded  his  declina- 
tion to  the  commissioners.  Previous  to  Mr.  Potter  being  nominated,  Kenne- 
wick  asked  for  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Brown,  but  withdrew  his  name  in  favor 
of  Mr.  Potter.  Under  these  circumstances  the  commissioners  feel  that  Kenne- 
wick,  which  was  also  given  the  county  attorney,  has  received  all  the  considera- 
tion to  which  she  is  entitled. 

All  the  other  county  officers  selected  by  the  convention  will  be  appointed 
on  the  first  of  July  and  they  should  be  here  on  that  day  with  their  bonds,  pre- 
pared to  qualify.  Sherift'  McNeill  and  Assessor  Van  Horn  have  declared  their 
intention  of  furnishing  surety  bonds  and  some  of  the  other  officers,  probably, 
will  do  the  same. 


748  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

BENTON'     COUNTY 

At  last,  alter  years  of  waiting,  after  bitter  tights,  harsh  words  and  the  en- 
gendering of  poHtical  and  personal  animosities,  the  people  of  this  portion  of  \ 
the  Yakima  Valley,  who  honestly  Ijelieved  they  were  entitled  to  self-govern-  j 
ment,  have  a  county  of  their  own  ;  they  are  now  ready  to  try  their  hands  at  \ 
regulating  their  affairs.  Fortunately,  the  creation  of  the  county  has  finally  been  j 
accomplished  without  a  continuation  of  the  bitter  feeling  that  marked  the  two  { 
previous  contests.  Yakima  County,  which  surrenders  most  of  the  territory  i 
comprising  Benton,  has  done  so  cheerfully,  wishes  it  well  in  all  things  and  the  I 
people  of  the  two  counties  part  as  friends.  This  is  a  good  beginning,  because  ; 
the  interests  of  the  two  counties  are  identical.  They  can  help  each  other  in  I 
man}'  ways.  They  should  forget  the  old  quarrel,  now,  work  together  when  it  I 
is  advantageous  to  do  so  and,  as  far  as  the  antagonisms  are  concerned,  start  ■ 
with  a  clean  slate.  ' 

The  "Bulletin"  has  supreme  confidence  that  Benton  County  will  be  a  sue-  ] 

cess  in  every  way.     No  county  in  the  entire  nation  has  a  better,  brighter  or  more  I 

enterprising   class    of    [leoijle.      They    have    selected    their    own    county    officers,  I 

they  will  cheerfully  assume  the  added  burdens  and  responsibilities  of  self-gov-  j 

ernment  and  work  out  their  own  salvation.     That  is  the  prediction  of  this  news-  j 

paper.     The  proper  administration   of  the  county's  affairs,   of  course,   depends  1 1 

upon   the   officers,   but   the   "Bulletin"    believes   they   are   capable   and   conscien-  ii 

tious  ;  that  they  will  do  their  full  duty.  That  they  make  some  mistakes  is  to  be 
expected,  as  it  is  a  difficult  matter  to  organize  a  new  county  government,  but 
the  errors  can  be  corrected ;  the  people  should  exercise  a  tolerant  spirit  until  the 
officials  become  familiar  with  their  duties,  support  them  loyally  and  encourage 
them  in  every  way.  This  will  be  the  sensible  thing  to  do.  Everybody  will  have 
to  work  to  help  develop  the  magnificent  resources  of  Benton  County,  take  a  pride 
in  it  and  it  is  sure  to  come  out  all  right. 

Here's  to  its  success:  may  the  people  of  the  new  county  never  have  cause 
to  regret  that  it   was  created. 


THE    R.\ILRO..\D    COMMI.SSION 

Many  of  the  newspapers  of  the  state  that  supported  Governor  Mead  last 
Fall  are  complaining  bitterly  as  to  the  personnel  of  the  railroad  commission  he 
has  appointed.  Frequently  during  the  campaign,  in  his  speeches  in  eastern 
Washington,  the  governor  declarefl  that  he  would  select  at  least  two  members 
of  the  commission  from  the  friends  and  advocates  of  that  principle.  He  does 
not  appear  to  have  done  this.  Mr.  Fairchild  of  Bellingham  and  Mr.  McMillin 
of  Roche  Harbor  are  claimed  to  be  closely  identified  with  the  railroad  interest 
of  the  state  in  politics.  The  Whitman  County  newspapers  claim  that  Mr. 
Lawrence  of  that  county  is  a  friend  of  the  commission  forces,  but  it  is  charged 
that  he  fought  Governor  McBride's  nomination  and  also  that  he  is  an  intimate 
personal  and  political  friend  of  Charles  P.  Chamberlain,  political  manager  and 
manipulator  of  the  Great  Northern  Railroad.  Mr.  Lawrence's  antagonism  to 
McBride,  in  the  opinion  of  this  newspaper,  should  not  be  made  a  test  of  his 
fealty   to   the   commission   principle.     The   "Bulletin"   always   has   believed   that 


I 


HISTORY  OF  YAKniA  VALLEY  749 

the  ex-governor  was  a  demagogue  and  was  advocating  the  commission  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  advancing  his  own  pohtical  fortunes.  It  still  so  believes.  But 
the  charge  that  Mr.  Lawrence  is  closely  identified  with  Mr.  Chamberlain  is  more 
serious. 

This  newspaper  has  no  tight  with  the  railroads.  But  it  believes  in  a  rail- 
road commission.  It  thinks  the  freight  rates  are  too  high.  It  knows  that  in 
many  instances  they  should  be  equalized.  The  railroads  should  be  regulated 
by  a  railroad  commission.  The  "Bulletin"  has  advocated  the  appointment  of  a 
commission  and  was  a  strong  supporter  of  Governor  Mead.  It  honestly  be- 
lieved that  the  railroad  forces  of  this  state  had  no  strings  on  him  and  advised  its 
constituency  to  vote  for  him.  It  does  not  now  say  that  the  railroads  are  con- 
trolling the  governor  in  this  commission  matter,  but  there  is  no  denying  the 
fact  that  its  friends  are  sorely  disappointed  in  the  personnel  of  the  commission. 

But  it  should  not  be  condemned  in  advance.  Perhaps  it  will  be  impartial 
and  efficient.  It  is  sincerely  hoped  that  it  will.  If  it  is  not,  the  sole  responsi- 
bility will  rest  on  Governor  Mead.  He  must  answer  to  the  republican  party 
of  this  state  and  to  the  people  for  the  commission's  acts.  If  it  is  a  failure,  the 
governor  will  be  promptly  retired  from  public  life,  which  will  be  just  and  proper. 
If  the  commission  does  the  right  thing,  then  the  credit  will  belong  to  that  offi- 
cial. The  "Bulletin"  has  never  been  a  pessimist ;  it  always  hopes  for  the  best. 
But,  frankly,  it  has  the  very  gravest  apprehensions  about  the  impartiality  of 
this  railroad  commission.  It  is  disappointel  that  the  governor  did  not  select  at 
least  two  of  the  members  about  whose  record  on  this  question  there  could  be 
doubt  as  to  their  fidelity  to  the  cause. 

From  the  "Bulletin"  of  a  week  later  (June  29,  1905)  we  discover  that  the 
duh-  appointed  county  commissioners   went  promptly  to  work : 

BENTON   COUNTY  DOING   BUSINESS 

Benton  County  commenced  doing  business  last  Friday,  June  23,  shortly 
before  midnight.  County  Commissioners  Jenson,  Carey  and  Sims  went  to 
North  Yakima  Friday  afternoon,  had  their  bonds  approved  by  Judge  H.  B. 
Rigg  of  the  superior  court,  took  the  oath  of  office  and  hurried  home  on  the 
night  train.  The  board  then  went  into  session  at  the  office  of  Coffin  Brothers' 
store.  County  Attorney  C.  O.  Anderson  being  present  to  act  as  their  legal  ad- 
viser. The  board  organized  by  electing  Carl  A.  Jenson  as  chairman,  Mr.  Carey 
acting  as  clerk  pro-tem.  The  first  official  act  of  the  board  was  to  appoint  J.  D. 
Marsh  as  clerk  of  the  Superior  Court,  who  went  to  North  Yakima  Saturday 
morning  and  took  the  oath  of  office  before  Judge  Rigg.  The  next  act  of  the 
board  was  to  appoint  the  county  officers  as  follows: 

Auditor — F.  H.  Gloyd. 

Sheriff— A.  G.  McNeill. 

Treasurer — C.   O.   Kelso. 

Superintendent  of  schools — J.  W.  Gilkey. 

Surveyor — A.  L.  Smith. 

Coroner — Dr.  F.  S.  Hedger. 

The  boaid  t&en  adjourned  until  Saturday  morning,  the  adjourned  session 
being  held  in  tf?.-    dty  hall  at  10:20  o'clock,  Auditor  F.  H.  Gloyd  acting  as  clerk 


750  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

and  County  Attorney  Anderson  being  present.  The  only  business  transacted  was 
to  fix  the  bonds  of  the  officers  where  they  are  not  fixed  by  statute,  the  auditor 
being  instructed  to  notify  the  officers  to  file  their  bonds  and  qualify  within 
fifteen  days  or  their  office  will  be  declared  vacant,  as  provided  by  law.  A  letter 
accompanies  the  notification  urging  the  officials  to  file  their  bonds  and  qualify 
on  or  before  July  1st.  The  bond  of  the  treasurer  was  fixed  at  $25,000,  the 
statutes  providing  that  it  shall  be  twice  the  amount  of  money  he  is  liable  to 
have  on  hand  at  any  one  time.  The  sheriff's  bond  was  fixed  at  $2,500,  the 
minimum  amount  required  by  law.  The  statutes  fix  the  bonds  of  the  commis- 
sioners and  county  attorney  at  $5,000  each.  The  board  discussed  informally 
the  matter  of  dividing  the  county  into  three  commissioner  districts,  but  took 
no  action,  the  county  attorney  advising  that  no  further  business  be  transacted 
at  this  meeting.  The  board  will  meet  next  Monday,  July  2d,  for  its  regular 
quarterly  meeting. 

There  >vill  be  a  great  deal  of  business  to  transact  at  that  time,  which  will 
probably  include  ordering  cells  for  the  jail,  furniture  and  supplies  for  the  court- 
house, a  vault  for  the  records,  advertising  for  bids  to  transcribe  the  records  and 
county  printing  and  many  other  matters.  Auditor  Gloyd  has  opened  his  office 
at  the  Prosser  State  Bank  and  is  doing  business.  He  has  appointed  A.  C.  Snow- 
den  as  deputy  and  will  himself  pay  his  salary.  SheriiT  McNeill  is  also  on  duty, 
his  office  for  the  present  being  at  the  real  estate  office  of  McNeill  &  Stam.  Hal 
Jack  of  Horse  Heaven,  has  been  sworn  in  as  his  deputy  and  the  city  jail,  for 
the  present,  will  be  used  by  the  county.  At  this  writing  the  first  victim  has  not 
yet  been  captured. 

Clerk  J.  D.  Marsh  is  on  duty  at  the  courthouse,  which  workmen  are  putting 
in  shape  as  fast  as  possible  by  papering  the  rooms  and  getting  them  ready  for 
occupancy.  Commissioner  Jenson  is  superintending  the  work  in  a  thorough 
manner,  also  having  charge  of  cleaning  up  the  old  Riverside  Hotel,  which  is 
going  to  make  very  comfortable  temporary  quarters  for  the  officials.  County 
Superintendent  Gilkey  was  on  hand  Tuesday,  but  his  office  was  not  ready  and 
there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do. 

officers'  bonds  filed 

The  following  bonds  of  county  officers  have  been  filed,  all  with  the  audi- 
tor, with  the  exception  of  that  official's  bond,  which  is  filed  with  Clerk  Marsh: 

Commissioner  Carl  A.  Jenson,  $5,000;  sureties,  John  W.  Brown,  Peter 
Prengruber,  C.  C.  McCown  and  Moritz  Allgaier. 

Commissioner  J.  W.  Carey,  $5,000;  sureties,  Elmer  Bernard,  Byron  Ber- 
nard, H.  J.  Jenks  and  H.  W.  Creason. 

Commissioner  W.  P.  Sims,  $5,000;  sureties,  the  Title  Guaranty  &  Trust 
Company,  bond  furnished  through  Attorney  B.  E.  McGregor. 

Sheriff  A.  G.  McNeill,  $2,500;  sureties,  D.  M.  Angus,  O.  S.  Brown  and 
J.  S.  Roberts. 

Clerk  J.  D.  Marsh,  $2,000;  sureties,  the  Title  Guaranty  &  Trust  Company. 

Auditor  F.  H.  Gloyd,  $3,000;  sureties,  H.  J.  Jenks,  Josiah  Burchett  and 
A.  D.   Snowden. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  751 

Justice  of  Peace  S.  H.  Mason,  $500;  sureties,  W.  H.  Hill  and  C.  C. 
McCown. 

COUNTY    NEWS   NOTES 

The  first  business  to  be  transacted  by  Clerk  Marsh  was  to  acknowledge  a 
bond  on  Tuesday  for  Attorney  Andrew  Brown,  for  which  the  county  received 
a  fee  of  fifty  cents. 

Sherilf  McNeill  performed  his  first  official  act  Tuesday.  It  was  to  serve  a 
restraining  order  on  E.  A.  McEchran  from  the  Superior  Court  commanding 
him  not  to  allow  the  waste  water  from  his  ditch  to  run  on  the  premises  of  W. 
H.  Burrel.  The  former  lives  on  the  western  boundary  line  of  the  county  and 
the  latter  just  over  the  line  in  Yakima  County. 

The  first  instrument  filed  in  Benton  County  was  received  by  Auditor 
Gloyd  last  Saturday.  It  was  a  warranty  deed  by  George  J.  Hesselman  and 
wife,  conveying  to  Edward  Reed,  lots  7  and  8,  block  57,  Prosser,  for  a  consid- 
eration of  $250.  In  addition  to  the  above,  up  to  yesterday  noon,  three  mort- 
gages have  been  filed  with  the  auditor  and  a  warranty  deed  from  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hesselman  conveying  lot  12,  block  47,  Prosser,  to  G.  H.  L.  Moore  for  $50. 

County  Attorney  C.  O.  Anderson  earned  the  first  money  for  Benton 
County  a  week  ago  last  Monday.  On  that  day,  after  County  Attorney  Krutz  of 
Yakima  had  notified  the  officials  there  to  transact  no  more  business  from  Ben- 
ton County,  Mr.  Anderson  telephoned  Auditor  Newcomb  that  there  was  a  sick 
pauper  at  Kennewick  that  they  wanted  to  send  to  Yakima.  He  replied  that  the 
county  would  not  receive  him;  that  Benton  County  must  care  for  its  own  pau- 
pers. A  few  moments  after  this  transaction  Mr.  Anderson,  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  tried  a  man  for  petit  larceny.  He  was  fined  $25,  which  was  paid,  and  the 
money  will  be  turned  into  Benton  County. 

County  Attorney  Anderson,  at  the  meeting  of  the  commissioners  Saturday, 
made  a  good  impression  on  the  members  of  the  board  and  everybody  present  at 
,the  meeting.  He  seems  to  know  the  law,  is  careful  about  giving  advice,  but  at 
the  same  time  positive,  and  is  familiar  with  the  duties.  He  was  formerly  county 
attorney  of  a  new  county  in  Arizona  or  Njevada  and  his  previous  experience 
will  be  valuable  to  the  commissioners  and  other  officers. 

Commissioner  Jenson  wrote  the  Inland  Printing  Company  of  Spokane  the 
other  day,  which  has  the  contract  for  furnishing  the  blank  books,  to  hurry  up 
the  commissioners'  record  book,  which  is  needed  to  record  the  proceedings  of 
the  board.  In  response  the  company  shipped  by  express  a  book  in  which  to 
keep  a  record  of  estray  animals.  This  book  is  needed,  all  right,  but  will  hardly 
serve  as  a  commissioners'  record. 

The  first  case  in  the  Superior  Court  from  Benton  County  was  filed  yester- 
day, being  a  suit  to  collect  a  debt  of  $117.12  by  D.  S.  Sprinkle  against  M.  Nakai, 
a  Japanese  foreman  and  boarding-house  keeper  for  the  Northern  Pacific  near 
Kennewick.  Bert  Linn  is  attorney  for  the  plaintift"  and  Sherilt  McNeill  goes 
down  this  afternoon  to  serve  the  papers. 

RECORD  OF  ELECTIONS 

The  legislative  act  establishing  the  county  designated  Carl  A.  Jenson,  W. 


752  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

P.  Sims  and  J.  W.  Carey  as  commissioners.  These  commissioners  duly  met 
and  created  these  precincts:  Expansion,  Finley,  Glade,  Hover,  Kennewick, 
Kiona,  Paterson,  Prosser,  Rattlesnake,  Richland,  Wellington,   White  Bluffs. 

The  first  election  in  the  new  county  occurred  in  1906.  As  will  be  seen,  the 
republicans  were  in  an  overwhelming  majority  on  the  congressional  ticket,  but 
on  local  tickets  the  result  was  mixed.  The  results  of  the  election  for  congress- 
men were  these :  Humphreys  747,  Jones  753,  Cushman  7i7 ,  William  Blackman 
293,  Patrick  S.  Byrne  287,  Dudley  Eshelman  290.  For  members  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  state  an  average  vote  of  750  was  cast  for  Mount,  Crow, 
Root  and  Dunbar,  the  other  candidates  receiving  an  average  of  290. 

For  state  representative,  fifty-eighth  district,  we  find  a  democratic  triumph 
in  the  election  of  G.  W.  Hamilton  with  744  to  425  for  H.  A.  Hover.  Another 
democratic  success  is  registered  in  the  vote  for  sheriff,  750  for  A.  G.  McNeill 
to  432  for  John  W.  Randall.  For  clerk  the  vote  stood:  L.  J.  Robinson  845, 
J.  D.  Marsh  295.  W.  S.  Jenkins  for  auditor  had  no  opposition  and  received  a 
vote  of  845.  There  was  a  close  vote  for  treasurer ;  R.  B.  Walker  599,  H.  W. 
Fish  554.  J.  W.  Callicotte  was  chosen  attorney  with  666  votes  to  467  for 
Clinton  Staser.  The  vote  for  assessor  resulted  in  551  votes  for  Harry  Van 
Horn  to  599  for  Samuel  Crooks.  Annie  Goff  was  elected  superintendent  by 
618  votes  to  534  for  Clara  A.  Vertrees.  K.  C.  Bowers  became  surveyor  with- 
out opposition,  as  also  Dr.  J.  W.  Hewitson  became  coroner.  For  commission- 
ers :  in  the  first  district  there  was  a  very  close  vote,  W.  C.  Travis  receiving  594 
to  585  for  D.  H.  Harper ;  in  second  district  J.  N.  Crosby  was  elected  with 
no  opposition,  and  in  the  third  Don  M.  Cresswell  was  chosen  in  the  same 
easy  manner.  The  proposition  to  amend  Article  16  of  the  constitution  was 
carried  by  131  to  62,  and  that  to  amend  Article  21   received  130  to  61. 

ELECTION    OF    1908 

The  following  is  the  vote  for  the  countv  officers  of  the  general  election  of 
1908: 

Judge.  Superior  Court,  O.  R.  Holcomb 1,392 

Judge,  Superior  Court,  W.  W.  Zent 194 

Sheriff  (R)  E.  D.  Elhs 669 

Sheriff  (D)  A.  G.  McNeill 757 

Clerk   (R)  J.  D.  Marsh 1,005 

Clerk  (Soc.)   H.  Strandwold 130 

Auditor  (R)  W.  S.  Jenkins 954 

Auditor  (D)  C.  F.  Gilpin 437 

Treasurer  (R)  R.  B.  Walker. 1,043 

Treasurer  (S)  B.  F.  Caster 146 

Prosecuting  Attorney  (R)  Ernest  L.  Kolb 797 

Prosecuting  Attorney  (D)  H.  Dustin 588 

Prosecuting  Attorney  (S)  Samuel  Mason 124 

Assessor  (R)  J.  K.  DePriest 782 

Assessor  (D)  S.  C.  Crooks 621 

Superintendent  of  Schools  (R)   Minnie  Carnahan 663 

Superintendent  of  Schools  (D)  Annie  Goff 784 

Engineer    (R)    K.   C.   Bowers 1,022 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  753 

Commissioner,  second  district  (R)  J.  N.  Crosby 724 

Commissioner,  second  district  (D)  L.  A.  Hienzerling 636 

Commissioner,  second  district  (S)  H.  D.  Lake 118 

Commissioner,  third  district  (R)  H.  C.  J.  Tweedt 725 

Commissioner,  third  district  (D)  J.  B.  Clements 661 

The  election  of  1910  shows  a  large  addition  to  the  precincts.  They  appear 
thus :  Carley,  Columbia,  Expansion,  Finley,  Glade,  Hanford,  Horse  Heaven, 
Hover,  Kennewick,  Kennewick  Valley,  Kiona,  Paterson,  Prosser,  East  Prosser, 
North  Prosser,  West  Prosser,  Rattlesnake,  Richland,  Wellington,  White  Bluffs. 
Again  the  republicans  made  a  great  killing.  The  marked  feature  of  this 
election  was  the  socialist  vote,  there  being  no  democrat  at  all  in  three  contested 
cases.  We  find  the  results  as  follows:  Representative  in  Congress,  W.  L. 
LaFollette,  rep.,  932;  H.  D.  Merritt,  dem.,  241;  D.  C.  Coates,  soc,  164;  state 
senator,  fifteenth  district,  Frank  J.  Allen,  rep.,  900;  Richard  A.  O'Brien,  dem., 
337;  H.  D.  Jory,  soc,  183;  state  representative,  fifty-eighth  district.  Nelson 
Rich,  rep.,  769;  A.  G.  McNeill,  dem.,  559;  J.  W.  Brice,  soc,  34;  sheriff,  W.  R. 
Mahan,  rep.,  746;  H.  E.  Bean,  dem.,  603;  J.  R.  Mercer,  soc,  154;  clerk,  Frank 
E.  Snively,  rep.,  843;  R.  A.  Mullengit,  dem.,  449;  Harold  Strandwold,  soc,  168 
auditor,  A.  E.  Verity,  rep.,  1,041;  Warren  Edgot,  dem.,  201;  treasurer,  J.  Kelly 
DePriest,  rep.,  984;  R.  W.  Bignall,  soc,  324;  attorney,  Lon  Boyle,  rep.,  1,131: 
assessor,  John  Severyns,  rep.,  1,061;  F.  E.  DeSellem,  soc,  246;  superintendent 
Wata  J.  Jones,  rep.,  1,147;  engineer,  C.  D.  Walter,  rep.,  1,099;  coroner,  H.  W 
Howard,  rep.,  1,068;  commissioner  first  district,  H.  M.  Walthew,  rep.,  892 
John  Sumner,  soc,  289;  commissioner  third  district,  Hans  C.  J.  Tweedt,  rep. 
548;  J.  B.  Clements,  dem.,  683;  Frank  Kelley,  soc,  185;  Charles  M.  Sanford 
ind.,  59. 

ELECTION    OF    1912 

Benton  County,  like  the  state  of  Washington,  was  in  the  progressive  line 
in  the  presidential  election.  The  highest  progressive  elector  received  1,370 
votes,  the  highest  democratic  received  1,236,  and  the  G.  O.  P.  had  to  be  content 
with  735.  The  socialists  made  a  good  showing  in  this  election,  with  356 ;  the 
socialist  labor  ticket  received  35,  and  the  prohibition  candidates  received  77 . 
The  congressional  returns  are  also  suggestive.  They  are  as  follows:  J.  E. 
Frost,  rep.,  992;  H.  B.  Dewey,  rep.,  970;  J.  W.  Bryan,  prog.,  968;  J.  A.  Fal- 
coner, prog.,  959:  E.  I.  Conner,  dem.,  iZl;  H.  M.  White,  dem.,  326;  congress- 
man, fourth  district,  W.  L.  LaFollette,  rep.,  1,421;  F.  M.  Goodwin,  prog.,  797; 
R.  M.  Drumheller,  dem.,  942. 

The  vote  for  governor  showed  that  the  republican  party  still  held  its  own 
in  the  county,  though  in  the  state  the  results  were  not  the  same.  M.  E.  Hay, 
rep.,  received  1,486,  to  1,199  for  Ernest  Lister,  dem.,  and  623  for  Robert 
Hodges,  prog.  For  state  senator  in  District  15,  Frank  J.  Allen,  republican,  was 
an  easy  victor,  although  by  a  plurality  only.  The  surprising  thing  in  this  elec- 
tion was  the  strength  of  the  socialist  vote.  It  is  to  be  noted,  however,  that 
there  was  no  progressive  nomination  and  that  it  is  probable  that  many  of  that 
party  voted  the  socialist  ticket.  For  senator  the  results  were  as  follows :  Frank 
J.  Allen,  rep.,  1,367;  Henrv  H.  Wende,  dem.,  981;  H.  D.  Jorv,  soc    738  •  J    S 

(48) 


754  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Mclvee,  prohi.,  313.  For  state  representative  from  District  58,  we  find  these 
results:  Herbert  K.  Rowland,  rep.,  1,711;  L.  C.  Foisy,  soc,  424.  For  superior 
judge,  O.  R.  Holcomb,  received  1,639  votes,  with  no  opposition.  Results  in 
vote  for  local  officers  were  these:  Sheriff,  W.  B.  IMahan,  rep.,  1,884;  A.  G. 
McNeill,  dem.,  1,384;  J.  W.  Sumner,  soc,  308;  clerk,  Frank  E.  Snively,  rep., 
2,236;  M.  E.  McDougal,  dem.,  815;  auditor,  A.  E.  Verity,  rep.,  2,246:  C.  F. 
Gilpin,  dem.,  905;  treasurer.  A.  C.  Rundle,  rep.,  1,359;  E.  R.  Harper,  dem., 
1,755;  Warren  Edgar,  soc.  288;  attorney,  H.  H.  Cole,  rep.,  1,592;  G.  W.  Ham- 
ihon,  dem.,  1,491;  assessor,  John  Severyns,  rep.,  1,946;  C.  E.  Rude,  dem.,  1,084; 
J.  D.  Smith,  soc,  289:  superintendent,  Wata  R.  Jones,  rep.,  2,549:  engineer, 
C.  D.  Walter,  rep.,  2,323;  commissioner  in  District  1,  H.  M.  Walthew,  rep., 
1,884;  W.  H.  Cook,  soc,  364;  commissioner  in  District  2,  D.  M.  Angus,  rep., 
953;  E.  J.  Ward,  dem.,  1,702;  W.  B.  Mathews,  soc,  332;  E.  D.  Mineah,  ind., 
318;  coroner,  G.  W.  Hewetson,  rep.,  1,586;  A.  DeY.  Green,  dem,,  1,391.  It  is 
unusual  and  surprising  to  find  so  strong  a  socialist  vote  in  n  purely  agricultural 
community. 

ELECTION    OF     1914 

A  new  apportionment  of  precincts  was  one  of  the  features  of  this  election. 
They  are  recorded  as  follows :  Carley,  Columbia,  Expansion,  Finley,  Glade, 
Han  ford.  Highlands,  Horn  Rapids,  Horse  Heaven,  Hover,  Kennewick  First, 
Kennewick  Second,  Kennewick  Third,  Kennewick  Gardens,  Kennewick  South, 
Kennewick  Valley,  Kiona,  Lower  Yakima,  Paterson,  Prosser  First,  Prosser 
Second,  Prosser  Third,  Prossed  East,  Prosser  North,  Prosser  West,  Rattle- 
snake, Richland,  Riverside,  Vale,  Walnut  Grove,  Wellington,  White  Bluffs. 

The  election  of  1^*14  was  marked  by  the  passage  of  constitutional  amend- 
ment No.  3,  the  prohibition  amendment.  This  great  stage  in  the  progress  of  the 
state  was  largely  an  "east  side"  victory.  The  part  of  the  state  west  of  the  Cas- 
cade Mountains  gave  a  negative  majority  of  about  10.000.  Rut  this  was  much 
more  than  overcome  by  a  majority  of  25,000  east  of  the  Cascades. 

The  Yakima  A'alley  was  in  the  forefront  of  the  victors.  Yakima  County 
cast  a  larger  majority  than  any  other  county,  but  the  percentage  of  majority  to 
population  was  as  large  in  Benton  as  in  the  mother  county.  The  vote  stood 
2,016  to  1,221.  The  year  of  1914  was  a  senatorial  year  and  one  of  ven,'  marked 
interest.  The  swinging  to  and  fro  of  parties  had,  however,  brought  the  bal- 
ance somewhat  to  the  normal  standing  of  the  parties,  the  republicans  winning 
by  a  heavy  plurality,  though  not  a  majority.  The  senatorial  contest  shows  that 
W.  L.  Jones,  having  already  completed  one  term  in  the  upper  house,  following 
five  terms  in  the  lower  house,  was  reelected.  The  vote  is  recorded  thus:  W. 
L.  Jones,  rep.,  1,492;  W.  W.  Black,  dem..  839;  Ole  Hanson,  prog.,  587;  A.  H. 
Barth,  soc,  202;  A.  S.  Caton,  prohi.,  102.  For  representative,  W.  L.  LaFollette, 
former  incumbent,  received  1,461  to  868  for  Roscoe  Drumheller,  dem.,  394  for 
M.  A.  Peacock,  prog.,  210  for  John  Storland,  soc,  and  97  for  J.  V.  Mohr,  prohi. 
For  state  representative  in  district  58,  Grant  A.  Stewart,  rep.  was  chosen  by 
1,649  over  Knute  Hill,  dem.,  with  1,137,  and  Asa  A'ance,  soc,  with  203.  For 
local  officers  we  find  the  following  record:  Auditor,  L.  L.  Lynn,  rep.,  1,753; 
William  Guernsey,  prog.,  1,054;  treasurer,  I.  L.  Macumber,  rep.,  1,334;  Earl  R. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  755 

Harper,  dem.,  1,362;  Olaf  Strandwold,  prog.,  321 ;  clerk,  M.  C.  Delle,  rep.,  2,168; 
sheriff,  C.  E.  Duffy,  rep.,  1,564;  S.  A.  D.  Davis,  dem.,  1,217;  J.  W.  Sumner, 
soc,  232:  A.  J.  Houghton,  prog.,  182;  attorney,  H.  H.  Cole,  rep.,  1,438:  C.  W. 
Fristoe,  dem.,  1,482;  assessor,  A.  H.  Wheaton,  rep.,  1,755;  Benjamin  F.  Rupert, 
dem.,  1,083;  engineer,  T.  J.  Wright,  rep.,  1,499;  Guy  H.  Heberling,  dem..  1,364; 
superintendent,  A.  C.  Jones,  rep.,  1,523;  E.  A.  Wise,  dem.,  1,372;  commissioner, 
District  1,  J.  C.  Syfford,  rep.,  1,835 ;  W.  H.  Cook,  soc,  1,372;  commissioner,  Dis- 
trict 2,  G.  E.  Finn,  rep.,  1,146;  E.  J.  Ward,  dem.,  1,228:  W.  B.  Alathews,  soc, 
210;  G.  W.  Wilgus,  prog.,  339;  commissioner.  District  3,  Joseph  Gerards,  rep., 
1,142;  J.  B.  Clements,  dem.,  1,424:  I.  N.  Newkirk,  soc,  243. 

ELECTION    OF    1916. 

With  this  election  we  reach  another  Presidential  year,  in  the  very  midst 
of  the  great  war,  on  the  verge  of  which  our  own  nation  was  standing.  Never 
perhaps,  unless  in  the  elections  of  Lincoln  in  1860  and  1864,  has  there  been  so 
momentous  an  election.  The  state  of  Washington  demonstrated  anew  her  inde- 
pendence. For  though  normally  republican  on  national  issues  by  60,000  major- 
ity, she  cast  her  choice  for  Wilson,  with  other  western  states,  also  normally  of 
the  same  political  fealty,  insuring  another  term  for  the  man  to  whom  the  war- 
torn  people  of  Europe  seem  now  to  be  turning  more  than  to  any  other  for 
determining  the  principles  of  just  and  lasting  peace. 

Benton  County,  however,  like  the  rest  of  the  valley,  still  adhered  to  its  old 
allegiance.  The  highest  elector  on  each  ticket  received  the  following  vote : 
Republican  1,460,  democrat  1,351,  socialist  342,  prohibition  53,  socialist  labor  5. 
The  results  for  United  States  senator  gave  Miles  Poindexter  1,802  to  982  for 
George  Turner.  It  had  been  a  battle  royal  between  these  two  great  Spokane 
politicians,  men  perhaps  without  equals  in  the  state  for  political  ability  and 
experience.  The  outcome  demonstrated,  as  in  previous  elections,  the  almost 
uncanny  ability  of  the  republican  candidate  for  reading  correctly  the  signs  of 
the  political  barometer  and  shaping  his  course  accordingly.  His  vote  in  the 
state  was  nearly  in  the  same  proportion  as  in  Benton  County,  for  he  had  66,948 
plurality  over  Turner.  The  results  of  the  election  for  congressman  in  the  fourth 
district  were  on  a  parallel  with  those  for  senator.  W.  L.  La  Follette  was  re- 
elected by  1,812  to  917  for  Charles  Masterson,  dem.,  and  313  for  Walter  Pine, 
socialist.  The  contest  for  the  gubernatorial  chair  was  as  pronounced  as  for 
the  presidency.  Here,  however,  Benton  County  reversed  itself  and  followed 
the  rest  of  the  state  in  a  pronounced  majority  for  the  democratic  candidate, 
Ernest  Lister,  1,561  to  1,332  for  his  republican  opponent,  Henry  McBride. 

Another  marked  feature  of  the  election  of  1916  was  the  result  of  a  deter- 
mined, as  well  as  unscrupulous,  campaign  on  the  part  of  the  liquor  forces  to 
nullify  the  prohibition  amendment  of  1914.  The  several  initiative  measures 
framed  with  that  end  in  view  were  overwhelmingly  defeated.  Benton  County 
and  the  valley  in  general  were  almost  unanimous  against  these  measures. 

Reaching  the  legislative  choices  we  find  the  senator  from  the  fifteenth  dis- 
trict to  be  D.  V.  Morthland,  rep.,  chosen  by  1,577  votes,  to  1,045  for  H.  C.  Davis, 
dem.,  and  316  for  J.  W.  Martin,  soc.     Representative  for  District  58  was  Gordon 


756  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

C.  Moores  with  1,766  to  865  for  J.  B.  Clements,  clem.,  and  338  for  I.  X.  Xew- 
kirk,  soc. 

The  election  for  local  officers  resulted  in  the  election  of  C.  E.  Dufify  for 
sheriff  with  1,879  votes;  E.  A.  Ferrell,  894:  and  I,  W.  Sumner,  334;  respectively 
rep.,  dem.  and  Soc.  The  other  offices  we  group  as  follows,  naming  in  the  order 
of  rep.,  dem.  and  if  more  than  two,  soc. :  Clerk,  W.  C.  Delle,  2,083,  J.  C. 
Mathews,  soc,  308;  auditor,  J.  C.  Syfiford,  1,990;  treasm-er,  J.  C.  McClellan, 
1,393,  H.  S.  Huntington,  1,397,  the  closest  election  in  the  county  history;  attorney, 
Andrew  Brown,  1,370,  C.  W.  Fristoe,  1,505;  assessor,  A.  H.  Wheaton,  1,967; 
superintendent,  Mrs.  Lowa  M.  Crawford,  1,705,  E.  A.  Wise,  1,239:  engineer, 
Guy  M.  Heterling,  2,083;  coroner,  C.  C.  Moffat,  2,034;  commissioner  first  dis- 
trict, L.  L.  Bash,  1,617,  G.  F.  Gibson,  987;  commissioner  second  district,  E.  C. 
Houston,  1,363,  A.  G.  McNeill,  978,  D.  M.  Angus,  643;  commissioner  District  3, 
R.  E.  Pratt  1,723,  E.  Timmerman  861,  John  Storland  52o. 

ELECTION-    OF    1918. 

The  progress  of  events  brings  us  now  to  the  election  of  1918,  occurring  at 
a  time  the  most  extraordinary  in  many  respects  in  the  world's  history,  marking 
the  sudden  and  dramatic  ending  of  the  most  unjust,  insane  and  criminal  blow 
at  the  world's  peace  ever  known  and  marking  also  the  complete  and  irretrievable 
downfall  of  the  great  international  highwaymen  and  pirates  of  the  earth — an 
outcome  whose  ])ro founder  results  we  cannot  for  many  months  or  perhaps  years 
fully  appraise  or  narrate.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  while  this  book  was  in  prepara- 
tion, there  came  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth. 

One  of  the  enigmatical  collateral  events  contemporary  with  these  stupendous 
international  changes,  was  the  heavy  reaction  in  many  states  of  the  congressional 
elections  from  democratic  to  republican  majorities.  In  the  choice  of  congress- 
man for  the  fourth  district,  J.  W.  Summers,  republican,  received  a  vote  in  this 
county  of  1,190  to  848  for  his  democratic  opponent,  W.  E.  McCroskey.  This 
election  was  marked  also  by  the  last  gasp  of  old  John  Barleycorn.  This  final 
struggle  turned  on  the  referendum  of  the  "bone-dry"  prohibition  law  of  the 
legislature  of  1917.  C)n  account  of  the  national  prohibition  laws  and  presidential 
proclamations,  the  edge  had  been  taken  off  from  this  last  campaign,  and  interest 
was  not  keen.  Nevertheless  the  outcome  was  the  sustaining  of  the  law  by  a 
large  majority.     The  vote  in  this  county  was  947  to  405. 

The  representative  to  the  legislature  for  District  58  was  Gordon  C.  Moores, 
chosen  over  Lee  Ferguson  by  1,149  to  970.  For  sheriff  L.  C.  Rolph  had  1,537 
to  505  for  H.  E.  Bean.  A  number  of  nominees,  all  republicans,  were  chosen 
without  opposition.  In  this  list  we  find  Edmond  L.  Steward  for  clerk,  Kathrvn 
Severyns  for  auditor,  Mrs.  Lowa  M.  Crawford  for  superintendent  and  Guy  H. 
Eberling  for  engineer.  For  treasurer  George  Starr  with  1,223  votes  was  chosen 
over  Lloyd  E.  Huntington  with  869.  Lon  Boyle  became  attorney  with  1,601  to 
1,025  for  B.  T.  Rupert.  In  the  first  district  F.  L.  Bash  Vi-as  chosen  commissioner 
with  1,175  to  1,002  for  Charles  L.  McGlothlem.  In  the  second  district  H.  M. 
French  became  commissioner  with  1,345  to  452  for  J.  W.  \Miiting.  There  were 
no  nominations  for  coroner,  and  H.  M.  French  was  appointed  by  the  commis- 
sioners to  fill  the  office. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  757 


COUNTY    SEAT    QUESTION. 


Usually  a  county  seat  fight  follows  county  division,  in  case  there  are  two 
or  more  towns  of  approximately  equal  population  and  advantages.  That  condi- 
tion existed  in  Benton  County.  I'rosser  and  Kennewick  were  near  enough  of  a 
size  to  have  a  spirited  though  healthy  and  good-tempered  rivalry.  They  repre- 
sented, moreover,  two  essentially  different  sections  of  the  county.  Each  was  the 
center  of  a  splendid  region  prospectively,  though  neither  had  more  than  begun 
development.  In  this  case  as  in  similar  cases  the  adherents  of  the  existing 
county  seat  sought  to  determine  the  issue  by  the  immediate  erection  of  county 
buildings.  This  attempt  has  been  steadily  blocked  to  the  present  date  with  the 
result  that  the  county  officers  have  been  subjected  to  great  inconvenience  and 
inadequate  quarters.  In  1912  the  question  of  a  permanent  county  seat  was 
brought  to  a  vote.  It  became  a  triangular  conflict  between  Prosser,  Kennewick 
and  Benton  City.  The  last  named  place  was  the  offspring  of  an  ambitious  effort 
to  locate  a  point  apparently  more  central  than  either  of  the  two  chief  towns  of 
the  county.  This  effort  had  the  backing  of  the  O.-W.  Railroad  and  Navigation 
Company,  and  on  the  face  of  it.  the  new  location  seemed  to  fulfill  the  call  for  an 
official  center  corresponding  to  the  geographical. 

The  required  majority  for  locating  the  county  seat  was  three-fifths.  The 
result  of  the  election  in  1912  was  that  Kennewick  received  a  majority,  but  not 
enough,  being  about  fifty-five  per  cent  of  the  whole.  Benton  City  had  but  two 
and  a  half  per  cent,  while  Prosser  carried  the  remainder.  The  vote  of  the 
Columbia  River  section  was  thrown  solidly  for  the  River  city,  and  that  result 
was  sufficient  to  demonstrate  the  uncertainty  of  either  section  counting  with 
confidence  on  the  permanent  location.  To  a  man  up  a  tree  and  taking  a  calm 
unprepossessed  view  from  the  outside,  it  would  seem  that  the  contention  of 
Benton  City  for  the  county  seat  by  reason  of  the  geographical  center,  has  some 
elements  of  reasonableness. 

One  thing  is  rather  noticeable  in  all  these  county  seat  and  state  capita!  con- 
tentions— the  extreme  desire  of  certain  towns  for  selection  to  the  official  head- 
ship seldom  brings  the  growth  or  the  wealth  anticipated.  People  seem  to  have 
an  intense  eagerness  to  secure  locations  of  official  headquarters,  but  when  secured 
the  gain  is  usually  disappointing.  A  city  must  have  genuine  commercial  rea- 
sons to  attain  development. 

In  1916  and  1917  an  effort  by  the  county  authorities  to  proceed  with  the 
building  of  a  court  house  without  referring  the  question  to  the  voters  resulted 
in  injunction  proceedings  which,  after  defeat  in  the  lower  court,  were  sustained 
in  the  Supreme  Court.  As  a  result  the  whole  matter  of  county  seat  and  county 
buildings  in  "in  the  air". 

SCHOOLS   OF  THE    COUNTY. 

As  we  have  already  discovered  in  Yakima  and  Kittitas  counties,  the  inhab- 
itants of  this  favored  valley  appreciate  to  the  full  the  primal  need  of  an  intel- 
ligent citizenship.  They  have  seen  therefore  that  the  public  schools  are  the  very 
corner-stone  of  American  Democracy.  Hence,  here,  as  in  the  older  regions,  we 
find  the  school  instruction,  as  well  as  the  school  buildings,  the  objects  of  jealous 


758  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

care.     Benton  County  has  made  generous  outlay  for  the  intellectual  nurture  of 
her  bG}S  and  girls. 

We  derive  from  data  for  1''17  provided  by  Mrs.  Lowa  M.  Crawford,  super- 
intendent of  schools,  the  following: 

Value  of  school  buildings  and  grounds $338,920 

Value  of  apparatus,   furniture  and  books 186,890 

Number  of   library  books   7,947 

Number  of  free  school  text  liooks 25,712 

Seating  capacity  of  buildings 3,781 

School  census 2,722 

School  enrollment   2,?57 

There  are  at  the  present  time  thirty-seven  districts.  Prosser  is  Number 
Sixteen  and  Kennewick  is  Number  Seventeen.  Rather  oddly  the  number  of 
teachers  is  precisely  the  same,  twenty-one,  in  each. 

As  a  historical  item  of  much  interest  we  note  that  the  first  school  in  what 
is  now  Benton  County  was  opened  at  Prosser  in  1884.  Mrs.  Emma  Warnecke, 
now  living  on  her  home  place  near  Prosser,  was  the  teacher.  We  have  the 
pleasure  of  including  a  contribution  from  Mrs.  \\'arnecke  in  our  "Chapter  of 
Recollections."  As  one  of  the  genuine  builders  of  all  that  is  worthiest  in  this 
typical  American  community,  Mrs.  Warnecke  is  entitled  to  the  profound  respect 
of  all  present  and  future  readers. 

We  have  received  from  Mrs.  Crawford  the  directory  of  the  teaching  force 
for  the  current  year,  and  with  the  certainty  that  our  readers  will  be  glad  to  see 
it  we  include  it  here. 

TEACHERS   OF   BENTON    COUNTY,    WASHINGTON,    1918-19. 

District.  Name.  Address. 

J-1     C.  A.  Parker,  Mrs.  Alice  Parker,  Prosser. 

2  Mrs.  Linnie  A.  Mitchell,  Paterson. 

3  E.  Pearl  Evans,  Hover. 

4  Grace  West,  Prosser. 

5  Ina  Wall,  Prosser. 

6  Chas.  W.  Holt,  Mrs.  Leah  Ludwick,  Elsie  B.  Nebergall.  Eva  E.  Chellis. 
Myrtie  Gray,  Helen  N.  Gale,  Viola  A.  Noonan,  Mrs.  Zada  R.  Rosaaen, 

Beryl  L.  Holt,  Jennie  B.  Dresser,  Richland. 

7  T-  C.  Faulkner,  Mira  JNIcLeod,  iMabel  Greene,  Norine  M.  Sutherland. 
White  Bluflfs. 

9  Omie  Cochran,  Kennewick. 

9  Cecilia  Dunegan,  Mottinger. 

10  Isabelle  Blizard,  Prosser. 

11  Ada  A.  Adams,  Prosser. 

13  Clarence  L.  Henry,  Nettie  A.  Snyder.  Lois  Gammon,  Marilla  Meikle, 
Mary  McGee,  Finley. 

14  Ina  Whitehead,  Prosser. 

15  Vera  S.  Purdy,  Prosser. 

16  P.  A.  Wright.  Warren  C.  Hodge.  Caroline  C.  Hardick,  Mrs.  Edith  G. 
Hawley,  Allene  Dunn,  Ethel  G.  Hughes,  Pearl  I.  Hutchinson,  K.  Hill, 
Grace  A.  Van  Bergh,  Gertrude  Slaght,  Grace  D.  Mason,  Lillian  Wise, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  759 

Mrs.  Helen  Hill,  Mabel  E.  Smith,  Elizabeth  Griffith,  Emma  :\Ioore, 
Mrs.  Dora  E.  Thompson,  J.  S.  Harrison,  Mina  B.  Hickok,  Dora  L. 
Williams,  Velma  L.  Wehner,  Prosser. 
17  H.  H.  Hoffman,  Mrs.  Marjorie  S.  Turner,  Gertrude  Krafft,  Caroline 
Turnquist,  Ethyle  M.  Thomas,  Mary  Mann,  Grace  Alitchell,  Bertha  S. 
Wolf,  Lora  E.  Maxwell,  Susan  M.  Evans,  Mrs.  Nettie  Morris,  Lila  E. 
Marcy,  Mrs.  Pearl  C.  Tripp,  Zelah  R.  Evans,  Pearl  Shepardson,  Lena 
Wol^flin,  Winnie  Darby,  Mrs.  Lucille  K.  Prichard,  Frances  H.  Golds- 
worthy,  Annie  Cavanaugh,  Marian  Morgan,  Kennewick. 

19  Florence  Schlosser,  Horse  Heaven. 

20  Mrs.  Elma  Potter,  Kiona. 

22  P.  R.  Bradley,  Mrs.  Lula  M.  Johnson,  Coila  Parker,  Hover. 

23  Gladys  Hudnall,  Kennewick. 

26  Anna  Lindblad,   Whitcomb. 

27  H.  Lacey  Squibb,  Fannie  E.  Chase,  Daisy  M.  Chase,  Ruth  Terpening, 
Mary  Wolford,  Nina  M.  McGuire,  Valma  Grant,  Kiona. 

28  Mrs.  Lois  E.  Mathews,  Paterson. 

29  C.  A.  Perkins,  W.  L.  Beaumont  superintendent,  Mrs.  Rhoda  A.  Evett, 
Cornelia  M.  Weissmiller,  Mrs.  Ellen  Clark,  Hanford. 

31     Dorothy  Card,  Prosser. 

33  John  M.  Collins,  Allegra  Baxter,  Kennewick. 

34  May  Newman,  Cold  Creek. 

34  Nettie  A.  Fuerst,  Vernita. 

35  Hazel  M.  Barnes,,  Kennewick. 

36  Mrs.  Magdalena  Bale,  Mary  Bale,  Prosser. 

37  Hazel  W.  Besse,  Prosser. 

The  religious,  fraternal  and  commercial  institutions  of  the  county  will  find 
their  more  fitting  place  in  the  chapter  on  the  cities  and  towns.  There  is,  how- 
ever, an  institution  belonging  entirely  to  the  farmers  which  has  been  of  so 
remarkable  a  character  that  it  deserves  a  place  in  the  records  of  the  county. 
We  refer  to  the  Pomona  Grange.  This  has  played  a  great  part  in  building  up 
the  productive  interests  as  well  as  the  social  life  of  the  county.  Facts  in  regard 
to  this  important  organization  have  .been  secured  from  Mrs.  G.  W.  Wilgus  of 
Prosser,  who  has  been  one  of  the  members  from  the  beginning.  As  a  type  of 
similar  organizations  which  are  rendering  an  invaluable  service  to  our  farming 
communities,  Pomona  Grange  is  worthy  of  special  record. 


PART  III 

CHAPTER  \T 

A  JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   \  ALLEY— KITTITAS   AND   YAKIMA 
COUNTIES 

CLE    ELUM    AND    ROSLVN COAL    DISCOVERED CLE    ELUM     FIRE  :    DESCRIPTION    AND 

EDITORIALS    FROM    THE    "ECHO" CLE   ELUM    HISTORY THE    CLE    ELUM    "eCHO" 

LODGES — SCHOOLS — ROSLYN FIRE  AND  STRIKE — BANK  ROBBERY  AT  ROSLYN^ 

ROSLYN     CHURCHES — ROSLYN     INCORPORATED HEAVY     VOTING     AT     PRIMARIES 

(1918) MINERS    ELECT    OFFICIALS — FROM    COAL    CENTERS    TO    ORCHARDS' — THE 

VILLAGE   OF   THORP — TOWN    OF   SELAH — SELAH    GAP    AND    PAINTED   ROCKS SODA 

SPRINGS NACHES AHTENUM,     WILEY     CITY,     TAMPICO,     MOXEE     CITY BELOW 

POHOTECUTE — "HOW  IT  HAPPENIEd" WAPATO — TOPPENJSH TOPPENISH  EX- 
CEEDS   LOAN     QUOTA TOWNS    ON     NORTH     SIDE    OF    RIVER PARKER    BOTTOM 

ZILLAH    AND   GRANGER — THE    NORTHWEST    MAGAZINE   ON    "IRRIGATED    LANDS" 

GRANGER SUNNYSIDE    AND    GRANDVIEW SCHOOLS    OF    SUNNYSIDE — CHURCHES 

IN  SUNNYSIDE THE  SUNNYSIDE  "SUN" SOME  SUNNYSIDE  PRODUCTS GRAND- 
VIEW — GRANDVIEW  ROLL  OF  HONOR — CROP  STATISTICS — IRRIGATION  BRINGS 
GOLD  FROM   LAND. 

In  the  preceding  pages  we  have  described  the  phj'sical  features  of  the 
Yakima  country,  and  have  narrated  the  successive  stages  of  discovery  and  fur 
trade,  prior  to  settlement.  We  have  seen  the  period  of  rivalry  between  our 
own  country  and  others  for  possession  of  this  goodly  land.  The  beginnings  of 
settlement  have  passed  in  review  before  us.  We  have  noted  also  the  develop- 
ment of  the  industrial,  political,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  life  of  the  region. 
We  have  still  further  given  special  chapters  to  the  growth  of  the  two  chief 
cities,  Yakima  and  Ellensburg.  But  we  have  not  yet  paid  a  visit  to  those  inter- 
esting and  attractive  smaller  towns  which,  each  in  its  own  sphere,  has  created 
the  same  kinds  of  instrumentalities  of  community  life  and  has  exemplified  similar 
qualities  of  enterprise  and  similar  ideals  of  citizenship  with  the  two  larger  and 
older  towns,  and  without  which,  indeed,  those  larger  towns  would  have  no  life. 

We  shall  undertake,  therefore,  in  this  chapter  to  conduct  the  reader  through 
the  land  of  our  story,  endeavoring  to  reveal  something  of  the  appearance  of  the 
country  and  its  life,  and  pausing  at  the  frequent  towns  and  villages  for  a  closer 
view  of  people  and  things. 

There  have  been  various  possible  methods  of  travel,  past  and  present.  In 
immigrant  days  the  ox-team,  with  considerable  foot  work,  was  the  regular 
method.  A  stage  later,  in  the  cowboy  and  mining  era,  it  was  all  horseback  and 
pack-saddle,  with  the  hurricane  deck  of  a  bucking  cayuse  to  furnish  the  varia- 
tions. There  were  flat  boat  and  steamboat  periods,  and  then  the  Concord  coach 
with  the  six  galloping  horses  and  such  tornadoes  of  picturesque  "cuss  words" 
as  no  other  method  of  conveyance  could  engender.  And  then  the  long-waited- 
760 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  791 

for,  much-lauded,  and  still  more  loudly-cursed  railroad.  Last  of  all  the  Ever- 
green, or  Sunset,  or  some  other,  paved  highway,  over  which  the  all-conquering 
auto  may  shame  the  outgrown  old  fogies  of  transportation.  The  auto  is  the 
"cock  of  the  walk"  just  now,  but  look  out!  Winging  its  way  out  of  the  blue 
ether,  shaking  from  its  glistening  wings  the  dust  of  battle  in  which  its  first  life 
has  been  nurtured,  comes  soaring  above  the  clods  and  gravel  the  angelus  of  a 
new  dawn  of  transportation,  the  flying  chariot  of  the  air,  born  in  battle,  but  now 
the  harbinger  of  a  new  peace— the  airplane,  symbol  of  the  Twentieth  Century. 
But  that  is  somewhat  in  the  future,  and  for  our  present  purpose  it  will  be  safe 
to  rely  upon  the  train  or  the  auto  or  both.  And,  in  fact,  the  beauty  of  a  per- 
sonally conducted  tour  of  this  sort  is  that  we  can  emplo>-  all  sorts  of  vehicles 
at  any  and  all  times. 

One  railroad  traverses  the  Yakima  Valley  from  its  eastern  edge  on  the 
Columbia  River  to  its  extreme  western  limit  at  the  Cascade  summit.  Another 
entering  also  at  the  eastern  border  traverses  the  same  general  course  as  far  as 
Yakima.  Yet  another  entering  the  borders  of  our  section  at  the  point  just  above 
Priest's  Rapids  on  the  Columbia,  makes  its  course  in  great  spirals  up  the  high- 
lands north  of  Rattlesnake  Mountain  straight  across  the  Kittitas  plains  to  Ellens- 
burg,  and  thence  to  the  crossing  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  by  the  Snoqualmie 
Pass.  Through  that  same  pass  the  state  has  laid  out  one  of  the  great  scenic 
routes  of  the  continent,  the  Yellowstone  Trail.  Now  we  may  enter  this  charmed 
land  of  our  story  either  from  east  or  west,  either  going  up  or  going  down. 
Suppose,  however,  that  we  go  down,  remembering  Virgil's  sounding  lines,  in 
which  he  assures  us — facilis  descensus  Averno,  and  thinking  that  we  shall  prob- 
ably not  have  occasion  to  test  the  rest  of  his  assertion,  Sed  rcvocare  gradiim, 
hoc  opus,  hie  labor  est.  Having  decided  to  descend  we  will  necessarily  enter 
the  Yakima  from  the  Sound  region. 

To  any  one  appreciative  of  the  beauty  and  wonder  of  nature  and  responsive 
to  the  vicissitudes  of  time  and  place,  there  is  always  a  certain  marvel  in  leaving 
the  soft,  humid  air,  the  towering  evergreens,  the  moss-grown  rocks  and  logs,  the 
flying  scud,  the  salty  breeze,  the  widening  vistas  of  inlet  and  bay  with  the  hulls 
of  ships  and  the  smoke  of  engines,  which  he  has  known  on  the  seaboard  side,  then 
mile  by  mile  rising,  till  vast,  misty  canons,  and  snow-streaked  cliffs,  and  at  cer- 
tain open  windows  in  the  forests  he  may  be  dazed  and  almost  driven  to  his  knees 
by  the  vision  of  "the  Mountain  that  was  God",  and  then  a  pause  on  the  top  of 
the  world,  and  vast  reaches  east  and  west  assure  him  that  he  has  gone  his 
highest,  and  then  down,  down,  trees  less  frequent,  moss  giving  way  to  grass, 
widening  plains  far  distant  in  the  clearer,  dryer  air,  and  then  he  realizes  that  he 
is  really  in  the  "East  of  the  Mountains." 

Such  is  some  of  the  panorama  which  passes  in  review  as  we  progress  by 
auto  up  and  through  the  Snoqualmie  Pass,  and  then  down  the  Yellowstone  Trail 
toward  the  Kittitas  Valley. 

But  our  leading  aim  on  this  journey  after  all  is  to  see  the  towns.  Hold  on, 
though,  we  can  never  afford  to  hurry  so  as  to  miss  a  long  pause  at  that  perfect 
symposium  of  beauty  and  delight,  the  lakes,  Kachess,  Keechelus  and  Cle  Elum, 
and  to  view  the  great  reservoir  systems  established  there  by  Government  for 
irrigating  over  a  half  million  acres  of  fertile  land  far  down  the  Yakima. 


762  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  \'ALLEY 

Anv  one  with  the  ordinary  susceptibilities  of  a  normal  human  creature  would 
almost  inevitably  pause  long  enough  also  to  fish  in  those  enticing  lakes  or  the 
limpid  streams  that  go  singing  away  from  them  to  compose  the  central  stream. 

CLE   ELU^r    AXD   ROSLYN 

But  those  abounding  joys  must  not  hold  us  back  too  long  and  within  a  few 
miles  onlv  from  the  lakes  we  find  that  we  are  nearing  the  great  coal  center  of 
the  extreme  upper  part  of  the  valley.  Here  we  are  at  Cle  Elum  and  Roslyn,  the 
centers  of  the  greatest  coal  producing  region  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

With  the  towering  mountains  to  the  south  and  the  rugged  hills  to  the  north, 
and  the  sweeping  streams  of  the  Yakima  and  Cle  Elum  joining  a  few  miles 
above,  and  the  fine  timber  along  the  courses  of  those  streams,  Cle  Elum  has 
indeed  a  picturesque  location,  albeit  somewhat  shut  in.  Cle  Elum  is  said  to  mean 
"swift  water."  There  is  quite  a  valley  below  the  town  and  on  the  Teanaway 
across  the  ridge  to  the  northeast.    These  valleys,  though  narrow,  are  very  fertile. 

Most  people,  thinking  of  this  as  a  coal  and  lumber  region  and  having  the 
impression  that  it  is  so  much  within  the  snow  belt  as  to  be  of  a  very  cold,  for- 
bidding climate,  are  much  surprised  to  learn  that  there  are  many  beautiful  and 
productive  farms  centering  at  Cle  Elum.  Fruit  of  a  fine  quality  is  produced 
and  the  finest  of  flowers  attest  the  life-giving  qualities  of  soil  and  atmosphere. 
Cle  Elum  has  indeed  a  heavy  snowfall,  the  usual  amount  of  moisture  for  the 
year  being  from  30  to  40  inches,  and  the  elevation  is  about  2.000  feet,  but  the 
climate  is  pleasant  and  invigorating  to  a  remarkable  degree,  and  with  the 
■  developments  sure  to  come  the  town  has  every  prospect  of  being  not  only  a 
prosperous  business  center  (that  it  is  sure  to  he)  but  a  home  place  of  many 
attractions. 

We  learn  that  the  founders  of  Cle  Elum  were  Thomas  L.  Gamble  ( later 
known  as  Judge  Gamble)  and  Walter  J-  Reed.  Mr.  Gamble  took  up  a  quarter 
section  of  land  in  Section  26,  Township  20  North,  and  Range  15  East,  in  April, 
1883.  Mr.  Reed  took  a  claim  adjoining  Mr.  Gamble's  on  the  west.  On  those 
two  preemption  claims  the  town  was  laid  out.  The  date  of  these  filings  was 
three  years  prior  to  the  discoven,-  of  coal,  and  those  pioneer  settlers  were  think- 
ing of  farming  land  rather  than  mineral.  It  is  true  that  scattered  discoveries 
of  coal  ledges  had  been  made  in  1883  and  1884,  but  in  1886  a  definite  discovery 
of  a  large  ledge  of  good  coal  in  paying  quantities  made  it  clear  that  a  most 
important  stage  had  come  in  the  history  of  the  region.  Population  began  to 
enter.     The  N.  P.  R.  R.  was  seeking  a  route  over  the  Cascade  Mountains. 

CO.\L   DISCOVERED 

Some  assert  that  the  selection  of  the  Stampede  Pass  was  determined  by  the 
coal  discovery.  In  the  Spring  of  1886  the  railroad  engineers  under  Mr.  Bogue 
and  Mr.  Huson  were  making  their  survey  through  the  region.  It  was  plain 
that  somewhere  in  that  general  vicinity  a  station  would  become  established.  Mr. 
Reed  took  into  partnership  with  himself  Thomas  Johnson  of  Ellensburg  and 
laid  out  sixty-five  acres  as  a  site.  This  was  legally  dedicated  on  July  26.  Mr. 
Johnson  had  owned  a  sawmill  on  \\^ilson  Creek,  and  now  he  moved  the  mill  to 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY  763 

the  new  location.  The  partners.  Reed  and  Johnson,  estabhshed  what  was  un- 
doubtedly the  largest  mill  up  to  that  time  in  central  or  eastern  Washington, 
cutting  40,000  feet  per  day.  At  the  same  time,  Frederick  Leonhard,  who  with 
his  brother-in-law,  Gerrit  d'Ablaing,  had  been  carrying  on  a  mill  on  Cooke  Creek 
and  later  on  the  Naneum,  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Cle  Elum.  They  cut  a  large 
part  of  the  lumber  for  the  Stampede  tunnel. 

October  11,  1886,  was  a  great  day  for  Cle  Elum,  for  on  that  day  the  first 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  train  pulled  into  the  station.  Following  the  arrival 
of  the  railway,  the  raw  little  town  began  to  grow  rapidly.  Two  stores  were 
built  and  stocked  in  1886,  one  by  Thomas  Johnson,  the  other  by  fheron  Staf- 
ford. A  school  district  was  laid  out,  having  generous  boundaries,  for  thus  far 
there  were  few  children  in  the  district.  The  old  Reed  preemption  cabin  was 
transformed  into  a  schoolhouse,  and  the  salary  for  the  teacher  w&s  raised  by 
subscription.  Mr.  Reed  had  meanwhile  built  a  hotel,  which  continued  to  be 
the  chief  hotel  in  the  place.  The  first  local  election  in  Cle  Elum  occurred  No- 
vember 2,  1886.  H.  C.  Witters  was  first  justice  of  the  peace,  followed  by  the 
first  inhabitant.  Judge  Gamble.  A  postoffice  was  established  with  the  beginning 
of  1888,  Dr.  Wheelock  becoming  first  postmaster.  In  that  year  ]\Ir.  Gamble 
laid  out  the  larger  part  of  his  farm  in  a  new  town  which  he  called  Hazelwood. 
Subsequently  this  plat  was  relaid  as  the  Hazelwood  addition  to  Cle  Elum. 

It  appears  from  the  narrations  of  the  people  that  Cle  Elum  has  been  a  vic- 
tim of  fires  to  even  a  greater  degree  than  Ellensburg.  A  considerable  part  of 
the  town  was  destroyed  on  July  2i,  1891,  by  a  fire  which  attacked  the  town 
from  burning  trees,  and  having  been  checked  to  all  appearance  again  began  in 
the  Staitord  store.  Losses  were  entailed  estimated  at  $50,000,  with  but  scanty 
insurance. 

But  the  earlier  fires  were  all  surpassed  by  the  great  disaster  of  June  25, 
1918.  We  derive  from  the  "Cle  Elum  Echo"  of  July  5th,  a  full  account  of  this 
truly  appalling  calamity  to  the  promising  young  city  of  Cle  Elum. 

Editorial  comment  in  the  "Echo"  gives  light  on  the  situation  and  the 
bravery  with  which  the  citizens  faced  their  losses  and  at  once  set  about  repair- 
ing them. 

CLE    ELUM    SWEPT    BY    FIRE 
IMPORTAXT    FIRE    F.^^CTS 

Loss  $500,000. 

Burned  area,  seventy  acres. 

Number  mercantile  houses  lost  thirty. 

Number   houses   destroyed   205. 

Estimated  homeless  people   1,800. 

Estimated  homeless  families,  350. 

Gross  fire   loss  to  merchants  and  mercantile  business,  $223,350. 

Total  insurance  by  sixteen  merchants,  $57,950. 

Number  merchants  not  carrying  insurance,  fourteen. 

Greatest  length  burned  area,  4,350  feet. 

Duration  of  fire,  12:20  p.  m.  to  4  p.  m. 

Cle  Elum  sulifered  the  greatest  calamity  in  its  history  Tuesday  afternoon 


764  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

when  twenty-nine  blocks,  covering  an  area  of  seventy  acres,  were  laid  waste 
by  fire  in  less  than  four  hours  and  fully  1,800  people  were  rendered  homeless, 
causing  suitering,  destitution  and  half  a  million  dollars  financial  loss.  Nearly 
one-half  of  its  business  concerns  were  swept  out  of  existence  and  205  houses 
were  laid  in  ashes.  No  lives  were  lost,  fortunately,  though  there  were  two  or 
three  narrow  escapes.  The  brightest  side  of  the  catastrophe,  if  it  can  be  said 
10  ha\e  one,  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  occurred  in  broad  daylight  and  in  the  splendid 
spirit  with  which  the  people  are  meeting  their  misfortunes. 

The  first  estimates  of  financial  loss  placed  it  at  a  million  but  careful  inves- 
tigation has  shown  it  was  too  high,  unless  the  losses  of  individuals  run  higher 
than  reported.  Insurance  was  extremely  light,  due  to  high  insurance  rates  prev- 
alent here  on  wooden  buildings,  where  most  of  the  loss  occurred. 

Relief  work  has  been  carried  on  in  a  highly  satisfactory  manner,  thanks 
to  quick  local  organization  under  the  chairmanship  of  Mayor  Balmer,  who  is 
also  head  of  the  Red  Cross  here,  and  to  the  prompt  response  of  the  North- 
western headquarters  of  the  National  Red  Cross  Society,  together  with  aid  from 
neighboring  towns.  Fire  sufferers  threw  themselves  vigorously  into  the  work 
alongside  of  those  more  fortunate  and  for  the  first  two  days  everybody  here 
concentrated  their  entire  eiYorts  upon  relieving  the  distress.  Temporary  relief 
has  been  provided  in  ever)'  instance  that  could  be  found  and  the  city  is  now 
approaching  the  serious  problems  presented  by  permanent  construction  work. 
Outside  assistance  will  have  to  be  obtained  in  carrying  this  through,  but  the 
plans  under  consideration  do  not  contemplate  charity,  merely  financial  assistance 
for  people  who  are  willing  to  help  themselves  and  eventually  pay  for  what  they 
get.  The  Independent  Coal  &  Coke  Company  is  rendering  substantial  assistance 
in  every  way  to  its  men  and  announcement  is  made  this  afternoon  that  the 
N.  W.  I.  Company  will  cooperate  generously.  Most  of  the  homeless  people  are 
miners  and  their  families.  Local  relief  work  today  passed  into  the  hands  of 
the  Cle  Elum  branch  of  the  Red  Cross  and  the  Minute  Women  while  a  citizens' 
committee  and  the  city  officials  will  handle  reconstruction  work. 

ORIGIN    OF    FIRE 

It  seems  to  be  clearly  established  after  the  most  careful  investigation  and 
re-checking  of  testimony  by  Prosecuting  Attorney  McGuire,  Chief  of  Police 
Bunker,  Fire  Warden  Bringhurst  of  Seattle  and  others,  that  the  fire  originated 
in  a  pile  of  rubbish  lying  alongside  the  rear  south  wall  of  the  Rose  Theatre 
building  at  its  intersection  with  the  Moss  store.  At  this  point  there  had  been 
for  some  time  past  a  lot  of  old  boards,  banana  crates,  paper,  excelsior,  etc., 
which  had  gradually  accumulated.  The  two  buildings  had  separate  walls  wdth 
an  air  space  of  perhaps  a  foot  between  them,  forming  a  regular  funnel  for  any 
blaze.  All  evidence  is  that  the  fire  started  there,  and  not  from  the  inside  of 
cither  building,  about  12:20  Tuesday  noon.  How  it  started  is  still  a  mystery 
and  may  always  remain  one,  but  it  is  generally  ascribed  to  the  throwing  away 
of  a  cigarette  or  a  lighted  match  because  this  dangerous  practice  had  been  re- 
ported previously  in  that  vicinity. 

Gaining  headway  unobserved,  the  air  space  between  the  buildings  acted  as  a 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  765 

bellows  would  and  when  discovered  the  flames  were  shooting  up  the  side  of  the 
Theatre  building  and  covering  the  rear  of  the  Moss  store.  A  number  of  ladies 
report  having  seen  it  and  shouting  the  alarm.  Mona  Moss  from  an  upstairs 
window  reported  it  to  her  mother  down  below  and  she  ran  to  the  front  of  the 
■Store  calling  for  help,  and  phoned.  Mrs.  J.  L.  Snyder,  who  lives  with  her 
daughter  in  the  back  of  the  City  Library  building,  where  she  is  librarian,  heard 
the  crackling  and  running  out  behind  that  building  discovered  it.  She  stated 
that  she  believed  it  might  have  been  put  out  with  a  common  garden  hose,  but 
none  was  at  hand.  Her  cries  of  fire  attracted  attention  on  Pennsylvania  Ave- 
nue. Widow  Davis,  who  lives  right  back  of  the  Rose  Theatre,  also  saw  the 
blaze  in  its  incipiency. 

The  fire  bell  shortly  rang  out  its  dreaded  summons  and  the  fire  boys,  under 
Chief  Carr,  responded  with  promptness,  with  only  a  hundred  yards  to  run  with 
the  hose.  Walter  Steele,  manager  of  the  theatre,  ran  from  his  home  opposite 
the  Reliable  garage  and  with  a  Milwaukee  brakeman  entered  his  building.  He 
states  that  after  he  reached  there  the  flames  broke  through  the  wall  behind  the 
stage  and  catching  the  heavily  dyed  movie  curtain,  crashed  into  a  roar  like  an 
explosion.  His  first  thought  was  to  save  his  three  machines,  but  in  their  sus- 
pended room,  reached  only  by  a  slight  ladder,  the  thing  was  impossible.  One 
man  started  to  save  films  but  Steele  shouted  a  warning  and  they  scrambled  for 
the  entrance  doors.  The  "Miner  Echo"  representative,  who  arrived  at  this  mo- 
ment, saw  only  a  mass  of  fire  over  the  stage,  which  spelled  a  fire  beyond  the 
reach  of  ordinary  fighting,  and  fire  in  the  Moss  store  told  the  coming  story  only 
too   plainly. 

GALE    F.'\NS    FLAMES 

Outside,  the  heaviest  wind  in  days,  coming  straight  down  the  Yakima 
River  from  the  mountains  directly  west,  amounted  to  a  gale  and  doomed  the 
whole  block  of  frame  buildings  which  formed  the  entire  east  side  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue  in  the  block.  With  a  snarl  and  a  roar  the  great  flames  flung 
their  challenge  upward  to  the  clear  skies  and  began  their  mad  career  which  was 
to  bring  sorrow  and  misery  to  hundreds  and  deal  the  city  a  staggering  blow. 
The  black  clouds  arose  and  darkened  the  scene  and  then  rolled  eastward  across 
the  town.  With  the  rising  heat  the  wind  increased,  a  natural  tendency,  until 
burning  cinders  and  pieces  of  wood  were  carried  hundreds  of  feet,  igniting  the 
Jones  building  at  the  other  end  of  the  block  on  First  Street,  within  a  few  min- 
utes after  the  fire  broke  out. 

Shingle  roofs  in  the  path  of  the  wind  one  by  one  picked  up  these  burning 
embers,  smoked  and  then  burst  into  flame.  It  was  no  time  at  all  until  the  entire 
block,  with  the  exception  of  two  buildings  with  fireproof  roofs  (First  National 
Bank  and  the  Kinney  buildings,  both  but  two  years  old)  was  a  seething  cauld- 
ron of  fire.  The  heat  grew  so  intense  that  the  Oblak  cigar  store  beside  the  Rose 
Theatre  could  not  resist  it  and  residences  on  the  opposite  side  of  Second  Street 
were  fairly  blistered.  On  the  south  side  of  First  Street,  which  is  an  unusu- 
ally broad  avenue,  windows  cracked  but  all  buildings  were  saved  by  lying  out- 
side the  course  of  the  fire. 

At   once   the   public   commenced   carrying   out   stocks   of   goods,    though   it 


766  HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY 

seemed  to  be  a  long  time  before  the  realization  came  home  to  people  that  noth- 
ing could  save  the  block.  So  swift  was  the  march  of  the  fire  that  it  was  for 
the  most  part  in  vain.  Stores  with  brick  walls  succumbed  as  well  as  frame 
buildings.  Doomed  was  written  everywhere.  The  first  hose  laid  was  burned 
before  it  could  be  removed. 

SWEEPS    ONWARD 

At  Harris  Avenue,  the  first  cross  street  to  the  eastward,  the  fire  could  have 
been  checked  had  it  not  been  for  the  wind,  but  it  crossed  easily,  attacked  the 
laundry  (which,  however,  escaped  destruction),  the  creamery  and  the  State 
Bank,  the  latter  a  brick  building,  and  fought  with  wicked  insistence  for  the 
big  frame  high  school  building.  Here  the  janitor,  Van  Martin,  and  the  presi- 
dent of  the  class  of  1918,  Harold  Cox,  to  his  everlasting  credit,  won  the  battle. 
Climbing  to  the  roof  they  used  long  lines  of  small  hose.  Three  times  serious 
fires  broke  out  on  the  shingles  but  the  two  fighters  were  there  instantly.  Num- 
berless sparks  tried  to  claim  their  prey  but  valiant  work  and  kind  fortune  smiled 
on  the  taxpayers  of  School  District  No.  25  to  the  end  that  they  won.  Not  only 
did  they  win  the  schoolhouse  but  undoubtedly  every  resident  on  the  north 
side  of  Third  Street  owes  his  home  to  the  saving  of  the  schoolhouse.  However, 
the  small  grade  building  on  the  corner,  formerly  the  Baptist  Church,  was  not  so 
fortunate  and  burned  to  the  ground.  With  it  went  practically  every  school 
textbook  in  the  city  excepting  those  of  the  Hazelwood  School,  stored  there, 
which  J.  N.  Spicer,  principal  of  that  school,  with  help,  carried  out  in  safety. 

THE  C.^T.^STROPHE 

Under  skies  lurid  with  the  sickening  yellow  brown  smoke  the  fire  now 
outdid  itself  by  jinnping  the  entire  block  to  the  residence  section.  The  homes 
of  Mike  Miller,  H.  J.  Spratt,  Tony  Casey  and  G.  I.  Wilson  on  Third  Street 
caught  from  cinders  and  to  the  southward  the  Trucano  Building  and  every 
residence  east  of  it  burst  into  fire.  The  wind  whistled  its  challenge  and  the 
crv  went  up  from  three  thousand  parched  throats  and  aching  hearts,  "The 
city  is  gone."  The  gale  veered  southward,  saving  the  north  side  of  Third 
Street,  and  with  one  mighty  plunge  a  score  of  homes  were  swallowed  up  in 
the  awful  holocaust. 

DYNAMITE    USED 

In  the  meantime  the  mines  had  been  shut  down,  all  power  and  juice  shut 
oft"  from  the  N.  W.  I.  plant  at  Roslyn,  and  Roslyn  was  on  its  way  en  masse 
to  help  its  sister  city,  led  by  its  valiant  fire  fighters.  They  had  been  summoned 
at  the  outset  by  Chief  of  Police  Bunker,  who  phoned  Chief  McCain  the  laconic 
message:  "We're  lost  but  help  us  save  what  we  can."  When  the  fire  crossed 
the  second  block  from  Pennsylvania  Avenue  and  jumped  Wright  Avenue,  the 
fire  fighters  went  for  dynamite,  which  was  readily  obtained  from  the  mine 
powder  houses,  and  under  the  guidance  of  experienced  powder  men,  the  deadly 
work  was  begun.  Building  after  building  which  it  seemed  would  be  better  in 
ruins   than   standing  was  blown   up.     A   fifty   pound   case   of   Monobel    powder 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  767 

did  the  work  and  soon  the  city  was  resounding  with  the  deep  boom  of  the  de- 
tonations.    It  alTected  the  situation  httle,  however,  it  seems. 

miners'  homes  c.a^tch 

A  sea  of  flame  engulfed  the  densely  populated  section  to  the  east,  inhabited 
almost  entirely  by  miners'  families.  On  many  lots  two  or  three  small  frame 
houses  stood  and  they  were  the  finest  of  fuel.  Frightened  but  brave  women 
and  children  assisted  frantic  husbands  and  brothers  and  friends  to  haul  out 
their  belongings  into  the  streets  only  to  see  them  curl  with  heat  and  finally 
fall  into  ashes  of  twisted  wreckage  while  they  themselves  fled  for  safety. 

It  was  a  pitiful  sight  that  made  the  stoutest  heart  quail  to  see  these  poor 
people  lose  their  all  and  with  a  few  personal  effects  seek  a  quiet  spot  in  the 
unburned  districts.  Automobiles  whirled  up  and  down  the  streets  carrying 
away  as  much  property  as  possible  and  every  form  of  conveyance  was  used, 
but  it  was  an  unequal  battle.  Cross  street  after  cross  street  was  jumped,  fire- 
men gathered  their  hose  and  got  out  of  the  way  when  they  saw  the  situation 
was  hopeless,  and  the  freaky  gale  veered  to  north  and  south,  cutting  a  swath 
three  blocks  wide  at  the  last. 

At  Bullitt  Avenue  the  fire  crossed  First  Street,  licked  up  the  string  of 
frame  buildings,  including  Schober's  grocery  and  bakery  on  the  corner,  and 
swept  over  Peoh  Avenue  to  Ballard's  meat  market.  Pricco's  large  bakery, 
across  the  street,  was  completely  burned  at  this  point.  A  block  farther  the  old 
established  sawmill  and  lumber  yards  of  Miller  &  Short,  one  of  the  city's  largest 
pioneer  concerns,  so  needful  to  rehabilitate  the  city,  fell  finally  into  the  maw 
of  the  fire,  despite  every  effort  to  save  it.  Every  foot  of  lumber  in  scores  of 
piles  was  lost  absolutely  and  the  mill  site  is  marked  now  only  by  the  stark 
skeleton  of  the  huge  blower  chimney  and  a  junk  heap  of  machinery.  This  was 
the  last  straw,  it  seemed,  when  lumber  is  so  scarce. 

JUMPS    THE    TRACKS 

At  the  independent  mine  sidetracks  there  is  a  wide  vacant  right  of  way  on 
each  side,  these  tracks  running  north  and  south  like  cross  streets.  Here  the 
fire  fighters  took  courage  and  hoped  to  stay  the  flames,  but  disappointment  was 
their  lot.  Over  the  hundreds  of  feet  of  bare  ground  the  cinders  flew  and 
caught  and  clung  on  more  miners'  homes  and  swept  onward,  seemingly  bent 
on  clearing  a  track  as  far  as  fuel  could  feed  the  fire.  Two  blocks  farther  the 
edge  of  the  city  was  finally  reached  and  there  the  scattering  houses  proved  a 
barrier  which  finally  held.  At  its  extreme  east  point  the  fire  was  stopped 
eight  long  blocks  from  Pennsylvania  Avenue  or  at  Columbia.  This  was  on  the 
north  side  of  Third  Street.  Between  Third  and  Second  Streets,  south,  the  fire 
was  stopped  half  a  block  nearer  and  on  First  Street  it  was  still  a  little  nearer, 
showing  the  variation  of  the  wind.  Columbia  Avenue,  however,  practically 
bounds  the  district  on  the  east.  When  stayed,  it  was  only  four  o'clock,  from 
which  some  idea  of  the  rapidity  with  which  the  fire  burned  may  be  obtained. 
The  distance   covered  by   the   fire   from    Pennsylvania   Avenue   to   Columbia   is 


768  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

4.350  feet  or  four-fifths  of  a  mile  and  the  burned  area  is  seventy  acres.     From 
Wright  Avenue  east  the  width  of  the  belt  is  three  blocks. 

ELLENSBURG    HELPS 

A  message  was  also  sent  to  Ellensburg  by  Chief  Bunker  early  in  the  fire's 
progress  and  by  special  train  the  steam  engine  from  that  city,  manned  by  its 
crew,  was  shipped  at  once.  It  reached  Cle  Elum  about  half  past  two  o'clock 
and  went  into  service  immediatel\-  in  the  eastern  end  of  the  city  with  good  effect. 

RELIEF   WORK  STARTS 

At  four  o'clock  a  called  meeting  for  relief  work  was  held  in  the  Cle  Elum 
"Echo"  office,  attended  by  a  number  of  citizens  from  Cle  Elum,  Roslyn  and 
Ellensburg,  and  presided  over  by  Mayor  Balmer,  who  laid  off  fighting  fire  at 
his  greenhouses  in  the  extreme  eastern  end  of  the  city  to  be  present.  Due  to 
this  prompt  action  it  was  possible  to  afford  much  temporary  relief  before  dark. 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Woods,  Reese  and  Enright,  was  named  to 
survey  the  food  supply,  another  consisting  of  Charles  Duerrwachter.  James 
Wright  and  J.  C.  Johnson  to  notify  the  people  that  relief  was  being  made 
ready  and  a  general  executive  committee  w-as  named  by  the  mayor.  This  commit- 
tee originally  consisted  of  Mayor  Balmer,  chairman ;  Simon  Justhaam,  John  F. 
iMorgan,  J.  F.  Wagner,  H.  B.  Joyner  nd  William  Merriman,  all  of  Roslyn ; 
Frank  Carpenter,  James  Walcott  and  H.  B.  Averill,  of  Cle  Elum ;  and  A.  W. 
McGuire  of  Ellensburg.  However,  this  committee  was  later  enlarged  to  a 
membership  of  twenty-five  and  badges  of  authority  issued.  Headquarters  were 
established  at  the  citv  hall  and  the  presses  of  the  "Echo"  were  set  to  grinding 
out  a  proclamation  by  the  mayor,  which  was  widely  distributed. 

SHERIFF    ON    THE    SCENE 

Dejnity  Sheritt  Taylor  arrived  early  from  Ellensburg  with  a  few  men  and 
on  No.  1  Sheriff  Garrison  brought  up  fifteen  deputies  to  patrol  the  fire  district. 
The  executive  committee  decided  not  to  call  for  troops  at  least  at  once  but  the 
governor  was  wired  the  main  facts  of  the  situation,  first  by  Prosecuting  Attorney 
AIcGuire  and  later  by  Mayor  Balmer. 

A  transportation  sub-committee  was  named  with  Aaron  Reese  of  the  Sun- 
set Auto  Company  as  chairman  and  also  a  food  committee  headed  by  ]\I.  B. 
Doolittle,  who  went  to  work  without  delay  to  take  care  of  people.  The  Sunset 
Cafe,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Czerny,  its  former  proprietor,  was  opened  as  a  relief 
feeding  station  and  long  before  dark  the  work  of  relieving  the  hundreds  of 
destitute  and  hungry  was  vigorously  under  way.  Chairman  Greenburg  of  the 
Cle  Elum  Valley  Defense  League  was  also  put  into  service  early  in  various 
capacities  and  as  rapidly  as  possible  Mayor  Balmer  extended  his  field  of  opera- 
tions with  the  most  competent  help  he  could  obtain  as  volunteers. 

ROSLYN    DRILL   SQUAD  OUT 

The    volunteered    services    of    the    recently    organized    drill    company   were 


HISTORY  OF  YAKniA  VALLEY  769 

accepted  to  help  guard  the  city  and  under  Captain  Bates  went  on  duty  as  deputy 
sherilYs  before  dark.  They  served  all  night  faithfully  during  the  critical 
period,  some  twenty  of  them,  armed  with  loaded  rifles.  Streets  were  closed 
through  the  district  except  to  those  showing  properly  signed  passes. 

ONLY    P.\RTI.\L   DARKNESS 

Thanks  to  the  swift  and  most  welcome  service  of  the  N.  W.  L  Company's 
electrical  department  under  Superintendent  Brooks,  enough  wires  were  hooked 
up  to  furnish  the  city  with  house  lights  before  nightfall,  which  was  a  pleasing 
surprise  in  view  of  the  tangled  and  burned  condition  of  the  wiring.  No  street 
lights  were  possible,  however. 

It  was  a  desolate  scene  that  the  red  glowing  embers  of  the  great  fire  showed 
when  finally  darkness  settled  over  the  city.  Gaunt  ruins  arose  like  skeletons 
through  the  drifting  smoke  and  haze  and  the  fireswept  ground  resembled  a 
great  encampment  of  many  flickering  fires.  The  guards  paced  back  and  forth 
in  light  and  shadow  carrying  their  guns  and  over  all  sombre  silence  lay  after 
a  violence  that  would  compare  well  with  a  battleswept  field  the  night  after. 

RED   CROSS   ARRIVES 

Following  telegraphic  communication  representatives  of  the  Northwest  De- 
partment of  the  American  Red  Cross  arrived  at  midnight  from  Seattle.  They 
were  F.  P.  Foisie,  chairman  of  civil  relief  work,  and  associate  members  David 
F.  Tilley  and  Earl  Kilpatrick.  After  a  session  with  the  executive  committee 
they  ordered  2,000  blankets,  200  portable  stoves  for  cooking,  and  cooking  utensils 
from  the  coast  for  immediate  shipment  and  accepted  the  offer  of  the  Adventist 
Society  for  tents  to  come  from  different  camp  meetings  just  ended  in  different 
parts  of  the  state. 

TELEPHONE    WIRES   OPEN 

The  Pacific  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company  deserves  great  credit  for 
opening  its  station  here  early  in  the  evening,  which  had  been  practically  burned 
when  the  fire  struck  the  State  Bank  Building.  Long  distance  communication 
was  first  established  east  and  west,  this  being  an  important  junction  station,  and 
this  enabled  committees  to  get  into  personal  touch  with  outside  people.  So 
rapidly  did  the  wire  men  do  their  work  that  Wednesday  morning  the  remain- 
ing business  houses  in  the  city  were  also  connected  up,  as  well  as  many  residences. 

ELLENSBURG    FOOD    MEN    HELP 

During  Tuesday  evening  the  EUensburg  canteen  committee  of  the  Red 
Cross  under  Chairman  Reynolds  offered  its  services  to  Cle  Elum  and  was  put 
to  work  with  the  local  food  committee  to  make  sandwiches  and  prepare  coffee 
for  Wednesday's  breakfast  among  the  homeless. 

OFFERS  OF  HELP 

One  of  the  first  telegrams  from  outside  cities  to  arrive  was  from  Ole  Han- 
son, mayor  of  Seattle,  who  wired  as  follows: 
(49) 


770  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Seattle,  Washington,  June  25,  1918. 
Mayor  of  Cle  Elum,  \\' ashington : 

Seattle  stands  ready  to  help  your  stricken  city  with  anything  you  need. 
Wire  me  at  once  how  we  can  help.  Fire  Marshal  Bringhurst  leaving  for  your 
city  on  midnight  train  to  represent  Seattle.    Wire  answer  care  Post-Intelligencer. 

Ole  H.xnson,  ^[ayor  of  Seattle. 
Others  received  were : 

Olympia,  Washington,  June  25.  1918. 
Hon.  Arthur  McGuire,  Prosecuting  Attorney  Kittitas  County,  Cle  Elum,  Wash- 
ington : 
Your  message  received  and  I  have  directed  Adjutant  General  Moss  to  im- 
mediately get  in  touch  with  situation  in  Cle  Elum  and  render  every  possible 
assistance.  I  have  placed  matter  of  relief  entirely  in  his  hands.  Get  in  touch 
with  him.     Also  keep  me  advised. 

Ernest  Lister,  Governor. 

Olympia,  Washington,  June  25,   1918. 
The  Mayor,  Cle  Elum,  Washington : 

I  have  directed  Adjutant  General  Moss  to  render  every  assistance  possible 
to  Cle  Elum  and  its  people.  He  will  get  in  touch  with  you.  I  desire  to  extend 
my  sympathy  to  you  and  through  you  to  the  people  of  Cle  Elum  and  express 
to  the  people  that  the  balance  of  the  state  may  be  able  to  make  your  burden, 
much  lighter  by  the  prompt  response  that  will  be  given  in  the  meeting  of  your 
immediate  necessities.  Ernest  Lister,   Governor. 

Ellensburg,  Washington,  June  25,  1918. 
Mayor  Balmer,  Cle  Elum,  Washington : 

Two  trucks  loaded  with  potatoes  and  other  vegetables  are  now  on  the  road. 
More  to  follow  tomorrow. 

Samuel  Kreidel,  ]\Iayor. 

Seattle,  Washington.  June  26,   1918.. 
IMayor,  Cle  Elum,  Washington : 

We  desire  to  extend  on  behalf  of  Seattle  business  interest  expression  of 
sincere  sympathy  with  your  community  and  assure  you  that  we  stand  ready 
to  do  anything  which  may  be  serviceable  in  helping  to  meet  your  trying  prob- 
lem. This  organization  is  prepared  to  cooperate  with  the  mayor,  the  governor 
and  the  Red  Cross  or  any  other  properly  constituted  agency  serving  your  needs. 
Se.attle  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Commercial  Club. 
Seattle,  Washington,  June  26.  1918. 
Mayor  Balmer,  Cle  Elum,  Washington : 

Accept  deepest  sympathy  yourself  and  citizens  in  this  sad  calamity.  Have 
despatched  two  representatives,  officers,  to  assist  you  in  conducting  relief  work 
throughout  city,   arriving  today. 

Colonel  T.  W.  Scott,  Salvation  Army. 
Yakima,  Washington,  June  26,  1918. 
Hon.  J.  A.  Balmer,  Mayor  of  Cle  Elum,  Cle  Elum,  Washington : 

For  and  on  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Yakima  I  extend  the  sympathy  of  all 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


771 


to  you  and  your  people  in  your  recent  disaster.  We  are  ready  and  willing  to 
do  all  we  can  to  assist  and  lend  comfort  to  your  stricken  ones.  Yakima  is 
with  you  and  in  what  way  can  we  best  serve  you? 

Forest  H.  Sweet,  Mayor. 

Seattle,  Washington,  June  26,  1918. 
Mayor  Balmer,  Cle  Elum,  Washington: 

Sorry  to  hear  of  the  misfortune  to  the  city  of  Cle  Elum.  If  I  can  help 
in  any  way  notify  me. 

J.^MES  B.\GLEY,  State  Aline  Inspector,  Alaska  Building. 

HELP    FOR    MERCHANTS 

LTpon  recjuest  the  state  food  administrator,  through  his  assistant,  Mr.  Beck, 
of  Seattle,  Wednesday  morning  offered  relief  to  local  merchants  by  eliminating 
restrictions  in  the  way  of  purchasing  supplies.  This  relieved  what  might  have 
been  a  serious  situation  since  the  majority  of  the  stores  of  the  city  were  burned 
completely.  Closing  regulations  for  stores  are  off  for  the  time  being  and  those 
needing  supplies  of  any  kind  may  buy  at  any  time  outside  of  regular  hours. 


Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
School. 
Block 
Black 
Block 
Black 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 
Block 


BURNED    AREA 

7,  O.  T. — All  burned  but  First  National  Bank  and  Kinney  Building. 

8,  O.  T. — All  burned  but  Cle  Elum  State  Bank  and  Cle  Elum  Laundry. 
9;  O.  T.— All  burned. 

24,  O.  T.— All  burned. 

2,    Hazelwood    addition — All    burned. 

9,  Hazelwood   addition — All    burned. 

12,  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned  but  one  house. 
19,  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned. 

22,  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned  north  of  alley. 

23.  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned  but  one  house  and  Hazelwood 

18,  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned. 

13,  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned. 
8,  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned. 
3,  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned. 

23,  D.  T. — All  burned  but  the  northwest  quarter  of  block. 

10,  O.  T. — All  burned  but  seven  houses. 

11,  O.  T. — One  building  burned. 

17,  Hazelwood  addition — Four  houses  burned. 

25,  O.  T. — East  half  north  of  alley  burned. 

24,  O.  T.— One-half  burned. 

I.  Hazelwood  addition — North  half  burned. 

10,  Hazelwood  addition — All  burned  north  of  railroad. 

II,  Hazelwood  addition — North  half  burned. 


BUSINESS    HOUSE    LOSSES 

Oblak  &  Maver,  cigar  store;  Rose  Theatre;  George  H.  Moss,  notion  store:; 


772  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  A'ALLEY 

Charles  Hugg,  confectionery- ;  Carver's  notion  store :  B.  DeMark,  tailor  shop : 
M.  W.  Davies,  jewelry ;  A.  Curto,  glazier ;  Cava's  barber  shop ;  Costello  &  Duffy, 
clothing :  Ira  iMathus,  produce  store ;  A.  J.  Scheie,  grocery :  Horseshoe  Cigar 
Store ;  J.  E.  Werlich  &  Son,  hardware ;  J.  V.  Hoeffler,  law  office ;  T.  M.  Jones, 
general  merchandise :  T.  M.  Jones,  undertaking  parlors ;  C.  J.  Trucano,  hard- 
ware; Cle  Elum  Creamery,  Robert  Reed,  proprietor;  Haines  &  Spratt,  hard- 
ware ;  Miss  Haltern,  millinery ;  Deonigi  Mercantile  Company,  general  store : 
Bettassa  &  Rou,  bakery  and  store :  Torino  Cigar  Store,  Charles  Buttignoni,  pro- 
prietor :  John  Pricco,  bakery  and  general  store :  Joe  Schober.  bakery  and  gen- 
eral store :  A.  Oberto,  soft  drink  place ;  Dotteschini  &  Dongoro,  soft  drink 
place;  Wayne  Ballard,  meat  market;  Muss  &  Ballone,  soft  drink  place:  Cerollo 
&  Odonin,  soft  drinks :  Mike  Amobile,  shoe  shop ;  A.  Crestanello,  general  store : 
A.  S.  Paul,  planing  mill;  Miller  &  Short,  sawmill  and  lnm1)er  yards;  Telephone 
station,  partly  burned. 

OTHER   PLACES 

Masonic  Temple,  cost  $10,000,  1914:  Foresters'  Hall:  Eagles'  Hall:  City 
Public  Library :  Second  Ward  Fire  Station ;  Catholic  Church  and  Rectory :  Pres- 
byterian Church  :  Greek  Church. 

E.\STON    doesn't    FORGET 

From  Johnson  Brothers  at  Easton  the  following  generous  contribution  has 
arriverl.  a  mighty  good  showing  from  a  little  town,  along  the  line  of  food  sup- 
plies only :  Ten  sacks  potatoes,  eight  sacks  of  flour,  two  sacks  of  rolled  oats, 
five  cases  of  milk  and  one  sack  of  beans. 

THORP  helps 

The   farming  village  of   Thorp  has  sent   up  three  loads  of   farm   products 
which  have  been  highly  acceptable  to  the  relief  headquarters. 
Yakima's  contribution 

Through  the  Yakima  Red  Cross  organization  the  following  was  sent  to 
Cle  Elum,  arriving  yesterday  morning :  Three  cases  of  butter,  six  cases  of  eggs, 
one  case  of  sausage,  four  cases  of  bacon,  two  cases  of  lard,  two  cases  condensed 
milk,  two  cases  of  coffee,  one  case  of  ham,  and  eight  cartons  of  bread. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  H.  M.  Gilbert,  members  of  Yakima's  women's 
clubs  organized  a  relief  movement  Thursday  and  with  marvelous  speed  as- 
sembled two  truck  loads  of  clothing  that  were  sent  on  the  afternoon  trains. 
The  remainder  came  on  the  night  train  and  filled  the  Cle  Elum  relief  head- 
quarters with  joy  upon  arrival.  All  day  yesterday  and  today  this  clothing  was 
distributed  and  it  was  of  unusually  good  quality,  much  of  it  new.  Yakima's 
contributions  have  won  for  that  city  a  warm  place  in  local  esteem  which  will 
not  soon  be  forgotten  and  the  generosity  of  the  gifts  was  only  equaled  by  the 
promptness  with  which  they  were  delivered.  Yakima  proved  to  be  a  true  friend 
in  need. 

"cle    elum    echo"    editorials — REBUILDING    OUR    BURNED    CITV 

The  problems  of  reconstruction  are  with  us  and  will  be  for  some  time  to 
come  but  in  this  as  in  all  other  great  tasks,  the  old  axiom  holds  true :  "Well 
begun  is  half  done."  That  a  more  substantial  and  better  Cle  Elum  will  arise 
from  the  ashes  of  last  week's  catastrophe  we  can  safely  predict.     Cle  Elum  has 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  Hi 

the  resources  behind  it  to  warrant  not  only  the  rebuilding  of  all  destroyed  prop- 
erty but  better  buildings,  and  a  larger  city  in  every  respect.  The  great  fire 
marks  the  passing  of  the  pioneer  period  in  our  history :  we  now  enter  the  real 
constructive  and  development  period.  As  the  gateway  to  the  richest  bituminous 
coal  mining  field  in  the  Northwest,  and  perhaps  the  largest  uncut  timber  district 
on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Cascades  in  this  state,  a  prosperous  future  should 
be  assured  us.  As  the  commercial  center  of  the  upper  Yakima  Valley  and  a 
railway  center  on  both  the  Northern  Pacific  and  Milwaukee  Railways,  our 
business  and  residence  advantages  are  exceedingly  good.  Therefore  we  should 
build  and  are  warranted  in  building  on  a  permanent  basis. 

The  best  evidence  that  we  know  of  our  business  situation  is  to  be  found 
in  the  readiness  with  which  wholesale  houses  all  over  the  state  are  willing  to 
replace  stocks  here  on  a  generous  credit  basis.  Cle  Elum's  credit  is  good. 
Neither  of  our  banks  suffered  seriously  from  the  fire  and  both  are  disposed  to 
do  everything  within  safe  financing  to  reestablish  business  and  encourage  first 
class  construction.  Together  they  represent  around  a  million  dollars  in  assets. 
Leading  all  business  construction  stories  is  the  announcement  that  M.  P.  Kay 
has  now  acquired  the  entire  corner  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue  and  First  Street, 
covering  105  feet  of  frontage  on  Pennsylvania  and  ninety  feet  on  First  Street, 
and  promises  the  erection  of  a  modern  two-story  block.  One  block  farther 
down  First  Street,  Joe  Schober  and  T.  M.  Jones,  both  pioneer  business  men, 
have  already  begun  the  erection  of  fifty  foot  front  concrete  buildings.  Prac- 
tically all  of  the  business  houses  burned  out  will  reenter  business. 

The  reconstruction  of  homes  is  our  chief  concern,  followed  closely  by  the 
erection  of  public  buildings  and  the  improvement  of  our  water  system.  Several 
hundred  thousand  dollars  are  required  to  rebuild  and  reestablish  the  homes 
destroyed.  A  considerable  portion  of  this  the  unfortunate  losers  themselves 
will  be  able  to  furnish  under  proper  encouragement,  but  most  of  it  will  have 
to  be  borrowed.  The  financing  of  home  building  operations  is  the  urgent  need 
of  the  hour  because  it  takes  time  to  put  up  these  houses.  Building  material  is 
exceedingly  difficult  to  get  in  quantity :  workmen  are  scarce.  Cold  weather 
comes  early  in  the  mountains  and  without  comfortable  homes,  the  people  will 
not  remain  here.     So  we  must  get  busy  and  keep  busy. 

The  generous  offer  of  the  Northwestern  Improvement  Com])any  through 
General  Manager  Andersen  to  put  lumber  in  quantities  down  here  at  cost  for 
these  home  building  operations  is  the  most  important  single  step  yet  taken  in 
solving  the  home  problem.  It  may  restrict,  if  taken  advantage  of,  private  enter- 
prise to  some  extent  but  its  importance  to  fire  sufferers  is  too  great  to  permit 
it  to  be  lost  to  the  people.  There  will  still  be  left  the  business  district,  public 
buildings  and  the  normal  expansion  of  the  city  for  private  lumber  dealers,  in 
addition  to  which  not  all  home  builders  will  take  advantage  of  the  company's 
offer  for  various  reasons.  We  think  there  is  no  desire  to  hurt  local  business 
men  or  mill  owners  around  here  in  any  way,  but  there  must  be  a  realization 
that  a  crisis  exists.  It  is  only  with  a  realization  of  this  condition  and  the  fact 
that  an  enormous  amount  of  lumber  must  be  gotten  here  hurriedly  that  the 
company  made  its  offer  and  it  will  not  stand  good  long.  The  elimination  of 
profit  is  the  company's  affair  solely  and   for  this  policy  all  who  suffered   from 


774  HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY 

the  fire  in  losing  homes  will  be  very  grateful.  The  Northwestern  Improvement 
Company  is  able  and  willing  to  assist  its  own  employes  in  rebuilding  and  is 
simplv  extending  its  assistance  to  others  because  a  distressing  condition  prevails 
in  a  town  wherein  it  has  heavy  interests.  Should  this  cooperation  now  be  taken 
advantage  of  it  mav  lead  to  further  substantial  help  and  bring  the  big  company 
into  closer  sympathy  with  the  city's  general  interests.  It's  a  good  time  to  get 
together. 

The  mayor  has  named  a  ways  and  means  committee  of  citizens  to  advise 
with  city  officials  in  taking  hold  of  the  entire  situation  and  it  is  up  to  this  body 
now  to  closely  consider  all  problems  arising  from  the  fire  disaster  and  solve 
them  the  best  way  possible.  The  Homebuilders'  Loan  Association  is  on  the 
right  track  with  an  excellent  plan  of  organization,  but  not  much  progress  has 
yet  been  made.  It  should  be  pushed  with  vigor  into  action  or  else  dropped 
quicklv  so  that  the  people  may  know  how  to  plan  and  may  figure  on  getting 
needed  loans  from  other  sources.  Action  is  what  we  need  to  get  the  rehabilita- 
tion of  Cle  Elum  under  way  before  people  become  undecided  and  dissatisfied 
and  while  we  may  yet  interest  the  outside  world  in  helping  us.  We  need  that 
help  because  no  town  of  this  size  can  adjust  itself  to  a  loss  of  $700,000  to  $750,- 
000,  the  largest  item  in  which  is  in  the  complete  destruction  of  homes,  upon 
its  own  resources  excepting  in  a  slow  and  painful  way. 

MIXERS    COME    TO    THE    FRONT 

It  is  an  assured  fact  that  shortly  thousands  of  dollars  subscribed  by  miners 
of  this  state  and  others,  for  fire  relief  work  in  this  city  will  be  gathered  through 
the  activity  of  the  United  Aline  Workers  of  America.  They  have  had  probably 
160  members,  nearly  all  family  men,  burned  out  here,  involving  several  hundred 
of  their  people  and  they  purpose  to  extend  them  every  possible  and  reasonable 
help.  The  funds  will  be  carefully  expended  where  actually  needed  under  the 
supervision  of  their  state  officials  working  with  the  local  unions. 

One  important  fact  regarding  this  fund  should  not  be  lost  sight  of,  namely, 
that  it  will  be  expended  in  a  broad  and  generous  spirit  characteristic  of  miners. 
Primarily  it  is  intended  to  relieve  miners  and  their  families  in  distress  but  it 
may  also  be  used  for  the  relief  of  others  in  needed  cases.  President  Flyzik 
will  be  here  Saturday  morning  from  Seattle  to  consult  regarding  the  distribu- 
tion of  such  funds.  The  miners  have  suggested  to  Jilayor  Balmer  that  he  name 
a  committee  of  citizens  to  act  jointly  with  their  committee  in  distributing  relief 
funds,  throwing  all  relief  money  sent  here  into  one  general  relief  fund.  This 
is  their  plan.  The  Northwestern  Improvement  Company  has  offered  a  $2,000 
contribution  to  the  relief  fund  with  the  sole  stipulation  that  the  miners  shall 
have  equal  representation  on  any  board  distributing  it  and  other  contributions 
will  likely  come  to  Cle  Elum.  We  can  see  no  reason  why  such  a  plan  for  co- 
operation between  the  miners  and  others  for  relief  purposes  cannot  be  worked 
out  in  a  satisfactorv-  and  mutually  advantageous  way,  particularly  as  many 
people  besides  miners  suiTered  from  the  fire  and  need  and  must  have  assistance. 
Some  counter  proposals  have  been  made,  including  the  decision  of  the  mayor 
that  the  civic  relief  committee  of  the  local  Red  Cross  organization  shall  have 
charge  of  all  relief  work  in  future. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  775 

As  the  United  Aline  Workers  in  this  state  have  between  4,500  and  5,000 
members  and  more  than  400,000  in  the  United  States,  and  every  one  of  whom 
has  received  official  notice  of  the  fire  here  and  a  call  for  aid,  the  power  of  that 
organization  to  help  Cle  Elum  at  this  time  is  worth  serious  thought. 

The  coal  industry  is  the  foundation  of  Cle  Elum's  existence,  and  it  is 
therefore  of  interest  historically  to  recall  that  in  1894  a  company  consisting  of 
Oscar  James,  Isaac  Davis,  Charles  Hamer,  and  James  Smith,  made  a  bargain 
with  Mr.  Gamble  to  run  a  shaft  on  his  place  for  the  purpose  of  a  test  of  the 
coal  deposits.  They  had  a  forty-year  lease  on  the  place  and  did  a  considerable 
amount  of  construction  work.  In  1900,  the  Northwestern  Improvement  Com.- 
panv  acquired  the  lease,  and  immediately  made  large  improvements,  as  a  result 
of  which  the  mines  have  come  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  factors  in  the  busi- 
ness of  the  comity. 

CLE    ELUM    HISTORY 

We  learn  from  the  city  clerk,  O.  O.  Haltern,  certain  valuable  and  interest- 
ing facts  about  the  municipal  history  of  Cle  Elum.  The  city  government  was 
organized  February  19,  1902.     The  first  officers  and  councilmen  were  as  follows : 

Date  of  formation  of  city  government,  February  19,  1902.  First  mayor, 
clerk,  treasurer,  and  other  officers,  and  council :  Thomas  L.  Gamble,  mayor ; 
councilmen:  M.  C.  Miller,  Robert  Thomas,  D.  B.  Eurcham,  Elijah  Kermeen, 
Maro  P.  Kay;  treasurer,  Alonzo  E.  Emerson.     The  last  named  was  also  clerk. 

The  present  mayor  and  officers  and  councilmen  are  these :  J.  A.  Balmar, 
mayor ;  O.  O.  Haltern,  clerk :  F.  Duft'y,  treasurer ;  J.  Y.  Hoefifier,  attorney :  D. 
B.  Perrow,  street  and  water  commissioner:  S.  E.  Bunker,  chief  of  police:  L. 
Bunker  and  J.  Arnold,  policemen;  councilmen,  J.  Lanigan.  J.  Schober,  J.  Wol- 
cott,  M.  Kauzlarich,  S.  E.  Enright,  M.  P.  Kay,  A.  Reese. 

We  obtain  from  the  "Echo"  of  November  8,  1918,  a  statement  of  the 
results  of  the  primary  election  just  closed. 

"W.  F.  Lewis,  who  in  the  past  has  served  the  city  several  times  as  mayor, 
will  in  all  likelihood  be  Cle  Elum's  ne.xt  mayor,  as  with  only  one  ticket  in  the 
field  he  defeated  A.  J.  Scheie  Tuesday  at  the  primaries  by  a  vote  of  264  to  115. 
Neither  candidate  made  his  stand  on  a  regular  election  platform  and  the  cam- 
paign was  devoid  of  exciting  features  on  this  account.  The  regular  election^ 
December  3d,  will  present  only  one  candidate  to  vote  for  and  if  there  is  any 
further  falling  oft'  in  the  number  of  voters  who  express  themselves,  election 
clerks  will  be  put  to  it  to  keep  from  believing  that  they  have  not  been  deceived 
as  to  the  date  of  the  election.  When  Judge  Trucano,  inspector  of  the  Second 
ward,  finished  counting  the  ballots  last  Tuesday  night  in  the  city  hall,  he  could 
scarcely  believe  that  only  251  votes  had  been  cast  for  mayor  in  view  of  Clerk 
Haltern's  assertion  that  732  were  registered  in  that  ward.  With  no  opposition 
oh  election  day  it  will  be  dull  indeed,  merely  a  rubber  stamp  endorsement  of 
the  primaries. 

"Quite  a  contest  started  a  few  days  ago  for  the  clerkship  but  Gwynn  Davies 
found  the  sticker  path  a  most  difficult  one  to  follow  and  Oscar  Haltern  was 
renominated   by   about   the   same   majorit\-   as   Lewis.      R.    A.    Wilcox   polled   a 


776  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

much  higher  vote  against  J.  V.  Hoeffler  but  was  still  behind  fifty-seven  votes 
at  the  final  count.     C.  L.  Kelso  had  no  opposition  for  the  treasurership. 

"For  councilman  there  were  two  contests  and  both  were  won  by  decisive 
majorities.  In  the  First  ward  Lou  Carr  defeated  M.  A.  Schultz  by  twenty- 
seven  votes  and  in  the  Second  ward  Dom.  Crosetti  won  handily  over  E.  F. 
Davis  by  even  a  larger  majority.  John  Lanigan  was  renominated  councilman- 
at-large  without  opposition  and  James  Wolcott  had  no  opposition  in  the  First 
ward  for  the  two-year  tenn  as  councilman.  Both  are  now  on  the  council.  In 
the  Second  ward  Aaron  Reese,  now  on  the  council,  and  Mike  Padavich  were 
nominated  also  without  opposing  candidates.  Both  are  up  for  four-year  terms. 
Carr  gets  the  four-year  term  in  the  First  ward. 

"The  registration  in  the  First  ward  was  280  according  to  the  city  clerk's 
figures  and  in  the  Second  ward  7i2,  with  a  total  of  only  379  votes  cast  for 
mayor,  or  practically  thirty-seven  per  cent. 

OFFICIAL    RESULTS 

"First  ward — Mayor,  Scheie,  35,  Lewis  9i  ;  city  clerk,  Haltern  94,  Davies 
30 :  city  treasurer,  Kelso  97 ;  city  attorney,  Hoeffller  79,  Wilcox  47 ;  councilman- 
at-large,  Lanigan  110:  councilman,  four-year  term,  Schultz  49,  Carr  76:  coun- 
cilman, two-year  term,  Wolcott  95,  Schober  1,  Miller  1. 

"Second  ward — Mayor,  Lewis  171,  Scheie  80:  city  clerk,  Davies  79,  Haltern 
166:  city  treasurer,  Kelso  207,  Ben  Pays  1,  Mrs.  Pays  1:  city  attorney,  Wilcox 
118,  Hoefifier  143:  councilman-at-large,  Lanigan  236:  councilman,  four-year  term, 
Padavich  179,  Reese  176.:  councilman,  two-year  term,  Davis  65,  Crosetti  173. 

"Matt  Kauzlarich  is  the  only  councilman  now  in  service  who  holds  over.  He 
is  from  the  First  ward." 

We  derive  also  from  Mr.  Haltern  some  miscellaneous  information  of  value.' 
Cle  Elum  has  a  municipal  water  system  derived  from  two  sources.  One,  com- 
pleted in  1903,  conveys  water  from  mountain  springs  four  miles  distant.  The 
other,  established  in  1907,  carries  a  supply  from  a  point  on  the  Cle  Elum  River, 
nine  miles  distant. 

We  find  several  churches,  though  they  suffered  sadly  in  the  great  fire  and 
are  at  the  present  time  somewhat  disorganized.  The  Catholic  Church,  of  which 
Rev.  Father  Alfred  Gendreau  is  pastor,  lost  their  building  in  the  fire,  hut  are 
rebuilding.  Rev.  E.  L.  Powlesland  is  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church.  There  is 
a  Methodist  Church,  but  at  the  present  time  without  a  pastor.  Rev.  Mr.  Stewart 
is  the  Presbyterian  minister,  but  the  church  was  destroyed  in  the  fire.  There 
is  also  a  Greek  Catholic  organization,  but  the  building  was  burned  and  there 
is  now  no  pastor. 

"the    CLE    ELUM    ECHO" 

There  is  a  fine  local  weekly  paper,  the  "Cle  Elum  Echo,"  from  which  we 
have  already  quoted,  edited  and  managed  by  Harrv  B.  .^verill,  and  published 
by  The  Miner-Echo  Publishing  Company,  a  paper  that  would  be  a  credit  to  a 
much  larger  city. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  777 


Several  fraternal  societies  have  lodges,  but  all  of  them  lost  their  homes 
in  the  great  fire  of  July.  The  Masonic  Lodge  No.  139,  of  which  J.  Williams 
is  secretary,  is  now  rebuilding  its  lost  place  of  meeting.  The  Odd  Fellows  have 
a  lodge,  of  which  J.  Brown  is  secretary.  The  Knights  of  Pythias  are  also  repre- 
sented and  J.  Schober  is  secretary.  The  Red  Men  have  a  lodge,  and  Joe 
Schober  is  secretary.  H.  Burge  is  secretary  of  the  local  aerie  of  Eagles.  The 
Foresters,  Italian  lodge,  Slavonian  lodge,  and  Moose  Lodge  No.  6)83,  are  also 
found. 

SCHOOLS 

Cle  Elum  has  schools  which  are  a  just  object  of  pride  to  the  town.  We 
learn  from  Prof.  G.  I.  Wilson,  city  superintendent,  that  the  high  school  was 
initiated  in  September,  1909.  The  building  bore  the  name,  High  School — 1904, 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact  there  was  no  work  beyond  the  grades  until  1909.  The 
present  school  board  consists  of  M.  W.  Davies,  C.  S.  Enright,  and  Joseph 
Schober.  The  principal  of  the  high  school  is  Herman  Pfeifer.  In  the  year 
closing  with  June,  1918,  there  were  enrolled  685  pupils.  The  fire  was  the  cause 
of  so  many  people  leaving  the  place  as  to  diminish  the  opening  attendance  of 
the  Fall  of  1918  by  nearly  two  hundred. 

The  traveler  sees  on  every  side  in  Cle  Elum  signs  of  the  ravages  of  the 
fire,  but  the  courage  and  enterprise  of  the  citizens  are  equally  in  evidence,  and 
the  town  is  steadily  rebuilding.  Before  the  fire  the  population  of  Cle  Elum  was 
estimated  at  3,650. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  Cle  Elum  is  the  rose  garden  and 
greenhouse  of  Mayor  J.  A.  Balmer.  This  is  the  foremost  enterprise  of  the 
kind  in  the  entire  Yakima  \'alley.  Professor  Balmer  was  for  several  years  one 
of  the  faculty  of  the  State  College  at  Pullman.  His  department  was  biology 
and  he  was  an  authority  on  floriculture.  Becoming  convinced  that  a  profitable 
and  attractive  business  might  be  created  in  the  production  of  roses  he  studied 
the  question  of  location  and  decided  that  Cle  Elum  had  advantages  over  any 
other  point  in  the  state.  He  therefore  established  himself  there  about  eighteen 
years  ago,  and  has  found  his  judgment  amply  vindicated  by  the  results.  The 
peculiar  advantages  of  which  Professor  Balmer  availed  himself  were  these. 
He  secured  a  tract  of  land  on  the  south  side  of  a  rocky  hill,  thus  insuring  heat, 
with  a  fine  stream  flowing  through. 

His  place  is  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  mouth  of  a  coal  mine  and 
he  can  secure  coal  at  the  lowest  wholesale  rates.  By  the  Northern  Pacific  Rail- 
road and  more  recently  by  the  Milwaukee,  he  has  quick  and  frequent  transit 
both  ways,  to  Spokane  eastward  and  to  the  Sound  cities  westward.  His  main 
market  is  Seattle.  His  specialty  is  the  choicest  of  rose  buds,  and  he  has  never 
yet  been  able  to  keep  up  with  the  demand  for  his  rose  products. 

ROSLVN 

From  Cle  Elum  we  may  proceed  by  rail  or  auto,  or  as  we  may  please,  on  the 
highway,  to  the  larger  tw^in  of  the   King  Coal    family,  Roslyn.     A  branch   of 


778  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  was  completed  from  Cle  Elum  to  the  earlier 
coal  mines,  about  four  miles  distant,  in  November,  1886.  There  has  been  a 
paved  highway  for  many  years  joining  the  two  towns.  But  though  twins  to 
all  intents  and  purposes — though  Roslyn  is  somewhat  older  and  larger — these 
lusty  offspring  of  their  sooty-faced  progenitor  are  as  unlike  as  twins  well  could 
be.  The  traveler  rubs  his  eyes  as  he  penetrates  into  the  environs  of  Roslyn 
and  wonders  where  he  is.  Cle  Elum,  though  a  lumber  and  mining  town,  was 
laid  out  and  built  after  the  usual  American  fashion,  but  Roslyn — one  would 
certainly  think  that  he  was  in  a  Pennsylvania  or  Colorado  mining  center.  The 
narrow,  crooked  streets,  the  little  houses  perched  up  on  top  of  rocky  hills,  the 
sidewalks  upon  stilts  or  twisting  around  the  sides  of  gulches,  the  cosmopolitan 
population, — all  the  sights  compose  a  view  so  utterly  unlike  anything  else  in 
the  entire  Yakima  X'allev  as  to  be  like  a  section  of  another  world  accidentallv 
dropped  down. 

Roslyn  has  had  essentially  the  same  reason  for  existence  and  the  same 
basic  industries  and  largely  the  same  racial  composition  as  Cle  Elum,  but  con- 
ditions of  site  and  growth  have  caused  the  wide  divergence  in  building  and 
appearance. 

A  creek,  with  not  so  foreign  a  name  as  many  of  the  inhabitants,  being 
nothing  more  singular  than  Smith  Creek,  descends  from  the  ragged  hills  to 
the  Yakima.  In  the  broken  region  onward  toward  the  lakes  there  was  much 
prospecting  in  early  days,  at  first  for  gold  and  silver.  Indications  of  coal 
appeared,  but  the\-  seem  at  first  to  have  attracted  little  attention.  According 
to  J.  B.  Menzies  in  an  article  in  the  "Coast"  for  May,  1908,  which  we  have 
quoted  elsewhere,  the  first  prospecting  was  done  in  1881  under  the  supervision 
of  Mr.  Baih'  Willis,  "though  coal  had  been  discovered  some  years  earlier." 
Nis  Jensen  mined  the  first  coal  in  1885  and  hauled  it  to  Ellensburg.  In  1886 
a  party  of  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  engineers  explored  the  region,  finding 
prospects  that  encouraged  them  to  locate  the  branch  line  and  make  all  prepara- 
tions for  handling  the  output  of  the  prospective  coal  mines.  By  the  terms  of 
the  railroad  land  grant  the  company  owned  every  other  section.  In  pursuance 
of  the  usual  policy  of  locating  townsites,  ISlr.  Logan  M.  Bullitt,  vice  president 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  Coal  Company,  platted  a  site  on  Section  17,  Townshi]:) 
20  North,  Range  15  East,  just  at  the  mouth  of  the  mine  which  had  been  opened 
up.  The  filing  papers  were  presented  at  Ellensburg  on  September  30,  1886. 
The  name  of  Roslyn  was  selected  by  Mr.  Bullitt,  from  the  Summer  home  of 
William  Cullen  Bryant.  The  coal  company  was  thus  the  practical  proprietor 
of  the  new  town,  and  of  course  made  every  efl:'ort  to  draw  business  and 
population. 

A  store,  with  its  then  indispensable  adjunct,  a  saloon,  was  Ijuilt  by  the 
company  in  August,  1886.  Rather  curiously  the  .deeds  of  the  company  pro- 
hibited using  any  of  the  new  lots  as  locations  for  saloons.  The  reason  was 
not,  however,  to  preserve  the  morals  of  the  community,  but  to  preser\'e  their 
own  monopoly.  Other  drinking  places  speedily  grew  uj)  on  lands  outside  of 
the  company  site,  and  as  a  final  result  the  company  ceased  all  efforts  to  enforce 
its  original  undertaking. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  •  779 

FIRE    AND    STRIKE 

It  seems  to  be  a  part  of  the  necessary  history  of  mining  towns  that  they 
have  eras  of  crime  and  calamity.  Roslyn  has  been  no  exception.  The  year 
1888  was  signahzed  by  a  destructive  fire  on  June  22d,  entaihng  a  loss  of  $100,- 
000.  Later  in  the  year  the  great  strike  in  the  mines,  engineered  by  the  Knights 
of  Labor,  shook  the  coal  region  from  center  to  circumference.  There  was 
much  loss  on  both  sides  and  many  acts  of  lawlessness  which  spread  to  Cle 
Elum  and  even  affected  conditions  as  far  away  as  Ellensburg.  IMany  negroes 
were  imported  as  strike-breakers,  and  the  traveler  is  surprised  even  now  at 
meeting  so  large  a  number  of  negroes  in  Roslyn  and  to  some  degree  in  Cle 
Elum  and  even  in  Ellensburg,  an  unusual  sight  in  eastern  Washington. 

In  May,  1892,  a  terrible  explosion  of  gas  occurred  in  Mine  No.  1,  by  which 
forty-five  men  lost  their  lives.  Though  it  was  claimed  that  the  mine  was  pro- 
vided with  every  sort  of  improved  safeguard  and  that  the  accident  resulted 
from  the  criminal  carelessness  of  a  certain  miner,  the  jury  found  the  explosion 
to  be  due  to  deficient  ventilation.  The  coal  company  finally  compromised  the 
damage  suits  brought  against  it,  suffering  a  severe  loss  thereby. 

BANK    ROBBERY   .XT   ROSI-VX 

A  most  spectacular  tragedy  occurred  on  .September  24,  1892.  This  was 
the  robbery  of  the  Snipes'  Bank,  accompanied  by  murder.  We  find  in  the 
"Register"  of  Ellensburg  for  (  )ctober  1st,  so  circumstantial  an  account  of 
this  that  we  incorporate  it  here. 

"Register,"  October  1,  1892. 

Roslyn  Bank  Robbed 

$5,000  taken  by  three  men  in  broad  d.\ylight — two  men  shot,  the  cashier 
be.xten — 125  men  on  trail — two  horses  found — $2,500  offered  for 
their  capture 

Last  Saturday  afternoon  at  about  2  o'clock  word  was  received  here  that 
six  men  had  robbed  the  bank  of  Ben  E.  Snipes  &  Company  at  Roslyn.  The 
robbers  rode  up  to  the  door,  three  of  them  entering  the  bank,  the  others  stand- 
ing guard  outside. 

Cashier  Abernathy  was  writing  when  the  first  robber  entered,  and  turned 
to  wait  on  the  supposed  customer,  but  found  himself  facing  a  .45  Colt's  revolver. 
Doctor  Lyons,  who  had  just  entered  after  the  highwayman,  turned  to  go  out, 
but  instead  dashed  against  a  pair  of  Colts  in  the  hands  of  the  second  robber. 
A  third  confederate  entered,  picked  up  Cashier  Abernathy's  revolver  and  knocked 
him  down  with  it.  He  rose,  his  head  streaming  with  blood,  and  was  told  to 
keep  quiet  if  he  wanted  to  live.  The  third  man  then  walked  to  the  safe,  which 
was  open,  took  out  the  coin  and  bills,  shoved  the  money  in  a  canvas  bag  and 
threw  it  over  his  shoulder.  The  three  men  then  went  out,  joining  two  more 
men  who  had  been  stationed  so  as  to  guard  all  approaches. 

F.  A.  Frasier.  the  assistant  cashier,  who  was  outside,  grabbed  a  shotgun 
and  made  for  the  bank,  but  one  of  the  robbers  stopped  his  progress  by  placing 


780  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

a  bullet  in  his  hip.  A  colored  man  was  shot  in  the  leg  and  several  others  had 
narrow  escapes.  One  of  the  robbers  held  the  reins  of  five  splendid  horses  and 
as  soon  as  the  vault  was  looted,  all  mounted,  fired  up  and  down  the  street,  put  _ 
spurs  to  their  horses  and  dashed  away,  disappearing  on  the  trail  over  the  moun- 
tains north  of  Roslyn. 

The  sheriff  was  notified  and  organized  a  large  posse  that  immediately 
started  in  pursuit.  Manager  W.  R.  Abrams,  of  Snipes  &  Company,  immedi- 
ately ofTered  a  reward  of  SI, 000  for  the  apprehension  of  the  robbers.  This  is 
supplemented  by  an  oft'er  of  the  same  amount  by  Cashier  Abernathy,  and 
another  of  $300  by  Governor  Ferry. 

The  robbers  were  dressed  as  cowboys,  and  showed  themselves  to  be  expert 
horsemen  and  gtm  handlers,  executing  their  plan  in  a  manner  that  would  have 
done  credit  to  the  James  Boys. 

Saturdav  was  pay  day  at  the  Roslyn  mines,  and  forty  thousand  dollars 
arrived  from  Tacoma  that  morning,  which  the  robbers  supposed  had  been 
deposited  in  the  bank  for  distribution,  though  fortunately  it  had  been  taken  to 
the  company's  ofifice. 

Three  of  the  robbers  were  noticed  by  coal  company  officials  at  the  depot  in 
Cle  Elum  on  Saturday  morning  at  5  o'clock,  when  the  money  to  meet  the  payroll 
at  the  mines  was  transferred  from  the  Northern  Pacific  car  to  the  coach  on  the 
Roslyn  branch.  If  the  car  had  been  raided  at  this  time  the  band  would  have 
secured  $40,000  more. 

Pursuing  parties  were  quickly  organized  at  Cle  Elum  and  Roslyn  and  took 
to  the  mountains  on  the  trail  of  the  robbers.  At  7  o'clock  three  of  the  robbers 
came  in  contact  with  thirteen  of  the  posse  when  an  exchange  of  shots  was 
had,  but  owing  to  darkness  it  is  not  known  whether  any  of  the  robbers  were 
hurt.  The  next  morning  three  horses  were  found  on  the  trail  taken  by  the 
robbers  and  marks  on  them  evidenced  that  they  had  been  hard  ridden.  Later 
in  the  day  two  of  them  were  identified  as  among  the  animals  ridden  by  the 
robbers  Saturday.  The  other  horse  was  a  pack  animal  equipped  with  a  pack 
containing  provender  and  wearing  apparel. 

The  sherifT's  posse  with  that  of  Detective  M.  C.  Sullivan,  numbers  125 
men,  organized  in  small  detachments  which  have  been  moving  on  all  the  trails 
during  the  past  week.  Thursday  the  party  consisting  of  P.  C.  McGrath,  J-  E- 
Banks,  C.  B.  Pond  and  others  returned,  having  been  unsuccessful  in  finding 
any  new  trail  of  the  robbers.  The  Roslyn  party  also  returned  the  same  day, 
reporting  that  they  had  followed  the  trail  of  the  robbers,  which  followed  the 
high  ridges  to  a  point  east  of  Mount  Stewart,  where  they  found  the  remains 
of  a  fire  where  clothing  had  been  burned,  the  ashes  being  yet  warm.  Pro- 
visions having  become  exhausted,  the  party  were  forced  to  return.  The  trail 
as  far  as  followed  went  almost  directly  toward  the  east. 

On  Wednesday  a  man  was  arrested  at  Kent,  who  bore  the  description  of 
one  of  the  robbers,  and  by  his  seeming  anxiety  to  sell  a  splendid  horse  at  half 
price,  evidenced  that  he  was  wanted  for  something.  He  was  subsequently 
released  upon  its  being  found  that  he  was  a  horse  trader. 

The  two  horses  captured  will  be  brought  here,  and  if  possible,  the  brands 
traced   to    some    source   that   will    identifv   the    robbers.      Detective    Sullivan   ts 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY  781 

satisfied  that  the  robbers  are  not  west  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  but  have 
headed  toward  the  Okanogan  country. 

A  long  and  remarkable  search  for  the  robbers  followed,  and  an  equally 
long  and  remarkable  trial,  into  the  curious  details  of  which  we  cannot  enter. 
It  appeared,  however,  that  the  robbers  were  a  regular  gang  of  professionals 
who  had  "pulled  ofif"  several  similar  performances.  One  of  the  most  curious 
features  of  it  all  was  a  letter  received  by  Attorney  H.  J.  Snively  from  Rose 
Lewis,  who  stated  that  she  was  the  wife  of  one  of  the  criminals,  but  that  she 
had  become  tired  of  the  gang  and  was  determined  to  assist  in  convicting  them. 
She  stated  the  criminals  to  be  these,  with  their  secret  names:  Tom  McCarty, 
Walluke ;  Billy  McCarty,  Fire-foot ;  George  McCarty,  Craps ;  Fred  McCarty, 
Kid;  Ras  Lewis,  Diamond  Dick;  Nellie  McCarty,  Sparta,  Queen  of  the  Forest. 

In  spite  of  the  testimony  the  members  of  the  gang  who  had  been  captured 
and  tried  were  discharged  by  reason  of  the  inability  of  the  jury  to  agree.  The 
next  year  two  men  were  killed  in  Colorado  while  attempting  to  perpetrate  a 
robbery,  and   were  identified  as  being  members  of  the   McCarty  gang. 

C)ne  result  of  the  robbery  was  to  lead,  with  other  untoward  events,  to  the 
failure  of  the  bank  of  Ben  E.  Snipes,  and  that  in  turn  added  to  the  general 
widespread  financial  disaster  in  the  years  1893-94.  Of  that  we  have  spoken 
at  length  in  an  earlier  chapter. 

As  detailed  elsewhere  the  Northwestern  Improvement  Company  has  be- 
come the  leading  operator  in  the  coal  mines.  For  some  years  past  the  usual 
number  of  men  employed  in  the  mines  has  exceeded  1,500,  with  a  pay  roll  of 
$80,000  per  month. 

ROSLYN    CHURCHES 

Rosl}n  has  at  the  present  time  a  population  of  about  4,000.  In  spite  of 
the  mingled  population,  there  are  several  excellent  churches,  one  of  which,  the 
Presbyterian,  contains  the  only  pipe  organ  in  the  upper  valley.  The  pastor  is 
J.  K.  Stewart.  W.  A.  Sharp  is  pastor  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  Rev.  Father 
Constantine  is  pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church.  J.  P.  Brown  is  pastor  of  the 
Colored  Baptist  Church.  There  are  Methodist  and  Latter  Day  Saints  organi- 
zations, but  no  regular  pastors  at  present. 

There  is  also  an  excellent  school  system  in  charge  of  Prof.  Wilmot  G. 
Whitfield,  ^^■e  learn  from  him  that  the  high  school  course  was  established  in 
1901.  The  enrollment  in  all  departments  for  the  past  year  was  950.  The  value 
of  the  school  property — grounds,  buildings  and  equipment — was  reckoned  by 
the  state  bureau  of  inspection  at  $56,000.  We  have  given  in  the  chapter  on 
County  Schools  a  list  of  the  teachers.  An  excellent  weekly  paper,  the  "Cas- 
cade Miner,"  is  one  of  the  institutions  of  Roslyn.  It  is  ably  edited  and  man- 
aged by  Harry  B.  Averill,  who  has  the  same  connection  with  the  "Cle  Elum 
Echo." 

Roslyn  has  a  live  Commercial  Club,  of  which  J.  E.  Morgan  is  president 
and  James  Ash  is  secretary. 

We  learn  that  Roslyn  has  had  the  rather  unusual  experience  of  two  in- 
corporations. The  first  was  efifected  in  1889,  prior  to  statehood.  In  pursuance 
of   petitions   drawn   up   and   presented   in   the   usual   manner,   according   to   the 


782  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Territorial  law  of  that  time,  Judge  L.   B.  Nash   of  the    fourth  judicial  district 
granted  the  charter  on   February  4,   1889. 

The  first  trustees  were  W.  A.  Mohr,  Charles  Wertz,  David  Bryant  and 
Thomas  Bailey.  Charles  Miller  was  first  mayor,  C.  F.  Bonsel  was  first  clerk, 
and  T.  F.  Meyer  was  first  treasurer.  That  first  charter,  however,  proved  nuga- 
tory, for  it  was  subsequently  decided  by  the  Supreme  Court  that  legislative 
power  alone  could  grant  a  charter. 

ROSLYN    INCORPORATED 

In  1890  a  new  charter  under  state  law  was  secured,  and  Roslyn  became 
duly  incorporated  as  a  city  of  the  third  class.  The  municipal  issue  of  special 
prominence  was  that  of  water.  After  much  contention  and  cross-purposes  a 
system  of  pipes  was  laid  out  under  municipal  ownership  which  derived  a  supply 
of  water  from  springs  in  the  Smith  Creek  canyon.  In  1898  a  larger  and  more 
permanent  system  was  laid  out,  drawing  water  from  the  Cle  Elum  River. 
With  this  and  subsequent  improvements  the  water  system  became  adequate  and 
reliable,  and  Roslyn  can  now  be  said  to  be  well  provided  with  the  vital  neces- 
sity of  water. 

A  clipping  from  the  "Cascade  Miner"  of  November  6,  1918,  will  serve 
to  record  the  latest  results  in  the  history  of  municipal  politics  in  Roslyn. 

HEAVY    VOTING    AT    PRIMARIES 

The  city  primaries  yesterday  brought  out  a  strong  vote,  much  larger  than 
usual  at  the  primaries,  due  to  the  contest  for  the  treasurership  and  for  council- 
men  from  the  First  ward.  As  a  fair  basis  of  the  total  vote  cast,  that  for  city 
clerk  may  be  taken.  George  T.  Wake,  the  present  city  clerk,  without  opposition 
received  490  votes.  The  polls  opened  at  eleven  o'clock  and  closed  at  eight 
o'clock  and  voting  took  place  under  separate  election  boards  at  the  regular 
polling  places,  the  city  hall  and  the  "Cascade  Miner"  office.  All  voters  were 
required  to  wear  masks  on  entering  the  polls. 

For  the  three  councilmen  to  be  nominated  in  the  First  ward,  Joe  Trucano, 
Richard  Hart  and  James  A.  Miller  received  the  highest  votes,  John  E.  Morgan 
and  Frederick  Seddon  being  the  other  candidates.  The  regular  city  election 
will  be  held  the  first  Tuesday  in  December,  the  3d,  but  it  will  likely  be  Iiut 
a  mere  formality,  since  there  is  only  one  ticket  in  the  field. 

Mayor  Bannister  is  renominated  for  a  second  term,  George  T.  Wake  is 
continued  as  city  clerk,  Harry  L.  Brown  as  city  attorney  and  Eugene  DeGabriele 
as  treasurer.  Ben  Farrimond  had  no  opposition  for  the  nomination  as  council- 
man-at-large. 

The  vote  by  wards  follows : 

First  ward — Mayor,  El  Roy  A.  Bannister,  198 ;  councilman-at-large,  Ben 
Farrimond,  181 ;  councilman  First  ward,  Joe  Trucano  155,  John  E.  Morgan 
117,  Richard  Hart  154,  Frederick  Seddon  113,  James  A.  Miller  148:  city  clerk. 
George  T.  Wake  217;  city  treasurer  Thomas  Walmsley  72.  Eugene  DeGabriele 
183;  city  attorney,  Harry  L.  Brown  208. 

Second  ward — Mayor,  El  Roy  A.  Bannister  259;  councilman-at-large,   lien 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  783 

Farrimond  226;  councilman  First  ward,  Joe  Trticano  151,  John  E.  Morgan 
144,  Richard  Hart  195,  Frederick  Seddon  134,  James  A.  :Millcr  175  ;  city  clerk, 
George  T.  Wake  273;  city  treasurer,  Thomas  Walmsley  111,  Eugene  DeGabriele 
185 ;  city  attorney,  Harry  L.  Brown  273. 

A  fact  of  much  interest  in  Roslyn  is  the  organization  of  the  miners.  The 
members  of  the  district  held  their  election  at  the  time  of  the  general  election. 
A  report  of  candidates  in  the  "Miner"  is  worthy  of  preservation  as  showing 
the  personnel  at  the  date  of  this  work. 

Miners  Elect  Officials 

annual  election  for  district  no.  10  held  yesterday  throughout  the  state 
of  washington 

Taking  advantage  of  the  layoff  throughout  the  mines  of  the  state  for  gen- 
eral election  purposes  Tuesday  afternoon,  the  annual  election  of  officers  for 
District  No.  10,  United  Mine  Workers  of  America,  embracing  the  state  of 
Washington,  was  held  in  this  field  and  elsewhere.  Results  will  not  be  known 
for  a  day  or  two.     The  complete  list  of  candidates  for  district  officers  follows : 

International  board  member — Sam  Caddy,  L.  N.  No.  934 ;  Wm.  Farrington, 
L.  U.  No.  237 ;  Jack  Gaflf.  L.  U.  No.  2373. 

District  president— Martin  J.  Flyzik,  L.  U.  No.  3458;  Charles  Castle,  L. 
U.  No.  2373;  James  McGraw,  L.  L'.  No.  2871. 

District  vice  president — Ben  Farrimond,  L.  U.  No.  227. 

District  sercetary-treasurer — Ernest  Newsham,  L.  U.  No.  2257 ;  John  Rob- 
ertson, L.  U.  No.  2373. 

District  auditors — Frank  Purse,  L.  U.  No.  2634;  Thomas  Walmslev,  L.  U. 
No.  2510;  Nicholas  Joy,  L.  U.  No.  2583;  Wm.  Morgan,  L.  U.  No.  2510;  Roy 
Carson,  L.  U.  No.  2257;  E.  A.  Dickerson,  L.  U.  No.  3458;  Anton  Schuller,  L. 
U.  No.  3458;  Fred  Seddon,  L.  U.  No.  2510;  George  Barber,  L.  U.  No.  1717; 
John  Flemming,  L.  U.  No.  1853. 

Sub-district  board  member,  sub-district  No.  1 — H.  J.  Burge,  L.  U.  No. 
2512;  George  Temperley,  L.  U.  No.  2583;  George  Lesich,  L.  U.  No.  2510: 
James  Reece,  L.  U.  No.  227;  Edward  Matthews,  L.  U.  No.  2871. 

FROM    COAL   CENTERS   DOWN    HILL  THROUGH    THE    HAY    CENTERS   TO   TKE  ORCHARDS 

From  the  rugged  and  wooded  flanks  of  the  Cascades  with  their  treasures 
of  "black  diamonds"  and  lumber,  we  pass  swiftly  by  rail  or  highway  to  the 
opening  prairies  of  the  Kittitas,  dotted  with  great  herds  of  cattle,  green  in 
Spring  and  fragrant  with  the  purple  blossoms  of  alfalfa  and  those  of  various 
fruits,  in  Summer  or  Autumn  covered  with  domes  of  hay,  or  golden  shocks 
of  wheat  and  buzzing  with  processions  of  mowing  machines,  with  the  sky-lines 
down  the  valley  bordered  with  the  multiplied  arms  of  the  stackers. 

It  is  a  fair  and  hopeful  sight  and  leads  the  traveler  to  the  comforting  assur- 
ance that  howsoever  scanty  may  be  the  food  supply  in  some  of  the  unhappy 
lands  devastated  by  this  pitiless  war  just  ending,  the  Kittitas  Valley  will  not 
starve  and  will  play  its  part  in  providing  sustenance  for  those  so  destitute. 


784  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


THE    VILLAGE    OF    THORP 


On  our  way  down  the  valley  we  pass  the  fine  httle  village  of  Thorp.  This 
place  has  historic  interest  and  preserves  the  name  of  the  "Daniel  Boone  of 
Yakima."  F.  Mortimer  Thorp,  of  whom  we  have  made  frequent  mention  in 
these  pages.  While  there  is  nothing  in  the  location  to  make  a  city,  it  is  the 
natural  center  of  a  beautiful  and  productive  region,  the  upper  part  of  the  agri- 
cultural section,  and  will  always  be  a  substantial  town,  developing  with  the 
development  of  the  country.  One  remembrance  of  special  interest  at  the  town 
of  Thorp  is  that  Mrs.  Melissa  Thorp  Splawn,  second  wife  of  Charles  Splawn, 
is  still  living  near  there,  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  village,  at  the  home  of 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Bruton.  Mr.  Charles  Splawn  is  called  up  in  many  interest- 
ing ways  in  connection  with  this  location.  He  had  played  a  very  important 
part  in  the  first  wedding  in  the  Yakima  Valley,  which  occurred  in  1863  at  Fort 
Simcoe,  he  being  the  bridegroom,  Dulcina  Thorp  the  bride,  and  Father  Wilbur 
the  officiating  clergyman.  Then  Mr.  Splawn,  as  justice  of  the  peace,  performed 
the  first  wedding  ceremony  in  the  Kittitas,  the  principals  being  Charles  Coleman 
and  Clara  Cooke,  daughter  of  Mr.  C.  P.  Cooke,  the  time  being  1872  and  the 
place  being  Matthias  Becker's  house.  (It  should  be  noted  that  A.  J.  Splawn 
gives  the  first  marriage  in  Kittitas  as  that  of  John  Gillespie  and  Caroline  Gerlick 
in  November,  1870,  Frederick  Bennett  being  the  officiating  justice.  The  story 
appears  in  another  chapter  of  this  volume. )  Various  members  of  the  Thorp 
family  settled  on  Taneum  Creek,  and  Milford  Thorp,  cousin  of  Mrs.  Splawn, 
was  the  founder  of  the  town  of  Thorp.  A  postoffice  was  established  in  1890. 
In  1895  a  plat  of  the  townsite  was  filed  by  John  M.  and  Sarah  Isabel  Newman. 
The  Newmans  had  located  in  1878  at  the  place  on  which  they  laid  out  the  town. 

Leaving  Thorp  and  its  pleasant  surroundings  we  resume  our  downhill 
course  past  the  metropolis  of  the  Kittitas,  where  we  have  already  made  an 
extended  sojourn,  abundantly  satisfied  thereby,  and  approach  the  first  and  by  far 
the  longest  and  deepest  of  those  curious  gaps  which  divide  the  Yakima  Valley 
into  distinct  sections.  Through  this  gap  the  impatient  river  takes  its  foaming 
way,  beautiful  and  wild  to  look  at,  with  its  alternate  falls  and  riffles  and  deep 
clear  pools.  The  ragged  basaltic  walls  and  towering  mountains  of  this  great 
canyon  reveal  the  creative  and  moulding  forces  of  earthquake,  volcanic  outflow, 
and  water  floods,  We  can  easily  believe  that  old  Indian  legend  about  Wish- 
poosh,  the  Beaver  of  Lake  Cle  Elum  or  Lake  Keechelus,  which  we  narrated  in 
an  earlier  chapter.  But  if  we  choose  to  travel  by  auto,  we  cannot  follow  the 
trail  of  Wishpoosh,  for  there  is  no  highway  down  the  tortuous  course  of  the 
Yakima  through   the  intercepting  mountains. 

The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  occupies  all  the  available  space,  allowing 
room  for  the  first  filing  on  the  property  by  the  river.  The  Yellowstone  trail 
follows  nearly  the  course  of  the  historic  old  Durr  toll-road  across  the  L^mp- 
tanum  Mountains,  down  the  fair  and  historic  Wenas  Valley,  past  the  fine  ranch 
of  one  of  the  most  honored  of  the  pioneers,  the  first  white  man  now  living  in 
Yakima  to  have  seen  that  valley,  David  Longmire,  whom  we  are  proud  to  name 
among  the  Advisory  Board  of  this  work.  Beside  the  Yellowstone  Highway, 
within   a   few   hundred    feet   of   'Mr.   Longmire's   house,   is   one   of   the   historic 


to*'    ^, 


PICTOGEAPHS 

Showing  a  Dart  of  a  reuidrkable  series  of  Indian  sign  painting,  consisting  of  more  than 
sixty  distinct  figures  done  in  lasting  colors  on  a  great  cliff  of  basaltic  columns  at 
the  Naehes  Gap,  near  Yakima.  The  present  Indians  know  nothing  about  these  paint- 
ings, attributing  tlirni  by  legend  to  tlie  TTali-Ui  tof: :  ''ancient  pecijile,"  spirit  dwarfs 
who  inhabit  tlie  I'lili-liili  :iiim :  '  •  jiaiiited ' '  or  ''iiiarkcd  rocks,''  tlie  Yakima  name 
for  the  cliff 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  785 

monuments  erected  by  the  joint  labor  of  the  Washington  State  Historical   So- 
ciety and  the  Yakima  Historical  Society. 

This  monument,  we  discover  upon  passing,  commemorates  the  first  immi- 
gration crossing  the  Cascade  Mountains  and  also  the  presence  here  of  the 
McClellan  surveying  party,  the  two  events  being  near  together  in  1853. 

TOWN    OF   SELAH 

A  few  miles  beyond  the  monument  we  come  to  the  fine  little  town  of  Selah. 
In  earlier  chapters  we  have  narrated  the  development  of  the  irrigating  system 
and  resulting  creation  here  of  one  of  the  finest  belts  of  orchard  and  garden 
land  anywhere  in  the  entire  valley.  We  have  the  assurance  of  the  immortal 
Dogberry  in  Shakespeare's  "Much  Ado  About  Nothing"  that  "Comparisons 
are  odorous,"  and  hence  we  shall  not  expose  ourselves  to  the  charge  of  making 
comparisons,  but  if  we  wished  to  impress  the  mind  of  an  intending  settler  and 
reveal  to  him  the  best  that  Yakima  or  the  state  of  Washington  had  to  offer, 
we  would  not  be  far  astray  in  dropping  him  down  in  the  Selah  district. 

The  town  is  typical  of  the  district.  It  is  one  of  the  very  heaviest  shipping 
points  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 

Like  practically  all  communities  in  the  Yakima  country  Selah,  along  with 
its  pleasant  homes,  makes  fitting  and  generous  provision  for  its  educational, 
religious  and  social  needs.  The  school  system  is  one  of  which  many  a  good 
sized  city  might  well  be  proud. 

We  learn  from  Superintendent  A.  L.  Thomsen  that  the  high  school  was 
established  in  1910  and  that  A.  E.  Kliss  was  first  superintendent  and  J.  H. 
Snyder  was  first  principal.  At  present  date  the  value  of  school  property  is 
$75,000.     Pupils  in  high  school  during  the  past  year  total  72 ;  in  the  grades  343. 

At  present  date,  A.  L.  Thomsen  is  superintendent,  and  A.  E.  Curtis  is  prin- 
cipal of  the  high  school.  There  are  five  teachers  in  the  high  school  and  ten  in 
the  grades.  The  names  of  these  teachers,  as  well  as  those  of  the  other  towns, 
appear  in  the  directory  in  the  chapter  on  schools. 

Selah  has  an  estimated  population  of  325,  has  connections  both  by  railroad 
and  electric  line,  a  bank,  churches  of  the  Christian,  Methodist,  Episcopal  and 
Swedish  Lutheran  denominations  and  several  well-stocked  stores.  An  extra- 
ordinary amount  of  business  is  transacted  for  the  size  of  the  town. 

One  can  not  make  any  stay  in  Selah  without  wishing  to  return.  With  the 
hope  that  our  wish  may  be  fulfilled,  we  will  resume  our  journey  down  the  valley 
toward  the  hub,  Yakima  itself. 

SEL.\H    GAP   AND   PAINTED  ROCKS 

Passing  the  Selah  Gap  we  find  our  way  across  the  impetuous  torrent  of 
the  Naches,  the  largest  tributary  of  the  central  stream  and  a  rival  in  beautv  and 
utility.  Of  the  use  made  of  the  Naches  in  irrigation,  power  and  all  other  agencies 
for  which  a  river  can  be  utilized  we  have  spoken  at  length  in  earlier  chapters. 
Just  above  the  entrance  of  the  Naches  we  pass  through  Selah  Gap,  a  pocket 
edition  of  the  prolonged  Yakima  canon,  but  though  a  very  small  obstruction  to 
the   river   it   reminds   us   still   of   the   dredeinsr  undertakings   of   the   infuriated 

(50) 


786  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

beaver  Wishpoosh.  The  auto  tourist  through  this  region  should  not  fail  to 
drive  up  the  Naches,  the  wild  beauty  and  finny  inhabitants  of  which  appeal  to 
artist  and  fishermen  and  lover  of  nature  alike.  In  the  tributary  regions  of  the 
Naches,  too,  are  some  of  the  noblest  mountain  retreats,  lakes,  forests,  glaciers, 
access  to  the  approaches  of  the  mightiest  mountains  of  the  state,  Adams  and 
Takhoma,  and  yet  still  farther  the  great  government  sources  of  irrigation  sup- 
plies. Bumping  Lake,  the  Tieton,  and  McAllister  meadows.  Of  all  these 
wonders,  scenic,  hydrographic  and  industrial,  we  have  written  in  earlier  chap- 
ters. Yet  we  feel  that  we  should  not  be  doing  right  by  our  readers  if  we  did 
not  route  them  through  the  manifold  attractions  of  the  Naches  Basin.  One  of 
the  curiosities  near  the  city  is  the  "Painted  Rocks"  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cowiche. 
These  prehistoric  works  evidently  belong  to  the  series  of  which  there  are  many 
examples  in  different  parts  of  the  northwest.  The  most  striking  perhaps  are  at 
Lake  Chelan.  Opinions  vary  widely  as  to  the  makers  of  these  pictorial  re- 
mains. The  Indians  consider  them  to  have  been  wrought  by  people  prior  to 
themselves. 

SOD.^    SPRINGS 

Of  the  great  central  valley,  with  the  city  of  Yakima  set  like  a  diamond  in 
the  middle,  we  shall  not  pause  here  to  add  to  the  large  space  it  has  already  been 
given.  Yet  we  shall  certainly  insist  that  the  tourist  will  have  lived  partly  in 
vain  if  he  does  not  traverse  the  Ahtanum  to  the  Soda  Springs  and  beyond.  He 
must  also  note  some  of  the  historic  spots,  the  Ahtanum  Mission,  the  monument 
of  Pohotecute,  the  Moxee  settlement  at  the  "Big  spring,"  where  the  Thorp 
family  laid  the  first  foundations  of  an  American  home  in  Yakima.  The  tourist 
must  not  fail,  either,  to  move  to  and  fro  and  up  and  down  Nob  Hill,  Naches 
Avenue,  the  Country  Club  across  the  river,  and  view  the  sights  to  the  west- 
ward, especially  if  it  be  clear  enough  to  see  the  majestic  heights  of  the  two 
great  snow  peaks. 

NACHES 

Several  pleasant  villages  form  centers  of  business  and  social  life  in  the 
Valley  near  the  metropolis  and  are  connected  with  it  by  branch  railroads  or 
trolley  lines,  as  well  as  paved  highways.  One  of  these  typical  centers  is  Naches 
at  the  terminus  of  the  Naches  branch  of  the  N.  P.  R.  R.  It  has  a  population  of 
300,  a  bank,  a  high  school,  a  church  (Presbyterian),  and  several  well-stocked 
stores. 

.•\HT.^NUM,   WILEY   CITY,  T.MMPICO,    MOXEE   CITY 

On  the  Ahtanum  are  three  villages,  centers  of  similar  active  life,  Ahtanum, 
Wiley  City  and  Tampico.  The  first  of  these  is  the  location  of  two  historic  in- 
stitutions, already  noted  at  length  in  the  chapter  on  the  schools  and  churches  of 
Yakima  County.  These  are  Woodcock  Academy,  now  a  part  of  the  public 
school  system,  and  the  other  is  the  Congregational  Church,  the  oldest  church, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Catholic,  in  the  Yakima  Valley.  Near  Tampico  is  the 
old  St.  Joseph  Mission  house.  Another  of  the  interesting  villages  near  Yakima 
is  Moxee  City.  This  is  a  place  of  about  400  residents  and  is  the  center  of  one 
of  the  oldest  and  best  developed  sections  of  the  Valley,  distinguished  by  artesian 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  787 

water.  A  good  many  of  the  settlers  are  of  French  origin  and  have  the  thrift, 
good  taste,  and  general  intelligence  characteristic  of  the  great  people  from  whom 
they  spring.  A  branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  has  its  terminus  at  this 
place.  Excellent  public  schools,  a  bank,  a  Congregational  and  a  Catholic  church, 
and  well-equipped  mercantile  establishments,  mark  this  prosperous  town.  Of 
great  historic  interest  is  the  fact  that  not  very  far  distant  from  the  town  is  the 
original  home  of  Mortimer  Thorp,  first  settler  in  the  Valley. 

BELOW    POIIOTECUTE   OR    PAHQUYTECOOT 

This  high-sounding  native  name,  meaning  "putting  two  heads  together"  (as 
of  the  ridges  on  either  side  meeting),  has  been  supplanted  by  the  common- 
place and  prosaic  appellation  of  Union  Gap.  Pohotecute  or  Pahquytecoot  it  was 
and  ought  to  continue  to  be. 

But  under  whatsoever  name,  it  is  a  curious  as  well  as  historic  spot.  Here 
are  two  monuments,  one  erected  by  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
assisted  by  the  Historical  Society  of  Yakima.  The  other  monument  was  the 
work  of  the  Yakima  Indians  and  friends  to  commemorate  an  Indian  battle.  As 
we  pass  through  the  Gap,  we  note  the  headworks  of  the  Wapato  Canal,  the 
largest  of  the  government  canals,  doubtless  the  largest  in  the  state.  It  carries 
about   1,200  second   feet  of  water,  though  its  dimensions   allow    1,500. 

As  we  pass  through  the  famous  Gap  and  realize  the  convulsions  of  nature 
which  produced  it,  we  can  not  fail  to  think  of  the  picture  which  presented  itself 
to  Col.  L.  S.  Hewlett: 

HOW  IT  HAPPENED. 
A  thousand  years  ago,  I  guess, 
At  any  rate  it  can't  be  less — 
A  mountain  broke  itself  in  two 
And  let  a  sea  go  rushing  through. 
Scared  fishes  turned  their  tails  to  flee 
From  Soda  Springs  to   far  Moxee ; 
Tb.e  wolves  ran  howling  up  the  hills, 
The  porcupines  rufifed  up  their  quills ; 
The  little  Indian  girls  and  boys 
Were  frightened  at  the  dreadful  noise; 
As  through  the  Gap,  with  giant  strength. 
The  flood  sprawled  out  its  frightful  length. 
Next  morning's  sun  in  rising  saw 
The  valley  of  the  Yakima. 

L.    S.    How  LETT. 

-May  10,  1892. 

Being  fairly  within  the  Valley  below  Pohotecute  we  discover  that  this  area 
far  exceeds  either  the  upper  or  the  central  Valley.  A  large  part  of  the  western 
section  of  this  area  is  within  the  Yakima  Reservation.  Of  this,  too,  we  have 
fully  written  in  earlier  chapters.  Suffice  it  to  add  here  that  the  tourist  should 
not  fail  to  visit  Fort  Simcoe  with  all  its  historic  associations,  nor  should  he  fail 


788  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

to  see  White  Swan  and  the  Coburn  collection  of  Indian  curios.  Within  recent 
times  one  of  the  great  auto  routes  has  developed  up  the  Yakima  Valley  to  Mab- 
ton  and  thence  following  the  Satus  Creek  to  the  Simcoe  ridge,  thence  to  Golden- 
dale,  from  there  to  White  Salmon,  and  at  that  point  the  autoist  may  cross  the 
Columbia  River  to  the  Columbia  Highway,  or  by  the  Evergreen  Highway  on 
the  north  side  may  proceed  to  Vancouver  and  Portland. 

A  number  of  towns  have  grown  up  on  the  edge  of  the  Reservation.  Three 
of  these,  Wapato,  Toppenish  and  IMabton,  have  pretty  nearly  entered  the  rank 
of  cities. 

WAPATO 

This  vigorous  little  city  is  in  the  very  heart  of  the  50,000  acres  of  fruitful. 
land  which  is  watered  from  the  great  canal  that  we  noted  in  coming  out  of 
Pohotecute.  That  area  is  but  a  minor  part  of  what  is  to  come.  For  the  gov- 
ernment plans  contemplate  the  irrigation  of  120,000  acres  from  the  gravity  sys- 
tem and  an  additional  80,000  from  the  pumping  plant.  When  this  quarter  of 
a  million  acres  is  in  actual  productivity,  it  will  certainly  support  several  large 
cities.     Wapato  will  without  doubt  be  one. 

The  name  of  this  town  signifies  "potato,"  though  the  original  native  word 
applied  to  a  bulbous  root  growing  in  shallow  ponds,  especially  west  of  the  Cas- 
cade Mountains,  a  root  which  was  one  of  the  prime  articles  of  food  for  the 
natives.  The  town  was  laid  out  by  George  S.  Rankin  and  Alexander  McCready 
in  1903.  These  enterprising  and  intelligent  builders  took  up  this  matter  as  one 
among  a  number  of  large  undertakings,  perceiving  clearly  the  sure  development 
of  the  country.  They  bought  the  land  of  the  Indians  under  the  townsite  law. 
They  also  inaugurated  the  first  bank  and  the  Wapato  Development  Company. 

The  town  now  has  nearly  1,000  inhabitants.  There  is  a  well  edited  weekly 
paper,  the  "Independent,"  founded  in  1906,  now  owned  and  managed  by  William 
Verran,  who  took  charge  in  1909.  There  is  a  first-class  school  system,  with 
high  school  and  grade  schools,  with  an  enrollment  in  the  high  school  of  89  and 
in  the  grades  of  625,  an  enrollment  truly  surprising  for  the  size  of  the  town, 
until  we  learn  from  the  officers  of  the  school  that  the  adjoining  region  just  out- 
side the  town  furnishes  a  strong  contingent.  The  value  of  the  school  property 
is  estimated  at  $100,000,  also  a  surprising  aggregate  for  a  town  of  less  than 
1.000,  a  good  many  of  whom  are  of  the  Indian  race. 

The  high  school  was  founded  in  1910,  at  which  time  A.  C.  Kellogg  was 
superintendent  and  S.  W.  Ness  was  principal,  assisted  by  Mrs.  C.  R.  Duncan. 
At  the  present  date  the  teaching  force  is  as  follows: 

C.   Paine  Shangle,  superintendent. 

High  School — A.  W.  Wheeler,  principal :  Elsie  A.  Hartmann,  Etta  Adams, 
E.  H.  Dixon. 

Central  School — Gerald  Van  Horn,  principal ;  Alma  Flower,  Bernice  Fol- 
som,  Verl  Bardwell,  Jessie  M.  Cobb,  Maude  Meeker,  Hazel  M.  Cobb,  Jean 
Campbell,  Lillian  R.  Schoenberg,  special  teacher,  music  and  art. 

Harrah  School — Caroline  Enright,  principal :  Ruth  A.  Spencer,  Lucile  Ro- 
maine. 

Johnson  School— Hattie  Eakin. 


CITY   PARK,   TOPPENISH 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  789 

Guyette  School — Iris  Rueger. 

Bradshaw  School Carohne  Waters. 

Liberty  School — Eula  Campbell. 

Leroue  School — Genevieve  Smith. 

There  are  two  substantial  banks,  one  of  "which  is  officered  and  owned  en- 
tirely by  Indians.  This  is  said  to  be  the  only  bank  in  existence  of  which  this 
is  true'.  A  very  readable  article  in  a  recent  number  of  Leslie's  magazine  gives 
facts  in  regard  to  this  bank  which  can  not  fail  to  be  of  encouragement  to  mem- 
bers of  the  native  race. 

Wapato  is  provided  with  Christian,  Presbyterian,  Seventh  Day  Adventist, 
and  Catholic  churches.  As  normal  consequences  of  the  hay,  grain,  fruit  and 
vegetable  business  in  all  directions  around  the  town,  it  is  the  location  of  a  num- 
ber of  huge  warehouses  and  the  amount  of  shipments  is  something  tremendous. 
The  present  city  government  consists  of  the  following:  Mayor,  LeRoy  W.  Tay- 
lor ;  clerk  and  attorney,  C.  A.  Maston ;  health  officer,  J.  H.  Ragsdale ;  marshal, 
H.  J.  Sourwine;  treasurer,  E.  H.  Wagner;  police  judge,  J.  F.  Niesz ;  council- 
men,  R.  M.  Johnson,  J.  Kaler,  S.  D.  Smith,  C.  H.  Castor,  Albert  De  Vries. 

TOPPENISH 

This  tine  little  city  may  be  justly  entitled  to  the  name  of  the  metropolis  of 
the  Reservation.  We  find  among  the  folders  just  issued  by  the  active  Com- 
mercial Club  of  Toppenish  so  succinct  a  statement  of  the  present  conditions  and 
assets  of  the  town  that  we  incorporate  it  bodily  at  this  point. 

THE    CITY    OF    TOPPENISH    AND    THE    Y.\KIM.\    INDIAN    RESERVATION 

The  city  of  Toppenish  with  a  population  of  approximately  3,000,  is  located 
on  the  main  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway,  in  Yakima  County,  Washing- 
ton. It  is  also  the  main  line  terminus  of  the  Sunnyside  and  the  Fort  Simcoe 
and  Western  branches  of  the  Northern  Pacific  system. 

Toppenish  is  the  commercial  and  distributing  center  of  lower  Yakima 
County.  It  is  located  in  the  center  of  a  highly  developed  farming  and  fruit 
growing  district  and  enjoys  an  ever-growing  trade  with  the  surrounding  terri- 
tory. It  is  one  of  the  largest  shipping  points  for  agriculture  products  in  the 
state,  and  is  centrally  located  with  reference  to  the  cities  of  Seattle,  Spokane 
and  Portland,  the  three  large  commercial  centers  of  the  northwest,  which  are 
its  chief  marketing  points. 

IMPORTANT    ADVANTAGES 

By  virtue  of  its  advantageous  location  and  the  fertility  and  high  productive 
power  of  the'  lands  surrounding  it,  Toppenish  has  enjoyed  a  steady  growth  which 
bids  fair  to  continue  for  an  indefinite  period.  Its  people  are  progressive  and 
public  spirited  and  have  laid  the  foundations  of  the  community  on  broad  and 
enduring  lines. 

The  business  section  of  the  city  is  improved  with  paved  streets  and  broad 
concrete  sidewalks.  The  main  thoroughfares  leading  to  the  various  farming 
districts  surrounding  the  city  are  to  be  paved  during  the  present  year. 


790  HISTORY  OF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

PUBLIC  UTILITIES 

The  city  owns  its  water  system  and  enjoys  the  reputation  of  having  the 
finest  water  supply  of  any  community  in  the  Yakima  Valley.  The  water  is 
obtained  at  a  depth  of  125  feet,  is  pumped  to  an  elevated  storage  tank  and  is 
distributed  through  iron  mains  to  consumers  throughout  the  city.  The  water 
rates  are  reasonable  and  have  been  lowered  from  time  to  time  to  encourage 
the  citizens  to  improve  their  homes  with  lawns,  shade  trees,  gardens,  etc. 

A  modern  sewer  system  likewise  installed  by  the  city,  drains  the  business 
and  principal  residence  sections. 

Toppenish  is  a  central  distributing  point  for  the  Pacific  Power  and  Light 
Company,  which  supplies  electric  light  and  power  to  a  large  portion  of  eastern 
Washington.  The  streets  are  well  lighted  and  the  use  of  electricity  is  general 
in  the  homes  of  the  city  for  lighting  and  other  household  purposes. 

SCHOOLS    .\ND    CHURCHES 

The  school  system  has  been  built  up  along  modern  lines.  There  are  two 
grade  schools  and  a  four  year  high  school  course,  leading  to  any  of  the  higher 
educational  institutions  of  the  state.  The  high  school  site  comprises  a  tract  of 
ten  acres  of  land  utilized  in  part  for  experimental  agricultural  purposes. 

There  are  five  commodious  church  buildings  in  the  city  and  the  various 
religious  organizations  constitute  an  important  and  eiifective  factor  in  the  life 
of  the  community. 

Fraternal  organizations  are  well  represented,  including  the  Masonic  order, 
C)dd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Columbus,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Loyal  Order  of  Moose, 
Foresters  of  America,  Eastern  Star  and  Rebekah  lodges. 

INDUSTRI.XL    AND    COMMERCI.^L    ENTERPRISES 

Chief  among  the  industries  of  the  community  is  the  beet  sugar  factory, 
now  under  construction  by  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company.  The  plant  will 
have  a  capacity  of  700  tons  of  beets  or  approximately  120  tons  of  sugar  per 
day.  In  addition  to  the  main  factory  the  plant  is  ecjuipped  with  machinery  for 
handling  se\eral  important  by-products  developed  in  the  manufacture  of  sugar 
from  sugar  beets. 

Grain  production  has  greatly  increased  in  this  district  during  the  past  few 
years,  due  to  the  extraordinary  yields  produced  under  irrigation.  To  care  for 
the  grain  crops,  the  growers  have  united  in  financing  and  building  a  com- 
modious grain  elevator  located  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 

Other  important  industrial  and  commercial  enterprises  may  be  enumerated 
as  follows: 

Steam  grist  and  rolling  mills  manufacturing  rolled  oats  and  barley,  corn 
meal,  alfalfa  meal,  etc. 

Modern  ice  manufacturing  plant. 

Ice  storage   warehouses    with   capacity   of    12,000  tons. 

The  largest  nursery  jilant  in  the  state. 

Fruit  and  cold  storage  warehouses. 


sT()(  K    ().\    Till-;    I'HAIvLHS    lU'LL    RANCH,    .MAliTnN 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  791 

Concrete  pipe  factory. 

Machine  shops  and  iron  works. 

Large  steam  laundry. 

Two  weekly  newspapers,  the  "Review"  and   "Tribune." 

Several  well  equipped  auto  garages  and  service  stations. 

Three  hotels. 

Large  creamer}-,  cheese  factory  and  milk  condensing  plant. 

Three  banks  with  combined  deposits  exceeding  $1,000,000. 

All  branches  of  retail  trade  are  strongly  represented. 

We  may  add  in  more  detail  that  the  school  system  contains  a  total  of 
twenty-five  teachers.  Of  this  number  seven  compose  the  high  school  faculty. 
E.  T.  Robinson  is  city  superintendent  and  D.  F.  Olds  is  principal  of  the  high 
school.  The  complete  directory  of  the  teachers  appears  in  the  chapter  on 
schools  of  the  county. 

In  order  to  preserve  a  picture  of  some  of  the  contemporary  events  in  and 
around  Toppenish  we  are  including  here  an  extract  from  one  of  the  local 
papers,  the  "Tribune,"  about  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  drive  and  the  United 
War  Work  campaign. 

TOPPENISH    DISTRICT    EXCEEDS    LOAN    QUOTA    BY    $47,600.00 

Subscriptions  to  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  total  $208,600.  One-third  secured 
during  last  three  days  of  campaign.  Officers  are  gratified — Complete  returns 
for  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan  show  total  subscriptions  of  $208,600  for  the  Top- 
penish district.  The  quota  assigned  this  community  was  $161,400,  leaving  a 
surplus  of  $47,600,  or  29  per  cent,  over  the  amount  asked. 

Approximately  one-third  of  the  entire  amount  was  subscribed  during  the 
last  three  days  of  the  campaign.  Thursday  and  Friday  were  the  big  days,  and 
when  the  committee  met  Friday  night  to  make  a  check  of  the  work,  it  was 
found  that  the  district  had  subscribed  at  that  time  slightly  over  $200,000. 

Belated  subscriptions  received  on  Saturday  and  early  Monday  morning 
brought  the  total  up  to  the  amount  named. 

The  subscriptions  were  divided  among  the  three  banks  as  follows: 

■     Traders  Bank  $  93,000.00 

First  National   58.050.00 

Central  Bank $  93,000.00 

Total  $208,600.00 

The  total  of  individual  subscribers  has  not  been  checked  as  yet,  but  the 
number  will  be  in  excess  of  1,200,  as  against  996  in  the  third  loan. 

Chairman  J.  D.  Cornett  and  the  other  members  of  the  committee  are  more 
than  satisfied  with  the  outcome  of  the  campaign.  They  attribute  its  success  to 
the  combined  results  of  far-reaching  publicity  and  the  searching  canvass  of 
the  district  made  by  the  various  teams  and  organization?  which  participated  in 
the  drive. 

The  minute  women  and  boy  scouts  brought  in  thousands  of  dollars  and 
their  work  was  supplemented  during  the  last  week  of  the  drive  by  an  organized 


792  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

campaign  by  committees  made  up  of  business  men  and  farmers,  who  left  their 
affairs  for  several  days  to  give  the  time  needed  to  make  the  loan  a  success. 

All  of  the  workers  are  more  than  pleased  with  the  heavy  support  given  the 
bonds  in  this  community. 

POTATO    growers'    ASSOCIATION 

It  is  of  interest  to  note  in  connection  with  the  region  of  which  Toppenish 
is  the  center  that  J.  L.  Dumass.  federal  extension  agent  of  markets,  has  informed 
the  author  that  he  is  organizing  an  association  of  potato  growers  and  that  the 
output  of  potatoes  for  the  season  of  1918  in  the  portion  of  the  county  below 
Union  Gap  will  be  from  a  thousand  to  twelve  hundred  carloads.  This  section 
is  known  as  the  "land  of  the  great  big  baked  potato,"  from  the  fact  that  the 
dining  car  service  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  gets  its  supplies  here. 


After  spending  a  day  in  each  of  the  more  westerly  towns  we  pass  on  to 
the  third  of  the  group,  Mabton,  on  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Indian  Reservation. 
We  find  here  an  active,  progressive  group  of  business  and  professional  men. 
Comporting  with  this  type  of  men  we  find  a  somewhat  remarkable  predominance 
of  substantial  brick  buildings.  We  learn  from  citizens  that  the  town  came 
into  existence  in  1892,  the  only  previous  structures  there  at  that  date  being 
the  water  tank  and  section  house  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company. 
In  that  year  S.  P.  Flower  initiated  the  community  by  building  a  store  and  ware- 
house. Edward  Flower  was  appointed  postmaster  soon  after.  T.  W.  Howell 
became  telegraph  operator  in  the  railway  station  erected  in  1893.  A  year  later 
Tobias  Beckner  equipped  another  store,  and  in  1895,  a  hotel  was  opened  by 
Frank  Martin.  The  first  school  was  opened  in  the  Fall  of  1895,  Miss  Lima 
Piatt  being  the  first  teacher.     The  first  regular  townsite  was  laid  out  by  Joseph 

A.  Humphrey  and  Mrs.  Amy  M.  Flower.  They  incorporated  the  Mabton 
Townsite  Company  in  May,  1902.  Subsequently  the  Philips  addition  came 
upon  the  market.  Mabton  lies  partly  on  the  reservation  and  partly  off.  Several 
important  advances  were  made  in  1904,  among  which  we  may  name  the  building 
of  a  new  brick  school  building,  the  establishment  of  the  "Mabton  Chronicle"  by 

B.  J.  Pacius,  and  the  attempt  of  the  townsite  company  to  secure  artesian  water. 
The  attempt  was  not  successful  and  the  development  of  the  splendid  country 
around  the  town  was  retarded  until  the  progress  of  the  Government  irrigation 
systems  reached  the  district. 

In  1905  a  long  step  forward  was  taken  by  the  establishment  of  a  municipal 
government.  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  T.  W.  Howell,  citv  clerk,  we  learn 
that  the  first  officers  and  council  were  the  following: 

Mayor,  T.  W.  Howell ;  clerk,  W.  T.  Livingston :  treasurer,  J.  C.  Sanger ; 
councilmen.  J.  A.  Humphrey,  J.  Beaudry,  John  Schnell.  J.  C.  Phillips,  A.  M. 
Creamer;  marshal,  H.  A.  Young;  police  judge,  A.  M.  Nicholas. 

We  find  the  official  personnel  at  the  present  date  (1918)  as  follows:  Mayor, 
T.  E.  Ridg\vay ;  clerk,  T.  W.  Howell ;  treasurer.  Earl  Larrison ;  councilmen,  J.  C. 
Phillips.  J.  W.  Smith.  Clara  A.  Rider,  B.  F.  Preston,  HI.  C.  Heise;  marshaL 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  793 

H.  A.  Young ;  police  judge,  T.  W.  Howell ;  irrigation  master,  Delbert  Ward ; 
water  works  commissioner,  T.  C.  Anderson;  health  officer,  H.  A.  Young. 

The  following  churches  have  been  organized  and  are  now  in  existence, 
though  just  at  present  date  all  but  the  Methodist,  of  which  Rev.  A.  H.  Attan- 
borrough  is  pastor,  have  no  resident  pastors :  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Epis- 
copal,  Presbyterian,  Catholic,   Christian,  Christian   Science. 

The  fraternal  orders  are  represented  as  follows :  Masons,  B.  C.  Dunn,  sec- 
retary; Eastern  Star,  Mrs.  J.  A.  Humphrey,  secretary;  Improved  Order  Odd 
Fellows,  B.  F.  Preston,  secretary;  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  C.  W.  Gil- 
breath;  Yoeman,  R.  M.  Graham. 

An  active  Commercial  Club  is  a  center  of  promoting  the  public  life,  and 
of  this  Earl  Larrison  is  secretary  and  C.  D.  Donnelly  is  president.  Mabton 
has  an  excellent  municipal  water  system,  constructed  in  1908.  A  newly  con- 
structed High  School  building  adds  distinction  to  the  town  in  the  eyes  of  passers. 
Nine  teachers  are  employed,  E.  F.  Hultgrann  being  city  superintendent. 

The  population  is  estimated  at  .about  750,  but  the  productive  capacity  of 
the  region  round  about  is  so  great  that  the  exports  are  extraordinarily  large. 
The  city  clerk  estimates  the  output  the  present  season  as  follows :  Two  hundred 
cars  grain,  mostly  wheat;  500  cars  hay;  twenty-five  cars  stock;  100  cars  fruit; 
ten  cars  wool. 

TOWNS   ON   THE    NORTH    SIDE   OF   THE   RIVER 

From  the  Reservation  and  the  towns  which  have  grown  up  on  it  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Yakima  River  we  must  cross  to  the  north  side  into  the  most 
highly  developed  portions  of  the  whole  Valley,  unless  we  except  the  areas  im- 
mediately around  the  city  itself  and  near  it  to  the  north.  We  may  traverse  this 
splendid  section  by  several  highways  or  by  the  branch  line  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  from  Toppenish  to  Sunnyside  or  by  the  O.-W.  R.  R.  and  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad  from  Yakima  to  Kennewick.  To  get  the  full  appreciation  of 
a  region  which  has  few  rivals  in  the  Inland  Empire,  the  tourist  should  employ 
all  of  these  routes. 

PARKER   BOTTOM 

The  region  named  above  is  famous  for  many  things.  It  is  the  first  culti- 
vated region  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  below  Union  Gap.  It  was  one  of 
the  foremost  in  settlement.  In  1864  William  Parker  and  John  Allen  drove  in 
a  band  of  stock  and  there  finally  made  their  permanent  homes.  From  Mr. 
Parker  the  name  was  derived.  Of  him  A.  J.  Splawn  says,  "*  *  *  who  was 
a  noble  generous  man,  very  remarkable  in  appearance,  with  dark  eyes  and  long 
black  hair  hanging  down  to  his  shoulders,  handsome,  not  only  outwardly,  but 
to  the  core.  If  I  were  called  upon  to  select  the  best  man  I  ever  knew  it  would 
be  Bill  Parker." 

We  must  not  fail  to  see  the  oldest  house  now  standing  in  the  Yakima  Valley. 
A  picture  may  be  seen  in  this  volume.  It  is  upon  the  fine  ranch  of  W.  P. 
Sawyer,  who  is  himself  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  and  builders  of  the  Valley. 
The  old  house — a  curious  contrast  to  the  mansion  now  occupied  by  Air.  Sawyer 
—was  built  in  1864  by  J.  P.  Mattoon. 

Aside  from  its  historic  interest,  this  is  one  of  the  leading  sections  in  the 


794'  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

fruit  industry.  Just  as  the  traveler  is  filled  with  wonder  and  delight  to  see  the 
sublime  scenery  of  the  upper  Yakima  or  Naches  or  Ahtanum,  and  almost  rubs 
his  eyes  with  incredulity  in  passing  the  well-nigh  countless  stacks  of  hay  in  the 
Kittitas  or  around  Wapato  and  Toppenish.  so  he  wonders  what  he  is  getting 
into  when  he  starts  through  those  miles  and  miles  of  apple  trees  and  pear  trees, 
scarlet  and  yellow  with  the  autumn  hues,  which  face  him  on  the  way  from 
Parker  Bottom,  through  Zillah  and  Granger  to  Sunnyside  and  Grandview. 

The  apple  industry,  which  this  year  totals  over  7,000  carloads  in  the  Yakima 
Valley,  is  worthy  of  an  entire  history  by  itself.  Old  timers  tell  us  that  the  first 
settlers  experimented  with  fruit  trees,  and  that  within  a  dozen  years  after  the 
initial  settlements  were  made  in  the  Moxee  the  possibilities  of  fruit  raising  were 
recognized.  It  is  claimed  that  before  the  seventies  several  orchards  had  been 
set  out.  Alfred  Henson  in  1866;  N.  T.  Goodwin  in  1868;  George  Hinkle  in 
1868;  Messrs.  Beck  and  Vaughn  in  1870,  and  probably  others,  all  in  the  near 
vicinity  of  Yakima  City,  were  among  these  early  fruit  raisers.  Charles  Schanno, 
the  father  of  Yakima  City,  had  a  fine  garden  and  a  plantation  of  blackberries 
and  raspberries  in  1872.  Parker  Bottom  was  almost  as  early  in  the  field  as  the 
Yakima  City  settlement.  It  was  not,  however,  for  a  number  of  years  that  the 
business  of  fruit  raising  became  established.  One  of  the  typical  early  fruit 
raisers  on  a  commercial  scale,  a  true  builder  of  the  Yakima  country,  lived  and 
wrought  his  main  work  in  the  region  between  Zillah  and  Parker  Bottom.  This 
was  Mr.  Freeman  Walden.  One  of  the  interesting  remembrances  of  the  author 
connects  Mr.  Walden  with  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Fair,  at  Portland,  in   1905. 

Mr.  Walden  and  his  wife  had  charge  of  the  Yakima  exhibit,  while  the 
author  served  in  like  capacity  in  the  Walla  Walla  department.  Frequent  con- 
ferences and  visits  to  and  fro  marked  the  Summer  session.  Mr.  Walden  had 
been  a  teacher  and  then  a  preacher  of  the  Christian  Church  at  several  points  in 
eastern  and  central  Washington,  Ellensburg  among  others. 

In  1898  he  went  to  Zillah  and  organized  the  first  church.  Prior  to  that  by 
seven  years  he  had  acquired  a  carefully  selected  body  of  land  about  four  miles 
northwest  of  Zillah,  and  there  he,  with  his  sons,  started  in  the  development  of 
what  proved  to  be  a  model  fruit  ranch,  the  demonstration  of  the  possibilities  of 
the  country.  It  is  proper  that  a  work  of  this  kind  in  a  country  of  this  kind 
should  contain  a  special  tribute  to  this  thorough  pomologist  and  useful  citizen, 
Rev.  Freeman  Walden.  The  reader  can  not  fail  to  be  interested  in  Mr.  Walden's 
own  account  of  his  experiences  and  we  include  here  his  story  as  related  to  the 
Washington  Irrigation  Company. 

"Zillah,  Washington,  February  7,  1902. 
"Washington  Irrigation  Company, 

"Zillah,  Washington. 

"Gentlemen — Ten  years  ago  last  August  I  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  under 
the  Sunnyside  Canal.  I  paid  $25  per  acre  for  the  land  with  the  water  right. 
My  purpose  was  to  go  into  the  fruit  growing  business.  Accordingly  I  set  out 
1,200  peach  trees  in  the  Spring  of  1892.  I  put  my  sons  on  the  land  and  fur- 
nished the  capital  to  start  a  small  nursery.  We  raised  our  own  trees,  except  the 
l)each  trees  mentioned  above.  Have  now  3.000  apple  trees,  some  pears,  cherries, 
plums.  ])runes  and  apricots,  in  all  about   5,000  trees.     I   would  not  take  $200 


BIRD'S-EYK    VIEW    OF    SX'XXYSIDE 


AXDWIEW  HEIGHTS,  SUNNYSIDE 


I 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  795 

an  acre  for  the  land  now,  for  the  amount,  $16,000  at   10  per  cent,  would  not 
pay  as  much  as  the  farm. 

"Some  years  are  more  profitable  than  others,  but  the  average  is  high.  The 
past  year  was  one  of  the  most  favorable  in  the  history  of  the  Valley.  If  I 
knew  I  could  have  such  a  year  once  in  five  years,  and  make  expenses  the  other 
four  years,  I  should  consider  the  fruit  business  a  profitable  one ;  but  I  know 
from  experience  that  I  can  do  far  better  than  that. 

"]\Iy  peach  crop  was  light  the  past  season,  but  the  apple  crop  heavy.  I 
keep  an  accurate  account  of  all  receipts  for  fruit  sold,  and  find  that  I  received 
in  cash,  so  far  this  year,  $5,070.73.  I  have  two  cars  of  apples  sent  out  and 
not  reported  upon  that  will  bring  at  least  $1,000;  then  I  have  about  7,000  boxes 
of  apples  on  hand  that  wdll  bring  me  about  $8,000.  The  total  receipts  will  be 
about  $14,000.  All  expenses  can  be  paid  for  $4,000;  leaving  me  net  $10,000. 
My  fruit  ranch  is  not  for  sale  at  any  price. 

"Yours  respectfully, 

"F.    W.\LDEN." 
ZILL.\H   ;\ND  GR.\NGER 

The  region  along  the  O.-W.  R.  R.  from  Parker  Bottom  through  Zillah  and 
Granger  to  Sunnyside  and  Grandview  is  almost  like  a  continuous  village,  so 
numerous  are  the  stations  and  so  frequent  the  houses.  Every  year  has  been 
signalized  by  such  rapid  advances  that  any  description  becomes  obsolete  by  the 
time  it  is  reduced  to  print.  Among  the  many  stations  and  villages  with  their 
huge  warehouses,  where  the  fragrant  apples  and  blushing  peaches  and  equally 
rosy  boys  and  girls  are  in  constant  evidence,  those  that  may  be  considered  his- 
torically the  chief  towns  of  the  section  are  Zillah  and  Granger.  Both  are 
singularly  attractive  towns.  The  region  to  the  north  is  somewhat  rolling,  but 
irrigated  from  the  great  Sunnyside  Canal,  and  the  whole  region  is  well-nigh  a 
continuous  orchard,  with  occasional  alfalfa  and  corn  fields  and  well  tilled  gardens. 
Tasty  cottages,  with  an  occasional  veritable  mansion  and  commodious  barns 
and  verdant  lawns  attest  both  the  wealth  and  esthetic  sense  of  the  people. 

Zillah  is  near  the  rushing  river  with  its  groves  of  cottonwoods  and  birches, 
but  is  elevated  upon  a  bench  which  breaks  off  in  an  abrupt  bank  down  to  the 
bottom  land.  From  this  sightly  elevation  a  superb  view  embraces  within  its 
scope  the  level  expanses  of  the  Reservation  across  the  river,  edged  with  the 
foot  hills,  azure  in  the  distance,  while  in  clear  weather  the  glistening  domes  of 
Adams  and  Takhoma  dominate  the  west  and  northwest. 

The  laying  out  of  the  town  was  due  to  one  of  the  foremost  builders,  Wal- 
ter N.  Granger,  originator  of  the  Sunnyside  Canal,  truly  one  of  the  greatest 
works  ever  wrought.  Mr.  Granger,  then  superintendent  of  the  canal  company, 
selected  the  townsite  in  1892.  The  name  was  given  the  town  for  Zillah  Oakes, 
daughter  of  President  O^kes  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company.  Mr. 
Granger  was  president  of  the  Zillah  Townsite  Company,  of  which  the  other 
members  were  Paul  Schulze,  T.  H.  Oakes,  C.  A.  Spoflford  and  \V.  H.  Hall. 
Henry  Villard  was  supposed  to  have  a  considerable  investment  in  the  townsite. 

Beyond  any  other  town  of  the  Valley  Zillah  might  be  said  to  have  had  the 
big  railroad  men  and  promoters  of  the  period  as  its  sponsors. 


796  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

The  "first  inhabitants,"  aside  from  the  officers  and  employes  of  the  canal 
and  townsite  companies,  were  the  proprietor  of  the  first  hotel,  Reuben  Hatch ; 
George  Harvey  and  E.  J.  Jaeger  the  first  merchants;  R.  C.  Walker,  the  post- 
master; Arthur  Knowles  of  the  Yakima  Hardware  Company,  and  Blacksmith 
Blagdon,  the  first  disciple  of  Tubal-Cain  on  the  ground.  The  first  school  was 
started  in  1894  and  Edna  Haines  was  the  first  teacher.  Three  churches,  Episco- 
pal, Christian  and  Methodist,  came  into  existence  during  the  first  decade.  In 
1901  the  Episcopal  organization,  under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  E.  J.  Baird,  erected 
a  stone  house  of  worship  which  can  not  fail  to  arrest  the  attention  of  all  visitors. 

During  a  dozen  years  or  more,  while  the  canal  system  was  in  control  of  the 
Washington  Irrigation  Company  and  Mr.  Granger  was  superintendent,  the  com- 
pany headquarters  were  at  Zillah  and  there  was  a  general  centering  there  of  both 
business  and  social  interests  very  unusual  for  a  place  of  the  size  of  Zillah.  A 
weekly  newspaper,  the  "Free  Press,"  was  founded  in  1910.  Zillah  is  an  in- 
corporated town  and  the  present  officers  and  councilmen  are  these:  Walter  N. 
Granger,  mayor :  W.  G.  Loewe,  Clerk  and  also  attorney ;  E.  P.  Follansbee, 
treasurer:  W.  J.  Hillyer,  marshal  and  also  police  judge;  the  councilmen  are  W. 
H.  Alsbury,  C.  A.  Anderson,  C.  E.  Durr,  F.  L.  Allen,  H.  A.  Harlen.  The 
population  of  the  town  is  estimated  in  Polk's  directory  as  600.  No  one  in- 
terested in  the  history  of  the  big  enterprises  of  the  Yakima  Valley  can  fail  to 
note  the  fact  that  Walter  N.  Granger  is  a  resident  of  the  town.  Unfortunately 
his  health  has  been  infirm  for  some  years.  But  the  same  activity  which  made 
him  one  of  the  early  builders  keeps  him  still  alert  and  active  minded  in  the 
affairs  of  the  community.  As  we  noted,  he  is  now  the  mayor  of  the  town. 
As  an  association  worthy  of  record  connected  with  the  name  of  Mr.  Granger  we 
include  here  some  land  advertisements  gleaned   from  the  Northwest  Magazine. 

From  "The  Northwest  Magazine,"  February,  1894. 

IRRIG.ATED   LANDS 

For  Fruit  Growing,  Hop  Raising  and  General  Farming  in  the  "Sunnyside  Coun- 
try" of  the 

FERTII-E    AND    BEAUTIFUL    YAKIMA    VALLEY    IN    THE    NEW    STATE    OF    WASHINGTON 

The  Northern  Pacific,  Yakima  and  Kittitas  Irrigation  Company  has  con- 
structed a  canal  60  miles  long,  with  a  depth  of  8  feet,  a  width  at  the  bottom  of 
30  feet  and  a  width  at  the  top  of  the  banks  of  62j4  feet.  It  covers  80,000  acres 
of  valley  land  nowhere  surpassed  for  fertility  on  the  globe.  The  water  is  taken 
from  the  Yakima  River  and  the  supply  is  abundant  for  all  possible  demands. 
The  solidity  of  construction  in  the  dam,  headgates  and  canal  insures  a  regular 
and  permanent  supply  of  water  and  is  a  safeguard  against  breaks  and  other 
accidents. 

Climate — The  .'Summer  climate  of  the  Yakima  Valley  resembles  that  of  the 
California  valleys,  in  the  length  of  the  growing  season,  the  number  of  sunny 
days,  the  absence  of  late  Spring  frosts  and  early  Fall  frosts  and  the  immunity 
from  destructive  storms.     The  Winters  are  short  and  not  at  all  severe. 

Soil — The  soil  of  the  valley  is  a  rich  brown  loam  and  is  of  phenomenal 


'I  Ih   I        (iHAXDVIEW,    BUILT    BY 
_Mj;s.   A.XNA  E.   SYKES,  1906 


J.   M.   FLEMING'S    STUHE,   GRANDVIEW, 
1907 


FIRST   HOME   OF   A.   C.   FRY,  NEAR   GRANDVIEW,   191] 


HISTORY  OF  YAKDIA  VALLEY  797 

depth.  In  places  where  a  vertical  surface  has  been  exposed  along  the  brink 
of  the  second  bench,  the  depth  is  over  eighty  feet,  and  the  soil  at  the  bottom  is 
just  as  rich  as  that  near  the  top. 

Productions — This  is  beyond  question  the  best  fruit  country  in  the  United 
States  for  the  raising  of  apples,  grapes,  pears,  peaches,  apricots,  plums,  prunes, 
berries  and  melons.  It  is  also  a  better  hop  country  than  the  famous  hop  valleys 
on  Puget  Sound,  for  the  reason  that  the  hop  louse  can  not  endure  the  Summer 
heats  and  dies  before  doing  any  damage  to  the  vines.  Old  hop  yards  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  tov^m  of  North  Yakima  have  given  large  and  almost  uni- 
form yields  for  ten  years.  Alfalfa  is  the  forage  crop  and  yields  five  or  six 
crops  a  year.  Garden  vegetables  give  enormous  returns  and  are  profitably 
grown  for  the  markets  of  Tacoma  and  Seattle. 

Special  Advantages  for  Fruit  Culture — All  the  lands  under  the  Sunnyside 
Canal  lie  within  a  few  miles  of  stations  on  the  main  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad ;  refrigerator  cars  are  furnished  and  fresh  fruit  can  be  put  in  good 
condition  into  the  Sound  cities  on  the  west  and  Spokane  on  the  east,  and  can 
be  sold  in  competition  with  California  fruit  in  all  the  mining  towns  and  camps 
of  Alontana  and  Idaho,  in  the  towns  of  North  Dakota,  South  Dakota  and  Mani- 
toba and  in  the  cities  of  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  Duluth,  Superior  and  Chicago. 
The  Washington  growers  will  monopolize  these  markets  as  soon  as  they  can 
supply  them,  for  the  reason  that  Washington  fruit  is  much  better  flavored  than 
that  of  California. 

Ten  Acres  Enough — A  settler  who  cultivates  well,  in  fruit,  vegetables  and 
alfalfa,  ten  acres  of  this  wonderfully  productive  Yakima  Valley  soil,  will  have 
all  the  land  he  can  attend  to  and  will  make  a  good  support  for  a  family.  With 
twenty  acres  he  can  make  a  net  income  of  from  $2,000  to  $3,000  a  year. 

Farming  by  Irrigation — Irrigation  makes  the  farmer  independent  of  the 
weather.  He  applies  just  the  right  amount  of  moisture  to  his  land  to  secure 
the  largest  possible  crop  returns.  No  failure  of  crop  is  possible.  The  process 
is  not  laborious  or  expensive.  The  water  is  turned  on  the  land  two  or  three 
times  during  the  growing  season. 

Terms  of  Sale — The  lands  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  Yakima  and  Kittitas 
Irrigation  Company  are  sold  with  a  perpetual  water  right  guaranteeing  an  ample 
supply  of  water  for  all  crops.  Prices  range  from  $45  to  $65  an  acre.  One- 
fifth  of  the  purchase  price  is  payable  in  cash  on  the  signing  of  the  contract. 
The  second  payment  is  not  due  for  two  years.  Thus  the  settler  has  time  to 
make  his  improvements  and  realize  on  his  first  crop  before  being  called  on  for 
the  next  installment  on  his  land.  The  remaining  payments  run  through  four 
years.  One  good  crop  will  pay  for  the  laiid.  The  company  prefers  to  sell  to 
actual  settlers  only  in  order  that  the  country  may  be  densely  settled  and  brought 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

NORTHERN    PACIFIC,    Y.\KIM.\    &    KITTITAS    IRRIG.XTION    COMPANY, 

Tacoma,  Washington,     or     Walter     N.     Granger,     General     ]\Ianager,     Zillah, 
Washington. 
As  is  to  be  expected  in  this  region  there  are  first-class  schools,  well  housed 
and  equipped.     The  superintendent  is  J.  F.   Hargreaves,  with  seven  assistants. 


798  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


A  distance  of  but  a  few  miles  down  the  valley  from  Zillah  brings  us  to 
Granger,  the  name  of  which  is  derived  from  that  of  the  distinguished  citizen  of 
Zillah  already  noted. 

From  the  present  clerk,  C.  W.  Chamberlin,  we  derive  the  following  data 
about  the  town : 

The  town  of  Granger  was  incorporated  September  28,  1909. 

The  first  officers  were,  mayor,  C.  W.  Mentzer;  councilmen,  A.  P.  Peter- 
son, E.  B.  Johnson,  George  Oldfield,  E.  N.  Meloy  and  A.  Rodgers ;  clerk,  Fred 
R.  Hawn ;  treasurer,  A.  C.  Snowden.  Population,  1910,  500.  The  present 
officers  are,  mayor,  A.  R.  Badger;  councilmen,  L.  C.  Snyder,  A.  R.  Auld,  M.  S. 
Tyler,  A.  E.  Flint  and  C.  E.  Dodd ;  treasurer,  A.  C.  Snowden;  clerk,  C.  W. 
Chamberlin.     Estimated  population,  550. 

The  town  has  its  own  water  system,  put  in  at  a  cost  of  $20,000. 

It  has  the  Pacitic  Power  &  Light  system  of  lighting. 

O'utput  of  products  for  year,  1,250  carloads. 

The  town  has  a  public  library,  high  school,  bank,  tirst-class  hotel,  four 
churches,  Presbyterian,  Mennonite,  Christian  Science  and  Episcopal ;  several 
well  equipped  stores ;  the  Granger  Cannery  Company ;  the  Granger  Tile  and 
Brick  Company,  and  the  Yakima  Valley  Cider  Mill  establishment.  It  is  on  the 
line  of  all  the  railroads  in  that  part  of  the  Valley.  There  is  a  weekly  paper,  the 
"Granger  Enterprise,"  founded  in  1905  by  George  P.  Eaton. 

SUNNVSIDE   .\ND   GR.A.NDVIEW 

From  Granger  to  Sunnyside,  a  distance  of  nine  miles,  the  country  presents 
a  similar  aspect  to  that  from  Parker  Bottom  to  Granger,  excepting  for  tw^o 
marked  features,  one  of  topography  and  one  of  products.  The  first  is  the  long, 
narrow,  curious,  and  as  far  as  one  can  reason  on  such  a  matter,  the  superfluous 
Snipes'  Mountain.  From  one  point  of  view  this  peculiar  elevation,  about  eight 
miles  long,  and  from  a  quarter  to  a  half  mile  thick,  is  a  blemish,  for  it  mars 
the  grand  totality  of  what  would  otherwise  be  the  majestic  sweep  of  the  Valley 
at  its  widest  point,  near  forty  miles  from  southern  to  northern  margin.  From 
another  point  of  view,  this  interposing  strip  of  uplift,  like  pillars  between  two 
rooms,  breaks  the  angular  distance  and  imparts  a  pleasing  diversity  to  the  other- 
wise monotonous  prairie.  Moreover,  if  future  builders  proceed  to  improve  along 
the  lines  already  started  at  the  eastern  end  and  along  the  southern  flanks  of  the 
mountain,  and  especially  if  water  is  supplied  in  sufficient  c^uantity  to  transform 
the  arid  summits  and  ridges  into  the  orchards  and  gardens  and  rose  yards 
which  now  so  adorn  those  lower  levels,  the  traveler  of  a  few  years  hence  will 
pause  to  behold  one  of  the  most  unique  and  attractive  spots  in  all  the  \'alley. 
Hence  we  mentally  decide  that  Snipes'  Mountain  is  an  asset  and  not  a  liability 
to  the  Sunnyside  country. 

The  point  as  to  change  of  proflucts  as  we  pass  on  to  Sunnyside  from  the 
west  is  that  we  get  out  of  the  almost  exclusively   fruit  country  around  Zillah 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  799 

and  Granger  and  get  into  an  alfalfa  and  corn  country.  There  are  places  here 
where  the  Kansas  farmer  might  almost  think  that  he  was  back  in  the  Sunflower 
state.  That  is  especially  true  around  the  fine  little  town  of  Outlook  on  the 
north  side  of  Snipes'  Mountain,  four  miles  northwest  of  Sunnyside.  The 
traveler  must  pause  here  to  get  the  feel  of  this  typical  small  village  of  the 
region,  one  of  the  sort  that  make  the  Yakima  country  what  it  is.  Here  we 
find  perhaps  250  people  with  almost  a  continuous  village  on  the  slightly  rolling 
prairie  extending  many  miles  on  all  sides.  A  bank,  a  well-stocked  general  store, 
a  hotel  and  two  churches,  a  Methodist  and  a  Union  Church,  minister  to  the 
various  needs  of  the  large  community  centering  at  Outlook.  Though  so  com- 
paratively small  a  place,  Outlook  has  a  high  school  and  well-equipped  grade 
schools,  Marius  Hansome  being  superintendent,  with  a  force  of  nine  teachers. 

We  may  reach  Sunnyside  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  branch  on  the 
north  side  of  Snipes'  Mountain,  or  by  the  O.-W.  R.  R.  on  the  south  side,  by 
a  short  spur  from  the  main  line.  And  now  having  reached  this  interesting  little 
city,  next  to  Toppenish  in  size  of  the  towns  of  Yakima  County,  after  the 
metropolis,  we  may  note  that  it  is  sui  generis  of  all  the  towns  of  the  Valley. 
There  is  no  other  like  it,  either  intellectually,  religiously  or  topographically.  Our 
readers  will  have  the  opportunity  of  reading  an  article  on  the  founding  by  Mr. 
S.  J.  Harrison,  the  father  of  Sunnyside,  in  our  chapter  of  recollections.  We 
are  therefore  absolved  from  giving  details  here  to  the  extent  that  might  other- 
wise be  necessary. 

As  has  appeared  in  our  chapter  on  Pioneer  Settlements,  several  of  the 
earliest  locations  in  the  Yakima  country  were  made  in  the  near  vicinity  of 
Sunnyside.  In  1865,  the  McDonald  Brothers,  Elisha  and  A.  J.,  located  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  a  few  miles  above  the  crossing  on  the  Mabton  road  to 
Sunnyside,  the  place  now  owned  by  Oliver  P.  Ferrel.  The  next  year  Samuel 
Chapell  located  near  the  McDonalds.  E.  Bird  was  a  cattleman  in  the  same 
region  at  the  same  time.  J.  B.  Huntington  located  a  cattle  range  just  south  of 
the  present  Sunnyside  on  the  way  toward  Mabton,  but  sold  out  his  holdings  to 
Jock  Morgan.  This  last  named  settler  had  located  in  the  first  place  on  the 
Reservation  near  the  present  Toppenish  in  1871,  and  ten  years  later  he  acquired 
the  Huntington  place.  John  Ferrel  located  near  Morgan.  The  first  homestead 
near  Sunnyside  was  located  by  Joseph  Kunz,  about  a  mile  northeast  of  the 
present  town.  Soon  came  John  Chisholm,  Nat  Stone,  W.  T.  Stobie-,  George  A. 
Matthieson,  Abner  Kirk  and  Robert  Mains.  Niot  long  after  quite  a  group  of 
settlers  located  homesteads  near  the  present  Outlook.  Among  them  we  find 
the  names  of  W.  H.  Norman,  P.  S.  Wood,  B.  H.  Nichols,  B.  F.  Brooks,  T.  J. 
Cooper,  Jack  Williams  and  George  Clark. 

The  town  was  laid  out  by  Walter  N.  Granger  in  June,  1889,  at  the  same 
time  with  Zillah.  A  picturesque  narration  from  Mr.  Granger  is  quoted  in  the 
History  of  Central  Washington,  to  the  effect  that  on  a  certain  Spring  day  in 
1889  he  went  out  to  view  the  country  with  a  view  of  initiating  the  canal  enter- 
prise which  later  grew  into  the  great  Sunnyside  Canal.  He  climbed  Snipes' 
Mountain  and  viewed  all  the  magnificent  landscape,  with  the  untold  possibilities 
of  those  fertile  acres  under  water.  When  he  reached  the  lower  end  of  the  ridge 
and  saw  the  vast  expanse  of  level  land,  his  mind  was  made  up  and  he  determined 


800  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

that  there  was  the  spot  for  a  city.  In  his  own  words:  "As  I  gazed  on  the 
scene,  I  then  and  there  resolved  that  a  city  should  sometime  be  built  at  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  for  the  site  was  ideal."  The  next  day  he  rode  to  the  nearest 
telegraph  station  and  wired  for  his  crew  of  engineers.  Such  was  the  vision  in 
the  mind's  eye  of  this  builder  of  great  things,  out  of  which  sprang  this  splendid 
construction — canal,  farms,  city.  The  canal  was  the  first  to  be  christened 
Sunnyside,  and  the  town  followed  that  name.  Mr.  Granger  became  president 
of  both  townsite  comjianies,  Sunnyside  and  Zillah.  The  site  was  platted  in  1893 
on  land  belonging  to  the  railroad.  The  canal  had  just  reached  the  location  at 
that  time.  In  1894  a  postoffice  was  established,  with  D.  R.  McGinnis,  the  local 
sales  agent  of  the  townsite  company,  as  postmaster. 

The  financial  depression  of  that  time  sadly  crippled  both  the  townsite  and 
canal  enterprise,  and  the  surrounding  farmers,  as  well  as  the  business  men  of 
the  budding  city,  were  so  circumscribed  in  their  operations  that  for  a  time  the 
region  was  almost  abandoned. 

Two  hotels,  one  built  by  Reuben  Hatch,  and  the  other  by  N.  H.  Morris, 
were  in  active  operation  just  before  the  collapse.  William  Cline  and  Allies 
Cannon  were  the  pioneer  merchants,  followed  quite  shortly  by  B.  M.  Brewer. 
James  Henderson,  \V.  T.  Stobie,  Frank  Petre,  D.  C.  Gillis  and,  a  little  later,  J. 
B.  George,  were  among  the  "charter  members"  of  the  early  business  community. 

In  Sunnyside,  as  in  other  sections,  the  dark  financial  clouds  of  the  early 
nineties  were  blown  aside  and  in  1897  and  1898  the  horizon  was  clear  and 
bright.  One  important  improvement  consisted  of  the  construction  of  a  sub- 
stantial bridge  across  the  Yakima  to  take  the  place  of  Jock  Morgan's  ferry. 
The  expense  was  met  in  part  from  the  county  commissioners'  funds  and  in  part 
by  donations  of  money  and  labor  by  the  people  of  Sunnyside. 

In  1898  came  the  event  which,  above  all  others,  stamped  Sunnyside  with 
its  unique  and  peculiar  character.  This  was  the  entrance  of  the  "Christian 
co-operative  movement"  managed  by  Messrs.  S.  J.  Harrison,  H.  M.  Lichty 
and  Christian  Rowland,  for  the  purpose  of  colonization.  As  already  stated  we 
have  the  aid  of  Mr.  Harrison  by  a  special  contribution  in  our  last  chapter,  to 
present  this  vital  part  of  the  story  to  our  readers,  and  we  will  therefore  turn 
from  this  most  distinctive  feature  of  the  history  of  Sunnyside  and  take  note  of 
the  municipal  history. 

In  1902  Sunnyside  became  an  incorporated  town.  The  first  officers  and 
council  took  their  places  in  September  of  that  year.  James  Henderson,  mayor; 
J.  B.  George,  treasurer ;  Henry  H.  Wende,  attorney :  H.  W.  Turner,  clerk ;  B. 
F.  James,  marshal;  Joseph  Lannin,  George  \^etter,  C.  W.  Taylor,  W.  B.  Cloud, 
William  Hitchcock,  councilmen. 

The  present  city  officials  are  as  follows:  W.  B.  Cloud,  mayor;  L.  W.  Bates, 
clerk:  George  \'etter,  treasurer;  Ray  Wilcox,  marshal;  George  Pfister,  superin- 
tendent city  water  works ;  W.  H.  Harrison,  William  Kielsmeier,  J.  M.  Borgeson, 
D.  N.  Wood,  Albert  Amundson,  councilmen. 

Sunnyside  owns  and  operates  its  water  system.  Domestic  water  is  from 
wells  procured  in  1909,  pumped  to  an  elevation  of  about  180  feet  above  the 
townsite  into  a  covered  reservoir  of  about  250,000  gallons  and  distributed 
through  25,500   feet   of  mains   and  twenty-three   fire   hydrants.     The   irrigation 


HIGH    SCHOOL,    SUXNYSIDE 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  t  801 

system  is  separate  from  the  domestic  supply  and  is  supplied  from  the  Sunny- 
side  Canal  which  has  its  intake  from  the  Yakima  River  eight  miles  below  Yakima. 


The  schools  of  Sunnyside  have  been  of  as  marked  a  character  as  its  churches. 
It  would  be  indeed  difficult  to  find  a  community  in  which  there  has  been  a  more 
steadfast  and  generous  support  of  these  vital  institutions.  It  appears  that  the 
pioneer  public  school  teacher  of  Sunnyside  was  H.  G.  Rousch  in  1894.  The 
school  was  located  in  one  of  the  buildings  belonging  to  D.  C.  Gillis.  Later  in 
that  year  the  district  built  the  first  building,  known  afterwards  as  the  Emerson 
School.  Another  building  some  distance  east  of  town,  called  the  Washington 
School,  was  constructed  shortly  after.  One  interesting  step  in  school  develop- 
ment was  taken  in  1903,  when  Districts  44  and  48,  including  quite  an  area 
around  the  town,  consolidated  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  in  a  high  school.  The 
Washington  Irrigation  Company,  then  owning  the  Sunnyside  Canal  system, 
made  a  donation  of  forty  acres  of  land  worth  $1,400,  while  Messrs.  Harrison 
and  Lichty  gave  lots  worth  $500.  A  building  worth  $11,000  was  erected  and 
in  1904  the  high  school  department  was  inaugurated.  This  school  has  been 
conspicuous  even  in  Yakima  County. 

The  Sunnyside  school  system  consists  of  the  high  school  with  nine  teachers, 
A.  O.  Rader  being  principal.  The  grade  schools  are  known  as  follows:  De- 
partmental, with  three  teachers;  Denny  Blaine,  with  eight  teachers;  Washing- 
ton, with  three  teachers ;  Maple  Grove,  with  three  teachers  ;  Orchard  Ridges,  with 
one  teacher ;  and  Emerson,  with  three  teachers — a  total  force  of  thirty  teachers. 
O.  W.  Hofifman  is  superintendent. 


We  have  already  relegated  the  church  history  of  Sunnyside  to  the  con- 
tribution of  Mr.  Harrison.  But  we  include  here  the  fact  that  aside  from  the 
distinctive  feature  of  a  Federated  Church  which  grew  out  of  the  colonization 
enterprise,  the  town  would  still  be  distinguished  as  a  "city  of  churches." 

It  is  stated  that  the  "Father  of  the  Episcopal  churches  of  eastern  Wash- 
ington," Bishop  Wells,  held  the  first  service  in  the  town,  the  place  being  D.  C. 
Gillis'  office  and  the  time  being  in  February,  1894.  In  1904  there  were  ten 
church  organizations ;  Dunkard,  Presbyterian,  Baptist,  German  Baptist,  Meth- 
odist, Free  Methodist,  Episcopal,  Congregational,  Christian,  Christian  Scientist. 

It  would  certainly  seem  cause  for  regret  rather  than  commendation  that  so 
many  church  societies  existed  in  so  comparatively  small  a  town,  were  it  not  for 
the  more  important  fact  that  six  of  them  combined  in  the  church  federation. 
These  six  were  the  Baptist,  Dunkard,  Methodist,  Presbyterian  and  Christian. 
This  Federated  Church  was  a  great  success  and  made  the  name  of  Sunnyside 
known  far  and  wide.  With  the  increase  of  population,  however,  and  other  con- 
ditions beyond  our  scope  to  describe  here,  the  federation  has  been  modified  and 
to  a  degree  surrendered.  It  has  remained,  however,  as  a  force  and  example  of 
conspicuous  value  in  the  history  of  central  Washington. 

The  churches  and  pastors  at  the  present  date  are  as  follows:     Adventist, 

(51) 


802  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

\V.  Paul  Atkinson,  pastor;  Baptist,  J.  C.  Havnaer,  pastor;  Brethren,  Charles  H. 
Ashman,  pastor;  Christian,  no  pastor;  Christian  Scientist,  Mrs.  H.  A.  Webber, 
first  reader;  Congregational,  J.  J.  Burley,  pastor;  Episcopal,  Frederick  Luke, 
rector;  Free  Methodist,  E.  H.  Harman,  pastor;  German  Baptist  Brethren,  S.  H. 
Miller,  pastor;  Gospel  Temple,  G.  L.  Hunt,  pastor;  Methodist,  Andrew  Warner, 
pastor :  Roman  Catholic,   Father  McCarty. 

When  the  Brethren,  Coni^^regational  and  Presbyterian  churches  dissolved 
the  Brethren  purchased  the  property. 

Sunnyside  is  also  a  strong  lodge  city.  There  have  been  maintained  for  a 
number  of  years  the  following:  Sunnyside  Lodge  No.  49,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Rebekah 
Lodge;  Sunnyside  Camp  No.  561,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America;  Royal  Neigh- 
bors; Edith  Lee  Lodge  No.  7i,  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  Masonic  Lodge;  Fraternal  Brother- 
hood ;  Order  of  Washington ;  Yeoman. 

Sunnyside  has  a  library,  provided  with  a  large  assortment  of  standard 
books,  and  as  may  well  be  expected  in  a  place  of  such  character  the  library  is 
well  patronized.  It  is  recalled  by  old-timers  that  Mrs.  Joseph  Lannin  was  the 
prime  factor  in  originating  the  library  movement.  She  was  the  first  president 
of  the  library  association.  Her  efiforts  were  ably  seconded  by  Rev.  Lee  A. 
Johnson,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  citizens  of  the  town  from  1900  to  the 
time  of  his  lamented  death.  Messrs.  Wende,  Bridgman,  Stewart  and  Perrin 
seem  also  to  have  been  especially  efficient  in  promoting  this  worthy  cause. 

At  the  present  time  the  population  of  Sunnyside  is  estimated  at  about  1,300, 
but  the  country  round  about  is  so  thickly  settled  that  within  a  radius  of  two  miles 
there  are  over  6,000  people. 

THE    SUNNYSIDE    "SUN" 

Sunnyside  is  also  the  location  of  one  of  the  strongest  weekly  papers  in  the 
valley,  the  "Suimyside  Sun".  This  fine  journal  of  the  alliterative  title  came 
into  existence  in  1901.  William  Hitchcock  was  founder  and  for  some  years 
proprietor.  In  1909  it  was  recast  and  began  a  new  stage  of  life,  under  new- 
management.     At  present  date  A.  S.  Hillyer  is  editor  and  manager. 

We  take  from  the  "Sun"  of  October  31,  1918,  a  brief  item  of  interest  as 
indicating  the  comparative  wealth  and  population  of  the  towns  of  this  section  of 
the  valley,  as  shown  by  their  assignments  for  the  LTnited  War  Works  campaign, 
as  follows : 

Grandview,  $2,000;  Granger.  $1,000;  Mabton,  $1,500:  Moxee.  $1,000: 
Naches,  $1,000;  Outlook,  $500;  Selah,  $1,500;  Sunnyside,  $4,500:  Toppenish, 
$5,500;  Wapato,  $2,000;  White  Swan,  $500,  and  Zillah,  $1,500. 

From  data  secured  from  reliable  sources  we  give  the  following  as  the  esti- 
mated production  of  this  great  productive  center  for  the  year  1918.  As  will 
be  noted  this  exhibit  is  reduced  to  carloads.  Few  parts,  even  of  the  Yakima 
\'alley,  can  show  such  a  record  of  production  in  proportion  to  population. 

Exports  from  Sunnyside  in  car  lots  are  as  follows:  For  the  period  begin- 
ning September  1,  1917  and  ending  August  31,  1918:  Spuds,  512:  apples,  162; 
hay,  460:  pears,  21;  peaches,  15;  onions,  1:  turnips,  1:  corn,  15:  mill  feed.  4; 
sugar  beets,    144:   mixed    fruit,   21;   vegetables,   27;   alfalfa   meal,   26:   canned 


MAVIIKW    STHKET,   SUXXYSIDE 


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■si.XTii  .-.■|'i;i:i;t,  sinn ysuh:: 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  803 

goods,  4:  beans,  1  ;  vetch  seed,  1  ;  wool,  8;  hogs,  47;  sheep,  33i;  cattle,  6:  horses, 
L     Total,  1,510. 

The  energetic  Commercial  Club  at  Sunnyside  has  from  time  to  time  pub- 
lished and  distributed  literature  of  praiseworthy  character.in  which  are  embodied 
facts  in  regard  to  the  varied  resources  of  the  section,  and  its  attractions  for 
permanent  residence. 

From  one  of  those  publications  we  make  these  extracts : 

SOME  SUNNYSIDE  PRODUCTS 
RESULTS   TPI.\T   HAVE   BEEN    ATTAINED 

In  telling  of  the  measure  of  success  which  has  been  attendant  upon  the 
efforts  of  men  who  came  to  the  Sunnyside  district,  it  is  believed  the  statements 
of  the  land  owners  themselves  will  be  of  greater  value  to  the  homeseeker  than 
anything  else  that  may  be  said.  During  a  week's  stay  in  Sunnyside  district,  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  had  an  automobile  at  the  disposal  of  the  writer,  who 
went  from  farm  to  farm,  and  from  orchard  to  orchard  to  talk  with  the  men  who 
are  making  their  homes  in  the  valley,  and  who  are  making  a  success  of  what 
they  have  undertaken.  Their  stories  are  worth  reading.  This  is  what  they  had 
to  say : 

TWO  TONS  OF   POTATOES   FROM    PIECE  OF  LAND  75   X   85    FEET 

W.  E.  Knight,  whose  unit  adjoins  the  townsite  of  Sunnyside  raised  |wo 
tons  of  potatoes  on  a  piece  of  ground  75  x  85  feet.  He  picked  only  the  larger 
ones  and  says  that  the  ground  may  be  counted  on  to  produce  twenty  tons  to  the 
acre.     Prior  to  seeding  to  potatoes  the  land  had  been  in  alfalfa. 

SOLD   $500    WORTH    OF   TOMATOES    GROWN    ON    A    HALF    ACRE 

L.  L.  Higgins  has  been  farming  and  gardening  at  Sunnyside  for  some  nine 
years.  He  is  the  man  who  is  responsible  for  the  great  tomato  yield  there. 
Plants  set  out  did  not  thrive.  He  introduced  a  method  of  sowing  and  has  sold 
as  high  as  S500  worth  of  tomatoes  from  a  half  acre.  He  raises  watermelons, 
cantaloupes,  beets,  lettuce  and  radishes.  For  early  Spring  vegetables,  Mr.  Hig- 
gins sows  spinach,  lettuce  and  onion  seed  in  the  Fall.  "Another  successful,  and 
one  of  the  most  profitable  crops  which  can  be  grown  here,"  said  Mr.  Higgins, 
"is  asparagus.  It  will  pay  $500  and  upward  per  acre  the  second  year.  In  fact 
everything  in  the  vegetable  line  does  well  here.  The  Yakima  \'alley  is  so  far 
ahead  of  the  eastern  country  in  the  way  of  products  that  stories  of  our  yields  are 
discredited." 

POTATO   CROP   NETS  $3,364;   OTHER   CROPS   IN   KEEPING 

W.  H.  Norman  is  the  owner  of  a  sixty-acre  tract  near  Sunnyside,  and 
adjoining  his  unit  is  a  twenty-acre  tract  owned  by  his  wife.  The  firm  has  thirty 
acres  in  alfalfa  which  averages  seven  tons,  and  has  run  as  high  as  eleven  tons 
per  acre.  They  have  seventeen  acres  in  timothy  and  clover  which  has  yielded 
an  average  of  seven  tons  in  two  cuttings  for  the  past  five  years.  They  also  have 
thirteen  acres  in  orchard  with  eleven  acres  meadow.  In  1908  their  potato  crop 
was   134  tons,   which   they   sold    for  $3,364   net.     In    1909,    four  acres   in   corn 


804  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

yielded  90  bushels  per  acre,  and  part  of  the  crop  was  sold  $20  per  ton.  Mr. 
Norman  came  to  Washington  in  1893.  He  paid  $45  for  his  land,  which  he  says 
is  worth  $400  per  acre  today.  When  he  came  into  the  valley  he  had  $700.  ^Ir. 
Norman  came  from  Michigan.  "Ten  acres  here  are  worth  more  than  eighty 
acres  there"  he  says. 

ORCHARD  AND  ORCHARD   GARDENING   ARE   SOURCES   OF    PROFIT 

W.  J.  Hubbard,  Route  No.  1,  Sunnyside  says:  "My  farm  unit  of  twenty 
acres  is  two  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Sunnyside.  I  have  eight  acres  in 
alfalfa,  eleven  acres  in  orchard  and  one  and  one-half  acres  in  grapes.  Between 
my  fruit  trees  I  am  doing  orchard  gardening.  I  raise  tomatoes,  cabbage,  water- 
melons and  cantaloupes.  In  1*'08  my  tomatoes  netted  me  $300  per  acre.  In 
1910  they  netted  $225  per  acre  and  my  melons  netted  $135.  This  same  year  I 
raised  thirty  tons  of  potatoes  on  two  acres.  In  grapes,  I  am  raising  three 
varieties — Aloore's  Early,  Wordens  and  Concords.  They  are  doing  well.  I 
picked  1,500  pounds  from  750  three-year-old  vines.  Am  also  raising  French 
Coach  horses  and  Jersey  cattle.  I  have  no  difficulty  in  finding  a  market  for  all 
that  I  can  raise.  I  have  been  here  nine  years.  I  paid  $127  for  my  land.  Last 
fall  I  sold  a  twenty-acre  tract  for  $5,000.  I  have  been  offered  $350  per  acre 
for  my  other  land,  but  it  is  not  on  the  market.  I  came  here  from  North  Dakota, 
where  I  farmed  for  twenty-two  years.  This  is  a  much  more  desirable  place. 
The  climate  is  good  and  the  crops  are  sure.  I  believe  it  a  desirable  place  for 
men  of  means,  for  men  with  a  limited  amount  of  capital,  and  for  the  laboring 
man." 

APPLES    GROWN    WERE    PRIZE    WINNERS    AT    VANCOUVER 

W.  W.  Sawyer  packed  2,500  boxes  of  extra  fancy  fruit  from  225  trees  of 
Grimes  Golden  and  Spitzenberg  apples  grown  on  his  Sunnyside  ranch..  One 
car  of  Grimes  Golden  and  a  car  of  Spitzenbergs  were  first  prize  winners  at  the 
National  Show  at  Vancouver,  B.  C,  and  brought  the  exhibitor  $1,100  in  prizes. 
With  the  sale  of  the  fruit,  Mr.  Sawyer  realized  handsomely  from  the  trees  men- 
tioned. 

MAKES   A    SUCCESS    GROWING   ALFALFA    SEED 

R.  K.  Schlosser,  living  near  Sunnyside,  has  made  a  success  in  raising  alfalfa 
seed.  From  eighteen  acres  he  cut  the  first  crop  of  hay,  amounting  to  forty-five 
tons  which  he  sold  at  $5.00  per  ton  in  the  stack.  He  saved  the  second  crop  for 
seed,  from  which  he  threshed  3,150  pounds  which  he  sold  for  16  cents  per  pound. 
Beside  this  he  had  the  straw  and  chaft'  left,  which  was  worth  S2.50  per  ton  as 
feed.  His  crop,  which  brought  him  $819,  was  the  poorest  one  he  has  had, 
according  to  Mr.  Schlosser. 

ORCHARDIST    MAKING    TEX    PER    CENT    ON    $1,500    PER    ACRE    VALUATION 

J.  B.  Shellers  has  thirty  acres  two  an  done-half  miles  from  .Sunnyside, 
twenty  acres  of  which  are  planted  to  orchard.  He  raises  Spitzenberg,  Yellow 
Newtown,  Arkansas  Black  and  Northern  Spy  apples,  Bartlett  pears,  Barnard 
peaches  and  Italian  prunes.     Fifteen  acres  are  in  apples.     Sixty  trees  of  Spitzen- 


GKAXDvi?:w  iiot?:l,  (;raxi)vie\v 


DIVISIUX    STRKET    FROM    DEPOT,    CiRAXDViEW 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  805 

bergs  (one  acre)  netted  him  $1,012,  and  he  allowed  $500  for  expenses  of  caring 
for  land  and  trees,  picking  and  packing.  Pears  will  average  seven  to  ten  boxes 
to  the  tree  and  sell  for  from  90  cents  to  $1.25.  "I  can  sell  all  the  peaches  I  can 
pick  right  in  the  orchard  for  three  cents  a  pound.  The  variety  I  raise  will  keep 
in  perfect  condition  ten  days  after  being  fully  ripe.  I  pick  from  100  to  300 
pounds  from  trees  of  different  ages.  I  picked  a  ton  from  one  tree.  My  prunes 
net  me  40  cents  per  crate  of  twenty-four  pounds.  I  am  cultivating  a  red  rasp- 
berry from  which  I  get  three  crops  in  July,  August  and  September.  The  variety 
is  known  as  the  Alton  berry.  I  irrigated  my  orchard  once  in  1910.  I  find  I 
get  better  results  from  cultivation.  Adjoining  my  place  is  a  tract  which  has  not 
been  irrigated  on  the  surface  for  eleven  years.  The  crops  get  their  moisture 
from  below.  I  had  $2,000  when  I  came  here.  I  paid  $50  per  acre  for  my  land. 
It  is  not  for  sale.  I  can  make  ten  per  cent  on  $1,500  per  acre  for  my  thirty- 
acre  unit.  That  is  good  enough  for  me.  I  know  what  farming  and  orchard 
conditions  are  in  the  east  and  middle  west.  I  never  saw  a  place  equal  to  the 
Yakima  Valley." 

RAISES  POTATOES  BY  CAR   LOAD  ;  $2,500  FROM   TEN   ACRE.S 

D.  B.  Eby  has  129  acres  under  water  some  two  miles  from  Sunnyside.  In 
1910  he  had  60  acres  planted  to  potatoes,  and  had  $10,000  worth  for  sale,  with 
the  yield  running  but  half  a  crop.  In  1909  he  sold  $2,500  worth  of  potatoes  from 
ten  acres.  In  April,  1910,  from  great  cellars  in  which  hundreds  of  Ions  were 
stored  after  picking,  Mr.  Eby  was  sacking  potatoes  by  the  car  load.  By  virtue 
of  his  ample  storage  facilities  he  can  hold  his  crop  until  the  market  is  right. 
He  raises  other  crops  also,  his  yield  of  oats  being  100  bushels  to  the  acre.  Mr. 
Eby  paid  $27.50  for  his  land  and  does  not  want  to  sell  at  $200  per  acre.  Success 
has  rewarded  his  efforts  and  he  believes  in  the  Yakima  Valley. 

GRANDVIEW 

This  newest  of  all  the  towns  of  Yakima  is  also  one  of  the  most  marked 
in  several  respects.  It  has  one  af  the  most  sightly  locations,  on  a  slightly  ele- 
vated and  gently  rolHng  surface,  from  which  a  view  of  miles  and  miles  of  the 
greatest  expanse  of  the  valley  is  visible.  It  has  made  the  largest  percentage 
of  growth  and  improvement  during  the  past  five  years  of  any  of  the  valley 
towns.  It  has  a  more  comiiletely  diversified  line  of  productions  than  most  any 
of  its  neighbors.  Fruit  of  all  kinds,  potatoes,  corn,  alfalfa,  sugar  beets,  grain, 
fine  stock — everything,  in  fact  to  be  produced  in  this  climate. 

Grandview,  though  the  baby  of  the  towns  of  its  section,  has  a  population 
approaching  1,000.  There  are  five  churches  here,  Presbyterian,  Methodist, 
Christian,  Free  Methodist  and  Catholic. 

The  schools  of  Grandview  are  embraced  under  the  heads  of  the  Central 
(which  includes  an  accredited  high  school),  with  a  total  force  of  twelve  teachers; 
the  Euclid,  with  two  teachers,  and  the  Bethany,  with  two.  A.  C.  Kellogg  is 
city  superintendent  and  D.  M.  Callaghan  is  principal  of  the  high  school.  The 
entire  list  is  given  in  the  directory  of  county  teachers  in  our  chapter  on  schools. 


806 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


There  is  an  excellent  weekly  paper,  the  "Grandview  Herald."  The  paper 
is  owned  by  Chapin  D.  Foster  and  published  by  Fred  R.  Hawn. 

In  the  issue  of  the  "Herald"  of  November  1,  1918,  we  find  Grandview's  roll 
of  honor  in  the  present  war. 


*Helge  Dale 
*  Harry  Hayes 
Raymond  Capps 
Russell  Capps 
Main  Esterlin 
Wilbur  Cragg 
Clarence  Macomber 
Avaloah  Waugh 
Roy  Williams 
Forest  Norton 
John  Parchen 
Glen  Copeland 
Lonnie  Turley 
Claude  Braullier 
Clyde  Crawford 
Roy  Rice 
Roy  Pettit 
Donovan  Chambers 
Smith  Greenslade 
Roy  Benedict 
Fred  E.  Hayes 
Sheridan  Palmquist 
Walter  Williams 
Duane  Mazna 
Millard  McLellan 
William  Chisholm 
R.  W.  Thompson- 
Thad  Smith 
Hugh  W.  Counts 
\A'ni.  B.  Eccleston 


GRANDVIEW   ROLL   OF   HONOR 

Jay  Ferris 
Arlie  B.  Hayes 
Earl  Parks 
Judson  Blanchard 
Claude  Turley 
Leonard  Brown 
Alfred  Urich 
Carlos  Gates 
Henry  Ofterdal 
Wm.  A.  Jalley 
Ray  Moon 
Virgil  Wilson 
Harvey  Brown 
Randall  Bennet 
Jack  Loop 
Fred  Gemmell 
E.  E.  !\IcMillan 
Earl  Loop 
Clarence  Moulton 
Cecil  Hughes 
Howard  Crow 
Ho^'t  Caple 
Hubbard  Duncan 
Fred  Kingsley 
Stanley  Young 
Kelso  Kernien 
Fay  Eraser 
Harold    Copeland 
Alvin  Clark 


Alex  Park 

E.  D.  McGinitie 
Roy  Anthon 
Walter  Dunbar 
Edw.  B.  Babcock     < 
Ora  C.  Carrothers 
Everett  Penland 
James  White 

F.  C.  Frederickson 
Thos.  H.  Werst 
Chas.  Babcock 
A.  D.  Roney 
Karl  Howard 
Clarence  Flory 
Joe  Campbell 
John  Adams 
Thomas   Phillips 
Henry  Parchen 
Lester  Jones 
Arthur  Painter 
Martin  Forsell 
Archie  Cochran 
Henry  R.  Grill 
Elmer  Wasson 
James  G.  ]\Ieldrum 
Newell  Stone 
Charlie  Paden 
Charles  De  Foe 
Dwight  Jones 
Harrv  Lvtton 


It  apiiears  that  the  first  two  named  on  the  list  have  given  the  "last  full 
measure  of  devotion".  Helge  Dale  and  Harry  Hayes.  The  "Herald"  of  the 
date  given  contains  an  account  of  the  funeral  services  of  the  second  of  these 
two,  Harry  Hayes,  whose  parents  reside  in  the  farming  section  between  Grand- 
view  and  Sunnyside. 

Through  this  section  as  elsewhere  there  will  be  the  golden  stars  for  the 
brave  bo\'s  who  have  made  the  supreme  sacrifice.  And  the  redeemed  world 
will  hold  them  and  the  homes  from  which  they  came  in  everlasting  remembrance. 

(irandview  has  the  transportation  advantage  of  location  on  both  railroads. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  /  807 

The  output  of  products  is  immense,  especially  in  view  of  the  youth  of  the  sec- 
tion, amounting  in  1917  to  an  estimated  amount  of  1,500  carloads. 

Though  only  about  ten  years  old,  the  town  is  incorporated.  The  present 
officers  and  councilmen  are:  D.  O.  Robertson,  mayor;  J.  J.  Hays,  clerk  and 
attorney;  Rudolph  Syverson,  treasurer;  Frank  Elser,  A.  W.  Hawn.  A.  B. 
Marshall,  D.  X.  Dalrj-mple,  councilmen. 

Grandview  comes  near  being  the  geographical  center  of  that  portion  of  the 
valley  between  Selah  Gap  and  the  junction  of  the  Yakima  with  the  Columbia. 
It  is  about  forty  miles  from  Yakima  and  an  equal  distance  from  Kennewick. 

Passing  westward  from  Grandview  we  come  within  a  verj'  short  distance 
to  the  boundary  of  Benton  County.  By  reason  of  the  length  of  this  chapter,  we 
will  postpone  our  journey  through  the  towns  of  the  youngest  of  the  three 
counties,  Benton,  until  we  have  narrated  the  county  history. 

Inasmuch  as  this  chapter  deals  so  largely  with  the  productive  capacity  of 
the  region  through  which  we  have  been  passing  from  town  to  town,  a  most 
important  section  of  the  valley,  we  will  note  here — though  the  same  statements 
appear  elsewhere — the  estimated  shipments  of  the  region  covered  by  Yakima 
and  Benton  counties  for  the  year  1917. 

Cars  FRUIT 

60  Strawberries— 48,000  crates  (3,  S3 S  144,000 

160  Cherries— 1,200  tons  (a  8c  pound 192.003 

170  Prunes— 170,000  crates  @  87c 147.500 

8,700  Apples— 6.525.000  boxes  @  S1.25 8.156,250 

1,750  Peaches— 2,100.000  boxes  @  50c 1,050.000 

1.950  Pears— 994.500  boxes  @  S1.30 1.292.850 

7  Apricots— 7.700  boxes  (g  SI 7.700 

10  Grapes  (g  S600  per  car 6.000 

480  Mixed  fruit  @  S775  per  car 372.000 

240  Cantaloupes— 96,000  crates  @  S1.25 120,000 

120  Watermelons— 1.800  tons  @  S20 36,000 


13,647  511,524.300 

VEGETABLES 

200  Onions— 3.000  tons  @  S40 S  120.000 

40  Turnips— 600  tons  @  S20 12.000 

10  Green  corn  @  $525  per  car 5.250 

20  Carrots— 300  tons  @  S18 5.400 

25  Rutabagas — 500  tons  {g  S20 lO.i^DO 

12  Cabbage— 144  tons  @  S30 4.320 

5  Asparagus— 100.000  lbs.  @  Uy^c 12.500 

75  Tomatoes — 85.050  crates  @  50c  __, 42.525 

10  Green  Peppers— 200,000  lbs.  @  5c 10.000 

20  Squash— 200  tons  @  $20 4,000 

10  Pumpkins— 100  tons  @  S15 1.500 

30  Beans— 600  tons  @  6c  lb. 72,000 


808  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

2,500     Potatoes— 50,000  tons  @  $20 1,000,000 

Garden  Truck — Miscellaneous 25,000 

2,957  $  1,324,495 

HAY 

9,353     Alfalfa— 140,295  tons  @  $21 $  2,946,195 

12.000  tons  fed  to  stock  in  transit  @  $15 180,000 

$  3,126,195 

GRAINS 

546    Wheat— 764,750  bu.  @  $1.90 $1,453,025 

1      60    Oats— 84,000  bu.  @  80c 67,200 

44     Barley— 61,600  bu.  @  $1.15 . 70.840 

650  .  $  1,591,065 

HOPS 

158    3,000,000  lbs.  @  12c $     360,000 

LIVESTOCK 

1,015  Sheep  @  $2,750  per  car $  2,791.250 

240  Hogs  @  $2,700  per  car 648.000 

210  Beef  @  $2,200  per  car 462,000 

40  Cattle,  breeder's  stock,  1,000  head  @  $125 125,000 

40  Horses,  880  head  @  $150 132,000 

6  Poultry— 90,000  lbs.  @  IXy. 19.500 

1,551  Total    livestock    ■ $  4.177,750 

LIVESTOCK    PRODUCTS 

72    Wool— 2,300,000  lbs.  @  45 $  1,035,000 

16    Hides,  pelts  and  tallow 190,000 

88  Total  livestock  products   $  1,225,000 

DAIRY   PRODUCTS 

233  Cream— 350,000  gallons  @  $1.20 $  420,000 

30  Butter— 1,200,000  lbs.  @  45c 540,000 

8  Qieese— 300,000  lbs.  @  25c 75.000 

75  Condensed  milk— 1,500  tons  @  $200 300.000 

346  Total  dairy  products $  1.335.000 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  809 


SUGAR  BEETS 


285     Sugar— 8,550  tons  @  6>4c  lb. $  1,068,750 

206    Dried  Pulp— 3,100  tons  @  $25  77,500 


491  Total  sugar  beet  products $  1,146,250 

HONEY 

25     750,000  lbs.  @  lK)4c $       88,125 

FRUIT  AND  VEGETABLE  PRODUCTS 

635     Enumerated  as  follows  : 

400  cars  canned  fruits 
130  cars  cider 
65  cars  dried  apples 
40  cars  grape  juice 

Value    $  1,277;375 

1,500     Lumber    $  1,000,000 


31,401  $28,175,555 

It  may  be  noted  that  present  incomplete  reports  for  1918  indicate  a  produc- 
tion of  a  value  of  $35,000,000.  This  is  for  Yakima  and  Benton  counties.  Add 
to  this  $9,000,000,  as  an  estimate  for  Kittitas  County  and  we  have  an  output  for 
the  entire  Yakima  Valley  of  $44,000,000,  an  amazing  total  for  a  region  of  which 
the  aggregate  population  estimated  on  July  1,  1917,  was  98,876. 

The  present  estimate  of  production  for  the  state  is  about  $200,000,000. 
From  this  it  appears  that  the  three  counties  of  our  history,  having  not  over  one- 
fifteenth  of  the  population  of  the  state,  have  produced  over  one-fifth  of  the  output. 

A  remarkable  news  item  in  regard  to  the  production  of  the  Yakima  has 
recently  appeared  in  the  newspapers,  coming  from  the  most  reliable  sources,  the 
Reclamation  Office,  which  may  properly  be  inserted  here : 

IRRIGATION    BRINGS   GOLD    FROM    LAND 

SEATTLE,  Wash.,  Dec.  14.— Regions  in  the  Yakima  Valley  of  Washing- 
ton, which  were  formerly  the  domains  of  the  rabbit  and  sagebrush,  have  pro- 
duced since  the  first  of  1918  commercial  crops  valued  at  $40,000,000,  according 
to  estimates  made  by  R.  K.  Tiffany,  project  manager  in  Yakima  for  the  United 
States  reclamation  service.     The  lands  were  those  irrigated  by  the  government. 

Under  the  Sunnyside  and  Tieton  irrigation  project  alone  there  have  been 
120,000  acres  under  cultivation,  Mr.  Tiffany  said,  from  which  the  crop  produc- 
tion realized — $15,000,000 — has  paid  two  and  one-half  times  the  cost  of  building 
both  projects. 

Now  that  the  war  is  over,  Mr.  Tiffany  believes  the  government  will  go 
ahead  next  Spring  with  the  famous  high-line  irrigation  project,  w^hich  will  result 
in  the  reclamation  of  150,000  acres  of  waste  lands  within  the  next  few  vears. 


.810  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

As  projected,  this  irrigation  s_\stem  will  extend  from  Ellensburg  to  Kennewick 
and  will  cost  api^roximately  $20,000,000,  including  the  cost  of  reservoirs.  If 
labor  proves  available,  ]\Ir.  Tiffany  says  3,000  men  will  be  required  on  govern- 
ment reclamation  work  in  the  Yakima  Valley  next  year. 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  single  item  regarding  production  for  the  pres- 
ent year  appeared  in  the  "Oregonian"  for  September  4,  1918.  According  to 
this  H.  R.  Wells,  of  Yakima  got  close  to  $30,000  from  his  forty-acre  orchard. 
He  had  18.000  boxes  of  peaches,  the  rest  of  his  crop  being  apples  and  pears. 


CHAPTER  VII 
A  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  VALLEY— BENTON   COUNTY 

PROSSER — THE  TOWNSITE — ABSTRACT  OF  TITLE — MUNICIPAL  GOVERNMENT  IN 
PROSSER — COMMERCIAL  CLUB  OF  PROSSER — INTERESTING  RECORDS  FROM 
PROSSSER    NEWSPAPERS^ — A    MACHINE    SHOP    FOR    THE    TOWN — THE    GENERATOR 

HERE — CELEBRATION    A   GRAND   SUCCESS  :    A    FLOW    OF   ORATORY — THE   SPORTS 

AT  THE  RIVER — FIREWORKS  AND  BALL — PROSPECTS  GOOD  FOR  GOVERNMENT 
IRRIGATION SOME  ADVERTISEMENTS  IN  "BULLETIN/'  1905 CHURCH  SOCIE- 
TIES— SECRET  SOCIETIES — SCHOOLS,  CHURCHES  AND  LODGES  OF  THE  PRESENT 
— KIONA    AND   BENTON    CITY — KENNEW.ICK  :    GEOLOGICAL   CONDITIONS    MAKING 

KENNEWICK     WHAT     IT     IS     TODAY INDIANS — KENNEWICK     DERIVATION — iN 

1883        TO         1889 — SCHOOLS — irrigation         and        developments BUSINESS 

HOUSES  OF  KENNEWICK — ADVERTISEMENTS  AND  "kENNEWICKLES"  FROM 
THE  "courier" — CITY  GOVERNMENT  IN  KENNEWICK — PETITION  FOR  INCOR- 
PORATION— FIRST  ORDINANCES  OF  THE  COUNCIL — MAYORS  AND  CLERKS  TO 
DATE — SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES    AND    SOCIETIES — KENNEWICK    COMMERCIAL    CLUB 

MEMBERS,    1906 CELILO   CANAL   CELEBRATION — AT    WALLULA AT   BIG    EDDY 

THE    SMALLER    RIVER    TOWNS MAY    START    DAM     BY    CHRISTMAS ASSOCIATED 

CHARITIES  ASK  SUPPORT — APPLE   HARVEST  ON — BASH    WINS   IN    HARD   FIGHT 

LEMCKE  BRINGS  IN   BIG  TRACTOR 

We  pursued  our  journey  in  the  last  chapter  to  the  eastern  border  of  Yakima 
County,  making  our  last  pause  at  Grandview. 

The  splendid  country  around  that  promising  young  city  blends  impercep- 
tibly into  Benton  County.  Conditions  are  essentially  the  same  on  our  progress 
eastward  to  Prosser.  During  our  journey  from  Ellensburg  through  Yakima 
Canon,  thence  through  the  central  valley  centering  at  the  city  of  Yakima,  then 
through  Pohotecute  (LTnion  Gap)  and  onward  to  Sunnyside  and  Grandview,  we 
have  been  dropping  by  almost  imperceptible  degrees  from  an  elevation  of  1,510 
feet  at  Ellensburg  to  741  at  Sunnyside.  Grandview  is  on  a  slight  elevation  above 
Sunnyside,  814  feet  above  sea  level,  while  North  Prosser,  still  on  the  same  gen- 
eral slight  plateau  as  Grandview,  has  an  elevation  of  764  feet.  From  North 
Prosser,  two  miles  to  Prosser,  there  is  a  long  down  hill  over  a  superb  belt  of 
land,  to  the  falls  of  the  Yakima  River  where  the  elevation  is  about  600  feet. 

The  difference  of  900  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ocean  between  Ellensburg 
and  Prosser  makes  a  marked  dift'erence  in  climate.  The  steady  increase  of  dis- 
tance from  the  snow  and  ice  of  the  towering  Cascade  summits  has  a  still  larger 
effect   on  the   climate. 

Hence,  though  general  conditions  of  rainfall,  prevailing  winds,  soil  and 
products  are  similar,  the  sum  of  effects  as  between  the  upper  and  lower  valleys 
represents  an  increase  of  about  eight  degrees  in  average  annual  temperature  for 
the  lower,  and  four  or  even  five  annual  crops  of  alfalfa  instead  of  three.  We 
find  the  country  eastward  from  Grandview  and  Sunnyside  to  be  newer  and  less 
811 


812  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

developed.  The  various  extensions  of  the  Sunnyside  Canal  system  have  been 
working  easterly,  and  the  development  follows  the  canal.  It  is  a  perfect  poem 
to  see  the  verdure,  the  improvements,  and  the  homes  springing  up  along  the 
track  of  the  vitalizing  water. 

PEOSSER 

A  little  to  one  side  of  this  main  body  of  new  development  stands  the  county 
seat,  beautifully  located  on  the  south  side  of  the  largest  fall  on  the  Yakima 
River  and  at  the  foot  of  the  long  slope  running  up  to  the  heights  of  the  Horse 
Heaven  plateau. 

Although  Prosser  is  comparatively  a  new  town  it  is  the  oldest  in  the  county 
and  it  belongs  to  an  earlier  and  a  separate  development  from  the  present  great 
system  of  improvements  connected  with  the  Sunnyside  extension.  The  region 
immediately  around  Prosser  has  had  over  thirty  years  of  existence,  and  we  are 
not  surprised  to  find  large  shade  trees,  attractive  lawns  and  flower  gardens, 
cultured  homes  and  all  the  evidences  of  taste  and  industry.  Entering  the  city, 
either  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  or  by  auto  bus  from  the  O.-W.  Rail- 
road at  North  Prosser,  or  by  the  highway  in  our  own  conveyance,  we  receive  the 
impression  of  a  well-built  town,  a  satisfaction  to  its  own  people  and  an  attrac- 
tion to  visitors  or  intending  settlers.  Visiting  the  offices  of  the  newspapers,  the 
"Republican  Bulletin"  and  the  "Independent-Record"  we  find  the  editors,  Mr. 
Tyler  and  Mr.  Sproull,  ready  to  impart  information  to  the  limit  of  their  term 
of  residence,  which  has  not  been,  in  case  of  the  former,  very  long.  We  find 
some  of  the  old-timers,  as  his  honor  A.  G.  McNeill,  present  mayor,  or  M.  A. 
Ward,  or  E.  W.  R.  Taylor,  several  times  mayor,  or  Hon.  G.  M.  Hamilton 
of  a  little  later  day,  and  others  ready  and  glad  to  impart  knowledge  of  present 
or  past  conditions.  The  county  and  city  officers  are  prepared  to  extend  every 
courtesy  to  the  seeker  for  illumination  in  their  lines  of  activity,  and  a  commer- 
cial organization,  now  known  as  the  Prosser  Community  Club,  of  which  E.  W. 
R.  Taylor  is  president  and  Walter  E.  Tyler  is  secretary,  has  lines  of  contact 
with  all  the  activities  of  the  town  and  surrounding  region  from  which  the  in- 
quirer may  derive  first-hand  knowledge. 

From  the  various  sources  of  information  we  obtain  a  connected  view  of 
the  history  of  Prosser.  It  appears  that  James  Kinney  was  the  first  to  make  a 
location  on  land  now  touched  by  the  town.  His  location  was  made  in  1880 
above  the  chief  part  of  the  present  city,  but  the  residence  part  at  the  western 
end  of  town  reaches  his  homestead.  Col.  W.  F.  Prosser,  formerly  one  of  the 
liuilders  in  Yakima,  filed  a  homestead  entry  in  1882,  and  that  entry  covered 
the  main  part  of  the  present  Prosser. 

In  1883  A.  M.  Ward,  now  living  on  San  Juan  Island  and  whose  son  is 
known  to  all  in  Prosser,  filed  a  location  about  a  mile  above  Kinney.  Mr.  Ward 
was  born  in  Nbrth  Ireland,  lived  for  some  years  in  New  York,  and  came  to 
(Jregon  in  1868.  Becoming  interested  in  reports  of  Yakima,  he  walked  through 
the  entire  valley  seeking  a  location.  Reaching  the  Kinney  location,  he  declared, 
"This  is  where  I  stop."  And  there  he  filed  his  claim.  He  brought  his  family 
in   1883,  the  first  family  in  Prosser. 

The  next  year  he  was  instrumental  in  getting  a  school  started,  the  first  in 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  813 

Benton  County.  Airs.  Emma  Warnecke  was  the  first  teacher  in  that  school  in 
1884,  and  the  building  used  was  the  one  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Joe  Halm.  In 
1883  and  immediately  following,  a  number  of  new  families  made  their  way  to 
the  point  which  the  falls  of  the  Yakima  evidently  marked  for  a  town.  During 
those  years  the  following  pioneer  residents  joined  Messrs.  Kinney,  Prosser,  and 
Ward  in  the  new  location ;  Nelson  Rich,  Henry  Creason,  Carl  A.  Jenson,  George 
Wilgus,  and  Fred  Warnecke. 

THE    TOWNSITE 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Jenkins,  auditor  in  1906,  and  engaged 
for  many  years  in  the  abstract  business,  we  are  able  to  give  here  a  copy  of  some 
very  interesting  records  pertaining  to  the  original  site  as  laid  out  by  Colonel 
Prosser,  together  with  some  other  data  of  similar  nature,  which  constitute  in 
themselves,  almost  a  complete  legal  history  of  the  early  town.  The  extracts  which 
we  shall  give  are  of  considerable  length,  some  of  our  readers  may  think  unduly 
so,  but  the  record  is  such  a  curious  one  and  constitutes  so  unique  a  section  of  the 
history  of  Prosser  that  it  cannot  fail  to  interest  many  readers. 

Know  All  Mex  by  These  Presents:  That  the  undersigned,  Wm.  F. 
Prosser  and  Flora  T.  Prosser,  have  caused  the  accompanying  and  annexed 
Townsite  of  the  Town  of  Prosser  to  be  surveyed  by  S.  B.  Stone  on  Lots  6-7 
and  11,  in  Section  2,  Township  8,  North  of  Range  24,  E.,  W.  M.  and  we  hereby 
dedicate  the  same  with  its  Blocks,  Lots,  Streets,  Avenues  and  Alleys  as  named 
and  with  the  areas,  breadths  and  depths  as  expressed  in  words  and  figures  there- 
on to  the  use  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  future  owners  of  the  said  Lots  and 
Blocks  of  the  aforesaid  Town  of  Prosser  and  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  said  town. 

Wm.  F.  Prosser.  [Seal] 

Flora  T.  Prosser.  [Seal] 

Territory  of  Washington, 

ss. 
King  County, 

This  certifies,  that  on  this  14th  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1885,  before  me  the 
undersigned  Probate  Judge  in  and  for  the  said  County  and  Territory,  person- 
ally appeared  the  within  named  Wm.  F.  Prosser  and  Flora  T.  Prosser  his  wife, 
who  are  known  to  me  to  be  the  identical  persons  described  in  and  acknowledged 
the  same  freely  and  voluntarily  for  the  uses  and  purposes  therein  mentioned. 

And  I  Further  Certify,  That  Flora  T.  Prosser,  wife  of  the  said  Wm.  F. 
Prosser  on  an  examination  made  by  me  separate  and  apart  from  her  said  hus- 
band, and  after  I  had  made  known  to  her  the  contents  of  the  foregoing  instru- 
ment, acknowledged  to  me  that  she  executed  the  same  voluntarily  of  her  own 
free  will,  and  without  the  fear  of  or  coercion  from  her  said  husband. 

In  Testimony  Whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal  the  day 
and  year  in  this  certificate  first  above  written. 

Wm.   D.   Wood, 

[Seal]  Probate  Judge  of  King  County,  in  Washington  Territory. 

Recorded  Jan.  26th,  1885.      K.\te  W.  Feuerbach,  County  Auditor. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


UxiTED  States, 

Grantors, 

TO 

William  F.  Prosser, 
Grantee. 

Patent. 

Dated  the  ISth  day  of  January,  1887. 

Filed  for  record  the  9th  day  of  March.  1887,  at  4  p.  m. 

Recorded  in  Book  "F"  Deeds,  page  53. 

Act  of  Congress,  May  20th,  1862. 

Application  No.  132. 

Homestead  Certificate  No.  90. 

By  the  President,  Grover  Cleveland. 
[Seal]  By  M.  McKean,  Secretary. 

By  Robt.  W.  Ross,  Recorder  of  the  General  Land  Office. 
Description:  Lots  6-7  and   11   in   Section  2,  Township  8,  North  of  Range 
24,  E.,  W.  M.     Containing  158  85-100  acres. 

(Date  of  record  and  page  omitted  in  Patent.) 

As  may  be  seen  from  the  records  the  main  part  of  the  townsite  passed  to 
the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company.  This  company  was  related  by  a  some- 
w'hat  complicated  series  of  transactions  with  the  Prosser  Falls  Land  Company 
and  the  Fidelity  Trust  Company.  It  is  beyond  the  scope  of  this  work  to  go 
into  the  details  of  these  many  transfers,  but  the  articles  of  incorporation  of  the 
Prosser  Falls  Land  Company  of  1892  and  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany of  1893  contain  matter  of  much  interest,  and  we  include  them  here.         ' 

W'm.  V.  Prosser  and  Flora  T.  Prosser, 
his  wife.  Grantors, 


George  B.  Haves,  Trustee, 

Grantee. 

Agreement. 

Dated  the  16th  day  of  March.  1893. 
Filed  for  record  the  27th  day  of  March, 
1893,  at  9:30  a.  m. 
(  Recorded  in  Book  "Q"  Deeds,  page  49. 

Amount,  $20,000. 
Sell  and  Convey. 
WiLLLX.M    F.    Prosser,  [Seal] 

Flor.\  T.  Prosser,  [Seal] 

Geo.  B.  Haves,  Trustee.  [Seal] 

Witnesses :     John  D.  Cornett. 
Frank  Bartholet. 
Witnesses  to  signature  of  Geo.  B.  Hayes,  Trustee. 

Charles  A.  Murray. 
N.  C.  Richards. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY  815 

Acknowledged  the   16th  day  of  March,   1893.     By  WilHani  F.  Prosser  and 
Flora  T.  Prosser,  husband  and  wife. 
Before  J.  D.  Cornett,  Notary  Public,  residing  at  North  Yakima,  Washington. 

[Seal] 

Description:  Lots  6-7  and  11  of  Section  2,  Township  8,  North  of  Range  24 
E.,  W.  M.  The  same  constituting  the  original  townsite  of  Prosser — save  and  ex- 
cept such  lots  as  have  been  sold  in  said  townsite  prior  to  execution  of  this  agree- 
ment: Also  save  and  except  two  acres  of  land  as  near  as  possible  conforming 
to  said  plat  of  townsite  of  Prosser,  and  including  and  surrounding  a  house  and 
barn  and  property  for  $20,000.00  of  which  $3,000.00  is  paid  on  the  execution 
and  delivery  of  this  agreement,  and  the  balance  in  two  years,  with  interest  at  6 
per  cent,  per  annum. 

It  Is  Further  Agreed  .\nd  Understood,  That  upon  the  payment  to  lirst 
parties  of  60  per  cent,  of  the  selling  price  of  any  of  said  lots,  then  first  party  will 
make  and  deliver  a  good  and  sufficient  deed  to  second  party  and  that  the  afore- 
said 60  per  cent,  of  the  selling  price  shall  be  a  pro  rata  payment  on  the  whole 
purchase  price,  and  second  party  agrees  to  pay  all  taxes  which  may  become  due 
on  said  premises. 

I  Hereby  Certify,  That  all  taxes  levied  and  which  have  become  a  lien  on 
the  within  described  property  have  been  fully  paid  and  discharged. 

March  27th,  1893.  G.  O.  NIevin. 

Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company, 
a  Corporation, 

Grantors, 
to 
Fidelity  Trust  Company,  a  Corpora- 
tion, 

Grantees. 

Mortgage. 

Dated  the  1st  day  of  July,  1893. 
Filed  for  record  the  30th  day  of  Septem- 
ber, 1893,  at  11:45  a.  m. 
Recorded  in   Book   "L"   of   Mortgages, 
page  129. 
Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  [Corp.  Seal] 

By  James   G.   VanMarter,   Jr.,    President. 
Attest:     Wm.  B.  Dudley,  Secretary. 
Fidelity  Trust  Company,  [Corp.   Seal] 

By  T.  B.  Wallace,  President. 
Attest :  P.  C.  Kauft'man,  Cashier. 
Witnesses :     Geo.  B.  Hayes. 
Fred  R.  Reed. 
J.  B.  Best. 
Frank  Williams. 

Acknowledged  the  29th  day  of  September,  1893.     By  James  G.  VanMarter,. 


S16  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Jr.,  President  and  William  B.  Dudley.  Secretary-  of  the  Proiser  Falls  Irrigation 
Company, 

[Seal]         Before  Frank  C.  Reed,  Notary-  Public,  within  and  for  the  state  of 
Washington,  residing  at  Prosser,  Wash. 

Acknowledged  this  2Sth  day  of  September,  1893,  by  Thomas  B.  Wallace, 
President,  and  P.  C.  Kaufenan,  the  Cashier  of  the  Fidelity  Trust  Company. 

[Seal]         Before  F.  L.  DENMAX,  Notary  Public,  in  and  for  the  State  of 
Washington.  Residing  at  Tacoma,  Pierce  County-. 
State  of  Washixgtox. 
County  of  Yakima, 

I,  Tames  G.  \'anMarter,  Jr.,  being  first  duly  sworn,  depose  and  say :  That  I 
am  the  President  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company — The  mortgagor  who 
executed  the  foregoing  instnmient,  and  that  the  foregoing  instrument  of  mort- 
gage is  made  in  good  faith,  and  without  any  design  to  hinder,  delay  or  defraud 
creditors. 

JAMES  G.  VAX  MARTER,  Jr. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this  29th  day  of  September,  A.  D.,  1893. 

[Se.\l]         Before  FR_\XK  C.  REED,  Xotarv-  Public,  in  and  for  the  State 

of  Washington,  residing  at  Prosser,  Wash. 

Bonds  to  the  amount  of  SIOO.OOO.OO  issued  by  order  of  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors by  Resolution  duly  adopted,  the  issue  to  be  100  Bonds  each  in  the  principal 
stmi  of  SI, 000.00  and  made  payable  10  years  after  date  bearing  interest  at  6  per 
cent,  per  annum,  payable  semi-annually. 

Form  of  Bond  and  coupons  embodied  in  this  mortgage,  and  to  secure  the 
pa\-ment  of  said  bonds  and  interest,  the  President  and  Secretary  of  this  Com- 
pany are  authorized  and  directed  to  sign,  seal  and  acknowledge  and  deliver  for 
the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  and  in  its  name  place  and  stead,  a  mort- 
gage in  all  its  property-  real  and  personal,  bearing  date  of  July  1st,  1893,  to  the 
Fideht}-  Trust  Company  in  trust  for  the  protection  of  the  holders  of  said  bonds. 

XOW  THIS  IXDEXTURE  WTTXESSETH:  That  in  pursuance  of  the 
Resolution  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  as 
in  the  preamble  set  forth,  and  in  consideration  of  the  premises,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  of  the  pa\-ment  of  the  Bonds  by  said  Resolution  authorized,  and 
for  the  sum  of  SI  .00. 

Description :  The  water  rights,  in  and  to  the  Yakima  River  now  owned  and 
controlled  by  said  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  together  with  all  the  rights 
in  and  to  the  said  river,  hereinafter  acquired  by  said  Irrigation  Company,  whether 
now  existing  or  hereafter  acquired  by  virtue  of  an  original  appropriation,  con- 
tract or  otherwise. 

Also  all  the  real  estate,  and  all  the  interests  therein  now  owned  by  said  Irri- 
gation Company,  being  situate  in  said  Yakima  County. 

Together  with  all  real  estate,  and  all  interests  therein  hereafter  acquired, 
through  contracts  now  made  or  hereafter  to  be  executed  by  said  Company,  for 
the  purpose  of  acquiring  title,  or  interests  in  real  estate  in  said  Count}-,  and  all 


I'AM    AXii    FALLS   AT   PEOSSEE 
jn'ti:iiis   risains;   in   the   foreground 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  817 

real  estate  in  said  County,  and  all  interest  therein,  and  all  improvements  there- 
upon, in  any  and  every  manner  acquired; 

Also  the  main  irrigation  ditch  of  said  Company,  as  the  same  shall  be  con- 
structed by  it  in  said  Yakima  County  and  all  branch  ditches  auxiliary  to  said 
main  ditch  hereafter  to  be  constructed,  with  the  gates  and  measuring  boxes,  and 
other  arrangements,  or  devices,  through  which  delivery  of  water,  shall  be  made 
by  said  Company;  Also  the  engines  and  pumping  plant  and  dams,  reservoirs, 
head  works,  flumes  and  all  manner  of  improvements,  devices  and  machinery  of 
every  kind  and  description  now  in  place  or  hereafter  to  be  constructed,  by  said 
Company,  in  pursuance  of  the  purposes  of  its  incorporation. 

WILLIAM  F.  PROSSER  and  FLORA 
T.  PROSSER.  his  wife, 

Grantors, 

TO 

GEORGE  HESSELMAN, 

Grantee. 

Warranty  Deed. 

Dated  the  20th  day  of  April,  1895. 
Filed  for  record  the  31st  day  of  Jan- 
uary, 1896,  at  9:45  a.  m. 
Recorded  in  Book  "U"  Deeds,  page 

298. 
Amount  $8,689.00. 

Grant,  Bargain,  Sell,  Convey  and  Con- 
firm. 
Witnesses :     Ira  P.  Englehart. 

NiRA    D.    BURNHAM. 

WILLIAM   F.   PROSSER,  [Seal] 

FLORA  T.  PROSSER,  [Seal] 

Acknowledged  the  26th  day  of  April,  1895.  By  William  F.  Prosser  and  Flora 
T.  Prosser,  his  wife. 

[Seal]  Before  IRA  P.  ENGLEHART,  Notary  Public.  North  Yakima, 
Washington. 

Description:  Lots  6-7  and  11  in  Section  2,  Township  8,  North  of  Range  24 
East.  The  same  constituting  the  original  Townsite  of  Prosser  as  duly  platted  and 
recorded.  Saving  and  except  such  lots  as  have  been  conveyed  and  sold  in  said 
Townsite,  towit : — 

Lots  14-15  and  16,  in  Block  2;  Lots  4,  13-14-15  and  16  in  Block  3;  Lots  5-6- 
7-8-9-10-11  and  12,  in  Block  8;  Lots  1-2  and  3  in  Block  9;  Lots  1-2-3-4  and  West 
Yz  of  Lots  5  and  12,  and  Lots  13-14  and  15  in  Block  12;  Lot  15  in  Block  23 ;  Lots 
9-10-13-14-15  and  16  in  Block  24;  Lot  15  in  Block  26;  Lots  23  and  24,  in  Block 
43;  Lots  2-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-21-22-23  and  24,  in  Block  44;  Lots  8-9  and  10  in 
Block  45:  Lots  1  and  2  in  Block  63;  Lots  1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16- 
17-18-19-20-22  and  24  in  Block  64;  Lots  12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19  and  20  in  Block 
65 ;  Lots  6-7  and  8,  in  Block  85 ;  Lots  2-3-4  and  5  in  Block  84 ; 

Also  saving  and  excepting  2  acres  of  land  as  near  as  possible  conforming  to 

(52) 


818  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

the  aforesaid  plat  of  Townsite  and  incl,uding  and  surrounding  a  certain  house 
and  barn  thereon,  the  property  of  the  said  parties  of  the  first  part  herein. 

Except  taxes  since  March  16,  1893. 

FIDELITY  TRUST  COMPANY, 

TO 

PROSSER  FALLS  IRRIGATION  CO. 

Resignation  of  Trustee. 
Dated   Nov.  26th,   1896. 
Filed  Feb.,   1897  at  9  a.  m. 
Rec.   Vol.   "P"   Mtges.   page  210. 

Whereas  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Co.,  organized  and  existing  under 
the  laws  of  Washington  did  on  the  1st  day  of  July,  1893  make,  execute  and 
deliver  a  mortgage  of  its  corporate  property  and  franchises  to  the  Fidelity 
Trust  Co.,  a  corporation  organized  and  existing  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of 
Washington  and  having  its  principal  place  of  business  in  Tacoma,  County  of 
Pierce,  Wn.,  in  trust  to  secure  the  payment  of  an  issue  of  $100,000.00  of  bonds, 
as  by  reference  to  said  mortgage  duly  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Auditor  of 
Yakima  County,  Washington,  on  June  30th,  1893,  in  Vol.  L  Mortgages  at  page 
129,  will  more  fully  and  at  large  appear,  and  whereas  said  mortgage  did  con- 
tain among  other  things  the  following  article.  Article  XIII.  The  present  or 
any  trustee  under  this  indenture  may  resign  and  discharge  itself  or  himself  of 
the  trust  hereby  created  Ijy  notice  in  writing  to  the  Irrigation  Company,  and  to 
any  other  existing  trustee  or  trustees,  sixty  days  before  such  resignation  shall 
take  elifect  or  by  such  shorter  notice  as  the  Company  and  such  other  trustee 
and  trustees  shall  accept  as  adequate  and  upon  due  and  proper  accounting  in 
respect  to  the  trust  in  the  event  of  such  resignation  or  of  the  neglect,  refusal  or 
incapacity  of  the  Trustee  to  act  the  Company  shall  have  full  power  and  author- 
ity to  and  will  nominate  and  appoint  a  new  trustee  or  trustees,  such  nomination 
and  appointment  to  be  made  by  instrument  in  writing,  to  be  executed,  acknowl- 
edged and  recorded  in  the  same  manner  as  this  indenture. 

But  if  the  Company  shall  be  in  default  or  the  performance  of  any  act  re- 
quired hereby  or  if  the  Company  for  any  reason  shall  fail  to  appoint  such  a 
successor  within  60  days  after  such  vacancy  shall  occur  the  power  of  appoint- 
ment shall  be  vested  with  a  majority  in  value  of  the  Bond  Holders  who  by 
instrument  or  instruments  in  waiting  over  their  hands  and  seals  executed,  ac- 
knowledged, recorded  in  the  same  manner  as  this  indenture  may  make  such  ap- 
pointment, or  if  such  method  of  appointment  shall  prove  to  be  impracticable, 
application  may  be  made  to  any  Court  of  competent  jurisdiction  by  the  holders 
of  one-fifth  of  the  said  bonds  outstanding  for  the  appointment  of  a  new  trus- 
tee, and 

Whereas,  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Co.  has  requested  the  "Fidelity  Trust 
Co.,"  to  resign  the  trust  imposed  upon  and  accepted  by  the  Fidelity  Trust  Co.  in 
and  by  said  mortgage.  The  Fidelity  Trust  Co.  has  elected  to  resign  and  dis- 
charge itself  of  the  trust  thereby  created. 

Now  therefore  notice  is  hereby  given  to  the  said  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation 
Co.  and  to  all  other  persons  to  whom  this  may  come  or  concern,  that  the  said 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  819 

Fidelity  Trust  Company  does  hereby  resign  and  discharge  itself  of  all  trust 
created  by  said  mortgage  or  deed  of  trust  and  imposed  by  it  upon  the  said 
Fidelity  Trust  Company. 

In  Witness  Whereof  the  said  Fidelity  Trust  Company  has  in  duplicate 
hereunto  caused  its  corporate  seal  to  be  affixed  and  its  corporate  name  to  be 
subscribed  by  its  President  this  20th  day  of  November,  1896. 

FIDELITY  TRUST  COMPANY, 

By  T.  B.  Wallace,  President. 
Witnesses:     S.   D.   Craig. 

G.  C.  Kauffman. 

Acknowledged  Nov.  20th,  1896  by  T.  B.  Wallace,  President  of  the  Fidelity 
Trust  Company  before  S.  D.  Craig,  Notary  Public  in  and  for  the  State  of 
Washington,  residing  at  Tacoma.      [Seal] 

PROSSER  FALLS  IRRIGATION  COMPANY, 

TO 

W.  B.  KxYpBLE. 

Appointment  of  Trustee. 
Dated  Nov.  28th,  1896. 
Filed  Feb.  4th,  1897  at  9 

a.  m. 

Rec.  "P"  Mtges.  page  212. 

This  Indenture  witnesseth  that  whereas  on  July   1st,   1893,   Prosser  Falls 

Irrigation   Company  executed  to  the   Fidelity  Trust   Co.   as   Trustee,   a   certain 

mortgage  or  trust  deed  to  secure  an  issue  of  bonds  made  by  the  said  Prosser 

Falls  Irrigation  Co. 

And  Whereas  the  said  Fidelity  Trust  Co.  did  on  the  20th  day  of  Nov. 
1896,  resign  said  Trust  by  notice  in  writing  to  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Co., 
which  resignation  was  immediately  accepted ;  and  whereas  it  is  provided  in 
said  mortgage  that  a  majority  in  amount  of  the  Bond  Holders  may  nominate 
and  appoint  another  trustee  in  case  of  such  resignation  when  the  said  Prosser 
Falls  Irrigation  Co.  is  in  default  of  the  performance  of  any  covenants  contained 
in  said  mortgage.  And  Whereas  The  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Co.  is  in  default 
in  the  payment  of  interest  due  on  its  said  bonds. 

Now  therefore  we  hereby  nominate  and  appoint  W.  B.  Knoble  of  Prosser, 
Wash.,  as  Trustee  under  said  mortgage  subject  to  all  the  conditions  in  said 
mortgage  contained. 

Witness  our  hands  and  seals  this  28th  day  of  November,  1896. 

HENRY  SOULIER  [Seal] 

Bv  D.  D.  Calkins,  attorney  in  fact. 
MARIE  SOULIER  [Seal] 

By  D.  D.  C.JiLKiNS.  attorney  in  fact. 
B.  BALBOE  BERTONE  [Seal] 

By  D.  D.  Calkins,  attorney  in  fact. 
GEORGE  HESSELMANN     [Seal] 

By  D.  D.  Calkins,  attorney  in  fact. 


820  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Acknowledged  Jan.  29th,   1897  by  D.  D.  Calkins  the  attorney  in  fact  of 
George  Hesselmann,  Henry  Soulier,  Marie  Soulier  and  B.  Balboe  Bertone  be- 
fore J.  M.  Stout,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Yakima  County,  Washington. 
RAIMONDO  BALBO  BERTO'NIE 

TO 

D.  D.  CALKINS. 

Power  of  Attorney. 
Dated  July  29th,   1896. 
Filed  Sept.  22nd,  1896  at  9 :30  a.  m. 
Rec.  Vol.  "A"  P.  of  Atty.  page  117. 
Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  Raimondo  Balbo  Bertone,  of  Turin, 
have  made,  constituted  and  appointed  and  by  these  presents  do  make,  constitute 
and  appoint  D.  D.  Calkins  of  Prosser,  Washington,  U.  S.  A.,  my  true  and  law- 
ful attorney  for  and  in  my  name,  place  and  stead,  to  represent  me  and  do  all  acts 
and  to  exercise  all  the  powers  that  I  have  a  right  to  exercise  as  owner  of  the 
Bonds  numbered  60  to  78  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Co.,  and  particularly 
to  exercise  the  power  given  to  bond  holders  in  the  mortgage  by  the  Prosser 
F.  Ir.  Co.,  to  the  Fidelity  Trust  Co.  as  Trustee,  to  secure  its  said  bonds. 
BALBO  BERTONE  RAIMONDO, 

Via  Stampatoni,  Torenio,  Italio. 
Witnesses :     Robert  B.  H.\ndley 
Aberpbetti   Aenetio 
Acknowledged  July  29th,   1896,  by  Raimondo  Balbo   Bertone   before   Wal- 
lace S.  Jones,  Consul  General  of  the  United  States  of  America  at  Rome,  Italy. 
[Se.vl  of  Con.sul  General] 

MARIE   SOULIER   et   al 

TO 

D.   D.   CALKINS. 

Power  of  Attorney. 

Dated  August  6th,  1896. 

Filed  Sept.  22nd,  1896  at  9:30  a.  m. 

Rec.  Vol.  "A"  Power  of  Atty  page  118. 
Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  we  Marie  Soulier  and  Henrj'  Soulier 
of  Rome  have  made,  constituted  and  appointed  and  by  these  presents  do  make, 
constitute  and  appoint  D.  D.  Calkins  of  Prosser,  Wash.,  LI.  S.  A.,  my  true 
and  lawful  attorney  for  and  in  my  name  and  place  and  stead  do  represent  me 
and  to  do  all  acts  and  exercise  all  the  powers  that  I  have  a  right  to  exercise 
as  owner  of  Bonds  No.  1  to  50  inclusive  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany and  particularly  to  exercise  the  power  given  to  bond  holders  in  the  mort- 
gage by  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Co.  to  the  Fidelity  Trust  Co.  as  Trustee, 
to  secure  its  said  bonds. 

MARIE  SOULIER  NE  LADEN 

VIA  STANTENBURG  [L.S.I 

HENRY  SOULIER  [L.S.] 

Witnesses :     Ottavio  Giachettie 

OVE     RUNLFF    OtRENO 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  821 

Acknowledged  August  6th,  1896  by  Marie  Soulier  and  Henry  Soulier  be- 
fore Wallace  S.  Jones,  Consul  General  of  the  United  States  at  Rome,  Italy. 
[Seal] 

INSTRUMENT  NO.  43. 

In  the  Superior  Court  of  Yakima  County,  State  of  Washington 

W.  B.  KNOBLE,  Trustee,  Plaintiff, 

vs. 

PROSSER  FALLS   IRRIGATION',  COMPANY,  Defendants. 

EMMA  LOUISE  WOOD,  Plaintiff, 

vs. 

PROSSER     FALLS     IRRIGATION     COMPANY,     a     corporation;     THE 

FIDELITY  TRUST  COMPANY,  a  corporation,  et  al..  Defendants. 

RETURN  OF  SALE  OF  REAL  ESTATE. 

TO  THE  HONORABLE  JOHN  B.  DAVIDSON,  JUDGE  OF  THE  ABOVE 

ENTITLED  COURT: 

Comes  now  Ira  P.  Englehart,  receiver  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany, and  respectfully  shows  this  Court, 

That  he  was  on  the  24th  day  of  February,  1897,  duly  appointed  receiver  of 
the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  an  insolvent  corporation,  in  the  above 
cause.  That  he  duly  qualified  as  such  receiver  and  has  ever  since  been,  and  is 
now  the  duly  qualified  and  acting  receiver  of  such  corporation. 

That  he  was  by  virtue  of  an  order  duly  made  and  entered  in  the  above 
cause,  by  the  above  Court,  February  8th,  1899,  to  said  Ira  P.  Englehart,  as  such 
receiver  of  said  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company  directed,  ordered  and  com- 
manded as  such  receiver,  to  sell  on  Saturday,  March  18,  1899,  at  the  hour  of  2 
o'clock  p.  m.  of  said  day,  at  the  front  door  of  the  Court  House  in  North  Yakima, 
County  of  Yakima,  State  of  Washington,  to  the  highest  and  best  bidder  for  cash, 
provided  said  bid  be  not  less  than  $8,000,  all  that  certain  lot  of  property,  real, 
personal  and  mixed,  as  hereinafter  more  fully  described. 

That  said  Ira  P.  Englehart  as  such  receiver,  and  pursuant  to  said  order, 
published  notice  of  said  sale  for  five  successive  weeks  in  the  Yakima  "Republic," 
a  newspaper  of  general  circulation,  published  in  the  city  of  North  Yakima, 
County  of  Yakima,  State  of  Washington,  a  copy  of  which  notice  of  sale  and 
affidavit  of  publication  is  hereto  attached,  marked  "Exhibit  A,"  and  did  on 
Saturday,  March  18,  1899,  at  the  hour  of  2  o'clock  p.  m.  of  said  day,  at  the 
front  door  of  the  Court  House  at  North  Yakima,  in  the  County  of  Yakima, 
state  of  Washington,  put  up  and  offer  all  of  the  property  hereinafter  more 
fully  described,  and  did  then  and  there  offer  the  same  for  sale  at  public  auction, 
to  the  highest  and  best  bidder  for  cash.  That  thereupon,  one  Levi  Ankeny  bid 
for  all  of  said  property  the  sum  of  $8,000,  lawful  money  of  the  United  States. 
That  no  other  person  bid  for,  or  offered  to  buy  said  property,  and  after  due 
notice  given  by  said  receiver,  the  said  property  was  then  and  there  sold  to  said 
Levi  Ankeny  for  said  sum  of  $8,000,  subject  to  the  ratification  of  the  above 
entitled  Court. 

The  property  so  sold  is  more  fully  described  as  follows,  to-wit : 

All  of  that  certain  lot  of  property,  real,  personal  and  mixed,  being  situated 
in  Yakima  County,  State  of  Washington,  more  fully  described  as  follows,  to-wit: 


822  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

All  of  lot  eight  (8)  in  Section  thirty-two  (32),  Township  nine  (9),  north 
of  Range  twenty-five  (25),  each  of  W.  M.,  containing  56  21-100  acres,  more  or 
less,  according  to  government  survey. 

All  that  part  of  the  Southeast  J4  of  the  southwest  '4  of  Section  32,  Town- 
ship 9,  north  of  Range  25,  east  W.  M.,  lying  north  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irriga- 
tion Company's  present  canal,  containing  14  50-100  acres,  except  a  strip  125  feet 
in  width  lying  north  and  south  along  the  west  side  of  said  land. 

Also  all  that  part  of  lot  7  lying  between  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany's canal  and  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  track  in  the  same  section.  Also 
75-100  acres  in  the  northwest  corner  of  southwest  '4  of  southeast  '4  of  Sec- 
tion 32,  Township  9,  north  Range  25,  east  W.  M.,  said  75-100  acres  of  land 
being  all  of  said  southwest  J4  of  southeast  J4  that  lies  under  Prosser  Falls 
Irrigation  canal. 

All  of  lot  six  (6)  and  80-100  acres  of  lot  five  (5)  more  particularly  de- 
scribed as  follows:  Beginning  at  the  southeast  corner  of  lot  five  (5),  running 
thence  125  feet  west  along  the  south  line  of  said  lot  five  (5)  ;  thence  due  north 
to  the  south  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  right  of  way;  thence  north- 
east along  said  right  of  way  to  the  dividing  line  between  lots  five  (5)  and  six 
(6) ;  thence  south  along  said  line  to  place  of  beginning.  All  in  Section  thirty- 
two  (32),  Township  nine  (9),  north  of  Range  twenty-five  (25),  east  of  W.  M. 

Lot  four  (4),  excepting  therein  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  right  of 
way,  in  Section  31,  Township  9,  North  Range  25,  east  of  W.  M. 

Also  lot  five  (5)  in  above  section,  excepting  therefrom  the  Northern  Pa- 
cific Railway  right  of  way,  and  excepting  also  17  93-100  acres,  being  a  strip 
632  feet  wide  lying  along  the  east  line  of  said  lot,  between  said  right  of  way  and 
the  Yakima  River.  Also  all  that  part  of  the  south  ^  of  southeast  54  of  Sec- 
tion 31,  Township  9,  north  of  Range  25,  east  of  W.  M.,  lying  south  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  right  of  way,  containing  53  21-100  acres.  Except- 
ing therefrom  2  33-100  acres  sold  to  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company. 

The  north  half  of  lot  No.  4,  except  the  right  of  way  of  the  Northern  Pa- 
cific Railroad :  that  part  of  lot  3  lying  north  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation 
Company's  canal,  except  the  northeast  '4  of  said  lot;  44-100  acres  situated  in 
the  northwest  comer  of  southeast  ^'4  of  northwest  '4  of  Section  six  (6),  said 
44-100  acres  being  all  the  land  in  that  forty  covered  by  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrriga- 
tion  canal ;  also  a  right  of  way  60  feet  wide,  being  30  feet  on  each  side  of  the 
center  line  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company's  canal  through  lots  3.  5 
and  the  southeast  ^4  of  the  northwest  J4  of  Section  6,  all  of  said  lands  above 
described  being  in  Section  6,  Township  8,  north  of  Range  25,  east  of  W.  M. 
Reserving  a  strip  15  feet  wide  on  either  side  of  the  middle,  east  and  west  line 
running  through  lot  4  and  half  way  through  lot  3. 

Lots  five  (5),  six  (6),  seven  (7)  and  eight  (8).  in  Section  ten  (10),  Town- 
ship eight  (8),  north  of  Range  24,  east  of  W.  M.,  containing  156  acres,  more 
or  less ;  which  said  land  has  been  platted  and  laid  out  as  "The  Fruitvale  ten  acre 
tracts,"  and  of  which  lots  one  (1),  eight  (8),  nine  (9),  ten  (10),  eleven  (11), 
twelve  (12)  and  thirteen  (13)  thereof  have  been  sold  and  are  hereby  excepted 
from  said  sale  and  are  not  included  in  this  conveyance. 

Lots  numbered  one    (1),  two    (2),  three    (3),  four    (4),  five   (5),  twenty- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  '  823 

three  (23)  and  twenty-four  (24)  according  to  the  plat  of  "E.  F.  Benson's 
Orchard  Tracts,"  as  the  same  appears  of  record  in  the  office  of  the  County 
Auditor  of  Yakima  County,  Washington,  containing  ninety-two  and  98-100 
(92  98-100)  acres,  more  or  less,  according  to  the  U.  S.  government  survey;  said 
tracts  comprising  all  the  east  half  (east  }i)  of  the  east  J4  of  Section  nine  (9), 
Township  eight  (8),  north  of  Range  twenty-four  (24)  east  of  W.  M.,  which 
lies  south  of  the  Yakima  River,  excepting  the  right  of  way  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  across  said  tract ;  said  right  of  way  being  400  feet  in  width. 

All  of  lot  seven  (7)  in  Section  eight  (8),  Township  eight  (8),  north  of 
Range  twenty-four  (24)  east  of  W.  M.,  except  eight  and  51-100  (8  51-100) 
acres  lying  and  being  in  the  northeast  corner  of  said  lot  7,  and  more  particularly 
described  as  follows :  Beginning  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  southeast 
quarter  (S.  E.  54)  of  the  southeast  quarter  (S.  E.  ^)  of  Section  eight  (8),  and 
running  323  feet  west ;  thence  north  to  the  Yakima  River ;  thence  along  the 
Yakima  River  in  a  northeasterly  direction  to  the  dividing  line  between  lots  7 
and  8,  Section  8;  thence  south  along  said  dividing  line  to  place  of  beginning. 
The  west  half  (W.  j^)  of  the  northeast  quarter  (N.  E.  }4)  of  the  southeast 
quarter  (S.  E.  ^4)  and  the  northeast  quarter  (N.  E.  j4)  of  the  southwest  quarter 
(S.  W.  J4)  of  Section  twelve  (12),  Township  eight  (8),  north  of  Range  twenty- 
three  (23)  east  of  W.  M. 

Lot  live  (5)  and  all  of  lot  six  (6),  excepting  a  strip  from  the  north  end 
quarter  posts  to  river,  being  295  feet  from  quarter  posts  to  river  on  east  end 
and  195  feet  from  quarter  post  to  river  on  west  end ;  also  a  right  of  way  for 
road  30  feet  wide  on  each  end  of  reserved  land  to  river.  All  situate  in  Sec- 
tion eight,  Township  eight  (8),  North  of  Range  24  east  of  W.  M.,  containing 
sixty-three   and   71-100   acres    more   or    less,   including   railroad    right    of    way. 

Lots  eleven  (11),  twelve  (12),  thirteen  (13),  and  fourteen  (14),  of  E.  F. 
Benson's  Orchard  Tracts,  according  to  the  official  plat  thereof  of  record  in  the 
office  of  the  County  Auditor  of  Yakima  County,  State  of  Washington. 

Lot  19,  Benson's  Orchard  Tracts,  and  containing  thirty-three  and  4-100 
acres,  more  or  less. 

All  of  said  lands  aggregating  eight  hundred  and  three  and  ninety-seven 
hundredths   (803  97-100)  acres,  more  or  less. 

Also  all  the  right,  title  and  interest  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany in  Section  one  .(1),  Township  eight  (8),  north  of  Range  24  east  of  W.  M. 

Also  all  water  rights  in  the  waters  of  the  Yakima  River,  now  owned,  held 
or  claimed  by  said  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  by  appropriation,  con- 
tract, deed  or  otherwise. 

Also  that  tract  or  parcel  of  land  lying  between  Grant  Avenue,  Tenth  Street 
and  the  Yakima  River,  in  the  town  of  Prosser,  County  of  Yakima,  State  of 
Washington,  according  to  the  plat  thereof  filed  in  the  office  of  the  County 
Auditor  of  said  county,  and  being  in  Section  two  (2),  Township  8,  North  Range 
24  East,  and  being  the  north  half  of  Block  212  town  of  Prosser,  Yakima  County, 
Washington.  Also  all  of  lot  three  (3)  in  block  nought  (0)  ;  also  so  much  of 
lot  fourteen  (14)  in  block  nought  (0)  in  said  town  according  to  said  plat,  as 
lies  in  said  Section  two  (2). 

Together  with  one  pump  house,  two  duplex  pumps,  two  water  turbines  used 


824  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

for  running  said  pumps,  2,800  feet  of  riveted  pipe  connected  with  said  pumping 
plant  and  all  machinery  and  buildings  now  being  located  on  said  tracts  or 
parcels  of  land;  also  600  feet  of  fluming,  with  head  gates,  pen  stock  and  head 
works;  said  flume  running  from  the  falls  to  said  pump  house;  also  right  of 
way  for  said  f^ume.  Together  with  the  land  on  which  the  same  are  situate, 
and  all  rights  of  way  now  owned,  claimed  or  held  by  said  Prosser  Falls  Irri- 
gation Company,  and  used  by  it  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  and  operating 
any  of  its  canals,  or  pipe  lines  used  for  the  conveyance  of  water  in  said  irriga- 
tion system,  whether  held  by  deed,  contract  or  otherwise. 

Together  with  all  and  singular  the  tenements,  hereditaments,  and  appur- 
tenances thereunto  belonging,  or  in  anywise  appertaining,  and  the  reversion  and 
reversions,  remainder  and  remainders,  rents,  issues  and  profits  thereof. 

IRA  P.  ENGLEHART, 
Receiver  of  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company. 
STATE  OF  WASHINGTON,  COUNTY  OF  YAKIMA,  ss: 

Ira  P.  Englehart,  being  first  duly  sworn  on  oath,  deposes  and  says :  I  am 
the  duly  qualified  appointed,  qualified  and  acting  receiver  of  the  Prosser  Falls 
Irrigation  Company,  an  insolvent  corporation.  That  I  have  read  and  know  the 
contents  of  the  foregoing  return  of  sale,  and  the  same  is  true  as  I  verily  believe. 

IRA  P.  ENGLEHART. 
Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this  20th  day  of  March,   1899. 
(Seal)  W.  P.  GUTHRIE, 

Notary  Public  for  State  of  Washington, 

Residing  at  North  Yakima,  Washington. 

INSTRUMENT  NO.  44. 

IN  THE  SUPERIOR    COURT    OF    YAKIMA    COUNTY,    STATE    OF 

WASHINGTON. 

W.  B.  KNOBLE,  Trustee,  Plaintiff, 

vs. 

PROSSER  FALLS  IRRIGATION!  COMPANY,  Defendants. 

EMMA  LOUISE  WOOD,  Plaintiff. 

vs. 

PROSSER     FALLS     IRRIGATION     CO'IMPANY,     a     corporation;     THE 

FIDELITY  TRUST  COMPANY,  a  corporation,  at  al..  Defendants. 

ORDER  OF  CONFIRMATION. 
This  court  having  by  an  order  duly  made  and  entered  in  the  above  entitled 
cause,  dated  February  8,  1898,  commanding  Ira  P.  Englehart,  the  duly  qualified 
and  acting  receiver  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  an  insolvent  cor- 
poration as  such  receiver  to  sell  at  public  auction  on  the  18th  day  of  March, 
1899,  at  the  Court  House  in  North  Yakima,  Yakima  County,  State  of  Wash- 
ington, certain  property,  real,  personal,  and  mixed  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irriga- 
tion Company,  then  being  in  the  custody  and  control  of  such  receiver  for  this 
Court,  and  said  receiver  having  this  day  filed  his  return  of  sale  showing  that 
pursuant  to  said  order  he  gave  proper  notice  that  he  would  sell  at  public  auction 
as  such  receiver  on  the  18th  day  of  March,  1899,  at  the  hour  of  2  o'clock  p.  m. 
of  said  day,  at  the  front  door  of  the  Court  House  in  the  city  of  North  Yakima, 
State  of  Washington,  said  property,  by  publishing  for  five  successive  weeks  in 


HIGH    SCHOOL,    PROSSER 


^  ^     -^-<^S^. 


IVEHVIEW"    SCHOOL,   PROSSEI 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  825 

the  Yakima  "Republic,"  a  newspaper  of  general  circulation  published  at  North 
Yakima,  Yakima  County,  State  of  Washington,  a  notice  of  said  sale.  That  at 
the  time  appointed  by  the  order  of  said  court,  said  Ira  P.  Englehart,  as  such 
receiver,  did  sell  the  property,  real,  personal  and  mixed,  hereinafter  more  fully  de- 
scribed to  one  Levi  Ankeny  for  the  sum  of  $8,000,  lawful  money  of  the  United 
States. 

That  said  Levi  Ankeny  was  the  only  bidder  and  the  only  person  who  has 
offered  to  purchase  said  property.  And  it  satisfactorily  appearing  to  this  court 
by  the  return  of  sale  of  said  property,  filed  herein  by  said  Ira  P.  Englehart, 
Receiver,  and  by  oral  testimony  taken  this  day,  that  all  of  said  facts  are  true, 
and  it  satisfactorily  appearing  to  this  court  by  reason  of  said  return  of  sale 
and  said  oral  testimony  taken  this  day  that  said  sale  was  conducted  in  the  man- 
ner at  the  place  and  by  the  person  by  this  court  commanded  to  make  the  same, 
and  that  due  notice  was  given  of  the  same  "as  provided  by  the  order  of  this  court 
and  that  said  sale  was  properly  and  fairly  conducted  by  said  receiver  represent- 
ing this  court.  And  Jones  &  Guthrie,  attorneys  for  W.  B.  Knoble,  trustee  in 
the  above  entitled  cause,  and  for  George  Hesselmann,  one  of  the  creditors  and 
bondholders  having  this  day  in  open  court  consented  to  said  sale  being  ratified, 
approved  and  confirmed,  and  no  objections  having  been  made  by  any  one  of  the 
confirmation  of  said  sale  and  it  satisfactorily  appearing  to  this  court  that  said 
sale  should  be  confirmed. 

Now,  therefore,  it  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  aforesaid  sale  be  and  the  same 
is  hereby  confirmed,  ratified  and  approved,  and  said  receiver  is  hereby  author- 
ized to  convey  to  said  purchaser,  Levi  Ankeny.  the  following  described  property, 
real,  personal  and  mixed,  lying  and  being  in  the  County  of  Yakima,  State  of 
Washington,  and  more  fully  described  as  follows,  to-wit : 

All  rights  of  way  now  owned,  claimed  or  held  by  the  Prosser  Falls  Irriga- 
tion Company  and  used  by  it  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  and  operating  anv 
of  its  canals,  or  pipe  lines  used  for  the  conveyance  of  water  in  said  irrigatron 
system,  whether  held  by  deed,  contract  or  otherwise. 

Also  all  the  right,  title  and  interest  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany in  Section  1,  Township  8,  Nl.  R.  24,  E.  W.  M.  Also  all  water  rights  in 
the  waters  of  the  Yakima  River  now  owned,  held  or  controlled  by  said  Prosser 
Falls  Irrigation  Co.  by  appropriation,  contract,  deed  or  otherwise  (and  other 
lands). 

Together  with  all  and  singular  the  tenements,  hereditaments  and  appurten- 
ances thereunto  belonging  or  in  any  wise  appertaining,  and  the  reversion  and 
reversions,  remainder  and  remainders,  rents,  issues  and  profits  thereof  (and 
other  personal  property). 

And  upon  receiving  from  said  purchaser,  Levi  Ankeny,  the  sum  of  $8,000, 
lawful  money  of  the  United  States  the  said  Ira  P.  Englehart,  receiver,  is  hereby 
authorized  to  make,  execute  and  deliver  to  said  Levi  Ankeny  a  deed  of  said 
property  in  the  usual  form. 

Dated  this  22nd  day  of  March,  1899. 

JOHN  B.  DAVIDSON,  Judge. 

Filed  March  28,  1899. 

Recorded  in  Volume  "H,"  Superior  Court  Journal,  page  197. 


826  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

INSTRU.MENT  NO.  45. 

IN    THE    SUPERIOR    COURT    OF    YAKIMA    COUNTY,    STATE    OF 
WASHINGTON. 

W.  B.  Knoble,  Trustee,  Plaintiff,  vs.  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  De- 
fendant ;  Emma  Louise  Wood,  Plaintiff,  vs.  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany, a  corporation.  The  Fidelity  Trust  Company,  a  corporation,  at  al., 
Defendants. 

STIPULATION:  It  is  hereby  agreed  and  stipulated  by  Jones  &  Guthrie, 
attorneys  for  the  above  named  W^  B.  Knoble,  Trustee,  and  Whitson  and  Parker, 
attorneys  for  the  above  named  Emma  Louise  Wood,  and  Ira  P.  Englehart,  Re- 
ceiver, in  said  cause,  that  said  Ira  P.  Englehart  be  discharged  from  any  further 
duties  as  such  Receiver ;  that  said  receivership  be  closed,  and  that  necessary 
orders  to  said  end  be  made  and  entered  by  the  above  Court  therein. 
JONES  &  GUTHRIE, 

Attorneys  ror  W.  B.  Knoble,  Trustee. 
WHITSON  &  PARKER, 

Attorneys  for  Emma  Louise  Wood. 
IRA  P.  ENGLEHART, 

Receiver  and  Attorney  pro  se. 

INSTRUMENT  NO.  46. 
IN    THE    SUPERIOR    COURT    OF    YAKIMA    COUNTY,    STATE    OF 

WASHINGTON. 
W.  B.   Knoble,  Trustee,  Plaintiff',  vs.   Prosser  Falls   Irrigation   Company,   De- 
fendant ;  Emma  Louise  Wood,  Plaintiff,  vs.  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany, a  corporation,  the  Fidelity  Trust  Company,  a  corporation,  et.  al..  De- 
fendants. 

ORDER  DISCHARGING  RECEIVER.  A  written  stipulation  signed  by 
Jones  &  Guthrie,  attorneys  in  the  above  cause  for  W.  B.  Knoble,  Trustee ;  Whit- 
son &  Parker,  attorneys  for  Emma  Louise  Wood,  and  Ira  P.  Englehart,  Receiver 
in  the  above  cause,  that  said  Ira  P.  Englehart,  Receiver,  be  discharged,  having 
been  duly  presented  to  this  Court ;  and  it  satisfactorily  appearing  to  this  Court 
that  the  duties  of  said  Receiver  are  at  an  end,  and  that  said  Receiver  should  be 
discharged  in  said  cause. 

It  is  therefore  ordered,  that  said  Ira  P.  Englehart,  Receiver  in  the  above 
cause  be,  and  he  is  hereby  discharged  from  any  duties  as  such  Receiver,  and  said 
Receivership  is  hereby  closed  and  settled. 

It  is  further  ordered  that  all  acts  done  and  performed  by  said  Ira  P.  Engle- 
hart, Receiver,  including  the  expending  and  disbursing  of  moneys  by  him  as 
such  Receiver  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby  ratified,  confirmed  and  approved. 

It  is  further  ordered  that  the  bondsmen  of  said  Receiver  be,  and  they  are 
hereby  released  from  any  further  liabilities  as  such  bondsmen  and  they  are 
hereby  discharged. 

JOHN  B.  DAVIDSON,  Judge. 
Dated  January  10,  1901. 
Filed  April  26.  1901. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  ;  827 

INSTRUMENT  No.  47. 

IRA    P.    ENGLEHART,    Receiver   of   the    Prosser    Falls    Irrigation    Company, 
Grantors, 

to 
LEVI  ANKENY,  Grantee. 

DEED.    "Dated  the  22nd  day  of  March,   1899.     Filed  for  record  the  23rd  day 

of  March,  1899,  at  2:50  p.  m.    Recorded  in  Book  "Z"  of  Deeds,  page  517. 

Amount,  $8,000.00.     Granting  words  G.  B.  S.  and  C. 

(Signed)  IRA  P.  ENGLEHART, 

(Seal.)  Receiver  of  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company. 

Witnesses — W.  C.  Steinweg,  O.  A.  Fletcher. 

Acknowledged  the  22nd  day  of  March,  1899.  by  Ira  P.  Englehart,  Receiver 
of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company. 

(Seal)  Before 'O.  A.  FECHTER,  Notary  Public. 

Yakima,  Washington. 

(I.  R.  S.  $8.00) 

Description — Whereas,  Ira  P.  Englehart  was  on  the  24th  day  of  February. 
1897,  by  the  Superior  Court  of  the  State  of  Washington  duly  appointed  and 
made  Receiver  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  "  "  said  order  is 
recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Superior  Court  of  said  County  and 
State  in  Journal  "G,"  page  98.  And  said  Ira  P.  Englehart  duly  qualified  as 
such  Receiver,  and  ever  since  has  been  and  now  is  such  Receiver. 

AND  WHEREAS  said  Ira  P.  Englehart  as  such  receiver  has  been  duly 
ordered  by  said  court  to  sell  by  public  auction  the  real  estate,  water  rights, 
canals,  flumes,  pipe  lines,  machinery  and  other  property  real,  personal  and  mixed 
of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company,  a  corporation  as  hereinafter  more 
fully  described,  by  an  order  of  said  court  dated  and  entered  in  said  court  on 
the  8th  day  of  February,  1899. 

AND  WHEREAS  said  Ira  P.  Englehart  as  such  receiver  did  on  the  18th 
day  of  March,  1899,  sell  all  the  property  hereinafter  described  to  said  Levi 
Ankeny  for  $8,000  to  him  in  hand  paid. 

AND  WHEREAS  said  sale  was  thereafter  and  on  the  22nd  day  of  March, 
1899,  duly  approved,  ratified  and  confirmed  by  the  Superior  Court  of  the  State 
of  Washington,  for  the  County  of  Yakima,  and  said  receiver  was  then  and  there 
ordered  to  properly  make,  execute  and  deliver  a  proper  conveyance  of  deed 
thereto  to  said  Levi  Ankeny ;  said  order  is  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk 
of  said  Court  in  Journal  "H,"  page  197. 

The  following  described  property,  real,  personal  and  mixed,  situate  and 
being  in  the  County  of  Yakima,  State  of  Washington,  to-wit : 

All  rights  of  way  now  owned,  claimed  or  held  by  the  Prosser  Falls  Irriga- 
tion Company  and  used  by  it  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  and  operating 
any  of  its  canals,  or  pipe  lines  used  for  the  conveyance  of  water  in  said  irriga- 
tion system,  whether  held  by  deed,  contract  or  otherwise. 

Also  all  the  right,  title  and  interest  of  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Com- 
pany in  Sec.  1,  Twp.  8,  N.  R.  24  E.  W.  M.  Also  all  water  rights  in  the  waters 
of  the  Yakima  River  now  owned,  held  or  controlled  by  said  Prosser  Falls  Irri- 


828  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

gation   Company  by   appropriation,  contract,   deed   or   otherwise    (and   all   other 
lands). 

Together  with  all  and  singular  the  tenements,  hereditaments  and  appur- 
tenances thereunto  belonging  or  in  any  wise  appertaining,  and  the  reversion 
and  reversions,  remainder  and  remainders,  rents,  issues  and  profits  thereof  (and 
other  personal  property). 


INSTRUMENT  No.  48. 

LEVI  ANKENY  AND  JENNIE  NESMITH  ANKENY,  his  wife, 

to 

PROSSER  FALLS  IRRIGATION  CO]\IPANY. 

QUIT  CLAIM  DEED.     Dated  the   13th  day  of  June,   189<;).     Filed   for  record 

the  27th   day   of  June,    1899,  at    12  m.     Recorded   in   Book   "I"   of  Deeds, 

page  270.     Amount,  Sl.OO.     Granting  words:  G.   B.  R.   S.   C.  and  C.  and 

forever  Q.  C. 

(Signed) 

JENNIE  NESMITH  ANKENY, 
LEVI  ANKENY. 

Witnesses — A.  R.  Burford,  J.   E.  Thompson. 

Acknowledged  the  26th  day  of  June,  1899,  by  Levi  .\nkeny  and  Jennie 
Nesmith  Ankeny. 

(Seal)  Before  A.   R.   BURFORD,   N.   P., 

Residing  at  Walla  Walla,  Wash. 

Description — All  rights  of  way  now  owned,  claimed  or  held  by  the  Prosser 
Falls  Irrigation  Company  and  used  by  it  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  and 
operating  any  of  its  canals,  or  pipe  lines  used  for  the  conveyance  of  water  in 
said   irrigation   system,   whether   held   by   deed,   contract   or   otherwise. 

Also  all  the  right,  title  and  interest  heretofore  owned  by  the  Prosser  Falls 
Irrigation  Company  in  Sec.  1,  Twp.  8,  N.  R.  E.  W.  M.  Also  all  water  rights 
in  the  waters  of  the  Yakima  River  heretofore  owned,  held  or  controlled  by 
said  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company  by  appropriation,  contract,  deed  or  other- 
wise (and  other  lands). 

Together  with  all  and  singular  the  tenements,  hereditaments  and  api)ur- 
tenances  thereunto  belonging  or  in  any  wise  appertaining,  and  the  reversion 
and  reversions,  remainder  and  remainders,  rents,  issues  and  profits  thereof  (and 
other  personal  property). 

KNOW  ALL  MEN  BY  THESE  PRESENTS,  That  the  undersigned, 
Levi  Ankeny,  E.  F.  Benson  and  Edward  Whitson,  all  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  and  residents  of  the  State  of  Washington,  have  associated  themselves 
together  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  corporation  under  the  laws  of  said  state, 
and  do  hereby  adopt  and  certify  the  following  articles  of  incorporation: 

ARTICLE  I. 

The  name  of  this  corporation  is  the  Prosser  Falls  Land  &  Irrigation 
Company. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  829 

ARTICLE  II. 
The  objects  for  which  this  corporation  is  formed  are  as  follows: 

1.  To  purchase,  acquire,  maintain  and  operate  that  certain  pumping  plant 
located  at  Prosser,  in  Yakima  County,  Washington,  heretofore  known  as  the 
Prosser  Falls  Pumping  Plant,  together  with  the  pumps,  pumping  station,  pipe 
lines,  canals,  laterals,  water  rights,  ditches,  appropriations,  and  everything  be- 
longing or  in  anywise  appertaining  thereto. 

2.  To  buy,  sell  and  deal  in  lands  and  water  rights  in  the  County  of 
•Yakima,  and  to  acquire  among  other  lands,  those  certain  lands  heretofore  pur- 
chased by  Levi  Ankeny  at  receiver's  sale  of  the  property  of  the  Prosser  Falls 
Irrigation  Company,  and  to  issue  bonds  to  pay  the  purchase  price  thereof,  or 
borrow  money  to  pay  for  said  lands,  and  to  mortgage  all  or  any  of  the  property 
of  said  Company  to  secure  the  payment  of  said  bonds,  and  to  own,  sell,  improve, 
irrigate  and  cultivate  said  lands. 

3.  To  furnish  and  supply  water  for  irrigation  and  domestic  purposes  upon 
the  lands  owned  by  said  corporation,  and  to  charge  and  receive  tolls  and  rentals 
for  the  use  of  water  upon  such  of  said  lands  as  said  corporation  may  dispose  of. 

4.  To  sell  and  convey  water  rights  for  the  irrigation  of  such  lands  as  this 
company  may  convey  to  purchasers,  and  thereafter  to  charge  and  receive  rental 
for  supplying  said  lands  with  water. 

5.  To  develop  the  water  power  of  Prosser  Falls,  to  sell  or  lease  water 
rights,  water  privileges  and  power  for  manufacturing  purposes,  and  for  that 
purpose  to  take,  appropriate  and  use  the  water  of  the  Yakima  River  at  or  near 
the  town  of  Prosser,  to  make  appropriations  and  diversions  of  water,  and  to 
acquire  water  rights  and  water  privileges  in  the  waters  of  said  river. 

6.  To  build,  maintain  and  operate  water  works  for  the  purpose  of  supply- 
ing the  town  of  Prosser  and  its  inhabitants  with  water  for  fire,  irrigation  and 
domestic  purposes,  and  to  build,  maintain  and  operate  an  electric  light  plant 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  town  of  Prosser  and  its  inhabitants  with 
electric  lights,  and  take  and  receive  from  said  town  franchises,  privileges  and 
agreements  for  those  purposes. 

7.  Generally,  to  buy,  sell,  own  and  improve  real  estate  within  the  County 
of  Yakima,  and  to  own  and  acquire  by  purchase  or  otherwise  water  rights,  and 
water  power:  to  construct,  maintain  and  own  irrigating  ditches,  canals  and 
reservoirs,  or  to  acquire  the  same  by  purchase  or  otherwise. 

ARTICLE  IIL 

The  amount  of  the  capital  stock  of  this  corporation  is  hereby  fixed  at 
fifty  thousand. 

ARTICLE  V. 

The  number  of  trustees  of  this  corporation  is  hereby  fi.xed  at  three,  and 
the  names  of  those  who  shall  manage  the  concerns  of  said  company  until  the 
first  Monday  in  September,  1899,  are  Levi  Ankeny,  E.  F.  Benson  and  Edward 
Whitson. 


830  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

ARTICLE  VI. 

The  principal  place  of  business  of  said  corporation  shall  be  at  North  Yakima, 
in  Yakima  Connty,  State  of  Washington. 

IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  they  have  hereunto  subscribed  their  names 
in  triplicate  this  4th  day  of  April,  1899. 

Executed  in  the  presence  of : 

B.  L.  SHARPSTEIX,  LEVI  ANKENY, 

FRED  PARKER.  E.  F.  BENSON, 

EDWARD   WHITSON. 

STATE   OF   WASHINGTON,   COUNTY   OF   YAKIMA,   ss: 

On  the  4th  day  of  April,  1899,  personally  appeared  before  me,  the  under- 
signed, a  Notary  Public  in  and  for  said  county  and  state,  E.  F.  Benson  and 
Edward  Whitson,  to  me  known  to  be  the  identical  persons  described  in  and 
who  executed  the  foregoing  articles  of  incorporation,  who  severally  acknowl- 
edged to  me  that  they  executed  the  same  freely  and  voluntarily,  for  the  uses 
and  purposes  therein  mentioned. 

WITNESS  my  hand  and  official  seal  the  day  and  year  in  this  certificate 
first  above  written. 

(Seal.)  FRED  PARKER,  Notary  Public, 

Residing  at  North  Yakima,  Wash. 

L'pon  the  operation  of  these  companies  much  of  the  development  of  the 
town  depended.  Nelson  Rich  established  a  mercantile  business  in  1883.  The 
usual  little  cluster  of  dwellings  and  shops  and  saloons  followed.  There  was 
slow  growth,  however,  till  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company  undertook  a 
series  of  improvements,  consisting  of  the  installation  of  a  pumping  system  with 
a  view  of  irrigating  the  land  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  and  to  providing  an 
electric  lighting  system.  The  completion  of  these  improvements  was  marked 
by  a  celebration  on  April  16,  1894.  That  was  one  of  the  big  days  in  the  early 
history  of  the  town.  A  number  of  distinguished  men  were  present,  including 
Colonel  Prosser,  W.  L.  Jones.  W.  D.  Tyler,  G.  L.  Homes,  D.  E.  Lesh,  E.  F. 
Benson,  Dr.  N.  F.  Essig,  and  others,  both  resident  and  non-resident. 

The  town  took  a  leap  forward  as  a  result  of  these  improvements.  The  first 
newspaper,  the  "Prosser  Falls  American",  came  into  existence  at  that  time.  The 
first  bank.  First  National,  was  organized,  and  several  new  stores  followed.  Mr. 
E.  W.  R.  Taylor,  a  genuine  product  of  Yakima,  the  son  of  George  S.  Taylor, 
first  settler  in  the  Selah  district  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  came  to  Prosser  in 
1889.  Within  a  few  years  the  Prosser  Falls  Land  &  Power  Company,  of  which 
he  was  head,  put  in  the  dam  at  the  falls  and  constructed  the  flouring-mill.  one 
of  the  most  important  features  of  the  community. 

In  spite  of  the  hopeful  outlook  at  that  time  for  the  town  and  adjoining 
country,  the  hard  times  seriously  hampered  operations.  As  seen  in  the  legal 
records  given,  the  Prosser  Falls  Irrigation  Company  became  involved  in  diffi- 
culties as  the  sequence,  and  finally  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  D.  D. 
Calkins,  Ira  P.  Englehart  being  afterwards  appointed  to  that  post  in  1897  hy  the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  831 

Superior  Court,  John  B.  Davidson,  judge.  On  April  4,  1899,  a  new  corporation, 
known  as  the  Prosser  Falls  Land  &  Irrigation  Company,  composed  of  Levi 
Ankeny,  E.  F.  Benson  and  Edward  Whitson,  acquired  the  property  of  the  irriga- 
tion company. 

With  this  organization  Mr.  Benson  became  a  leading  figure  for  a  number 
of  years  in  all  the  business  enterprises  of  Prosser.  It  was  but  one  among  many 
enterprises  to  which  Mr.  Benson,  now  commissioner  of  agriculture  of  the  state, 
applied  his  great  business  ability  and  energy.  Mr.  Benson  continued  the  man- 
agement of  the  system  till  1911,  when  the  city  of  Prosser  acquired  water  rights 
from  the  Sunnyside  Canal,  conveying  the  water  by  a  pipe  line  ten  miles  long, 
carried  across  the  river  under  pressure  by  an  aqueduct.  .Vt  the  time  of  inaugura- 
tion of  the  pipe  line  the  irrigation  company  sold  its  pumping  plant  to  the  Pacific 
Power  &  Light  Company  and  retired  from  the  field. 

MUNICIPAL  GOVERNMENT   IN   PROSSER. 

On  February  11,  1899,  an  election  was  held  to  determine  the  question  of 
incorporation.  The  population  was  small,  but  ambitious,  and  by  a  vote  of  forty 
to  eighteen,  incorporation  was  adopted.  Result  of  election  of  councilmen  was 
the  choice  of  J.  W.  Whiting,  G.  W.  Anderson,  Joseph  Ponti,  Fred  Brandt,  and 
C.  H.  Denley.  E.  W.  R.  Taylor  became  mayor  and  C.  A.  Jenson  became  treas- 
urer. J.  W.  Whiting  was  appointed  clerk  pro  tem.  The  first  ordinance  of  the 
city  was  passed  by  the  council  on  March  20,  1899.  On  May  1,  John  A.  Viles 
became  clerk  for  the  term.  From  that  time  on  the  mayors  and  clerks  have  been 
the  following:  1901,  mayor,  H.  W.  Creason ;  clerk,  C.  M.  Powell;  1902,  mayor, 
E.  W.  R.  Taylor ;  clerk,  H.  M.  Powell ;  1904,  mayor,  E.  W.  R.  Taylor :  clerk, 
B.  E.  McGregor ;  1905,  the  same,  though  Mr.  Taylor  resigned  and  was  succeeded 
by  A.  G.  McNeill ;  1906,  mayor,  E.  W.  R.  Taylor ;  clerk,  J.  W.  Callicotte ;  1908, 
mayor,  Albert  Smith;  clerk,  Lon  Boyle  (that  year  of  1908  was  marked  by  the 
passage  of  an  ordinance  granting  a  franchise  for  the  Benton  Independent  Tele- 
phone Company,  of  which  Harry  Miles  was  president)  ;  1909,  mayor,  Albert 
Smith ;  clerk,  Lon  Boyle ;  1910,  mayor,  E.  W.  R.  Taylor ;  clerk,  E.  A.  Coffman, 
followed  by  E.  A.  Wise;  1911,  mayor,  William  Guernsey;  clerk,  E.  A.  Wise; 
1912,  the  same;  1913,  mayor,  C.  G.  Baker;  clerk,  E.  A.  Wise;  1914,  the  same; 
1916,  mayor.  Dr.  A.  de  Y.  Green;  clerk,  James  G.  Boyle;  1917,  mayor,  Ivan 
Macy;  clerk,  James  G.  Boyle;  at  the  last  election,  held  December  3,  1918,  the 
complete  list  of  city  officials  was  as  follows :  Mayor,  A.  G.  McNeill ;  treasurer, 
W.  S.  Jenkins:  clerk,  B.  F.  Rupert;  attorney,  B.  E.  McGregor;  councilmen,  B. 
E.  Lawrence,  E.  W.  Fry,  J.  W.  Whiting.  R.  W.  Moore,  B.  P.  Sampson,  and 
Robert  Weber.     Guy  H.  Pearl  is  the  hold-over  councilman. 

COMMERCIAL   CLUB   OF   PROSSER 

This  vital  necessity  of  a  live  town  has  been  realized  at  Prosser  in  full 
measure.  The  moving  factor  in  its  first  organization  was  E.  F.  Benson  in  about 
1905.  Gen.  Thomas  H.  Cavanaugh  was  the  first  president.  L.  L.  Lynn,  now 
secretary  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Walla  Walla,  was  secretary  of  the  Prosser 
Club  for  some  time. 


832  HISTORY  OF  YAKIJNIA  VALLEY 

During  a  considerable  time  in  the  years  from  about  1906  to  1914  the  club 
maintained  a  weekly  luncheon,  at  which  addresses  were  usually  given  by  visitors 
or  by  some  one  of  the  home  members  upon  some  specialty  with  which  he  was 
familiar.  That  period,  varying  somewhat  according  to  local  conditions,  was  a 
peculiar  one  in  the  history  of  commercial  organizations  in  Washington  and 
Oregon,  and  indeed  all  over  the  Pacific  Coast.  It  was  a  period  of  systematic 
publicity  and  regular  organized  effort  to  secure  the  attention  of  prospective  set- 
tlers from  the  older  states  and  to  promote  local  improvements  and  intelligent 
cooperation  in  all  lines  of  enterprise.  That  was  the  period  in  which  Tom 
Richardson  and  C.  C.  Chapman,  of  Portland,  organized  and  conducted  the  most 
enthusiastic  cainpaigns  ever  known  in  that  city.  The  waves  of  interest  spread 
to  the  other  large  cities  of  the  Northwest.  The  smaller  towns  felt  the  impulse. 
Thousands  of  dollars  were  expended  in  publicity  campaigns  and  in  promoting 
all  forms  of  inviting  incoming  capitalists  to  invest  in  newly  launched  under- 
takings. While  in  the  nature  of  the  case  mistakes  were  made  and  some  disap- 
pointments were  occasioned,  that  era  of  commercial  evangelism  was  a  truly  great 
time.     Far  more  good  than  injury  was  accomplished. 

It  was  not  possible  to  maintain  a  movement  of  that  kind  at  high  pitch  all  the 
time.  Commercial  revivifying,  like  religious,  finds  its  equilibrium,  and  a  period 
of  crusading  is  bound  to  subside  into  a  more  commonplace  type  of  life.  Thus 
it  proved  with  that  period  of  publicity  and  awakening  headed  by  the  commercial 
clubs  during  nearly  a  decade  beginning  in  1905  or  1906. 

The  small  towns,  like  Prosser,  followed  the  saine  general  course  as  the  large 
ones.  The  wave  of  enthusiasm  had  begun  to  subside  to  a  degree  before  the  Great 
War.  That  stupendous  event  so  engrossed  the  attention  of  all  minds  that, 
throughout  the  four  appalling  years  of  its  continuance,  little  heed  was  given  to 
ordinary  interests.  Hlence  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  that  the  Commercial  Club 
of  Prosser,  like  the  clubs  of  other  towns,  went  somewhat  under  a  cloud.  It  has 
been  revived  and  reorganized  during  the  year  past,  and  now  appears  under  the 
name  of  the  Prosser  Community  Club.  The  ofilicers  of  the  new  club  are  these : 
President,  E.  W.  F.  Taylor ;  first  vice-president,  E.  R.  Wells :  second  vice- 
president,  T.  J.  Stockdale ;  treasurer,  A.  S.  Douglass ;  secretary,  W.  E.  Tyler. 
During  the  period  of  special  activity,  the  Commercial  Club  of  Prosser 
fostered  many  of  the  enterprises  upon  which  the  material  life  of  the  community 
depended.  It  was  the  active  agent  in  securing  the  municipal  ownership  of  the 
pipe  line  from  the  Sunnyside  Canal,  an  improvement  which  has  well  nigh 
recreated  the  town.  It  maintained  an  annual  corn  and  hog  show,  which  has 
attracted  favorable  attention  from  many  directions.  Through  its  efl^orts  the 
raising  of  corn  has  been  made  a  specialty  in  the  farming  region  tributary,  and 
no  doubt  more  prizes  for  corn  raising  have  been  taken  by  Prosser  people  at  the 
corn  shows  than  by  any  other  section  in  the  Northwest. 

Fine  stock  has  been  made  a  specialty  in  the  Prosser  region  through  the 
active  efforts  of  the  Commercial  Club.  One  special  example  of  its  activity  in 
the  vital  interests  of  the  community  is  exhibited  by  the  fact  that  in  1914,  when 
pear  blight  threatened  to  devastate  the  orchards,  the  Commercial  Club  organized 
a  regular  army  of  defense  among  the  men  of  the  town  to  fight  the  pest.  They 
got  out  at  4  A.  M. — twentv  men  or  more  each  morning  for  some  time — armed 


CARXfXilK    LIBKAKV, 


STKEL  BKIDGE  AND  SYPHON,  PliUS.SER 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIjMA  VALLEY  833 

with  saws  and  pruning  knives,  and  made  a  regular  scientific  attack   upon  the 
foe,  resulting  in  his  complete  discomfiture. 

SOME   INTERESTING  RECORDS   FROM   THE   NEWSPAPERS   OF   PROSSER. 

Turning  to  the  records  of  events  in  the  press  of  the  town  we  find  a  series 
of  items  that  cannot  fail  to  entertain  and  instruct  our  readers.     From  the  "Bul- 
letin" of  June  22,  1905,  we  clip  two  items  of  importance  in  the  town  of  that 
period. 
"Prosser  Bulletin",  June  22,  1905. 

A  MACHINE  SHOP  FOR  THIS  TOWN. 

Prosser  is  to  have  a  first  class  machine  shop,  an  institution  that  is  badly 
needed,  and  one  that  cannot  be  equalled  between  Spokane  and  Seattle.  The 
machinery  for  it  arrived  Monday,  along  with  the  new  generator  of  the  Prosser 
Falls  Land  &  Power  Company,  notice  of  which  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  issue. 
The  machine  shop  is  to  be  run  by  that  concern  and,  in  addition  to  doing  its  work, 
will  also  be  at  the  service  of  the  general  public.  Heretofore,  any  person  having 
work  of  this  character  to  be  done  had  to  send  to  Spokane,  Walla  Walla  or 
Seattle,  which  caused  long  and  vexatious  delays,  to  say  nothing  of  the  added 
expense.  The  machine  shop  will  at  once  be  installed  in  a  room  built  for  it  at 
the  power  house  and  will  probably  be  in  operation  by  the  first  of  July. 

The  machinery  consists  of  a  lathe  with  a  10-foot  bed  and  21-inch  swing, 
which  is  twice  as  large  as  any  lathe  in  North  Yakima ;  a  16-inch  press  drill ;  a 
large  shaper  for  planing  and  shaping  iron,  emery  wheels  and  everything  needed 
to  work  iron.  The  company  also  expects  to  secure  the  services  of  a  practical 
foundryman  and  moulder  and  thus  be  able  to  take  care  of  machine  work  of  any 
character. 

This  is  an  industry  which  the  people  of  Prosser  and  vicinity  should  appreci- 
ate. It  is  one  that  could  not  be  supplied  at  this  time  by  anyone  but  the  com- 
pany that  is  putting  it  in  and,  while  it  will  probably  not  pay  expenses  for  some 
time  .to  come,  this  city  and  vicinity  will  have  the  full  benefit  of  such  an  establish- 
ment. 

THE  GENER.\TOR   HERE 

The  big  generator  for  the  new  electric  light  and  power  plant  of  the  Prosser 
Falls  Land  &  Power  Company  arrived  here  Monday  and  is  now  being  installed 
by  Mr.  Hirt  of  the  General  Electric  Company,  sent  here  for  that  purpose.  It 
is  a  200  kilowatt  machine,  capable  of  producing  4,000  electric  lights,  and  is  the 
best  generator  on  the  market.  It  will  be  in  operation,  barring  any  accidents, 
before  the  Fourth  of  July.  A  60-inch  Sampson  Leffel  water  wheel  to  run  the 
new  generator  has  been  ordered,  but  will  not  arrive  until  about  the  middle  of 
July.  Until  it  comes  the  generator  will  be  operated  by  one  of  the  present  wheels 
of  the  company. 

It  will  require  350  horse  power  to  run  the  generator  at  its  full  capacity, 

and  with  a  50  per  cent  overload,  which  it  is  designed  to  carry,  500  horse  power 

must  be  developed.     But  the  company  is  not  going  to  depend  on  this  wheel  alone 

to  run  its  plant.     It  is  now  installing  a  complete  steam  plant ;  capable  of  operat- 

(53) 


834  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

ing  the  electric  light  plant,  the  high  pressure  water  pump,  the  machine  shop  and 
cold  storage  plant.  The  new  water  wheel  will  do  the  same  and  the  present 
wheels  have  a  like  capacity,  so  it  will  be  seen  that  the  entire  plant  will  have 
three  sources  of  power. 

The  Fourth  of  July  of  that  year  seems  to  have  been  a  "big  time".  The 
account  given  in  the  "Bulletin"  of  July  6th,  1905,  is  very  entertaining  and  we  give 
it  here. 

CELEBRATION    A    GRAND    SUCCESS 

The  big  Fourth  of  July  and  Benton  County  celebration  is  over  and.  without 
any  exaggeration  whatever,  it  was  the  biggest  thing  of  the  kind  ever  attempted 
in  this  portion  of  the  state.  The  weather  was  perfect  although  a  trifle  warm, 
the  several  thousand  strangers  in  attendance  were  all  well  taken  care  of,  were 
perfectly  satisfied  with  the  entertainment  ofifered  and  it  was  a  big  advertisement 
'  for  Benton  County  and  its  seat  of  government.  Great  credit  is  due  to  Chief  J. 
E.  jNIerwin  of  the  fire  department  and  his  various  committees  for  the  splendid 
arrangement  of  their  part  of  the  celebration,  and  credit  is  also  due  to  Chairman 
D.  M.  Angus  of  the  Benton  County  committee,  to  E.  B.  Williamson,  chairman 
of  the  Commercial  Club  committee,  to  provide  quarters  for  the  invited  guests, 
and  in  fact  to  everybody  who  had  any  work  to  do  in  connection  with  the  af¥air. 
All  did  their  work  promptly  and  well,  with  the  result  that  there  was  no  hit^h 
anywhere  and  Prosser  "made  good"  on  everything  promised  the  public. 

The  celebration  really  began  at  10:57  Monday  night,  when  the  train  arrived 
from  the  west  bearing  Governor  Albert  E.  Mead,  Hon.  B.  S.  Grosscup  and  wife, 
State  Land  Commissioner  E.  W.  Ross,  a  lot  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Xorth 
Yakima  and  many  other  visitors. 

Several  hundred  citizens  gathered  at  the  station  to  greet  the  governor  and 
his  party.  The  Prosser  band  furnished  music,  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic was  on  hand,  each  member  bearing  a  shotgun  to  fire  a  salute  in  honor  of  the 
governor,  the  streets  were  ablaze  with  colored  lights  and,  escorted  by  the  Grand 
Army  and  a  large  delegation  of  citizens,  the  governor,  in  a  carriage  with  Hon. 
Nelson  Rich,  was  driven  to  that  gentleman's  home,  where  he  was  entertained 
during  his  stay  in  the  city.  The  other  visitors  were  escorted  to  the  Commercial 
Club  rooms,  where  a  committee  assigned  them  rooms,  the  citizens  generally 
throwing  open  their  homes  to  entertain  them,  and  by  midnight  the  guests  were 
provided  with  quarters. 

The  morning  of  the  Fourth  dawned  bright  and  fair,  with  no  wind,  the  cele- 
bration being  inaugurated  by  firing  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  at  sunrise. 
By  9  o'clock  all  the  main  streets  of  the  city  were  packed  with  the  large  crowd  to 
witness  the  parade  and  hear  the  speaking.  Every  business  house  was  profusely 
decorated  with  bunting  and  the  national  colors,  while  the  firemen  had  decorated 
the  streets  with  hundreds  of  yards  of  bunting  in  streamers,  the  whole  making 
a  pretty  efifect.  The  balloon  ascension  was  the  only  hitch  in  the  proceedings. 
The  first  ascension  was  to  be  at  9  a.  m.,  from  Finn's  park,  but  Professor  Brooks, 
the  aeronaut  engaged  for  the  occasion,  had  sent  an  incompetent  stibstitute,  and 
he  was  unable  to  get  the  balloon  inflated.  There  was  no  ascension  in  the  morn- 
ing in  consequence.     One  was  attempted  in  the  evening,  but  it  was  a   failure. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  '  835 

The  aerial  "artist"  got  the  balloon  partly  inflated,  went  up  probabl_v  a  couple 
of  hundred  feet  and  immediately  descended,  the  balloon  being  unable  to  sus- 
tain his  weight.  When  it  was  freed  it  ascended  almost  as  high  as  the  crest  of 
the  Horse  Heaven  hill  collapsed  and  dropped  to  the  ground,  the  grand  "ascen- 
sion" proving  to  be  a  fluke.  This  was  no  fault,  however,  of  the  committee.  It 
had  engaged  a  competent  man  and  it  was  no  fault  of  the  management  that  they 
were  sent  an  inexperienced  substitute. 

The  parade,  under  the  direction  of  Sheriff  McNeill,  grand  marshal  of  the 
day,  assisted  by  A.  J.  Grosscup,  Elmer  Bernard  and  E.  Campbell,  formed  on 
time  at  the  Opera  House.  It  was  led  by  the  grand  marshal,  followed  by  a  car- 
riage, gaily  decorated,  containing  Governor  Mead,  Hon.  B.  S.  Grosscup,  Auditor 
F.  H.  Gloyd  and  E.  L.  Boardman.  Next  came  the  Kennewick  band,  followed  in 
order  by  the  fire  department  and  the  Liberty  car  in  the  first  division.  On  the 
hook  and  ladder  wagon,  sitting  on  a  platform.  Miss  Efifie  Rogers,  dressed  in  red, 
represented  the  fire  fighters,  while  Miss  Mabel  Chisholm  was  the  Goddess  of 
Liberty,  the  car  also  containing  a  young  lady  dressed  in  white  for  each  state  of 
the  union.  The  next  division  contained  the  "Si  Plunk  Band"  being  members  of 
the  Prosser  Band  dressed  in  fantastic  costume,  the  floats  of  the  business  men 
and  cariages  of  citizens,  the  whole  constituting  an  imposing  spectacle.  The 
line  of  march  as  published  was  covered,  thousands  witnessing  the  parade,  which 
disbanded  in  front  of  the  Prosser  Hotel  to  hear  the  speaking.  Among  the  floats 
the  following  are  worthy  of  mention : 

M.  D.  Baker  &  Co.,  representation  of  an  elephant  with  "Nancy",  a  pet  dog, 
fantastically  dressed  in  the  national  colors,  sitting  on  its  back. 

The  St.  Paul  &  Tacoma  Lumber  Company,  fine  representation  of  a  giraffe. 

Nessly  &  Meyer,  a  representation  of  a  Riverdale  ten-acre  orchard  tract. 

Wm.   Guernsey,  a  representation  of  a  bed  chamber,  completely  furnished. 

A.  W.  Hinkle,  a  complete  harness  and  saddlery  shop. 

The  Citizens'  State  Bank,  a  handsomely  decorated  cart  containing  two  little 
girls.     The  sign  was  made  of  $20  bills,  200  of  them  being  used  in  its  construction. 

The  Prosser  Falls  Land  &  Power  Company,  a  representation  of  the  mayor 
signing  an  electric  franchise. 

The  Prosser  Record,  a  reproduction  of  the  heading  of  the  paper. 

Frank  Burgoyne,  the  plumber,  had  a  neat  float  representing  a  bath  room. 

A    FLOW    OF   ORATORY. 

At  the  speaking,  the  hotel  balcony  being  used  as  the  stand,  Auditor  F.  H. 
Gloyd  presided  and  made  a  most  appropriate  address  of  welcome,  also  briefly 
reviewing  the  three  fights  in  the  legislature  for  the  county  division.  He  was 
listened  to  with  close  attention  and  frequently  interrupted  by  hearty  applause. 
At  the  conclusion  of  his  remarks  he  introduced  the  Hon.  B.  S.  Grosscup  of 
Tacoma,  at  whose  suggestion  the  county  was  named  Benton,  for  the  late  Thomas 
Hart  Benton,  the  great  Missouri  statesman,  who  saved  this  entire  Northwest 
Territory  to  the  Union.  Mr.  Grosscup  spoke  as  a  taxpayer  of  Benton  County 
in  which  he  owns  more  property,  he  said,  than  anywhere  else.  As  has  been 
before  mentioned  in  these  columns,  he  is  heavily  interested  in  a  ranch  of  several 


836  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

thousand  acres  in  the  Horn  precinct  on  the  lower  Yakima,  which  will  shortly 
have  more  irrigated  land  under  cultivation  than  any  other  farm  in  the  state. 
His  speech  was  partially  devoted  to  a  review  of  the  public  services  of  Senator 
Benton,  which  proved  to  be  very  interesting  to  the  residents  of  Benton  County. 
Mr.  Grosscup  was  proud,  he  said,  to  be  interested  in  this  county,  which  has  a 
magnificent  future  before  it  and  is  destined  to  become  one  of  the  richest  counties 
in  the  entire  northwest.  He  cautioned  economy  in  the  administration  of  its 
affairs,  made  a  masterly  speech  throughout,  which  "The  Bulletin"  will  endeavor 
to  publish  in  full  next  week. 

Hon.  Lee  A.  Johnson  of  Sunnyside,  representative  of  Yakima  County,  was 
the  next  speaker.  Hte  had  made  no  preparation  whatever,  but  nevertheless  made 
a  speech  that  was  full  of  thought,  which  breathed  patriotism  and  good  govern- 
ment in  every  line  and  which  was  a  fine  oratorical  effort  as  well.  It  was  Mr. 
Johnson's  duty  to  "give  the  bride  away",  as  it  were,  on  behalf  of  Yakima  County, 
which  he  did  very  handsomely,  wishing  the  new  county  of  Benton  Godspeed, 
speaking  of  its  marvelous  resources  and  great  future,  complimenting  its  people 
and  the  beautiful  and  rapidly  growing  city  of  Prosser.  There  was  humor  as 
well  as  meat  in  Mr.  Johnson's  speech  when  he  referred  to  the  fact  that  this 
county  has  been  called  "Johnson's  bob-tailed  county."  He  was  proud  to  have 
been  able  to  help  create  it  and,  while  it  did  not  get  all  the  territory  to  which  it 
thought  it  was  entitled,  still  the  child  did  not  get  of  its  parents  everything  it 
wants,  but  usually  got  as  much  as  was  good  for  it.  The  parent  county,  said  "Sir. 
Johnson,  would  be  good  to  this  young  infant,  would  exercise  a  fostering  care 
of  it,  give  it  advice  and  assistance  in  every  way  and,  in  return  it  could  do  no  bet- 
ter than  to  emulate  Yakima  County  in  its  government  and  in  other  ways.  The 
speech  was  an  unusually  happy  effort  and  added  much  to  the  occasion. 

The  governor  was  the  next  and  last  speaker  and  on  being  introduced  was 
tendered  an  ovation.     He  said,  in  part: 

"I  shall  remember  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  the  fact  that,  as  governor 
of  this  state,  I  was  given  the  honor  of  appending  my  signature  to  a  document 
which  set  in  motion  the  wheels  of  your  county  government  and  brought  into 
existence  the  37th  county  of  this  progressive  commonwealth. 

"In  asking  and  receiving  what  might  be  considered  a  county  charter,  you 
have  acted  in  obedience  to  the  inherent  desire  of  not  only  every  American 
citizen,  but  of  every  human  being  who  knows  something  of  civilization  and  of 
organized  government,  to  have  and  enjoy  to  the  fullest  the  benefits  of  local  self- 
government,  or  what  is  popularly  known  as  home  rule. 

"Realizing  that  in  some  localities  of  our  country  the  administration  of  civil 
affairs  is  perverted  by  the  venality,  unfaithfulness  and  dishonesty  of  once  trusted 
public  servants  and  public  officials,  in  your  capacity  as  founders  and  fathers  of 
a  new  community  an  opportunity  is  given  you  to  set  an  example  for  the  other 
communities  of  this  state  and  throughout  the  country  of  civic  righteousness  and 
a  clean  and  pure  administration  of  your  local  affairs. 

"We  dare  not  trust  our  imaginations  in  forecasting  the  great  future  that  is 
yours  as  the  result  of  the  development  and  maintenance  of  the  mighty  irriga- 
tion system  that  will  be  created  in  this  community  and  in  other  portions  of 
eastern  Washington  under  the  guiding  hand  of  the  Federal  Government. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  x  837 

"You  will  demonstrate  that  this  fair  land  was  not  doomed  to  be  the  habita- 
tion of  silence  and  desolation ;  you  will  prove  that  the  waters  of  this  great 
stream  were  not  intended  to  roll  on  in  sullen  silence  to  the  Pacific,  but  that  they 
were  intended  by  a  beneficent  providence  to  be  utilized,  harnessed,  managed  and 
controlled  so  that  these  plains  should  teem  with  the  life  and  activity  of  a  proud, 
industrious,  well-to-do,  liberty-loving.  God-fearing  people. 

"The  observance  of  this  July  day  would  be  an  idle  ceremony  if  we  were 
insensible  of  our  glorious  history;  of  the  victories  of  our  armies  and  navies;  of 
the  achievements  of  our  diplomats  and  statesmen;  of  the  yielding  of  nature  to 
the  forces  of  science  discovered  and  applied  by  the  American  inventor;  of  the 
skill  of  the  American  artisan ;  of  the  industry  and  intelligence  of  the  American 
wage  earner;  of  the  zeal  of  our  institutions  and  religion;  of  the  investigation 
and  propagation  of  the  truth  in  our  institutions  of  learning;  of  the  literature 
graced  by  the  names  of  Emerson,  Longfellow,  Lowell  and  Whittier.  Why 
should  not  an  American  citizen  be  proud  of  his  country,  of  its  achievements,  of 
its  progress,  of  its  standing  before  the  nations  of  the  world? 

"True,  we  are  confronted  with  troubles  in  the  industrial  world,  aggravated 
and  intensified  in  some  localities  by  unworthy  leaders,  who  present  dangerous 
evils  in  an  attractive  light.  But  we  may  enjoy  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
in  the  final  settlement  of  all  difficulties  affecting  our  domestic  peace  and  happi- 
ness we  will  be  able  at  the  critical  moment  to  rely  on  the  plain  common  sense 
of  the  American  people  to  mete  out  in  full  and  rounded  measure  the  even-handed 
justice  the  conditions  require. 

"In  conclusion,  my  friends,  there  is  no  reason  under  the  heavens  why  the 
people  of  this  state  should  not  on  this  anniversary  day  express  that  deep  feeling 
and  patriotism  that  have  always  been  a  characteristic  of  the  American  people. 

"You  can  well  afford  to  gather  here  and  pay  your  respects  to  the  God  of 
nations,  who  has  so  kindly  and  generously  favored  this  people." 

After  paying  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Secretary  Hay,  the  gov- 
ernor concluded  by  expressing,  on  behalf  of  the  800,000  people  of  the  state  of 
Washington  to  the  people  of  Benton  County  congratulations  for  the  success  of 
this  anniversary  day,  and  for  the  interest  and  pride  they  have  shown  in  the 
future  well-being  of  the  commonwealth. 

THE    SPORTS 

The  ball  game  between  North  Yakima  and  Prosser  was  the  next  attraction, 
the  grounds  being  crowded  to  their  utmost  capacity,  the  governor  and  his  party 
being  interested  spectators.  An  account  of  the  game  is  published  elsewhere. 
After  it  was  over  the  greased  pig  was  turned  loose  on  the  grounds  and  was 
caught  and  held  by  the  Yakima  players,  which  seemed  to  be  the  only  game  at 
which  they  could  win.  And  at  that  the  pig  was  so  fat  that  it  couldn't  run  much. 
The  sports  were  held  on  Sixth  Street  after  the  ball  game.  There  were  a  large 
number  of  entries  in  every  event,  the  results  being  as  follows : 

Girls'  Race — Won  by  Miss  Bromwall,  prize  $3 :  Miss  Specker  $2,  Miss 
Ponti  $L 

Boys'  Race— Won  by  R.  Shearer,  prize  .$3.50;  F.  Mason  $2.50. 


838  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

150  Yard  Race— Won  by  R.  Shaw,  prize  $10:  S.  Parker  $5. 
Fat  jNIan's  Race — Won  by  U.  S.  Case,  of  Rattlesnake,  prize  $3. 
High  and  Broad  Jumps — Both  won  by  R.  Shaw,  prizes  $2  and  $3. 
Long  Race — Won  by  S.  Parker,  prize  $10.  Murray  $7.50,  R.  Shaw  $5. 

,\T   THE    RIVER 

A  crowd  of  over  a  thousand  people  gathered  at  the  wliarf  at  5  o'clock  to 
witness  the  aquatic  sports.  L'nfortunately,  the  "Prosser  Queen",  the  big  steam- 
boat, had  gone  up  the  river  at  2  o'clock  and  did  not  get  back,  on  account  of 
striking  a  rock,  until  after  6.  A  number  of  people  were  on  the  afternoon  tri^^ 
and  a  second  excursion  was  made  in  the  evening.  The  crowd,  however,  saw 
a  good  skif?  race  of  one  mile,  the  starters  being  Halm  and  ]\Iacumber,  rowing 
one  boat.  Huff  and  Miller  another  and  O.  Stranwold,  rowing  single.  The  latter 
of  course,  was  badly  handicapped,  but  made  a  good  race  against  two  pair  of 
oars  and  kept  even  for  about  half  the  course.  Halm  and  Macumber  won,  prize 
$7.50;  Hufif  and  Miller  $5.  There  was  an  exhibition  of  walking  a  greased  pole, 
extending  over  the  water,  that  caused  a  good  deal  of  fun.  Nelson  Rich,  Jr.,  tak- 
ing first  money,  $5,  and  Harold  Guernsey  second,' $2.50.  The  owners  of  the 
gasoline  launches  took  a  number  of  the  visitors  out  for  rides  on  the  river.  Mayor 
Taylor  entertaining  a  party  of  half  a  dozen  North  Yakima  Inisiness  men. 

FIREWORKS   AND  BALL 

The  fireworks  display  at  night  was  a  brilliant  event,  but  was  marred  by 
an  unfortunate  accident,  Arthur  Mason,  eighteen  years  old,  a  fireman  and  son 
of  J.  F.  Mason,  having  a  giant  firecracker  explode  in  his  right  hand.  His  hand 
was  badly  lacerated,  his  face  and  neck  powder  burned  and  his  side  and  leg 
bruised.  Dr.  Angus,  who  is  attending  him,  thinks  he  will  be  able  to  save  all 
the  fingers,  his  injuries  being  very  painful,  but  not  dangerous  unless  blood  poison- 
ing should  set  in.  The  ball  was  a  big  and  grand  event,  several  hundred  people 
attending,  despite  the  hot  weather.  There  was  also  a  ball  in  the  new  Kemp 
Building  on  the  north  side. 

The  ])rogress  of  the  Prosser  region  in  the  vital  matter  of  irrigation,  is 
recorded  in  the  "Pulletin"  of  July  13,  l')05: 

PROSPECTS    ARE    GOOD    FOR    GOVERNME.XT    IRRIG.XTION 

The  people  of  Prosser  and  vicinity  are  justified  in  the  belief,  "The  Bulletin" 
I)elieves.  that  the  Federal  Government  will  undertake  the  great  irrigation  project 
in  this  vicinity,  known  as  the  Ledbetter  scheme.  It  will  reclaim  150,000  acres 
beginning  a  few  miles  east  of  Prosser  and  extending  to  the  Columbia  River. 
Every  acre  of  the  land  lies  in  the  new  county  of  Benton.  It  includes  most  of 
the  57,000  acres  of  state  lands  selected  under  the  Carey  Act.  L'ntil  the  confer- 
ence at  North  Yakima  on  Wednesday  of  last  week  the  selection  of  the  state 
lands  was  standing  in  the  way  of  this  great  project.  Now.  however.  State  Land 
Commissioner  E.  W.  Ross  and  Governor  :\lead  have  agreed,  with  representatives 
of  all  the  commercial  clubs  in  the  vallev,  to  advise  the  Secretarv  of  the  Interior 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  839 

to  withhold  his  approval  of  the  state  selections  until  he  receives  a  report  from 
the  Reclamation  service. 

It  is  confidently  expected  that  that  report  will  be  to  the  effect  that  the  pro- 
posed watering  of  these  state  lands  under  the  tentative  contract  between  the  state 
and  the  Washington  Irrigation  Company  will  prevent  the  Government  from 
undertaking  the  Ledbetter  scheme.  The  way  will  be  open,  therefore,  for  the 
Government  to  proceed.  There  are  now  two  corps  of  Government  engineers, 
under  Engineers  Bliss  and  Hewitt,  making  surveys  of  this  project,  including 
measuring  the  water  in  the  river  and  securing  all  data  necessary  preliminary  to 
starting  operations.  Those  engineers  were  brought  here  about  three  weeks  ago 
by  Engineer  Noble,  chief  of  the  Reclamation  service  in  Washington.  It  is 
known  that  he  is  favorable  to  the  Ledbetter  project.  The  Government  engin- 
eers have  been  at  work  on  it  for  over  a  year.  Their  investigations  have  now 
proceeded  far  enough,  it  is  believed,  to  justify  them  in  recommending  to  the 
department  that  the  work  be  taken  up. 

The  plans  also  include  raising  the  dam  in  the  Yakima  River  at  this  point 
about  16  feet,  which  will  be  necessary  in  order  to  cover  more  land  than  the  Led- 
better Canal  contemplated  irrigating.  This  would  also  be  a  great  thing  for 
Prosser,  as  it  would  make  the  Yakima  River  navigable  for  30  miles  above  the 
town  by  allowing  boats  to  pass  over  Rocky  Ford,  about  nine  miles  above  the  city. 

The  "Bulletin"  also  believes  that,  in  connection  with  this  Ledbetter  pro- 
ject, the  Government  seriously  contemplates  purchasing  the  Sunnyside  Canal. 
Despite  the  reports  from  Washington  that  the  offer  of  its  owners  will  not  be 
considered,  it  is  known  here  that  Government  engineers  are  now  engaged  in 
making  the  closest  possible  examination  of  the  canal,  its  land  and  water  rights, 
and  they  are  liable  to  report  favorably  on  the  proposition.  If  they  do,  the 
Sunnyside  Canal  would  be  used  as  the  basis  for  the  project  under  contemplation. 
It  would  be  enlarged  to  about  four  times  its  present  size,  the  only  portion  of 
the  main  canal  that  would  be  used  as  the  basis  for  the  big  system  being  that 
from  the  intake  from  the  Yakima  to  a  point  about  Zillah,  a  distance  of  some 
17  miles.  The  main  canal  below  that  point  would  be  used  as  a  lateral,  the 
extension  of  the  17  mile  stretch  being  on  a  higher  line  than  the  present  canal. 

The  Sunnyside  Canal  is  valuable  to  the  Government  for  this  svstem  of 
irrigation  contemplated,  not  only  on  account  of  the  land  it  covers,  but  also  for 
the  water  rights  of  the  company.  It  has  rights  in  the  river  which  the  Reclama- 
tion service  has  not,  and  which  it  manifests  no  disposition  to  ignore.  The  pur- 
chase of  the  canal  would  carry  with  it  these  rights.  This  is  also  true  of  the 
Prosser  Falls  Land  &  Power  Company.  Its  rights  in  the  river  are  subsequent 
to  those  of  the  Washington  Irrigation  Company,  owner  of  the  Sunnyside  Canal, 
but  the  two  concerns  claim  more  water  than  the  river  flows  at  its  lowest  stage 
in  August.  The  appropriation  of  the  former  company  calls  for  600  cubic  feet 
per  second  of  time.  In  order  to  settle  with  it  a  proposition  has  been  made  to 
E.  F.  Benson,  its  president,  to  give  him  a  greater  head  of  water  by  raising  the 
dam  here,  when  he  would  be  satisfied,  it  is  thought,  with  about  one-third  the 
amount.  He  uses  the  water  to  irrigate  about  2,000  acres  of  land  by  pumping 
from  the  river  into  a  high  line  canal ;  also  to  generate  electricity  for  lighting  and 
power  purposes.     His  irrigating  canal,  if  the  Government  undertakes  the  Led- 


840  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

better  scheme  as  here  outHned,  would  probably  also  be  taken  over  by  the  Fed- 
eral authorities.  No  such  settlement  as  can  be  made  with  Mr.  Benson  is  pos- 
sible with  the  owners  of  the  Sunnyside  Canal,  for  the  reason  that  all  the  water 
in  the  river  to  which  it  is  entitled  is  used  for  irrigation  purposes.  As  before 
stated,  the  Government  must  respect  the  rights  of  these  two  companies. 

The  prediction  is  here  made  that  it  will  settle  with  the  Washington  Irriga- 
tion Company  by  purchasing  the  Sunnyside  Canal,  and  with  the  Sunnyside  Canal, 
and  with  the  Prosser  Falls  Land  &  Power  Company  by  raising  the  dam  at  this 
point  and  taking  over  its  irrigation  system.  With  these  two  largest  water  rights 
in  the  new  river  adjusted  it  will  not  be  a  difficult  matter  for  the  government  to 
settle  with  the  smaller  appropriators. 

From  the  facts  here  outlined,  the  conviction  is  growing  here  that  at  last, 
after  several  years  of  waiting,  the  Government  is  about  to  do  something  for 
the  Yakima  Valley  in  the  way  of  practical  irrigation.  Lentil  the  past  few  weeks, 
the  people  of  this  Valley  were  discouraged  and  doubted  whether  any  work  would 
be  done.  Now,  however,  their  hopes  are  renewed,  and,  if  "The  Bulletin"  is  not 
very  much  mistaken,  all  preliminaries  will  be  settled  during  the  present  year, 
and  next  Spring  the  Federal  Reclamation  service  will  actually  begin  construc- 
tion work  on  an  irrigation  scheme  in  the  Yakima  Valley  that  will  be  worth  mil- 
lions of  dollars  to  the  state. 

Often  times  more  historj'  of  a  town  can  be  found  in  its  advertisements  than 
in  any  other  data,  and  we  include  here  a  page  of  these  records  from  the  "Bul- 
letin" of  July  13,  1905.  Following  the  ads,  as  will  be  seen  is  a  valuable  list  of 
the  churches  and  lodges  of  that  date. 

Some  advertisements  appearing  in  "The  Bulletin",  July  13,  1905. 

B.  E.  McGregor,  dr.  d.  :\l  angus, 

City  Attorney.  Physician  and  Surgeon. 
Careful  attention  given  to  all  legal  O^ce    in    the    Angus    Drug    Corn- 
business,  pany's  new  brick  building.     Calls  an- 
Probate  and  irrigation  law  a  spec-  ^^^'^'"^^  ^ay  or  night. 


ialtv. 


DR.  R.  A.  CALKIN, 


Insurance  and  collections.  Dentist 

Contest  cases  defended.  qA^^^   -^^  ^^^j^'j.  b,^^,.^ 


( )ffice  hours  8  to  12  a.  m. :  1  to  5  p.  m. 
C.  H.  HINMAN,  p  ^Vash. 


North  Yakima,  Wash. 
Practices  before  United  States  land 


DR.  FRENCH, 


office.     Real  estate.                                              Rooms  1  and  2,  Masonic  Building. 

T,         ,  .  ,  ^           ,  , ,            .  ^                                Prosser.  Wash. 

lownship  plats    and  blue    pnnts.              ,,..,,  ,            rr       ,           ,     ■  , 
J       ,        .                                                                  \\  ill  be  at  office  day  and  night  un- 


less engaged  professionally. 


C.  C.  McCOWN,  M.  D.  DR.   H.   WELLAND   HOWARD, 

-Ml  calls  attended,  city  or  country.  Physician  and  Surgeon. 

Office  room  12,  New  Taylor  block.  Rooms  1  and  2,  Taylor  Block. 

Prosser,  ^^'ash.  Prosser,  Wash. 


St.  Mattliew's   F.piseopal  t'hurcl 
CHURCHES  OF  PROSSER 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY 


841 


S.  P.  FLOWER, 
U.    S.    Commissioner    and    Notary 
Public.      Filings    and   final    proof    on 
government  land. 

Mabton,  Wash. 

SAMUEL   H.    MASON, 
Attomey,    Justice    of    Peace    and 

Police    Magistrate.      Notary    Public, 

Real  Estate,  Insurance. 

Room    9,    Taylor    Blk.,    Prosser. 

ANDREW   BROWN, 
Lawyer. 
General  Law  Practice.     Collections 
and    Insurance.      Room     10,    Taylor 
Block. 

Prosser,  Wash. 

LEDGERWOOD    &    HARRISON, 

Attorneys   at   Law. 

Prosser,  Wash. 

HI.   DUSTIN, 

Attorney  at  Law. 

Room   3.    Masonic   Block. 

Prosser,  Wash. 


J.  W.   CALLICOTTE, 
Attorney  at  Law. 
Twenty    years    practice.      Room    3, 
Taylor  Block. 

Prosser,  Wash. 

LAURA  PALMOUIST, 

Instructor  of  Piano. 

\'ocal     and     kindergarten      music. 

Theory    and    harmony    taught    with 

piano.     Seventy-five  cents  per  lesson 

of  forty  minutes. 

STORK  CIGAR  STORE, 
A.  Wiese,  Proprietor. 
Cigars,    Tobaccos,    Smokers'    Arti- 
cles,    Choice     Confectionery,     Fruits, 
Soft   Drinks,   Ice   Cream. 

Corner   Sixth   and   Bennett, 
Prosser,  Wash. 

H.  H.  GUILD,  REAL  ESTATE, 
Room    10,   Taylor   Block. 
Horse     Heaven     and     Rattlesnake 
wheat  land.     Irrigated  lands  and  re- 
linquishments. 


Church  Societies 

christian  church 

All  Christian  Church  services  in  new  Tabernacle  opposite  I.  O.  O.  F.  Hall. 

Sunday   school   at   10  a.   m.     Services   of   worship,   sermon   and  communion   at 

11   a.  m.     Christian  Endeavor  5:30  p.  m.      Prayer  meeting  Thursday  evening. 

General  invitation  extended  to  all  services. 

M.  A.  Thompson,  Pastor. 

C.\THOLIC. 

There   will   be   services   at    the    Catholic    Church   the    last    Sunday    in   each 
month.  Father  Parodi,  North  Yakima,  officiating. 


METHODIST 


Sunday  school  at  10  a.  m. :  preaching  at  11  a.  m. :  class  meeting  at  12  m. ; 

Junior  League  at  3  p.  m. ;  Epworth  League  at  5:30  p.  m. :  preaching  at  7:30 
p.  m.     All  are  cordially  invited.  W.  C.  Smith,  Pastor. 

Residence  next  to  the  church. 


mZ  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

UNITED    PRESBYTF.RIAN 

Preaching  every  Sabbath  morning  at  Fairview  schoolliouse  in  "Horse- 
Heaven"  at  the  hour  of  10  o'clock,  followed  by  Bible  study  at  11  o'clock. 

Preaching  at  Prosser  Opera  House  every  Sunday  afternoon  at  3  :30.  Spe- 
cial music  in  the  song  service  and  praise.     A  cordial  welcome  to  all. 

J.  S.  Thompson,  Pastor. 

SECRET    SOCIETIES 

A.  F.  &  A.  M. — Euclid  Lodge  will  hold  regular  communications  on  the 
first  and  third  Saturdays  of  each  month.  Sojourning  brethern  are  welcome. 
Andrew  Carledge,  W.  M. :  G.  H.  Pearl,  Sec. 

K.  of  P. — Prosser  Lodge  No.  130.  Regular  meetings  every  Tuesday  eve- 
ning in  I.  O.  O.  F.  Hall.  P.  E.  Maddox,  C.  C. :  W.  H.  Bernard,  K.  of  R.  and 
S.     Visiting  knights  welcome. 

I.  O.  O.  F. — Prosser  Lodge  Xo.  154.  Meeting  each  Saturday  evening. 
H.  W.  Creason,  N.  G. ;  Albert  Smith,  Sec. 

I.  O.  O.  F.— Pearl  Rebekah  Lodge  Xo.  107.  Alma  Smith  X.  G. ;  Grace 
Angus,  Sec. 

Al.  W.  A. — Camp  Xo.  6100.  Meeting  each  Monday  evening.  C.  A.  War- 
ner, y.  C. :  A.  Hinkle,  Clerk. 

AI.  W.  A. — Royal  Neighbors.  Riverside  Camp  Xo.  2834.  ]ilrs.  Clara 
W'ilgus,  Oracle ;  Mrs.  Iva  Jenks,  Recorder. 

W.  O.  W. — Woodland  Echo  Circle  No.  319,  Women  of  Woodcraft.  Meet- 
ing in  new  Masonic  Hall  the  second  and  fourth  Tuesday  afternoon  in  each 
month.  Visiting  Neighbors  invited  to  attend.  Emma  Roberts,  G.  N. :  Emma 
Warnecke,  Clerk. 

G.  A.  R. — Major  John.sGn  Post  No.  114.  Meets  first  and  third  Saturdavs 
of  each  month.     Commander,  A.   F.  Jackson:  quartermaster  Charles   Perrv. 

W.  R.  C. — Major  Johnson  Auxiliary.  "Sleets  every  second  and  fourth 
Saturday  afternoon  at  2  o'clock.  Elizabeth  Perry,  President ;  Lucv  Mills,  Sec- 
retary. 

Order  of  Eagles — Prosser  Aerie  Xo.  960.  Meets  every  Friday  evening 
1.  O.  O.  F.  Hall.     Joseph  Ponti,  secretary. 

SCHOOLS.    CHURCHES    AXD    LODGES    OF    THE    PRESENT 

Preceding  pages  have  given  the  history  of  these  vitally  important  institu- 
tions in  the  town.     We  will  include  in  these  paragraphs  the  present  record. 

From  the  superintendent  of  the  Prosser  schools  we  derive  the  following 
facts  relative  to  the  schools : 

Prosser  High  School  was  founded  September  15,  1902,  under  E.  Bowler, 
superintendent.  The  present  high  school  building  was  erected  in  1907.  Pres- 
ent high  school  facult}- :  P.  A.  Wright,  superintendent :  W.  S.  Hodge,  principal : 
Caroline  Hardick,  English :  AUene  Dunn,  mathematics :  Pearl  Hutchinson,  do- 
mestic art:  Ethel  Hughes,  music:  Mrs.  Warren  Hawley,  commercial.  The 
present  directors  are  E.  A.  Wise,  chairman:  Lee  Ferguson,  clerk:  J.  Kelly  De 
Priest.  High  school  enrolhuent,  130:  grade  enrollment.  4^30:  value  of  school 
property,  $109,300. 

We  have  already  given   in   a   quotation   from   the   "Bulletin"   the   churches 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  843 

and  lodges  of  an  earlier  date.     The  lodges  have  remained  essentially  the  same. 
The  churches  and  pastors  at  present  date  are  the  following : 

Presbyterian,  W.  S.  Richie;  Christian,  Lee  Ferguson;  Methodist  Episcopal, 
T.  A.  Graham;  Episcopal,  Leonard  R.  Smith;  Baptist,  Mr.  Bale;  Catholic, 
Father  Richards. 

KIONA    .\ND   BENTON    CITY 

We  derive  from  Mrs.  W.  A.  Kelso,  the  following  data  about  the  starting 
of  the  town  of  Kiona  and  the  Kiona  schools: 

Kiona  was  a  station  made  when  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  was  built 
through,  in  1885.  William  Neil  was  section  foreman  and  his  family  was  the 
first  to  live  in  the  place.  At  that  time  Mrs.  Kelso  was  Miss  Libbie  Ketcham. 
She  taught  the  first  school  at  Kiona  in  1886  with  the  Neil  family  of  four  chil- 
dren for  pupils.  This  school  was  on  this  side  (south  side)  of  Yakima  River, 
but  a  few  years  later  the  small  schoolhouse  was  moved  across  the  river  on  ice. 
and  school  has  since  been  located  about  half  wav  between  Kiona  and  Benton 
City. 

As  the  traveler,  either  by  rail  or  road,  will  readily  discover,  there  is  a 
natural  break  between  the  Prosser  section  of  Benton  County  and  the  Columbia 
River  section.  This  is  occasioned  by  the  closing  of  the  higher  land  over  the 
Yakima  River,  leaving  a  narrow  gateway  through  which  the  river  passes  directly 
north  to  ''The  Horn,"  making  its  way  thence  southeasterly  to  the  Columbia. 
This  barrier  will  be  reclaimed  to  considerable  degree  by  the  laterals  of  the 
Sunnyside  extension,  and  thus  the  barrier  and  the  gateway  will  sometime  con- 
stitute a  scene  of  verdure  and  productiveness  connecting  the  two  sections. 

Just  at  the  point  of  the  sharp  bend  to  the  north  at  the  eastern  edge  of  the 
"Gateway"  are  the  villages  of  Kiona  and  Benton  City.  The  townsite  of  Kiona 
was  laid  out  in  1902  by  Kelso  Brothers,  formerly  of  Walla  Walla.  Mrs.  Ken- 
nedy was  also  a  part  owner  of  the  property.  The  Kelso  Brothers  have  continued 
to  conduct  the  chief  business  enterprises  to  the  present.  A  two-story  school 
building  was  erected  in  the  first  years  of  the  town's  existence,  Mrs.  H.  H. 
Nagle  and  Miss  N.  N.  Williams  being  the  first  teachers.  At  the  present  date 
a  four-year  high  school  is  maintained.  The  present  principal  is  H.  Lacey  Squibb, 
assisted  by  a  corps  of  six  teachers,  whose  names  appear  in  the  teachers'  direc- 
tory in  the  chapter  on  County  History. 

While  there  is  nothing  to  make  a  large  town  at  Kiona  the  region  aroumi 
is  one  of  great  possibilities,  and  with  the  development  of  the  irrigation  svsteni 
there  will  be  a  great  growth  insuring  a  fine  business  center. 

Benton  City  is  right  opposite  Kiona  on  the  Yakima  River  and  on  the  O.-W. 
R.  &  N.  line.  It  has  a  splendid  location  and  was  laid  out  with  great  expecta- 
tions and  ambitious  aims,  entering  the  county  seat  contest  as  already  noticed. 
It  was  founded  in  1909  by  F.  L.  Pitman,  an  engineer  on  the  railway  system. 
The  town  was  laid  out  under  the  wing  of  the  railway  company.  The  times 
were  not  propitious  for  townsite  enterprises,  and  after  the  erection  of  some 
excellent  buildings  and  the  inauguration  of  prospective  improvements  on  a  great 
scale,  the  townsite  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Spokane  and  Eastern  Trust 
Company  as  trustee.      Mr.   .S.   J.   Harrison   of   Sunnyside,   the   chief   builder   of 


844  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

that  fine  citv,  became  interested  in  Benton  City  and  organized  the  Benton 
Land  Company  for  handhng  the  townsite  and  the  adjoining  acreage.  Mr. 
Harrison  contemplated  the  creation  of  a  colonization  system  similar  to  that 
whicli  had  proved  so  successful  at  Sunnyside.  But  after  much  effort  and  well 
planned  advertising,  it  was  seen  that  the  time  was  not  yet  propitious.  The 
town  has  assumed  the  role  of  a  fine  village  and  local  center,  well  equipped  with 
schools,  church,  and  business  establishments.  Like  Kiona,  Benton  City  will 
become  a  trading  center  commensurate  with  the  growth  of  the  splendid  country 
around. 

KENNEWICK 

An  attractive  feature  of  the  cities  and  towns  through  which  we  are  passing 
in  this  journey  is  the  presence  in  them  of  character.  They  are  distinctive.  Xo 
one  seems  to  duplicate  or  imitate  others.  Something  in  the  environment  or  the 
hitorical  setting  or  the  prevailing  industry,  or  the  type  of  architecture,  imparts 
an  individuality  to  each.  All  the  way  from  Roslyn  to  Kennewick  there  is  a 
certain  local  effect  which  fixes  in  the  mind  of  the  observer  an  impression  of 
each  town  that  remains  distinct  in  memory.  And  this  air  of  distinctiveness 
exists  in  spite  of  a  general  sameness  in  external  nature  and  in  certain  regular 
features  of  construction.  As  we  look  out  of  car  windows  or  from  auto-seats, 
we  see  the  same  brown,  treeless  hills  and  sagebrush  plains  at  those  places  yet 
untouched  by  water.  And  where  the  vitalizing  streams  have  flowed  we  see  the 
green  of  the  alfalfa  or  the  snowy  cataracts  of  apple-bloom,  if  it  be  Spring,  or 
the  gold  and  crimson  of  the  perfected  fruit,  if  it  be  Autumn,  or  the  nodding 
tassels  of  the  corn,  if  it  be  the  season.  We  see  in  every  town  the  high  school 
building  on  the  most  conspicuous  eminence  that  the  topography  affords.  And 
yet  the  sameness  in  these  general  respects  does  not  defeat  the  essential  unique 
personality  of  each  place.  There  is  something  which  the  traveler  will  associate 
with  each  town  by  which  to  remember  it.  If  he  closes  his  eyes  and  says 
"Kennewick,"  the  visions  that  come  to  his  mind  first  of  all  will  no  doubt  be 
the  river  and  the  highlands  with  the  Olmstead  addition.  The  Columbia  River 
is  in  itself  an  asset  of  immeasurable  interest  and  value.  And  while  other  towns 
have  their  Highlands  and  Nob  Hills,  the  Kennewick  Highlands  are  different. 
From  the  wide  sweep  of  the  open  spaces  at  the  edge  of  tlie  Highlands  the  sight- 
seer gets  the  full  benefit  of  these  two  leading  features  of  the  topography.  .\nd 
the  river,  always  and  everywhere  grand  and  inspiring,  is  peculiarly  so  at  this 
point  of  vantage. 

For  southeasterly  from  the  Highlands  the  junction  of  the  Snake  and  the 
Columbia  lies  revealed,  one  of  the  most  significant  points  geographicallv  and 
historically  on  the  continent.  Here  the  great  southern  branch,  rising  in  the 
Yellowstone  Park  and  flowing  900  miles  through  towering  mountains,  arid 
plains,  volcanic  chutes,  and  abysmal  canons,  with  fertile  plateaus  above,  casts 
its  turbid  waters  into  the  clear  blue  flood  of  the  great  master  river  from  the 
north,  which  in  its  cour.'ie  from  the  glaciers  of  the  Canadian  Rockies  has  accu- 
mulated a  flow  of  water  surpassed  only  by  the  Mississippi  of  all  the  rivers  of 
the  .American  Union. 

As  we  look  it  is  interesting  to  call  up  the  figures  given  by  the  Government 


'       HISTORY  OF  YAKniA  VALLEY  845 

engineers  of  the  volumes  of  the  two  big  streams.  The  extreme  minimum  of 
the  Snatce  was  12,000  cubic  feet  per  second,  and  the  extreme  maximum  ( in  the 
great  flood  of  1894)  was  400,000  second  feet.  The  Columbia  at  Celilo  has  had 
an  extreme  minimum  of  50,000  second  feet,  while  in  the  flood  of  1894  it  reached 
the  monstrous  figure  of  1,600,000  second  feet.  It  can  be  seen  that  the  capacity 
of  the  rivers  for  power,  navigation,  and  irrigation  is  limitless. 

As  we  look  at  the  sublime  spectacle  of  the  union  of  the  big  rivers,  with 
the  boundless  plains  to  east  and  north  and  the  snow-streaked  and  azure  heights 
of  the  Blue  Mountains  to  the  southeast,  we  summon  to  the  mind's  eye  the  fleets 
of  trappers  in  canoes  and  bateaux  descending  the  impetuous  current  with  the 
gathered  furs  of  the  winter's  trade.  Or  we  go  yet  further  back,  and  see  the 
first  white  men  whose  eyes  viewed  this  scene,  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  trace  their 
course  from  their  camping  point  at  the  present  village  of  Burbank  up  the  great 
northern  branch,  landing  at  our  very  feet  and  making  their  way  through  the 
sagebrush,  shooting  sage-hens  as  they  went,  till  they  reached  the  Yakima,  or, 
as  they  called  it,  the  Tapteal.  The  phantoms  of  Indians  of  many  generations 
might  be  summoned,' too.  to  gather  again  at  what  must  have  been  one  of  their 
favorite  resorts. 

We  shall  find  as  we  come  down  from  the  heights  with  all  these  scenic  and 
historic  associations  that  the  town  which  has  been  created  in  the  last  quarter 
of  a  centur\'  is  worthy  of  its  sightly  location.  For  its  homes  and  streets  and 
public  buildings  are  a  plain  demonstration  of  that  irrepressible  American  spirit 
of  building,  inventing,  planning,  overcoming  the  wilderness,  planting  civilization. 

We  are  fortunate  in  having  the  aid  of  two  of  the  daughters  of  Kennewick 
to  perfect  the  picture  of  the  history  which  we  are  giving  in  but  rough  outline. 
In  the  next  chapter  will  be  found  some  recollections  of  the  first  days  by  one 
best  qualified  of  any  to  write  of  it,  Mrs.  Daisy  Beach  Emigh,  the  first  girl  in 
Kennewick. 

We  are  also  using  in  this  chapter  a  sketch  of  the  prehistoric  conditions, 
followed  by  something  of  the  early  history,  by  Mrs.  W.  T.  Mann.  This  sketch 
was  first  prepared  for  the  Woman's  Club,  then  appeared  in  the  "Reporter"  of 
some  years  ago,  and  was  much  and  justly  admired  as  a  local  contribution  to 
history.  In  accordance  with  the  opinion  of  the  author  that  local  study  and 
literature  are  entitled  to  prominent  places  in  any  history  of  a  community,  this 
article  by  Mrs.  Mann  is  employed  here  as  a  fitting  initiation  of  the  story  of 
Kennewick : 

It  was  Patrick  Henry  who  said  that  the  only  means  of  forecasting  the 
future  is  by  recalling  the  past. 

GEOLOGICAL    CONDITIONS    MAKING    KENNEWICK    WHAT    IT    IS    TODAY 

In  the  great  long  ago,  perhaps  millions  of  years,  this  region  was  a  vast 
system  of  volcanoes  and  the  only  reminders  we  have  are  Alounts  Rainier,  Hood 
and  Adams  and  minor  peaks  to  the  north  of  this  section. 

We  have  evidence  of  nature's  gigantic  struggles,  at  Flume  Xo.  1,  Kenne- 
wick Canal — here  can  be  seen  how  large  boulders  were  cast  hither  and  thither 
and  then  the  flow  of  hot  mud  filling  up  the  interstices,  then  turning  into  a  hard 


846"  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

stony  mass.  Then  we  ha\-e  imprints  of  tish,  ferr.s,  grasses,  etc.,  in  the  "W'liite 
Bluffs,"  thirty-five  miles  up  the  river.  Again  we  can  see  undisputed  evidences 
of  the  great  upheaval  at  Providence  Hill,  and  five  miles  south  of  Kennewick, 
the  rocks  have  been  cleaved  as  though  cut  to  order,  all  standing  on  edge. 

Mr.  Sonderman,  one  of  the  early  settlers,  has  in  his  possession  a  piece 
of  charred  wood  encountered  by  a  drill  through  420  feet  of  solid  rock.  Thi.- 
piece  of  wood  was  found  in  "Horse  Heaven,"  fifteen  miles  southwest  of  Ken- 
newick. 

Geologists  tell  us  the  location  of  Kennewick.  and  adjacent  lands,  was  once 
an  immense  lake,  fed  by  numerous  mountain  streams,  evidence  of  which  may 
still  be  seen  in  the  Horse  Heaven  canyons  and  a  very  familiar  one  is  the  empty 
but  still  evident  stream  bed  in  Section  11,  of  Kennewick  Highlands.  Then  for 
ages  these  lava  laden  mountain  streams  ran  their  courses,  carrying  volcanic 
ashes,  worn  rocks,  etc.,  from  far  up  among  the  Rockies,  gradually  filling  up 
this  lake.  Alennwhile  througli  chemical  action  and  through  nature  by  means 
of  avalanches,  landslides  meeting  glaciers,  etc.,  the  courses  of  the  streams  were 
changed  until  they  formed  one  mighty  river — referred  to  in  Bryant's  Thana- 
topsis  as  the  "Oregon,"  but  explored  by  Captain  Gray  in  1792  and  named  Columbia. 

We  have  evidences  of  several  water  levels  ten  miles  east  of  Ellensburg, 
Washington.  Here  the  waters  made  their  erosions  in  solid  rock.  Does  it 
require  days,  weeks,  months,  or  years  for  water  to  cut  into  a  hard  rock  ?  Surely 
it  must  have  taken  at  least  a  few  days. 

Then  we  have  the  great  "fault  line,"  thirty  miles  to  the  west  of  here,  which 
extends  from  river  to  river  or  north  and  south  and  which  will  forever  dejirive 
this  section  of  artesian  water. 

Xow  we  are  obliged  to  consider  the  glacial  period — did  those  great  icebergs 
ever  cross  Kennewick  lands?  If  not,  how  do  we  account  for  those  big,  smooth, 
giant  boulders  found  scattered  in  isolated  sections?  We  have  no  granite  hills 
or  deposits  within  two  hundred  miles  of  this  section.  Then  we  know  there 
are  these  great  deposits  of  volcanic  ash  500  feet  deep.  And  we  ha\e  these 
same  ^conditions  every  year  around  us.  only  on  a  smaller  scale,  ^\"as  this 
country  inhabited  by  human  beings  before  this  great  disturbance  took  place? 
We  know  not.  If  so,  did  they  grow  strawberries,  peaches,  plums,  etc.?  And 
so  having  a  fair  conception  of  our  soil  formation  which  our  learned  men  of 
today  are  now  making  every  efifort  to  test  and  to  determine  just  what  is  best 
adapted  to  grow  upon  these  volcanic  deposits,  we  can  inquire  further  as  to  the 
original  life  here. 

Let  us  go  back  to  Kennewick,  with  which  we  are  most  concerned.  Was 
this  country  ever  inhabited  by  mastodons?  Yes,  a  shoulder  blade  or  part  of 
one  was  uncovered  by  Mr.  Richards  in  1898,  and  was  three  inches  thick  and 
two  feet  wide.  This  was  uncovered  about  seven  miles  from  Kennewick  in  one 
of  the  canyons,  and  several  tusks  of  these  animals  have  been   found. 


The  Indians  of  this  locality  consisted  princi])allv   of  the   Umatillas.   Wallo- 
was  and  Yakimas.     They  made  their  homes  along  the  Columbia,   Snake   and 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  847 

Yakima  rivers,  ranging  up  and  down  stream  according  to  climatic  conditions, 
etc.     Their  occupation  was  barter  and  sale  in  horses,  fishing  and  hunting. 

There  is  every  evidence  to  show  that  great  Indian  battles  were  fought  be- 
tween the  tribes  along  the  Columbia  and  Yakima  Rivers  long  before  white 
men  came  and  settled.  In  1894  an  Indian  skull  was  found  three  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  Snake  River,  with  an  arrow  head  firmly  imbedded  in  the  skull, 
and  there  have  been  arrow  heads  found  in  a  solid  clay  formation  eight  feet 
from  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  thirty  years  ago  the  early  whites  could 
not  find  a  single  Indian  who  had  any  knowledge  as  to  who  made  these  arrow 
heads. 

An  Indian  called  Old  Ba-le,  who  had  reached  his  sixty-five  snows  in  1893, 
told  some  of  the  pioneers  of  vast  herds  of  antelope,  buffalo  and  other  large 
game,  which  ranged  over  this  country  when  he  was  a  little  boy.  Also  of  "big 
Injun  fights"  and  other  events  in  Indian  life.  But  there  was  nothing,  not  even 
a  tradition,  as  to  who  made  these  arrow  heads. 

In  1902  there  was  found  a  part  of  a  pipe  fifteen  miles  above  Kennewick 
which  was  pronounced  by  Air.  Harlen  Smith,  professor  of  Archaeology,  Xa- 
tional  Museum  of  Arts,  New  York  City,  as  belonging  to  a  race  of  people  far 
beyond  any  people  of  this  age.  This  pipe  was  found  four  feet  under  ground 
and  is  now  in  possession  of  said  institution,  properly  credited  to  this  section. 

We  have  been  told  that  fifty  years  ago  where  Kennewick  now  stands,  the 
wild  bunchgrass  grew  waist  high,  and  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  cut  hay 
here  and  towed  it  on  rafts  to  Wallula,  and  vast  herds  of  cattle  and  horses 
roamed  these  hills. 

In  the  Winter  of  1886  there  was  thirty  inches  of  snow  on  the  level  and  the 
thermometer  was  21  degrees  below  zero,  causing  a  great  loss  of  life  to  cattle 
and  horses. 

KENNEWICK   DERIVATION. 

In  seeking  the  source  or  origin  of  the  word  "Kennewick"  we  must  go  to 
the  year  1883.  This  date,  according  to  Air.  H.  S.  Huson,  formerly  a  civil  engineer 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  is  the  correct  date  when  our  fair 
city  received  its  baptism  "Kennewick."  Mr.  Huson  is  the  author  of  this  name, 
and  it  is  of  Indian  tongue  and  was  pronounced  Kin-ne-wack,  meaning  a  grassy 
place,  and  in  the  course  of  his  business  he  (Huson)  was  obliged  to  use  this 
word  so  often,  he  eventually  found  himself  writing  the  word  "Kennewick."  At 
one  time  Kennewick  postoffice  was  named  "Te  he"  being  called  Te  he  under 
rather  ridiculous  conditions.  When  the  wife  of  an  engineer  was  shown  the 
beautiful  depot  building  which  her  husband  had  written  her  about  and  in  her 
efforts  to  express  her  delgiht  or  disgust  she  laughed  something  like  this,  "Te- 
he."  The  bystanders  immediately  called  the  place  "Te-he."  There  can  be  no 
mistake  about  our  little  city  being  called  "Te-he"  in  the  past,  no  matter  how  it 
originated,  as  there  is  proof  that  letters  w-ere  received  here  addressed  to  "Te- 
he."  Washington,  sent  by  our  Government.  The  word  bears  a  close  resemblance 
to  "Pa  ha"  of  Indian  origin,  a  station  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  nineteen 
miles  west  of  Ritzville,  \\'ashington. 


848  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

SETTr.EMENTS   AND   OCCUPATIONS 

According  to  our  Government  survey  notes  this  country  was  surveyed  in 
1864.  These  notes  speak  of  sparse  settlements  along  the  Columbia  River, 
engaged  in  the  range  stock  industry,  but  do  not  give  any  definite  locations. 
There  were  many  evidences  of  settlers  as  early  as  1858.  However,  our  interests 
concern  Kennewick,  its  rise  and  fall  during  its  infancy. 

KEXXEwicK.  1883  Tu  1889 

The  first  and  original  townsite  was  platted  on  a  tract  of  ground  now  cov- 
ered by  the  G.  AI.  Annis  buildings  and  orchard.  It  was  a  real  railroad  town 
with  the  necessary  temporary  buildings,  including  a  six  stall  roundhouse,  coal 
bunkers,  turn-table,  etc.  The  town  was  built  during  the  construction  of  the 
bridge  across  the  Columbia  River  and  the  road  through  to  the  coast.  Prior  to 
the  completion  of  the  bridge,  all  trains  were  transferred  over  the  river  by  ferry 
boats,  thus  making  Kennewick  a  terminal.  Relics  of  transfer  days  are  still  in 
evidence  in  the  old  piers,  etc.,  near  the  river  docks.  The  road  passed  through 
where  the  Garber  home  now  stands,  thence  west  one  mile,  where  it  followed 
the  present  line, 

\Mien  bridge  and  road  work  ce'ased.  Kennewick  became  "nil."  The  first 
hotel  was  operated  by  C.  A.  Lum,  a  pioneer  of  1885.  The  lumber  for  this  hotel 
was  shipped  by  boat  from  Portland,  the  lumber  costing  $30.00  per  thousand. 
One  of  the  first  merchants  was  Joe  Dimond,  a  Jew.  The  first  postmaster  was 
Mr.  Knowlton.  Soon  after  Mr.  Conway  was  appointed  postmaster,  the  post- 
office  occupying  part  of  his  private  residence.  The  first  small  schoolhouse  was 
built  by  donation.     The  school  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  the  same  year. 

Among  the  first  white  women  to  come  to  Kennewick  were  Mrs.  Sproul, 
sister-in-law  of  Dr.  Hedger  of  Benton  City ;  Mrs.  C.  A.  Smith,  now  of  Seattle ; 
Mrs.'  C.  E.  Lum  and  others.  When  the  bridge  and  road  work  ceased,  many 
of  the  drifting  population  followed  in  the  wake  and  moved  on.  M.  C.  J.  Beach, 
a  pioneer,  with  a  few  others  remained,  and  having  faith  in  future  possibilities 
platted  a  new  townsite  on  the  south  side  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railraod  track, 
or  what  is  now  called  Beach  addition  to  Kennewick.  Nothing  further  was  done, 
however.     It  was  a  typical  western  town. 

In  1892  a  new  townsite  was  platted  by  the  Yakima  Irrigation  &  Improve- 
ment Company,  located  on  the  north  side  of  the  railroad  tracks.  A  fine  $30.- 
000,  three-story  hotel  was  constructed  on  the  grounds  where  Rev.  Osgood  now 
resides.  The  hotel  was  superior  in  interior  finish  to  any  hotel  ever  since  built 
in  Kennewick.  It  was  called  the  "White  Elephant."  A  new  schoolhouse  was 
erected  and  what  was  once  a  hopeless  barren  waste,  now  showed  life,  the  canal 
was  being  built,  land  sold,  people  came  fast,  times  looked  good,  and  the  popula- 
tion soon  developed  to  four  hundred. 

After  the  Yakima  Irrigation  &  Improvement  Company  began  operations  on 
the  canal,  another  company  appeared  on  the  scene  called  the  Ledbetter  Com- 
pany, each  company  working  on  the  same  canal,  one  company  building  a  mile 
or  two,  then  the  other  company  forestalling  them.  This  canal  was  called  by 
the  people  the  "Stovepipe  Canal."  one  company  building  a  joint  and  then  the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  849 

next  company.  At  last  the  Ledbetter  Company  abandoned  it  to  the  Yakima 
Irrigation  &  Improvement  Company. 

The  hard  times  of  1894-95  saw  another  lownsite  die  a  natural  death.  This 
is  a  picture  described  to  me  by  one  of  the  pioneer  ladies:  The  town  proper  con- 
sisted of  a  railroad  depot,  section  house  (full  of  Chinamen),  general  store  and 
postoffice  (in  one),  one  hotel  costing  $30,000  (empty),  one  hotel,  the  old  Hotel 
Columbia,  which  stood  where  the  0.-^^'.  R.  &  N.  depot  now  stands,  occupied  by 
Mr.  Beach,  a  blackmith  shop,  meat  market  (mostly  unoccupied),  and  north  side 
school,  which  answered  as  a  church,  town  hall  and  all  other  purposes  of  a  public 
nature.  Also  a  saloon,  but  as  all  the  people  were  church  goers,  the  saloon  keeper 
dosed  his  saloon  and  started  going  to  church  too,  and  finally  left  for  a  better 
place.  We  had  an  excellent  Sunday  school  and  Christian  Endeavor  and  the 
ladies  had  splendid  times ;  we  gave  receptions  and  entertainments,  and  at  Easter 
time  everybody  went  out  wild-flower  hunting  and  on  Sunday  the  schoolhouse 
was  a  bower  of  beauty,  as  the  prairies  were  a  garden  of  wild  flowers. 

Land  anywhere  could  be  bought  for  $50  to  $60  per  acre.  Before  irrigation 
the  people  lived  by  means  of  range  stock,  such  as  horses,  cattle  and  sheep. 
Hkindreds  of  horses  might  be  seen  at  one  time  galloping  down  the  "Horse 
Heaven"  hills  on  their  way  to  Columbia  River  to  drink,  and  the  tramp  of 
their  many  feet  was  like  the  roar  of  thunder.  "Horse  Heaven"  was  so  called 
on  account  of  the  abundance  of  fine  bunchgrass  which  made  a  real  heaven  for 
those  horses. 

The  country  now  known  as  Section  7,  Highlands,  Garden  Tracts,  was 
then  inhabited  by  coyotes  and  jack  rabbits  and  the  range  stock. 

Eighteen  hundred  ninety-four  was  the  year  of  the  great  flood  of  the  Colum- 
bia River.  No  living  Indian  had  ever  known  or  heard  of  such  a  flood.  Cli- 
matic conditions  have  changed  somewhat,  caused  by  a  greater  moisture.  In 
the  early  'SO's  and  '90's  very  little  rain  fell.  The  heat  began  earlier  and  lasted 
longer.     The  Winters  were  milder. 


The  first  school  district  was  formed  in  1885,  and  was  called  Columbia 
School  District  Xo.  17.  First  school  meeting  called  on  ]\Iay  26,  1885.  First 
scliool  directors,  Mr.  C.  J.  Beach,  A.  R.  Leeper,  A.  W.  Gray  and  J.  Dimond. 
Mrs.  Mary  Haak  was  first  school  teacher  at  a  salary  of  $40.00  per  month. 
School  opened  June  1,  1885.  School  census  showed  children  five  to  twentv-one 
years  of  age,  males  26,  females  19;  under  five  years,  males  12,  females  12. 
Kennewick  has  never  been  without  schools  to  the  present  date. 

IRRIG.^TION    AND   DHVELOPMENTS 

Dr.  C.  A.  Cantonwin,  now  gone  ^  to  the  great  beyond,  is  said  to  have  been 
the  father  of  irrigation  in  this  section.  No  doubt  this  statement  is  correct,  as 
there  are  several  old  private  canals  still  in  sight  along  the  Yakima  River,  con- 
structed in  the  early  eighties. 

In  1889  the  Dell  Haven  Irrigation  district  operated  the  canal  ditch,  but  no 
canals  were  built  because   it  takes  monev  to  construct  canals,  but  the  people's 

(54) 


850  ■  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

firmness  and  great  faith,  saw  great  possibilities  in  this  favored  location,  hence 
the  entrance  of  the  Yakima  Irrigating  &  Improvement  Company  and  finally 
the  Northern  Pacific  Improvement  Company,  who  assured  the  work  where 
others  failed.  And  this  company  has  built  well.  The  previous  failures  were 
caused  by  times  and  conditions,  and  of  all  canals  constructed  in  the  Pacific 
Northwest  during  development  period,  few  survived  a   failure. 

1893 — First  newspaper  ever  published  in  Kennewick,  called  the  "Colum- 
bian," Windfield  Harper,  editor.  Farms  and  orchards  developed,  first  straw- 
berries placed  on  the  market.     New  schoolhouse  completed. 

1895 — World's  panic  finally  reaches  Kennewick:  developments  cease, 
ranchers  discouraged  ;  break  in  canal  every  week. 

1896 — Times  very  bad,  nothing  at  all  by  way  of  improvements :  ranchers 
suspend  work:  eveiybody  discouraged.  September  26th  big  break  in  canal. 
Irrigation  takes  a  vacation  until   February  4,   1902. 

1902 — Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company  secures  contract  for  canal ;  be- 
gins construction  work:  plats  new  townsite  (present  site)  :  great  rush  for  land, 
lots  selling  rapidly:  Johnson  &  FuUerton  erect  first  important  general  merchan- 
dise store,  followed  by  more  stores,  residences,  etc.  Also  newspaper  by  "Pea" 
Greene,  editor. 

1903 — Great  prosperity :  everybody  wants  a  home  in  Kennewick  :  more 
stores,  banks,  homes  and  various  other  improvements.  Water  reaches  Kenne- 
wick April  7th :  great  day  for  the  town. 

1904 — First  automobile  appears  on  streets:  first  strawberries  from  "New 
Kennewick"  go  to  market  and  establish  highest  price  for  berries  ever  paid  in 
Pacific    Northwest.     Kennewick   incorporated,   first   mayor   and   council   elected. 

1905 — Southern  Pacific  Railway  makes  arrangements  to  come  to  Kenne- 
wick. Many  buildings  going  up  in  town  and  on  ranches.  Seventeen  thousand 
dollar  brick  schoolhouse  erected,  also  churches  :  Fruit  Growers'  Association  or- 
ganized ;  general  prosperity. 

1906 — First  telephone  system  erected.  Electric  light  and  water  plant  in- 
stalled. Fraternal  lodges  organized :  streets  graded  and  trees  planted  along 
streets :  great  activity  in  all  lines. 

1907 — City  progressing  rapidly  :  improvements  introduced. 

1908 — Navigation  established  through  eiiorts  of  Kennewick  business  men; 
irrigation  canal  sold  by  railway  company  to  present  owners  :  Highlands  being 
prepared  for  platting. 

1909 — Highlands  pumping  system  installed  :  Pacific  Power  &  Light  Com- 
pany makes  permanent  improvements  and  begins  construction  of  high  tension 
line  from  Yakima  to  Kennewick :  land  in  big  demand  on  Highlands. 

1910 — Everv'body  busy  ;  general  prosperity. 

1911 — First  Grape  Carnival  inaugurated,  big  success;  new  $70,000.00  school 
building  erected ;  O.-W.  R.  &:  N.  Railway  in  operation. 

1912 — Many  modem  improvements  made  in  city ;  cement  sidewalks  laid ; 
sewer  constructed. 

1913— Population  of  Kennewick  2,800;  electric  lighting  established  on  High- 
lands ;  first  fruit  crop  on  Highlands  and  many  other  events  of  minor  importance. 

151-1 — General   conditions   prevail ;    Kennewick   boosters   are    now   busy    on 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  851 

the  great  problem  of  harnessing  of  the  sun's  energy  to  increase  the  energy-  of 
the  kennewick  people.  ^Irs.  W.  T.   Mann. 

It  may  be  noted  that  Mrs.  Mann  and  T\Irs.  Emigh  tell  a  dififerent  story  of 
the  origin  of  the  sonorous  name  of  the  town.  That,  however,  need  not  dis- 
concert either. 

It  would  be  a  rare  thing  to  find  an  Indian  name  that  did  not  yield  more 
than  one  derivation.  As  we  noted  in  the  chapter  on  the  Native  Races,  there 
are  frequently  half  a  dozen  explanations  of  origin  and  a  dozen  ways  of  spelling 
these  native  names. 

As  appears  in  the  narration  already  given  Kennewick  was  laid  out  on  the 
homestead  filed  in  1883  by  C.  J.  Beach.  Mr.  Beach  established  himself  in  the 
first  part  of  a  new  house  in  the  Eall  of  that  year,  and  in  May,  1884,  he  took 
his  family  there.  It  appears  from  Mrs.  Emigh's  narrative  that  one  house  or 
cabin  was  already  in  existence,  that  of  "Doc"  Livingston.  In  1884  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  reached  the  Beach  claim  and  it  was  quickly  followed  by  a 
typical  little  railroad  town.  Joseph  Dimond  built  the  first  structure  for  busi- 
ness purposes.  Primitive  restaurant,  hotel,  saloon,  and  grocery  store  followed. 
At  that  time  the  huge  ferry  boat,  "Billings,"  was  used  for  conveying  trains  to 
and  fro.     A  little  cluster  of  railroad  men  made  their  homes  at  the  new  place. 

The  railroad  company  built  a  roundhouse,  turntable,  coal  bunkers,  and 
stock  yards  in  the  space  between  the  track  of  today  and  the  river.  In  1884  a 
rudimentary  schoolhouse  was  built  on  the  Beach  place.  The  first  teacher  was 
Mrs.  Haak,  followed  by  T.  B.  Thompson,  and  then  came  Miss  Josie  Miller. 

Apparently  there  have  been  three  distinct  Kennewicks.  The  period  of  the 
first  began  with  the  location  of  Mr.  Beach  and  his  family  in  1884  and  with  the 
advent  of  the  railroad,  and  ended  in  1887  with  the  construction  of  the  bridge. 
Pasco  then  became  the  division  point.  Most  of  the  people  at  Kennewick  moved 
away.  Even  Mr.  Beach  and  his  family,  having  lived  their  allotted  five  years 
on  the  homestead,  moved  first  to  Seattle  and  then  to  Ellen.sburg,  but  returned 
in  1892. 

The  second  stage  of  Kennewick's  existence  began  in  1892.  Irrigation 
waved  his  magic  wand  over  the  desert,  and  presto,  change!  Orchards  began 
to  nod  above  the  sagebrush,  alfalfa  fields  challenged  the  "ancient  solitary  reign" 
of  the  jack-rabbits,  horned  toads,  and  rattlesnakes,  and  pretty  cottages  smiled 
across  the  gray-brown  of  the  landscape. 

But  this  was  mainly  in  imagination.  People  could  see  these  things  with 
the  eyes  of  faith,  but  they  were  not  yet  present  in  tangible  form  to  any  great 
degree.  The  Yakima  Irrigating  &  Improvement  Company  had  been  formed, 
based  mainly  on  eastern  capital,  had  made  a  filing  for  600  second  feet  of  water 
in  the  Yakima  River  at  a  point  four  miles  above  Kiona  and  had  framed  plans 
for  an  immense  scheme  of  reclamation.  Several  years  passed  before  they  began 
systematic  work.  On  January  17,  1892,  the  first  furrow  was  turned  in  the  ditch 
which  was  to  convey  water  to  Kennewick.  The  head  of  the  canal  was  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river  at  Horn  Rapids.  In  1893  the  ditch  reached  Kennewick, 
and  the  next  year  it  reached  Hover.  Of  these  events,  including  the  Delhaven 
Irrigation  district,  we  have  already  v.Titten  at  length  in  the  chapter  on  Irriga- 


852  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  \'ALLEY 

tion.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  "Great  Depression"  wrecked  both  the  company 
and  the  district.  The  second  stage  of  Kennewick's  history — a  most  interesting 
one— ended  in  seeming  defeat  and  disaster.  ]\Iuch  improvement  had  been  made. 
A  fine,  ambitious  group  of  homebuilders  had  come.  A  Hberal  and  outgrowing 
poHcy  of  improvement  had  been  adopted.  Everything  seemed  to  promise  an- 
other Yakima  on  the  bank  of  the  CoUimbia.  But  the  hard  times  were  too  much. 
The  ambitious  plans  failed  of  realization.  Many  abandoned  their  well  started 
places.  The  town  nearly  expired  again  and  by  1899  was  almost  forsaken.  It 
is  worth  noting,  however,  that  during  that  period  certain  institutions  had  be- 
come definitely  established.  The  schools  had  been  thoroughly  organized  and 
did  not  lapse.  A  newspaper,  the  "Columbian,"  had  come  into  existence,  but  it 
had  expired  without  issue,  and  yet  had  led  the  way  to  one  which  became  in 
1902  a  permanent  journal.  Two  churches  had  been  built,  one  by  the  Presby- 
terians, and  another  jointly  used  by  the  Congregationalists  and  Methodists. 
During  this  period  Rev.  Samuel  Greene  of  Seattle,  Congregational  superinten- 
dent of  Sunday  schools,  was  carrying  on  his  great  work  through  eastern  Wash- 
ington, devoting  a  large  part  of  his  energies  to  Kennewick.  Thus  the  time  was 
not  lost  altogether,  even  though  the  end  of  the  century  was  a  time  of  disappoint- 
ment and  financial  loss. 

The  third  stage  of  Kennewick  history  began  with  the  taking  over  of  the 
irrigation  enterprise  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  in  1902,  and  the  end  of 
it  is  not  yet  set,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  end  will  not  occur  till  the  end  of 
all  things. 

We  find  in  the  "Courier"  much  valuable  data  upon  the  current  history  of 
Kennewick  No.  3.  From  the  issue  of  March  13,  1903,  we  extract  the  following, 
on  the  thriving  condition  of  the  little  city : 

"Surprising  progress  is  being  made  on  all  sides  at  Kennewick,  which  is 
rapidly  being  transformed  from  the  sagebrush  hamlet  of  a  year  ago  to  a  popu- 
lous, well  conducted,  modern  town,  ready  for  incorporation.  In  the  last  ten 
days  1,000  acres  have  changed  hands  in  small  tracts,  with  buyers  from  all  over 
the  Inland  Empire  and  the  west  side  of  W'ashington. 

"This  morning  the  Exchange  Bank  of  Kennewick  opened  for  business  on 
Second  and  Yakima,  with  the  following  officers :  President,  S.  H.  Amon : 
cashier,  C.  B.  McConnell :  vice  president,  John  Shenuan.  The  bank  has  a  capi- 
talization of  $25,000,  all  paid  in.  It  has  fine  fixtures,  including  time  safe  and 
vault. 

"The  Kennewick  ^^.ssociation  has  just  had  printed  18,000  pamphlets,  de- 
scriptive of  the  town.  These  will  be  followed  by  10,000  more,  all  to  be  dis- 
tributed in  the  country  tribiitary  to  the  St.  Paul,  Tacoma  and  Portland  railroad 
offices.  The  Kennewick  Association  is  composed  of  the  Kennewick  Land  Com- 
pany, coiKkicted  by  H.  A.  Hover;  Thomas  Cosgrove  and  G.  E.  Hanson,  real 
estate  firm,  and  the  Columbia  Land  Company,  operated  by  C.  A.  Lundv  and  C. 
F.  Breithaupt.     This  is  the  first  extensive  step  taken  to  advertise  the  town. 

"The  Kennewick  Improvement  Club  expects  to  arrange  for  street  improve- 
ments this  Spring,  when  some  of  the  principal  avenues  are  to  be  graded.  Ex- 
penses will  be  borne  by  mutual  assessment.  Water  courses  are  to  be  run  along 
all  the  streets  to  watei-  lots  and  penuit  planting  of  trees.     As  the  companv  does 


KENXEWICK  WII()l.i:sAI.K  i  i  l.'ix  '  i:i; -i  CO..  K  KXXEWICK 


THE  PRODrCE  CO.Ml'ANV,  KKXXEWICK 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  853 

not  furnish  water  for  the  tqwnsite,  an  assessment  of  $2  a  lot  will  be  raised, 
if  all  the  lot  holders  contribute,  as  expected.  The  executive  committee  of  the 
Improvement  Club  is :  H.  A.  Hover,  C.  B.  McConnell  and  R.  L.  Ballinger. 

"Ten  new  residences  will  be  completed  in  March,  in  addition  to  half  a 
dozen  completed  since  February  1st.  Among  business  houses  finished  are  the 
Haynes  millinery  store,  and  the  offices  of  Cosgrove  &  Hanson  and  the  Columbia 
Land  Company.  Coffin  Brothers  expect  to  build  additions  to  the  Hotel  Ken- 
newick  and  to  their  store  here.  Inside  work  is  being  done  to  complete  Dr. 
William  Pallister's  large  new  house  and  office.  The  J.  N.  Scott  clothing  house, 
which  came  here  from  Everett,  is  opening  for  business  the  first  of  this  week. 
The  postoffice  is  waiting  orders  from  the  Department  to  move  to  new  quarters 
twenty-five  by  sixty  on  Second  Street,  where  it  will  have  what  are  said  to  be 
the  finest  postoffice  quarters  in  the  county,  next  to  North  Yakima,  the  fixtures 
and  equipment  of  the  old  Walla  Walla  postoffice  having  been  brought  here. 

"The  "Kennewick  Courier"  will  be  printed  by  a  new  owner,  C.  O.  Ander- 
son, of  Wilcox,  Arizona,  having  bought  out  E.  P.  Greene.  Mr.  Anderson  was 
proprietor  of  a  mining  and  stock  paper  in  Wilcox,  and  is  an  attorney.  Mr. 
Greene  will  improve  his  land  on  the  ridge  southeast  of  here  and  conduct  a 
land  business.  McKane  &  Hawkins,  saloon  men  from  Paha,  have  an  ice  house 
erected,  and  are  putting  up  a  building  on  Second  Street  for  saloon  purposes. 
They  have  not  yet  secured  a  license  from  the  commissioners  of  Yakima  County. 
H.  E.  Beach  will  establish  a  livery  business  here  about  the  middle  of  the  month. 

"The  1,000  acres  changing  hands  last  week  brought  from  $65  to  $110, 
according  to  the  proximity  to  the  town  and  possession  of  water  right.  Water 
has  been  down  in  the  ditch  twice  within  a  mile  of  Kennewick.  The  company 
turns  in  a  little,  lets  it  settle  and  turns  in  more  with  a  view  to  making  a  perma- 
nently secure  ditch.  All  the  flumes  are  built  except  one,  which  will  soon  be 
built.  Small  tracts  near  town  are  bringing  from  $90  to  $300  an  acre  with 
perpetual  water  right.  There  is  strong  demand  for  them.  Numerous  first  class 
tracts  close  in  are  being  bought  at  $125  for  speculative  purposes. 

"About  1.500  acres  have  been  cleared  under  the  ditch,  and  most  of  it  has 
been  leveled  preparatory  to  putting  in  a  crop  this  season.  H.  A.  Hover  alone 
has  several  hundred  dollars  worth  of  alfalfa  seed  here  ready  to  sow  on  holdings 
of  his  own.  Five  nursery  men  who  have  been  in  Kennewick  during  the  last 
month  secured  good  orders.  Two  contractors  are  working  about  forty  horses 
between  them,  clearing  land.     Work  horses  are  in  demand. 

BUSINESS    HOUSES    OF    KENNEW^ICK 

"Kennewick  now  has  over  thirty  business  houses,  as  follows :  General 
stores,  Johnson  &  Fullerton,  Robert  Gerry,  L.  S.  Erley,  Coffin  Brothers :  furni- 
ture and  hardware,  Rudow  &  Schweikert,  the  Kennewick  Hardware  Company ; 
lumber  yards.  Frank  Emigh,  St.  Paul  &  Tacoma  Lumber  Company ;  three  hotels, 
run  by  W.  Keefer,  W.  A.  Flower  and  C.  P.  Stanyan :  two  lodging  houes,  run 
by  O.  O.  Noben  and  H.  A.  Hover ;  blacksmith  shop,  H.  Schuneman  :  'Kennewick 
Courier,'  C.  O.  Anderson ;  wall  paper  and  paint  shop,  \L  P.  Fuller ;  bakerv  and 
restaurant,  H.  Schimke ;  harness  shop,  C.  H.  Barrett:  billiard  hall,  H.  A. 'Hover; 


854  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

clothing  store,  J.  N.  Scott;  saloon,  N.  E.  Sylvester;  Columbia  Pharmacy,  H.  R. 
Hayes ;  meat  market,  A.  R.  Graham  :  jewelers,  Julius  Jacot  and  W.  S.  Helm  ; 
livery,  C.  M.  Lloyd;  barber  shops,  B.  F.  Nye  and  J.  F.  Shafer;  warehouse, 
Lundy,  Moore  &  Crowell ;  the  Northern  Pacific  Irrigating  Company's  office,  be- 
sides the  three  real  estate  companies  mentioned,  two  physicians,  three  attorneys 
and  a  number  of  craftsmen. 

"The  population  of  Kennewick  is  about  350.  It  will  be  impossible  to  secure 
incorporation  before  July,  when  the  necessary  steps  will  probably  be  taken. 

"The  receipts  at  the  Northern  Pacific  freight  and  passenger  office  here 
were  $114  for  February,  1902.     For  February,  1903,  they  were  over  $5,000. 

"The  above  articles  appeared  in  the  'Spokane  Spokesman-Review,'  March 
10th,  and  were  written  by  one  of  their  representatives  who  spent  a  couple  of 
days  on  the  ground,  carefully  investigating  facts  and  figures." 

In  the  issue  of  the  "Courier"  of  May  1,  1903,  we  find  a  number  of  interest- 
ing items,  together  with  "Kennewickles"  and  advertisements  which  exhibit  in 
an  interesting  way  the  life  of  the  town  of  that  date. 

Quite  a  ripple  of  excitement  was  caused  at  Kennewick  this  week  over  the 
discovery  of  an  old  Indian  burying  ground  at  the  lower  end  of  the  Kennewick 
Valley.  The  discovery  was  made  by  Dan  O'iVIalley,  a  well  digger.  Further 
exploration  of  the  ground  revealed  a  number  of  skeletons  both  of  Indians  and 
white  men.  The  bodies  had  been  buried  close  to  the  surface,  but  owing  to  the 
small  amount  of  precipitation  of  moisture  in  this  vicinity,  and  the  sloping  surface 
of  the  ground,  the  earth  covering  was  dry,  and  the  skeletons,  as  well  as  the 
relics  buried  with  them  were  found  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

Among  the  articles  found  was  an  old  flint-lock  rifle,  its  stock  long  ago 
rotted  oft",  the  barrel  and  lock,  although  badly  rusted,  were  well  enough  pre- 
served to  be  carried  away  as  trophies  by  the  fortunate  finder.  A  number  of 
trinkets  unearthed  are  now  in  possession  of  various  persons  here  and  are  highly 
prized.  Among  those  we  examined  we  found  two  sleigh  bells,  well  preserved, 
which,  when  shaken,  jingled  their  merry  chimes,  almost  as  rtaisically  as  when 
carried  by  the  dusky  warrior  who  possessed  them  many  years  ago.  Broken 
hatchets,  spear  heads,  elks'  teeth  and  beads  of  various  kinds  and  descriptions 
formed  part  of  the  collection.  A  piece  of  cloth,  fairly  well  preserved,  was  the 
object  of  the  greatest  curiosity.  In  appearance  it  resembled  fine  cotton  matting 
spun  from  weeds  or  hemp,  the  coarse  threads  having  been  crocheted  together. 
Tlie  coloring  had  faded  under  the  mutations  of  time,  but  enough  of  the  tex- 
ture remained  to  show  the  skill  and  industry  of  the  maker. 

A  few  oval  shaped  brass  badges  bearing  the  date  1846  were  also  found. 
Numerous  other  things  swelled  the  list,  but  the  above  were  the  principal  objects 
of  interest. 

The  oldest  Indians  in  these  parts  have  been  interviewed  to  ascertain  if  they 
could  throw  light  upon  the  find.  Imdeal  Baily,  who  claims  the  distinction  of 
104  snows  (years),  and  Callula  Jim  with  108  snows  upon  his  hoary  locks,  ex- 
plained that  about  fifty  snows  ago  several  white  men  and  friendly  Indians  had 
been  massacred  by  hostile  Indians  and  their  remains  buried  at  this  place.  Other 
than  this  they  either  could  or  would  not  throw  further  light  upon  the  mystery. 

From  another  old  Indian  it  was  learned  that  in  past  centuries,  the  Kenne- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  855 

wick  Valley  along  the  Columbia,  on  account  of  its  mild  climate,  was  a  favorite 
camping  ground  for  the  Indians  all  over  the  state  of  Washington  and  portions 
of  Idaho.  When  the  inclement  weather  of  the  higher  altitudes  set  in,  they 
would  descend  into  the  low  and  mild  valley  about  Kennewick,  where  the  ma- 
jestic Columbia  sweeps  down  to  the  sea  and  take  up  their  abode  for  the  Winter. 
Consequently  the  valley  contains  numerous  burying  grounds.  Several  have 
been  discovered  this  Winter  and  valuable  curios  secured,  but  this  one  seems  to 
have  an  element  of  tragedy  connected  with  it,  and  further  investigation  may 
throw  light  upon  some  bloody  scene  which  fifty  years  ago  was  enacted  in  the 
mountain  fastness  far  from  the  haunts  of  civilized  man. 

ADVERTISEMENTS 

Edwin  P.  Greene,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  U.  S.  Court  Commissioner, 
Kennewick,  Wash. 

COSGROVE  &  HAN'SUN 

Two  good  homestead  relinquishments.  One  80-acre  desert  claim,  the  best 
in  Section  26,  ^25  per  acre.  This  is  a  bargain.  Eighty  acres  of  the  best  land 
in  Section  9,  only  two  miles  from  town,  $62.50  per  acre,  including  water  right. 

A  number  of  40-acre  tracts  in  different  parts  of  the  Valley,  all  with  water 
right. 

A  beautiful  house  and  lot  in  the  city. 

Some  of  the  very  best  10-acre  garden  tracts  in  Section  7  at  bargains. 
Several  good  wheat  sections  in  Horse  Heaven  Country. 

SEE  US  BEFORE  BUYING. 

"kennewickles" 

The  various  strawberry  patches  that  have  been  set  out  this  Spring  are 
growing  rapidly. 

Frosts  have  not  touched  the  fruit  in  these  parts.  A  fine  crop  of  peaches, 
apricots  and  other  fruits  is  expected. 

J.  E.  Hubbell  arrived  from  New  York  City  Tuesday  and  will  remain  in 
these  parts  during  the  Summer. 

C.  B.  McConnell  went  to  North  Yakima  Saturday  to  spend  a  few  days  with 
his  family. 

C.  F.  Breithaupt  returned  Wednesday  from  a  business  trip  to  outlying 
points. 

Coffin  Bros,  have  completed  their  building  and  are  filling  up  the  additional 
room  with  new  goods. 

The  Exchange  Bank  building  has  received  a  new  coat  of  paint  this  week. 

W.  D.  Owen  went  to  Yakima  Sunday,  returning  Tuesday  evening. 

W.  S.  Helm  has  put  up  a  nice  ornamental  fence  around  his  house  and  lot 
and  also  added  a  screened  porch  to  his  residence. 

For  Sale— Three  white  Wyandotte  Cockerels,  $1.00  each.  Barred  Plymouth 
Rock  eggs,  $1.00  for  13.     E.  P.  Greene. 


856  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

C.  V.  Dyment,  staff  correspondent  of  the  "Spokesman-Review,"'  with  head- 
quarters at  Pendleton,  visited  Kennewick  Saturday. 

D.  Davidson,  of  Sunnyside,  representing  the  Washington  Xursery  Com- 
pany at  Toppenish,  spent  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  at  Kennewick. 

Miss  Mary  S.  Thran,  lately  from  Minnesota,  has  been  assisting  Mrs.  H. 
Schimke  in  the  Kennewick  Bakery  and  Restaurant  during  the  last  week. 

Capt.  W.  F.  Martin  went  out  to  his  homestead  in  Horse  Heaven  W^ednes- 
day.  He  has  teams  at  work  hauling  lumber  out  there  and  has  commenced  to 
build  a  house. 

The  dance  last  Friday  evening,  although  not  a  financial  success,  was  an 
enjoyable  affair  and  those  who  attended  had  a  splendid  time.  The  music  was 
furnished  by  the  North  Yakima  orchestra. 

H.  A.  Hover  has  had  the  lots  about  his  residence  in  town  cleared  and 
seeded  and  is  irrigating  them.  He  has  also  put  up  fences  around  the  lots  and 
is  now  building  sidewalks  in  front  of  them. 

Mr.  Gantenbein,  of  Pasco,  well  known  in  these  parts,  had  a  severe 
hemorrhage  from  the  lungs  one  day  last  week.  Dr.  Hewitson  was  telephoned 
for  and  the  last  reports  were  to  the  effect  that  he  was  getting  along  favorably. 

Chris  Schiever  came  over  from  Odessa,  Washington,  and  looked  over  por- 
tions of  Horse  Heaven.  He  will  return  in  a  couple  of  weeks  with  quite  a  party 
of  friends,  and  expects  to  purchase  several  sections  of  land. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Pallister,  father  and  mother  of  Dr.  William  Pallister 
and  Miss  Edna  Pallister  of  this  place,  arrived  from  Canada  yesterday  and  will 
remain  for  some  time.  The  doctor  went  to  Spokane  Wednesday  evening  to 
meet  them. 

B.  A.  Walker,  from  Walla  Walla,  representing  the  Long  Distance  Tele- 
phone, was  here  Tuesday.  He  installed  the  phone  with  the  Columbia  Land 
Company.  W.  A.  Flower  of  the  Kennewick  Hotel,  who  has  had  charge  of  it, 
found  it  inconvenient  to  attend  to  the  duties,  and  had  asked  to  be  relieved. 

Mrs.  William  Keefer  went  to   Spokane  Friday,  returning  Monday. 

C.  B.  Work  and  his  mother,  Mrs.  Phoebe  Work,  who  have  been  spending 
some  time  improving  their  homestead  in  Horse  Heaven,  returned  to  Sand  Point, 
Idaho,  where  they  will  remain  for  some  time  attending  to  their  property  up 
there.  They  expect  to  return  to  this  place  in  the  near  future  and  remain  per- 
manently. 

G.  E.  Hanson,  the  hustling  real  estate  man,  who  Hke  Miles  Standish  of  old, 
is  small  in  stature,  but  mighty  in  every  undertaking,  has  been  taking  in  the 
country  on  horseback  the  last  few  days.  Not  being  accustomed  to  this  uKidc  of 
travel  he  complains  of  being  badly  "stove  up."  It  is  whispered  that  he  takes  his 
rations  standing  up. 

H.  Schimke  went  to  North  Yakima  last  week,  but  returned  Saturdav.  He 
was  working  at  his  trade  up  there,  that  of  a  stone  mason.  He  is  sufferin.; 
from  eczema  which  has  attacked  his  right  hand.  Mr.  Schimke  has  made  ar- 
rangements to  rent  his  restaurant  to  a  Jap  from  North  Yakima,  who  is  expected 
to  take  charge  of  same  on  the  first  of  May. 

The  local  committee  of  Presbyterians  in  Kennewick  have  decided  to  recom- 
mend to  the  missionary  committee  of  the   Presbytery  of   Central   Washington, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  857 

the  erection  of  a  tabernacle  for  social  purposes.  It  will  be  located  on  a  lot 
next  to  the  City  Market  and  thus  be  centrally  situated.  The  Rev.  J.  M.  Thomp- 
son, chairman  of  the  Presbytery's  committee,  will  be  in  Kennewick  to  preach 
Sunday,  May  10th,  when  all  details  will  be  settled  and  the  church  probably 
organized. 

Fire  broke  out  in  the  Northern  Pacific  pumping  station,  situated  at  the 
north  end  of  the  railroad  bridge  across  the  Columbia,  Saturday  morning  about 
9  a.  m.  The  fire  started  on  the  roof  alongside  the  smokestack,  and  was  prob- 
ably due  to  flying  sparks.  The  house  burned  down  and  the  engine  was  badly 
damaged.  A  new  engine  was  promptly  installed  and  the  pumps  are  working 
as  usual.  The  pumping  station  supplies  the  roundhouse,  railroad  station  and 
water  tanks  at  Pasco  with  water. 

The  handkerchief  sale,  conducted  by  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  Friday  eve- 
ning, was  a  success.  The  amount  taken  in  from  the  sale  of  handkerchiefs  was 
$5.20.  Refreshments  were  also  served  which  raised  the  proceeds  $4.80.  The 
feature  of  the  evening  which  attracted  the  greatest  attention  and  swelled  the 
total  receipts  to  about  $30.00  was  the  voting  for  the  most  popular  young  lady 
in  town.  The  price  of  a  vote  was  twenty-five  cents,  and  the  lady  receiving  the 
highest  number  secured  a  beautiful  oil  painting.  Miss  Myrtle  Seals  captured 
the  prize. 

F.  K.  Spaulding,  of  Sunnyside,  representing  the  Oregon  Nursery  Com- 
pany, spent  Tuesday  at  Kennewick.  He  has  sold  a  great  many  trees  in  this 
.vicinity  which  he  has  already  delivered  and  which  are  being  set  out. 

Our  druggist,  H.  R.  Hayes,  has  with  commendable  enterprise  sown  to 
white  clover  a  strip  of  ground  between  the  sidewalk  and  the  ditch  in  front  of 
his  store.  When  not  otherwise  employed  he  is  engaged  in  sprinkling  the  sur- 
face of  the  seeded  ground  with  a  tin  can,  the  bottom  of  which  is  bored  full 
of  holes.  He  has  already  put  up  a  sign  upon  the  plot,  "Keep  ofl:  the  Grass," 
and  in  his  imagination  he  is  conjuring  up  sanguinary  conflicts  with  the  luckless 
person  who,  when  the  grass  is  up,  should  dare  to  desecrate  the  spot  by  treading 
upon  it  with  vulgar  feet.  Every  now  and  then  he  is  digging  up  some  portion  of 
it  to  see  if  the  seeds  have  sprouted.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  will  keep  up  the 
sprinkling  and  discontinue  the  digging  and  w'e  will  assure  him  that  in  a  few 
weeks  his  fondest  hopes  will  be  realized. 

Northern  Pacific  Detective  J.  S.  Hindman,  of  Spokane,  accompanied  by 
Sherifif  Pack,  of  Franklin  County,  arrived  here  Tuesday  night  with  four  men 
who  are  charged  with  having  stolen  a  quantity  of  goods  from  a  box-car  in 
west-bound  Freight  No.  53,  Tuesday  morning.  The  four  men  are  believed  to 
have  boarded  the  train  at  Pasco  and  to  have  left  it  again  while  ascending  the 
long  grade  this  way  from  Kennewick.  The  capture  was  made  by  Deputy 
Sheriff  Nave,  of  Walla  Walla  County,  who  was  waiting  for  them  at  that  point. 
Without  assistance  the  Walla  Walla  officer  arrested  the  quartet  and  cowed  them 
into  submission  when  the  men  showed  a  disposition  to  resist.  The  alleged  crime 
having  been  committed  in  this  county,  the  prisoners  will  be  tried  here.  Photo- 
graphs were  taken  of  the  men  Friday  morning.  The  prisoners  gave  their 
names  as  George  Roberts,  James  Moran,  Joseph  Dodd  and  Thomas  Winters. 
Roberts  especially  bears  a  hard  reputation,  having  but  recently  been  in  the  toils 


858  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

in  Oregon.  Dodd  is  a  mere  boy  in  appearance,  probably  not  over  seventeen 
years  of  age.  When  captured  the  men  were  each  carrying  a  pack  made  up 
principally  of  different  varieties  of  shoes. — Herald. 


TO   ALFALFA   GROWERS 


Two  forty  acre  tracts,  four  miles  from  Kennewick,  to  be  seeded  to  alfalfa. 
An  experienced  man  can  secure  contract  for  this  work,  to  include  irrigat- 
ing, by  applying  at  once  to  the  owner. 

A.  L.  Mf.nhinick,  411  South  M  Street,  Tacoma,  Wash. 


There  came  into  my  enclosure  about  April  18,  1903,  one  bay  mare,  age  about 
12,  weight  1,200  pounds,  branded  1  A  on  left  shoulder.  (Right  side  of  A  has 
right  slant).  L^'nless  owner  appears  and  proves  ownership  and  pays  charges 
within  thirty  days,  said  estray  will  be  sold  according  to  law. 

Fred  Creswell.  Kennewick,  Wash. 

April  28,  1903. 


$   STRAWBERRY 

I  have  about  5,000  plants  of  the  "Dollar  Strawberry"  (ever  bearing)  which 
I  will  dispose  of.  Call  on  me  and  get  prices. — J.  Sercombe. 

WASHINGTON    LODGING    HOL'SE 

(Over  Scott  &  Company's  Clothing  Store.)     O.  O.  Noben,  Proprietor. 

Handles  the  "Spokesman-Review,"  the  "Seattle  Times"  and  "Bovce's 
Weekly,"  the  standard  illustrated  union  labor  paper  of  Chicago.  Subscribe 
for  your  weekly  paper  through  me.  Office  in  the  restaurant  in  adjoining 
building. 


EXCHANGE   BANK 

Anion  &  McConnell,  Bankers. 
Conducts   a   regular  banking  business.     Officers :    S.    H.    Anion,   president ; 
John  Sherman,  vice  president ;  Charles  B.  McConnell,  cashier. 


rUST  OPENED 


A  splendid  line  of  Spring  and  Summer  Millinery,  including  velvets,  silks, 
satins,  veilings,  ribbons  and  trimmings.  Spring  hats  and  bonnets  of  the  latest 
st\les.     Call  and  examine  the  stock  and  get  prices. 

Mrs.  Ross  R.  Haynes. 


We  have  received  this  week  two  cars  of  Timothy  Hay.   We  are  selling 


HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY  859 

potatoes   at  25   cents  per  sack.     Dry   onions,   50  cents   per   sack.     Coffin   Bros. 
New  Store. 


THE    MERCHANT 


Hawkins    &   Wilkie,    Proprietors.  ^ 

New    Place,    New    Stock.     Everything    New.     Fine    Whiskeys    and    Cigars. 
Best  Spokane  Beer.     Second  Street,  Kennewick. 


YOU    WILL    SAVE   TIME   AND    MONEY 


By  buying  your  clothing  and  furnishings  at  Home.  We  sell  everything  in  our 
line  as  cheap  as  they  are  sold  anywhere  else,  and  save  you  the  time  and  expense 
of  a  trip.  Our  Summer  goods  will  be  in  soon.  Wait  for  them.  Call  and  look 
over  our  line.     If  vou  don't  see  what  you  want,  ask  for  it.     Scott  &  Co. 


C.    F.    BREITHAUPT    &    CO. 


Real  Estate.  Kennewick  irrigated  lands  and  Horse  Heaven  wheat  lands 
a  specialty.  Insurance,  Notary  Public,  Rentals.  Office:  Rear  room  of  Ex- 
change Bank  Building,  Kennewick,  W^ashington. 


In  the  number  of  May  15th  is  an  account  of  a  very  pleasant  event  in  the 
life  of  one  who  is  worthy  of  a  large  place  in  any  history  of  Kennewick,  "Dad" 
Owens,  or  "Old  Man"  Owens,  as  he  was  affectionately  styled  by  his  neighbors. 
D.  W.  Owens  was  one  of  the  most  marked  characters  in  the  locality.  He 
accumulated  a  collection  of  curios,  mainly  Indian,  unequalled  in  central  Wash- 
ington. His  intelligence  and  kindly  nature  made  him  an  object  of  interest 
and  affection  to  all  the  people. 

"For  some  time  a  number  of  ladies  had  been  quietly  at  work  arranging 
to  surprise  D.  W.  Owens.  Thursday  evening  everything  was  in  readiness  and 
several  teams  loaded  with  people  left  town  for  his  place.  On  arriving,  A.  H. 
Johnson  acted  the  spokesman,  called  Mr.  Owens  to  the  door,  introducing  him- 
self as  Mr.  Perkins,  and  asked  permission  to  stop  over  night.  This  being 
granted  he  brought  the  rest  up  and  introduced  them  as  his  family.  Mr.  Owens 
undoubtedly  felt  that  he  had  run  up  against  a  Later-Day-Saint  who  lived  up  to 
the  doctrine  of  plurality  of  wives  and  large  families.  Rufus  Fullerton  and  L. 
C.  Rudow  posed  as  the  two  oldest  boys.  After  the  introduction  and  Mr.  Owens 
having  recovered  from  his  surprise  the  crowd  was  invited  in  and  the  ladies 
took  possession  of  the  house.  Ross  R.  Haynes  had  a  magnificent  phonograph 
with  which  he  entertained  the  party.  L.  A.  Rudow  and  Burdette  Haynes 
rendered  selections  on  the  banjo  and  mandolin.  Later  on  the  ladies  sen-ed 
light  refreshments. 

"The  affair  was  highly  enjoyable  and  all  had  a  good  lime.  Dad  Owens 
was  brimming  over  with  pithy  remarks  and  characteristic  jokes. 


860  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

"As  the  evening-  breeze  was  fanning  the  surroundings  somewhat  rudely, 
the  ladies  suggested  that  the  party  be  named  the  Sandblown  Club,  as  they  had, 
like  the  sand,  drifted  in  unannounced. 

"Those  present  were:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Hobday,  ^Ir.  and  I\Irs.  L.  C. 
Rudow,  Mr.  and  INIrs.  Rufus  P'ullerton,  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  A.  Johnson.  Air.  and 
Mrs.  Cyuis  Hoadley,  Air.  and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Haney,  Air.  and  Airs.  J.  Sercombe, 
Air.  and  Airs.  Ross  R.  Haynes.  Air.  and  Airs.  J.  W.  Armstrong,  Air.  and  Airs. 
R.  Gorsuch,  Air.  and  Airs.  J-  B.  Clements,  Aliss  Nellie  Hoadley,  Air.  Burnette 
Haynes,  E.  Gunning,  L.  A.  Rudow,  Dayton  A.  Hunt,  A.  W.  Fellows,  C.  O. 
Anderson." 

CITY    GOVERNMENT    IN    KENNEWICK 

The  gratifying  growth  of  the  town  under  the  new  regime  of  irrigation  led 
to  a  desire  for  a  municipal  organization.  The  agitation  continuing  through 
1903  culminated  in  a  petition  which  effected  its  aim.  In  the  "Courier"  of 
December   18,   1903,  we  find  this  petition: 

"petition  for  incorpor.\tion 

"In  the  matter  of  the  Incorporation  of  the  Town  of  Kennewick,  County 
of  Yakima,   State  of  Washington. 

"To  the  Honorable,  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners,  County  of  Yakima 
and  State  of  Washington : 

"Your  petitioners  respectfully  show  that  they  and  each  of  them  are  quali- 
fied electors  in  the  county  of  Yakima  and  state  of  Washington,  and  that  they 
desire  that  the  following  described  territory  or  portion  of  said  county  and 
state  be  formed  into  and  become  an  incorporated  tow-n,  to  be  named  and  known 
as  the  'Town  of  Kennewick'  and  particularly  bounded  and  described  as  follows, 
to-wit : 

"All  lands,  parts  or  parcels  of  land  or  territory  included  within  a  line  com- 
mencing at  the  southeast  comer  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  No.  one  (1), 
township  No.  eight  (8)  north,  range  No.  twenty-nine  (29),  East  \A'illamette 
Aleridian,  Yakima  County,  Washington,  the  initial  point,  thence  running  north 
on  the  east  line  of  said  section  No.  one  { 1  )  to  a  point  intersecting  with  the 
south  line  of  the  right  of  way  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company :  thence 
running  east  along  said  right  of  way  of  said  railway  company  for  a  distance 
of  foii:y  (40)  feet:  thence  running  due  north  for  a  distance  of  two  hundred 
twelve  (212)  feet,  thence  running  east  to  a  point  for  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
forty-five  (145)  feet;  thence  running  north  to  a  point  intersecting  with  the 
township  line  between  tow-nships  No.  eight  (8)  and  nine  (9)  north,  range  No. 
thirty  (30),  thence  running  west  along  said  tnwiishi]i  line  to  .the  southeast 
corner  of  section  No.  thirty-six  (36),  township  No.  nine  (9)  north,  range  No. 
twenty-nine  (29),  East  Willamette  Aleridian,  thence  running  north  on  said 
east  line  of  said  section  No.  thirty-six  (36)  to  a  point  in  mid-channel  of  the 
Columbia  River,  thence  running  'up  the  Columbia  River  in  a  northwesterly 
direction  to  a  point  intersecting  with  the  west  line  of  said  section  No.  thirty- 
six  (36),  township  No.  nine  (9),  range  No.  twenty-nine  (29),  thence  running 
along  said  west  line  of  said  section  No.  thirty-six   (36)   to  a  point  in  the  center 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  .  861 

of  the  Xorthern  Pacific  Irrigation  Company's  canal  or  irrigation  ditch,  thence 
running  down  said  canal  or  ditch  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  following  the 
center  thereof,  to  a  point  intersecting  the  east  line  of  section  No.  one  (1), 
township  Xo.  eight  (8),  range  No.  twenty-nine  (29j,  thence  running  north 
along  said  east  line  of  said  section  No.  one  (1)  to  the  point  of  beginning. 

"Your  petitioners  further  show  that  they  and  each  of  them  are  actual  resi- 
dents of  and  reside  within  the  limits  of  the  above  described  territory  or  portion 
of  said  county  and  state,  and  further  show  that  there  reside  within  the  limits  of 
said  described  territory  or  portion  of  said  county  proposed  to  be  incorporated, 
three  hundred  and  forty  (340)  people  or  inhabitants,  and  that  said  territory  is 
not  now  incorporated  as  a  municipal  corporation. 

"Wherefore,  your  petitioners  pray  that  the  above  described  territory  or 
portion  of  said  county  and  state  aforesaid  may  be  incorporated  as  a  municipal 
corp9ration,  to  be  named  and  known  as  the  town  of  Kennewick,  under  the  pro- 
visions of  Chapter  7  of  Pierce's  Washington  Code,  entitled  'An  act  providing 
for  the  organization,  classification,  incorporation  and  government  of  municipal 
corporations,'  approved  March  27,  1890.  and  amendments  thereto. 

"Dated  at  Kennewick,  Washington,  December  17,  1903. 

"Daniel  Boyd,  W.  Keefer,  W.  Giezentanner.  Alonzo  Hunt,  H.  A.  Hover, 
G.  E.  Hanson,  John  Sherman,  Thomas  Cosgrove,  A.  W.  Fellows,  L.  J.  Prior, 
Rufus  Fullerton,  A.  H.  Johnson,  L.  C.  Rudow,  O.  L.  Hanson,  M.  P.  Fuller,  J. 
N.  Scott,  E.  M.  Angell,  J.  F.  Shafer,  A.  F.  Brown,  F.  E.  Kitsman,  August 
Wilkie,  J.  W.  Weger,  D.  P.  Tribe,  C.  O.  Piles,  WilHam  Stiegler,  W.  A.  Morain, 
W.  A.  Flower,  T.  McKain,  L.  H.  Brookius,  L.  G.  Moore,  W.  F.  Sims,  H.  E. 
Baldwin,  J.  F,  Pierce,  W.  W.  Swan,  C.  A.  Lundy,  N.  R.  Sylvester,  G.  E.  Rose- 
man,  J.  B.  Rees,  A.  V.  McReynolds,  L.  B.  Hoagland,  C.  M.  Lloyd,  C.  F.  Breit- 
haupt,  O.  Olson,  M.  H.  Schweikert,  Howard  S.  Amon,  Georg£  E.  Finley,  J.  S. 
Outler,  W.  F.  Sonderman,  Frank  Drew,  Martinis  O.  Kutten,  E.  G.  Welsh,  L. 
H.  Peckenpaugh,  J.  R.  Quigley,  D.  B.  Pettijohn,  Ross  R.  Haynes,  L.  S.  Erley, 
Ray  Fox,  T.  S.  Cantrill,  James  Crowell,  Hensen  Johnson." 

"notice  t 

"TO  ALL  WHOM  IT  MAY  CONCERN : 

"Notice  is  hereby  given  that  the  foregoing  petition  praying  for  the  incor- 
poration of  the  territory  therein  particularly  described  into  a  municipal  cor- 
poration, will  be  presented  for  a  hearing  thereon,  to  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners of  Yakima  County,  state  of  Washington,  at  the  regular  January 
meeting  of  said  board,  to  be  held  in  the  courthouse  at  North  Yakima,  said  county 
and  state,  on  the  4th  day  of  January,  A.  D.,  1904,  at  the  hour  of  ten  o'clock  in 
the  forenoon  of  said  day,  or  as  soon  therafter  as  the  same  can  be  heard  on  said 
day  or  at  any  adjourned  meeting  thereof. 

"Dated  at  Kennewick,  Washington,  this   17th  day  of  December,   1903. 

"W.  A.  ]\Iorain,  Thomas  Cosgrove,  Daniel  Boyd,  S.  H.  Amon,  G.  E.  Han- 


The  issue  of  February  5,  1904,  furnishes  the  results  of  the  first  election, 
and  also  makes  editorial  comment  upon  it. 


862  HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY 

"The  election  at  Kennewick  was  interesting,  saying  the  least,  not  only  to  the 
candidates,  but  to  the  voters  as  well.  The  regular  ticket  was  opposed  by  H.  A. 
Hover  for  the  mayorship,  and  L.  G.  Moore  for  councilman,  both  running  inde- 
pendent. Hover  worked  with  his  characteristic  energy  and  his  opponents  re- 
sisted with  bulldog  tenacity.  Greek  met  Greek.  The  total  vote  cast  was  61. 
Of  these  53  were  in  favor  of  incorporation  and  3  against.  Five  voters  seemed 
to  have  been  so  carried  away  by  factional  warfare  that  they  forgot  the  issue  of 
incorporation  entirely. 

"The  vote  when  counted  stood  as  follows :  For  mayor,  O.  L.  Hanson,  32 ; 
H.  A.  Hover,  29.  For  councilmen,  T.  S.  Cantrill,  54:  Rufus  Fullertoii,  50:  L.  C. 
Rudow,  37;  H.  S.  Anion,  2,7;  L.  G.  Moore,  36;  Daniel  Boyd,  34.  For  treasurer, 
Alonzo  J.  Hunt,  2)7.     For  incorporation,  53;  against  incorporation,  3. 

"The  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  are :  O.  L.  Hanson,  mayor ;  T.  S.  Cant- 
rill, Rufus  Fullerton,  L.  C.  Rudow,  H.  S.  Amon  and  L.  G.  Moore,  councilmen; 
Alonzo   |.   Hunt,  treasurer." 


"Election  is  over.  The  incorporation  issue  passed  with  a  handsome  ma- 
jority, only  three  votes  were  cast  against  it.  The  election  returns  are  filed  and 
canvassed  by  the  proper  authorities  and  the  necessary  documents  required  by 
law  have  been  drafted,  certified  and  filed  in  the  proper  offices.  The  officers 
elected  to  serve  the  municipality  can  now  at  any  time,  meet,  qualify,  organize 
and  begin  their  arduous  task  of  forming  a  town  government.  In  this  they  will 
find  that  they  have  no  easy  task.  Every  step  is  prescribed  by  law  and  every 
step  must  be  complied  with  in  the  manner  prescribed.  One  single  loop-hole  will 
often  overturn  the  whole  thing.  Ordinances  must  be  drafted  and  passed  legally. 
This  fundamental  work  is  most  important  as,  when  once  done,  and  done  cor- 
rectly, it  will  be  permanent  and  the  machinery  of  government  move  on  without 
interruption  as  years  roll  on,  excepting  the  transaction  of  business  which  comes 
up  from  time  to  time,  and  the  drafting  of  an  occasional  ordinance  to  meet  the 
exigencies  of  the  case.  The  position  of  the  present  officers  is  by  no  means  an 
enviable  one.  The  tasks  they  have  before  them  are  not  light  by  any  means, 
which  they  will  find  before  many  months,  and  when  once  completed  they  will 
look  back  over  their  work  in  astonishment  to  think  that  so  much  was  really  re- 
quired."' 


In  the  next  number  of  the  "Courier"  we  find  the  first  ordinances  of  the 
Council : 

ORDINANCE  NO.  I. 

An  ordinance  fixing  the  time  for  holding  the  council  meetings. 

BE  IT  ORDAINED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  KENNE- 
WICK: 

Section  1.  The  council  of  the  town  of  Kennewick  shall  hold  a  regular 
meeting  for  the  transaction  of  ])usiness  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  each  month,  at 
the  Town  Hall,  hereby  established  at  the  office  known  as  the  rear  office  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  865 

Bank  Building  in  the  town  of  Kennewick ;  provided,  that  whenever  such  day 
falls  on  a  legal  holiday,  the  regular  meeting  shall  be  held  on  the  following 
Wednesday,  at  the  same  hour. 

Sec.  2.     The  hour  of  meeting  shall  be  7  :30  o'clock  p.  m. 

Sec.  3.  This  ordinance  shall  be  in  force  and  effect  from  and  after  its 
passage,  approval  and  publication  in  the  "Columbia  Courier,"  a  newspaper  of 
general  circulation,  and  printed  and  published  in  the  town  of  Kennewick. 
Passed  by  the  council  February  9,  A.  D.  1904. 

Approved  February  9,  A.  D.  1904. 

Attest :     L.  G.  Moore,  clerk,  pro  tern.     O.  L.  Hanson,  mayor. 

ORDINANCE  NO.  II. 

An  ordinance  designating  an  official  paper   for  the  town  of   Kennewick. 

BE  IT  ORDAINED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  KENNE- 
WICK : 

Section  1.  That  the  "Columbia  Courier,"  a  weekly  newspaper  of  general 
circulation,  printed  and  published  within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  town  of 
Kennewick,  be  and  is  hereby  selected,  designated  and  made  the  official  paper 
of  said  town. 

Sec.  2.  All  ordinances,  resolutions,  notices  or  other  official  or  legal  matter 
required  by  law  to  be  published  shall  be  published  in  the  "Columbia  Courier." 

,  Sec.  3.  This  ordinance  to  be  in  efifect  and  force  from  and  after  its  passage, 
approval  and  publication  in  the  "Columbia  Courier,"  a  newspaper  printed  and 
published  in  Kennewick. 

Passed  by  the  council  February  9,  1904. 

Approved  February  9,  1904. 

Attest:     L.  G.  Moore,  clerk,  pro.  tern.     O.  L.  Hanson,  mayor. 

ORDINANCE  NO.  III. 

An  ordinance  creating  the  office  of  Town  Attorney  and  providing  for  his 
appointment,  prescribing  the  tenure  of  office  and  defining  his  duties. 

BE  IT  ORDAINED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  KENNE- 
WICK : 

Section  1.     The  office  of  Town  Attorney  is  hereby  created  and  established. 

Sec.  2.  The  town  attorney  shall  be  appointed  by  the  mayor,  subject  to 
the  confirmation  by  the  town  council  in  the  manner  prescribed  in  Chapter  113 
of  the  Session  Laws  of  1903  of  the  state  of  Washington. 

Sec.  3.  The  town  attorney,  when  appointed  under  the  provisions  of  this 
ordinance,  shall  hold  office  during  the  pleasure  of  the  mayor,  who  may  remove 
such  attorney  at  any  time  and  appoint  his  successor.  In  case  of  removal,  notice 
in  writing  shall  be  served  upon  said  attorney,  and  a  copy  of  said  notice  together 
with  a  statement  of  the  fact  of  removal,  signed  by  the  mayor,  shall  be  filed  with 
the  town  clerk  forthwith.  In  case  of  a  vacancy  at  any  time  in  the  office  of  town 
attorney,  or  removal,  as  herein  provided,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  mayor,  at 


864  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

or  before  the  next  regular  meeting  of  the  council,  to  appoint  some  competent 
attorney  to  fill  such  vacancy,  which  appointment  shall  be  subject  to  confirma- 
tion as  herein  provided  and  shall  file  written  notice  of  such  appointment  with 
the  clerk. 

Sec.  4.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  town  attorney  to  advise  the  town 
authorities  and  officers  in  all  legal  matters  pertaining  to  the  business  of  the 
town,  to  draft  any  and  all  ordinances  at  the  request  of  the  council,  or  the 
orilinance  committee,  and  to  prosecute  or  defend,  in  behalf  of  said  town,  any 
suit  for  or  against  the  town.  It  shall  be  his  duty  to  prosecute  all  criminal 
actions  for  the  violation  of  any  town  ordinance  before  the  police  justice  or 
any  magistrate  before  whom  said  action  may  be  legally  brought,  and  to  do  and 
perform  any  and  all  other  services  wherein  the  sen'ices  or  advice  of  an  attorney 
is  required  pertaining  to  the  town's  business. 

Sec.  5.  The  town  attorney  shall  receive  such  compensation  for  his  ser- 
vices as  shall  be  fixed  or  allowed  by  the  council. 

Sec.  6.  Before  entering  upon  the  duties  of  his  office,  the  town  attorney 
shall  execute  and  file  with  the  town  clerk  the  constitutional  oath  of  office  "as 
required  by  law. 

Sec.  7.  This  ordinance  shall  take  eft'ect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after 
its  passage,  approval  and  publication  in  the  "Columbia  Courier,"  the  official 
paper  of  the  town. 

Passed  the  council  February  9th.   1904.     Approved  Februarv  9th,  1904. 
Attest:  L.  G.  Moore,  clerk,  pro.  tem.  O.   L.  Hanson,  Alavor. 

(  )RD1XAXCE  XO.  I\' 

An  C)rdinance  designating  and  adopting  a  Town  Seal. 

BE  IT  ORDAIXED  BY  THE  COUXCIL  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  KENNE- 
WICK: 

Section  1.  That  a  seal  making  an  impression  as  follows:  In  the  center 
thereof  in  appropriate  style,  the  word  "Seal"  and  the  cut  or  picture  of  a  straw- 
berry, and  around  the  outer  edge  thereof  the  words  "The  Town  of  Kennewick. 
State  of  Washington,"  shall  be  and  is  hereby  declared,  designated  and  adopted 
to  be  the  seal  of  the  town  of  Kennewick. 

Sec.  2.  The  seal  of  the  town  shall  be  kept  by  the  town  clerk  and  be  by 
him  affixed  to  all  acts  requiring  to  be  so  authenticated. 

Sec.  3.  This  ordinance  to  be  in  eft'ect  and  full  force  from  and  after  its 
passage  and  publication  in  the  "Columbia  Courier,"  the  official  paper  of  the 
town. 

Passed  the  council  February  9,  1904. 

Approved   February  9,   1904. 

Attest:     L.  G.  Moore,  clerk,  pro  tem.     O.  L.  Hanson,  mayor. 

(  )KU1X.\XCE  X(  ).  \'. 

An  ordinance  providing  for  the  giving  of  official  bonds  by  certain  officers 
of  the  town  of  Kennewick. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  865 

BE  IT  ORDAINED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  KENNE- 
WICK: 

Section  1.  That  every  officer  of  the  town  of  Kennevvick  named  in  this 
section  shall,  before  entering  upon  the  duties  of  his  office,  give  a  good  and  suffi- 
cient bond,  in  the  sum  hereinafter  designated,  and  conditioned  for  the  faithful 
performance  of  his  duty,  and  that  he  will  pay  over  all  moneys  belonging  to  the 
town  of  Kennewick  as  provided  by  law.  All  respective  bonds  given  by  each 
officer  shall  be  in  the  sum  following,  to-wit: 

Treasurer,  one  thousand   ($1,000.00)   dollars. 

Clerk,  five  hundred   ($500.00)   dollars 

Marshal,  five  hundred   ($500.00)   dollars. 

Sec.  2.  That  the  bonds  provided  for  in  Section  one  (1)  hereof,  shall  be 
furnished  by  reputable  and  responsible  surety  and  guaranty  company,  authorized 
to  transact  business  under  the  laws  of  this  state,  who  shall  guarantee  the  pro- 
visions and  conditions  of  said  bond  or  bonds. 

Sec.  3.  If  any  person  elected  or  appointed  to  any  office  shall  neglect  or 
refuse  to  give  a  bond  as  herein  required,  within  ten  days  after  his  election  or 
appointment  to  such  office,  his  office  shall  be  deemed  vacant. 

Sec.  4.  The  bond  herein  provided  for  shall  be  approved  by  the  council 
and  filed  with  the  clerk,  except  the  bond  of  the  clerk  which  shall  be  approved  by 
the  council  and  filed  with  the  mayor. 

Sec.  5.  This  ordinance  to  be  in  force  and  effect  from  and  after  its  passage 
and  publication  in  the  "Columbia  Courier,"  the  official  paper  of  the  town. 

Passed  by  the  council  Februarj-  9,   1904. 

Approved  February  9,  1904. 

Attest :     L.  G.  Moore,  clerk  pro  tem.     O.  L.  Hanson,  mayor. 

ORDIXAXCE  XO.  \T. 

An  ordinance  to  license  the  sale  or  disposal  of  spirituous,  fermented,  malt 
or  other  intoxicating  liquors  in  the  town  of  Kennewick. 

BE  IT  ORDAINED  BY  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  KENNE- 
WICK: 

Section  1.  That  no  person  or  firm,  or  agent  thereof,  shall  sell  or  dispose 
of  spirituous,  fermented,  malt  or  other  intoxicating  liquors  in  the  town  of  Kenne- 
wick without  first  having  obtained  a  license  therefor. 

Sec.  2.  The  license  for  the  sale  or  disposal  of  spirituous,  fermented,  malt 
or  other  intoxicating  liquors  within  the  town  of  Kennewick  is  hereby  fixed  at 
the  sum  of  five  hundred  ($500.00)  dollars  per  annum. 

Sec.  3.  Any  person  or  firm  desiring  to  obtain  a  license  to  sell  or  dispose 
of  spirituous,  fermented,  malt  or  other  intoxicating  liquors  in  the  town  of  Kenne- 
wick, shall  make  application  therefor  in  writing  to  the  town  council,  which 
application  shall  particularly  describe  the  lot  and  block  where  said  business  of 
the  applicant  shall  be  conducted,  together  with  the  name  of  the  owner  of  the 
said  premises  ;  and  if  such  applicant  is  not  the  owner  of  said  premises,  then 
the  application   must  be  accompanied  by  the  consent  of  the  owner  in  writing 

(55) 


866  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

to  use  such  premises  for  such  purposes.  The  council  shall  consider  the  appli- 
cation for  license,  and,  if  in  the  judgment  of  the  council,  the  application  is  in 
due  form  and  according  to  the  provisions  of  this  section,  and  the  applicant  is 
a  suitable  and  fit  person  to  whom  to  grant  a  license,  the  town  council  shall 
thereupon  order  entered  upon  the  journal  an  order  to  the  effect  that  a  license 
issue  to  such  applicant  in  the  manner  hereinafter  provided,  subject  to  the  terms 
and  conditions  of  this  section. 

Sec.  4.  After  such  order  is  made,  no  license  shall  issue  in  any  case  until 
the  applicant  has  paid  into  the  town  treasury  the  sum  of  $500.00,  and  entered 
into  a  bond  in  the  penal  sum  of  $L000.00,  with  sureties  to  be  approved  by  the 
mayor,  such  bond  to  be  conditioned  that  the  applicant  shall  keep  an  orderly 
house  and  will  not  sell  liquors  to  minors,  and  as  by  law  required. 

Sec.  5.  Upon  filing  with  the  clerk  of  such  bond,  with  the  mayor's  approval 
endorsed  thereon,  and  the  receipt  or  certificate  of  the  treasurer  showing  that 
the  license  fee  of  $500  has  been  paid,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  town  clerk  to 
issue  and  deliver  to  said  applicant  a  license  for  the  period  of  one  year  from  the 
date  thereof,  signed  by  the  mayor  and  duly  attested  by  the  clerk,  with  the  town 
seal  affixed  thereto. 

Sec.  6.  The  council  may  at  any  time,  upon  notice  to  any  person  licensed  to 
sell  spirituous,  fermented,  malt  or  other  intoxicating  liquors,  revoke  such  license 
for  good  and  sufficient  cause  shown,  and  such  revocation  shall  be  entered  upon 
the  journal  and  thereafter  such  license  shall  be  void. 

Sec.  7.  Any  person  violating  any  of  the  provisions  of  this  ordinance  shall 
be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  upon  conviction  thereof,  be  fined  in 
any  sum  not  exceeding  one  hundred  dollars,  and  in  default  of  such  fine,  shall 
be  imprisoned  at  the  rate  of  three  dollars  per  day  until  such  fine  is  discharged. 

Sec.  8.  This  ordinance  shall  be  in  force  and  effect  from  and  after  its 
passage  and  publication  in  the  "Columbia  Courier,"  the  official  paper  of  the 
town. 

Passed  the  council  February  9,   1904.     Approved  February  9,   1904. 

Attest:     L.  G.  Moore,  clerk  pro  tem.     O.  L.  Hanson,  mayor. 


In  the  "Courier"  of  December  9th,  we  find  the  following  editorial  com- 
ment on  the  second  election : 

"The  city  election  Tuesday  passed  oil  quietly,  there  being  but  one  ticket  in 
the  field  and  the  city  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  new  city  government.  The 
ticket  that  yesterday  received  the  unanimous  support  of  our  citizens  was  fnim 
top  to  bottom  composed  of  the  very  best  men  in  the  city  and  there  is  not  one 
of  them  who  would  not  sacrifice  considerable  personal  interests  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  the  city  as  a  whole.  They  are  all  intelligent,  energetic  men  who  are 
imbued  with  the  true  western  spirit,  and  are  willing  to  devote  their  best  effort 
to  the  upbuilding  of  Kennewick  and  surrounding  district.  For  the  next  year, 
at  least,  we  are  in  safe  hands.  The  new  officials  are  as  follows :  Mayor,  Ed- 
ward Sheppard;  councilmen,  H.  A.  Bier,  O.  L.  Hanson,  L.  G.  Moore,  A.  H. 
Johnson,  R.  Gorsuch ;  treasurer,  A.  F.  Brown." 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  867 

Such  was  the  initiation  of  city  government.  From  the  city  clerk  of  this 
date  we  derive  a  hst  of  mayors  and  clerks  to  the  present.  We  include  this  here, 
together  with  some  data  on  city  ownership  of  utilities : 

List  of  mayors  and  clerks  from  beginning  to  the  present  time : 

Mayors :  O.  L.  Hanson,  Edward  Sheppard,  L.  E.  Johnson,  A.  H.  Richards, 
S.  M.  Lockerby,  E.  L.  Kolb,  George  F.  Richardson,  L.  E.  Johnson,  George  W. 
Sherk.  Clerks,  L.  G.  Moore  (pro  tern),  G.  E.  Hanson,  \V.  J.  Shaughnessy,  R.  A. 
Klinge,  F.  F.  Dean,  C.  O.  Anderson.  G.  N.  Calhoun,  T.  J.  Wright,  D.  L.  Taylor, 
M.  E.  Soth. 

Present  city  officers :  Mayor,  George  W.  Sherk ;  clerk,  M.  E.  Soth ;  attor- 
ney, F.  R.  Jeffrey  ;  treasurer,  George  R.  Bradshaw  ;  councihnen,  G.  G.  Haydon, 
F.  F.  Beste,  George  Egbert,  R.  Gilcrcst,  George  E.  Tweedt,  D.  S.  Brogunier, 
Charley  Haas. 

The  city  installed  a  sewer  system  covering  almost  the  entire  city  in  1912-13. 
There  are  cement  sidewalks  on  most  of  the  streets  and  part  of  them  are  oiled 
macadam.  The  city  also  has  an  underground  irrigation  system  in  the  principal 
residence  section.     There  is  a  municipal  water  system  from  the  Columbia  River. 

In  looking  over  the  old  time  data  of  land  enterprises,  one  among  many  is 
discovered  from  an  issue  of  the  Nlorthwest  Magazine  of  that  period  which  calls 
to  remembrance  one  of  the  most  active  and  highly  respected  of  all  the  early  pro- 
moters of  Kennewick,  Dr.  Adriel  B.  Ely.  He,  with  his  brilliant  and  estimable 
wife,  were  central  figures  in  many  of  the  social  and  literary,  as  well  as  business 
undertakings  of  the  early  days.  These  land  advertisements  cast  light  on  the 
conditions  in  which  the  new  Kennewick  originated. 


DESIRABLE    LANDS    IN     THE     LOWER     YAKIJIA     AND     KENNEWICK     VALLEYS,     WASH. 

The  lower  Yakima  and  Kennewick  valleys  offer  lands  with  more  ad- 
vantages, at  a  lower  price,  with  the  greatest  increase  in  value,  and  by  far  the 
safest  guarantee  for  investment  in  the  United  States.  Nature  having  lavished 
her  gifts  here  so  as  to  insure  success,  crops  follow  with  no  chance  of  failure. 
Expend  the  same  time  and  money  here  that  you  do  trying  to  grow  a  crop  east 
of  the  Rockies,  where  drouth  and  floods,  wind  and  cyclones,  hail  and  snow,  bug 
and  rust  give  battle,  and  you  will  reap  abundant  harvest.  Irrigation  gives  rain 
when  needed,  and  without  devastating  storms. 

We  can  clear  our  land  of  sagebrush  at  from  one  to  two  and  one-half  dol- 
lars per  acre.  We  grow  fruit  here  when  it  is  too  cold  at  higher  elevations — 
it  is  here  330  feet.  .Apricots  yield  jier  acre  S210  net  to  $1,200  net.  Peaches 
per  acre  yield  over  $1,200  net,  profits  depending  upon  age  of  trees:  yellow-egg 
plums,  French  prunes,  pears,  grapes,  etc.,  in  proportion.  Mr.  W.  J.  Bauer, 
of  Kiona,  Washington,  states  : 

"I  came  here  from  California  and  purchased  my  land  of  the  Yakima  Irri- 
gating and  Improvement  Company  three  years  ago,  for  which  I  paid  $35  per 
acre,  including  water  right.  Strawberries  ripened  the  18th  of  May,  1893,  and 
the  season  was  two  w-eeks  late  at  that.  I  found  ready  sale  for  them  at  $1  ]ier 
gallon   and  could   have   sold   many   more  than    I   raised,   at   same   price.     I   had 


868  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

orders  from  North  Yakima  that  I  could  not  fill,  as  their  strawberries  did  not 
ripen  until  June.  My  raspberries  ripened  in  May  and  the  cherries  the  last  of 
May.  We  had  ripe  peaches  on  the  trees  the  12th  of  July,  1893,  also  apricots, 
and  we  shall  see  the  last  of  the  peaches  in  September.  Received  $53  for  the 
melons  from  about  one-half  acre  last  year — and  this  in  my  orchard.  The  early 
melons  sold  for  forty  cents  apiece  because  I  picked  them  over  two  weeks  before 
any  ripened,  at  North  Yakima  or  Ellensburg.  I  picked  the  first  ripe  melon  of 
the  season  today,  July  27.  My  alfalfa  in  1892  cut  about  eight  tons  per  acre,  and 
sold  at  $12.50  per  ton  in  the  stack.  We  can  cut  five  crops  per  year,  while  up 
in  the  Yakima  Valley,  about  100  miles  nearer  the  Cascade  Mountains — near 
North  Yakima — they  only  cut  four  crops.  This  year  the  yield  is  heavier  than 
last,  and  I  am  getting  more  than  two  tons  per  acre  per  cutting.  Vegetables  of 
all  kinds  grow  in  abundance.  I  raised  a  watermelon  weighing  fifty-five  pounds. 
Am  having  good  success  in  raising  hogs  on  alfalfa  and  am  not  feeding  them 
any  grain.  Can  pasture  here  from  March  to  the  last  of  December.  Shall  be 
pleased  to  correspond  with  any  one  wishing  to  settle  in  W'ashington." 

To  appreciate  the  value  of  these  lands  one  ought  to  examine  them,  for  it 
will  seem  strange  to  one  not  posted  that  thousands  of  acres  may  be  bought  at 
$25  to  $50  per  acre  in  the  same  county,  with  just  the  same  kind  of  land  and 
soil  as  those  farms  selling  at  $200  to  $800  per  acre.  The  following  lands  that 
I  offer  for  sale  are  such  lands  as  can  be  made  to  produce  the  same  profits  as 
the  most  valuable  land  in  the  state : 

1.  Fine  apricot  land,  within  one  and  one-half  miles  of  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad  station,  in  ten-acre  tracts,  or  an  eighty-acre  farm  at  a  bargain.  This 
land  is  all  under  the  irrigating  canal. 

2.  For  sale  near  Kennewick,  on  the  Columbia  and  within  three  miles  of 
railroad  station,  160  acres  fine  prune  land ;  will  sell  in  small  tracts  if  desired. 
Price  $35  per  acre — all  level  land  and  under  canal :  five-year  contract. 

3.  As  fine  hop  land  as  there  is  on  the  Yakima  River ;  price  $25  per  acre. 
Terms,  one-fifth  down,  one-fifth  after  t\vo  years,  and  one-fifth  each  year  there- 
after for  three  years. 

4.  One  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  within  a  few  miles  of  Northern  Pa- 
cific Railroad  station,  $50  per  acre,  with  water  right.  Will  sell  any  part  of  the 
same  or  several  hundred  acres  of  the  Yakima  Irrigating  and  Improvement  Com- 
pany's land. 

5.  Six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  excellent  hop.  alfalfa,  corn  and  i)Otato 
land,  second  to  none  in  the  northwest,  and  for  small  fruit  farm  the  most  de- 
sirable in  the  county ;  price  $50  per  acre,  with  water  right.  This  is  within  easy 
drive  of  railroad  station;  the  Yakima  Irrigating  and  Impro\'ement  Company's 
land  ;  terms,  five-year  contract. 

6.  Extra  peach  land  about  eight  nfiles  from  railroad  station  on  the  river; 
the  railroad  may  be  reached  by  water.  Any  part  of  320  acres  at  $25  per  acre; 
five  years'  time  ;  one-fifth  cash. 

ADRIEL  B.  ELY. 
General    Land    Agent.   Yakima   Irrigating  and   Improvement    Company.   Kenne- 
wick, Washington. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  869 

Some  extracts  from  the  "Courier"  of  November  4,  1904,  will  give  still 
further  light  upon  the  people  and  the  ongoings  of  that  date. 

"Mr.  Webster's  new  residence  in  the  south  part  of  town  is  nearing  com- 
pletion, and  will  be  one  of  the  finest  in  the  city. 

"Mr.  Perry  is  erecting  a  nice  residence  on  his  five-acre  tract  near  the  river 
which  will  be  ready  for  occupancy  in  a  week  or  so. 

"Art  linen.  Butcher's  linen,  handkerchief  linen,  Art  scrim  embroidery, 
huckabuck  and  wash  embroidery  silks  at  Fred  B.  Kreidler's. 

"The  new  residence  that  Mr.  Beach  is  erecting  in  his  addition  is  now  in  the 
hands  of  the  painters  and  when  finished  will  be  a  credit  to  the  city. 

"The  Republican  meeting  in  the  opera  house  last  night  was  attended  by  a 
fair-sized  audience.  The  speakers  were  given  a  close  hearing  and  received  a 
hearty  applause  when  they  made  points  that  appealed  to  their  hearers. 

"A  crew  of  Government  engineers  are  camped  on  'The  Horn,'  west  of  town, 
and  it  is  supposed  their  work  has  to  do  with  the  project  for  irrigating  the  land 
on  the  bench.  They  are  not  giving  out  any  information,  however,  and  the 
above  is  only  a  supposition. 

"If  any  one  has  an  idea  that  we  are  not  doing  business  in  this  city  let  him 
go  down  to  the  depot  and  watch  the  trains  unload  the  freight  that  arrives  here 
every  da\-.  Yesterday  one  train  alone  put  36,000  pounds  of  freight  in  the  freight 
warehouse  at  this  place. 

"The  Woodmen  have  decided  to  give  a  Japanese  tea  party  in  the  hall  over 
the  opera  house  on  the  evening  of  the  8th.  The  election  returns  will  be  re- 
ceived in  the  opera  house  during  the  evening  and  the  aii'air  in  the  hall  upstairs 
will  furnish  a  handy  place  for  getting  refreshments.  The  hall  will  be  decorated 
in  Japanese  style  and  the  young  ladies  serving  the  refreshments  will  be  dressed 
as  Japanese  maidens. 

"The  ladies  of  the  W.  C.  T.  L'.  met  at  the  residence  of  Mrs.  L.  A.  Jarnagin 
yesterday  afternoon.  As  is  usual  when  the  ladies  of  Kennewick  get  together  a 
fine  time  was  had.  A  literary  program  was  rendered,  consisting  of  readings, 
recitations  and  interesting  talks  on  the  subjects  that  called  the  order  into  life 
and  makes  it  one  of  the  grandest  of  the  ladies'  societies.  Both  vocal  and  in- 
strumental music  came  as  pleasant  intervals  to  the  more  substantial  numbers  of 
the  program.  Refreshments,  of  course,  came  in  the  proper  order  of  things  and 
were  relished  as  is  to  be  expected  when  kindred  spirits  meet  around  the  banquet 
board. 


"Dr.  Clemmcr,  the  Spokane  dentist,  asks  us  to  notify  the  people  of  this  place 
that  he  will  be  here  immediately  after  the  general  election  for  the  practice  of 
his  profession. 

"President  Roosevelt  has  issued  his  Thanksgiving  proclamation.  Thurs- 
day, November  24,  has  been  set  aside  as  a  day  for  general  thanksgiving  all  over 
the  United  States. 

"Another  change  took  place  in  the  business  circles  of  Kennewick  today, 
when  C.  AI.  Lloyd  sold  his  livery  barn  to  Henry  Steege.  Mr.  Steege  recently 
came  to  this  state  from  Crookston,  Minnesota,  and  after  visiting  all  the  other 


870  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY 

towns  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  that  are  out  with  inducements  for  settlers, 
he  decided  that  Kennewick  was  the  place  of  the  most  promise  and  has  decided 
to  cast  his  lot  with  us.  We  have  been  personally  acquainted  with  the  gentle- 
man for  a  number  of  years  and  can  recommend  him  to  the  people  of  this  sec- 
tion as  an  upright,  enterprising  business  man  who  will  prove  a  valuable  acquisi- 
tion to  our  business  circles.  Mr.  Lloyd,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this 
city,  has  sold  the  livery  barn  with  the  intention  of  embarking  in  other  business. 

"The  finest  line  of  rugs  ever  shown  in  this  part  of  the  country  on  display 
at  the  Kennewick  Hardware  Company's  furniture  department. 

"There  are  at  the  present  time  about  a  dozen  families  living  in  tents  in  the 
various  parts  of  the  city  waiting  for  residences  to  be  erected  for  them.  The 
contracting  firms  of  the  city  are  overrun  with  work  and  the  lumber  yards  are 
working  overtime  to  supply  the  demand   for  building  material. 

"The  meeting  at  the  opera  house  last  night  was  attended  by  a  fair-sized 
crowd  of  interested  listeners.  Colonel  Custer,  the  speaker,  dealt  with  both 
national  and  state  issues  from  a  Republican  point  of  view,  and  proved  to  be  otie 
of  the  best  speakers  that  has  appeared  before  a  Kennewick  audience  this  Fall. 

"We  had  new  potatoes  for  dinner  today  and  for  the  privilege  are  indebted 
to  Archie  Spence.  The  potatoes  are  of  the  second  crop  raised  by  Mr.  Spence 
on  his  land  this  season.  He  informs  us  that  he  has  a  good  crop  and  the  potatoes 
are  equally  as  good  and  the  yield  as  large  on  the  second  as  on  the  first  crop. 

"By  the  way  those  golf  shoes  are  selling  at  Kreidler's  they  must  be  all 
right. 

"Fifty  styles  and  kinds  of  rockers  and  iron  lieds  at  the  Kennewick  Hard- 
ware Company.  Just  received  two  car  loads  of  furniture,  and  can  show  you 
rockers  from  $2  to  $45. 

"The  ladies  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  will  give  an  at-home  Thurs- 
day afternoon,  November  10th  from  2  to  5  o'clock  at  the  residence  of  Mrs.  A. 
H.  Johnson.     Bring  your  sewing  and  spend  a  social  afternoon  with  us. 

"Mrs.  Fred  B.  Kreidler  and  family  returned  this  week  from  Tacoma,  where 
they  spent  the  past  two  months  visiting  with  friends  and  relatives.  The  little 
one  that  has  been  in  ill  health  is  greatly  improved. 

"We  save  you  money  on  anything  you  buy.  As  our  business  has  increased 
to  a  great  extent  in  made-to-measure  suits  we  have  cut  out  the  express  charges 
and  give  you  a  suit  or  overcoat  at  Ed  V.  Price's  list  price.     Scott  &  Co. 

"The  Ladies'  Aid  of  the  Congregational  Church  met  at  the  residence  of 
Mrs.  Frank  Emigh  yesterday  afternoon.  Subjects  of  interest  to  the  church  and 
tlic  work  of  the  society  were  discussed,  and  of  course  the  ladies  devoted  some 
of  the  time  to  social  visiting  and  topics  dear  to  the  feminine  heart  were  con- 
sidered at  length. 

"Next  Tuesday  is  the  day  when  we  vote  for  the  president  of  the  L^nited 
States  and  for  the  state  and  county  officers.  After  that  we  will  have  to  begin 
to  take  up  the  matter  of  city  officers.  This  is  a  matter  of  more  importance 
than  most  people  think.  If  we  are  to  keep  up  with  the  procession  we  must  have 
a  progressive  city  government.  And  at  the  same  time  we  want  a  city  govern- 
ment that  will  be  conservative  enough  to  stop  short  of  extravagance.  There  will 
be  lunncrous  improvements  to  be  made  during  the  coming  year  and  the  citizens 


FIRST    NATIONAL    BANK,    KKNXEWICK 


KKXXEWICK  HIGH  SCHOOL 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  871 

should  see  to  it  that  those  who  are  elected  to  look  after  the  city's  interests  are 
of  the  sort  that  will  guide  us  safely  and  creditably  through  the  period  of  'their 
term  of  office.  The  next  year  will  be  one  of  the  most  vital  in  our  history.  The 
men  who  hold  office  here  next  year  can  either  make  or  greatly  cripple  the  city. 
Let  us  all  lay  aside  personal  considerations  and  select  men  of  the  right  stamp  for 
various  offices.     We  have  plenty  of  good  material. 


"Kennevvick  has  done  fairly  well  this  year  for  a  district  that  makes  no  pre- 
tentions at  wheat  raising.  The  Kennewick  Grain  Company,  that  has  handled 
all  the  grain  shipped  from  this  station  this  year,  have  up  to  date  shipped  out 
over  a  hundred  cars  of  wheat.  As  each  car  will  hold  something  over  a  thousand 
bushels  of  wheat,  this  makes  a  total  of  over  100,000  bushels.  Mr.  Crowell,  the 
bookkeeper  of  the  company,  informs  us  that  he  has  drawn  checks  to  date  for 
over  $75,000  in  payment  for  wheat  bought  by  the  company.  He  also  informs 
us  that  the  company  has  contracts  standing  out  for  wheat  that  will  keep  the 
farmers  busy  hauling  for  the  next  six  weeks.  This  will  bring  the  number  of 
bushels  up  near  the  150,000  mark  and  give  Kennewick  the  right  to  call  herself 
a  wheat  shipping  point,  along  with  the  numerous  other  things  that  she  has  to 
brag  about." 


SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES    AND    SOCIETIES 

It  is  commonplace  to  say  anything  further  in  regard  to  the  high-class  and 
entirely  commendable  character  of  the  institutions  covered  by  the  above  titles 
in  any  part  of  the  Yakima  Valley.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  Kennewick  has  main- 
tained a  place  in  the  front  row  with  the  best  of  her  neighbors.  As  noted  earlier, 
the  first  public  school  was  organized  in  1884,  and  the  first  teachers  were,  in  suc- 
cession, Mrs.  Haak,  Mr.  T.  B.  Thompson,  and  Miss  Josie  Miller.  The  district 
was  twelve  miles  square  and  the  school  enrollment  was  fifty-four.  A  two-story 
building,  still  standing,  though  unused,  was  erected  in  1893.  The  present 
splendid  high  school  building  was  erected  in  1911,  and  the  fine  grade  school 
building  came  in  1905,  both  nearly  model  buildings  for  their  purpose.  At  pres- 
ent date,  Professor  H.  H.  Hoil'man  is  city  superintendent;  Miss  Grace  Mitchel 
is  principal  of  the  high  school,  and  Miss  E.  R.  Tripp  is  principal  of  the  'Wash- 
ington school.  The  other  teachers  appear  in  the  county  directory  of  teachers 
in  the  chapter  on  Benton  County.  The  enrollment  in  the  high  school  the  year 
past  was  146  and  in  the  grades  was  510.  The  estimated  value  of  school 
property  in  the  district  was,  buildings  and  grounds,  $85,000;  furniture,  equip- 
ment and  books,  $16,000. 

The  schools  of  Kennewick  have  been  entirely  under  the  public  school  sys- 
tein  with  one  notable  exception,  very  interesting  in  a  historical  way.  That  ex- 
ception was  the  Academy  Emanuel,  founded  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  O.  Klitten,  at 
the  present  date  residents  of  Kennewick,  conducting  the  Hotel  Kennewick. 

An  account  of  the  opening  of  the  academy  is  found  in  the  "Courier"  of 
November  13,   1903. 

"The  work  on  the  Academy  Emanuel  is  moving  along  to  completion.     The 


872  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

painting  is  about  completed,  both  inside  and  outside,  and  plumbers  are  piping 
the  building  in  order  to  put  it  in  readiness  for  the  installation  of  a  gas  plant, 
which  will  be  utilized  for  both  lighting  and  heating  purposes.  Mrs.  Klitten  was 
in  Portland  last  week  and  inspected  a  number  of  places  lighted  with  similar 
plants  and  the  lights  are  excellent,  and  give  the  most  satisfactory  results.  She 
therefore  purchased  a  plant  for  the  academy  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,250.  This 
disposes  of  the  lighting  and  heating  problem  of  the  institution  in  a  most  happy 
manner.  On  her  return  she  also  stopped  o\-er  at  Tacoma  and  purchased  about 
$3,000  worth  of  carpets,  furniture  and  kitchen  utensils  for  the  building,  and 
these  articles  will  soon  arrive. 

"Everything  will  soon  be  in  readiness  and  applications  from  students  can 
now  be  sent  in  any  time.  Those  desiring  to  attend  should  apply  early  and  have 
quarters  apportioned  for  them,  as  it  will  facilitate  matters  at  the  opening  of 
the  school.  It  is  hoped  that  at  least  forty  or  fifty  day  students  will  be  enrolled 
from  Kennewick  and  vicinity  alone.  School  will  open  without  fail  on  the  5th 
dav  of   Januarv." 


The  building  originally  put  up  for  a  hotel  by  the  Yakima  Irrigating  and 
Improvement  Company  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Klitten,  thoroughly  renovated, 
and  adapted  to  school  purposes.  This  was  the  building  referred  to  in  the  item 
in  the  "Courier."  Much  interest  was  taken  in  Kennewick  in  this  laudable  en- 
terprise of  the  Academy  Emanuel.  Very  unfortunately,  not  more  than  two 
years  after  its  inception,  the  building  was  burned.  The  academy  was  not  con- 
tinued. 

As  already  noted,  the  Presbyterian,  Congregational  and  Methodist  churches 
were  established  in  Kennewick  at  an  early  day.  Religious  work  has  been  well 
maintained  in  all  the  usual  activities  to  the  present  time. 

At  the  date  of  preparation  of  this  volume,  the  churches  and  pastors  are  the 
following:  First  Methodist  Episcopal,  Rev.  J.  C.  Harvey:  First  Baptist,  Rev. 
J.  V.  B.  Adam ;  Congregational,  Rev.  Campbell  W.  Bushnell :  Bethlehem 
Lutheran,  Rev.  Emil  Kreidt :  Zion  Lutheran,  without  pastor;  Catholic,  without 
pastor:  Christian,  without  pastor. 

We  find  the  usual  fraternal  organizations  in  Kennewick.  The  pioneer  so- 
cieties seem  to  have  been  the  Alodern  Woodmen  of  America  and  their  auxiliary, 
the  Royal  Neighbors.  At  present  date  we  find  a  Masonic  lodge  of  which  the 
worshipful  master  is  Charles  Florine  and  the  secretary  is  F.  J-  Kadow ;  a  lodge 
of  Odd  Fellows,  of  which  the  head  is  Noble  Grant;  Knights  of  Pythias,  of 
which  E.  A.  Farrel  is  chancellor  commander,  and  George  W.  Tweedt  is  keeper 
of  records  and  seals;  Order  of  Eastern  Star,  with  Kathryn  Cramer  as  worthy 
matron  and  Emile  Shanafelt  secretary  ;  Rebekahs,  of  which  Mrs.  H.  W.  Xelson 
is  noble  grand,  and  Mrs.  G.  H.  Shanafelt  is  secretary;  Woodmen  of  the  World, 
of  which  Earl  Farrel  is  venerable  consul  and  G.  H.  Shanafelt  is  clerk. 

One  of  the  most  useful  and  interesting  of  all  the  organizations  of  the  town 
is  the  Kennewick  Woman's  Club.  Such  a  club  is  usually  a  center  of  light  and 
leading  wherever  it  may  be,  but  the  club  of  this  city  has  seemed  to  be  unusually 
active  in  every  good  word  and  work.     It  was  organized  in  1913,  and  soon  after 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  873 

became  federated.  The  present  officers  and  heads  of  departments  are  the  fol- 
lowing; President,  Mrs.  R.  I.  McMahon ;  first  vice  president,  Mrs.  R  .E. 
Pratt ;  second  vice  president,  Mrs.  Thomas  McKain ;  corresponding  secretary, 
Mrs.  H.  P.  Cranmer;  recording  secretary,  Mrs.   F.  J.  Arnold;  treasurer,  Mrs. 

E.  A.  Knerr ;  auditor,  Emile  Shanafelt.  Heads  of  departments :  Literature, 
Mrs.  E.  M.  Sly ;  arts  and  crafts,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Withers ;  current  events,  Mrs.  A. 

F.  Brown;  home  economics,  Mrs.  W.  L.  Craver ;  music,  Mrs.  C.  Brunn. 

The  Commercial  Club  of  the  town  has  been  an  unequalled  influence  in 
organizing  and  maintaining  the  business  activities  of  the  locality,  as  well  as  keep- 
ing in  touch  with  the  major  movements  in  commercial  and  political  life  in  the 
state  and  nation.  The  commercial  organization  dates  back  to  the  beginnings  of 
the  third  stage  in  the  history  of  the  town.  Excerpts  from  the  "Courier"  of 
August  5,  19  and  26,  1904,  summarize  the  stages  of  launching  the  organization 
known  as  the  Kennewick  Commercial  Association. 

"Kennewick  has  now  arrived  at  that  stage  in  its  career  when  it  is  necessary 
for  its  citizens  to  take  some  united  action  for  its  permanent  welfare.  Like  all 
new  western  towns  that  have  great  inducements  to  offer  to  the  prospective 
settler,  Kennewick  has  had  a  remarkable  growth,  and  has  settled  up  on  a 
haphazard  method  that  took  small  notice  of  the  finer  details  that  are  taken  into 
consideration  when  men  settle  down  to  the  building  up  of  a  town  that  is  in- 
tended to  be  their  permanent  home.  In  all  new  western  towns  there  is  a  cer- 
tain element  of  chance  and  speculation  during  the  first  few  years  that  makes  the 
settlers  negligent  of  the  more  substantial  improvements  that  must  necessarily 
come  if  the  town  is  a  success.  There  is  now  not  the  least  doubt  in  the  minds 
of  any  one  as  to  the  success  of  Kennewick  and  we  should  get  to  work  moulding 
the  place  into  the  semblance  of  what  its  permanent  aspect  should  be.  The  best 
and  only  proper  method  of  doing  this  is  to  organize  the  business  men  and  citizens 
into  a  club  and  give  them  power  to  do  all  they  think  best  for  the  welfare  of  the 
city,  and  we  suggest  that  steps  be  taken  in  this  direction  without  delay.  There 
is  going  to  be  a  large  influx  of  strangers  here  this  fall  and  we  should  look  our 
best  when  they  arrive.  We  have  a  town  that  has  all  the  advantages  they  will 
be  looking  for  and  we  should  see  that  nothing  is  left  undone  that  will  leave  a 
correct  impression  of  what  it  has  to  ofifer  in  the  way  of  a  home  and  a  business 
point.  The  city  council  can  not  be  asked  to  take  all  this  work  upon  itself.  The 
members  of  the  council  have  enough  to  do  to  attend  to  the  regular  business  of 
the  city,  and  while  they  are  doing  a  good  work  within  the  sphere  of  their  duty, 
we  .'ihould  all  take  up  the  extra  work  and  expense  involved  in  putting  the  city 
in  its  best  appearance." 


"The  topic  that  has  the  lead  among  our  business  men  this  week  is  the  Com- 
mercial Club,  and  it  is  being  threshed  out  in  proper  shape.  The  only  thing  that 
makes  it  approach  being  a  dry  subject  is  that  there  is  very  little  chance  for  argu- 
ment as  every  one  is  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  the  thing  that  we  want.  The  only 
points  on  which  an  argument  can  be  founded  are  mere  matters  of  detail  and 
they  are  so  unimportant  that  they  will  in  no  way  affect  the  general  purposes  of 
the  organization.     We  have  discussed  the  project  with  every  business  man  in  the 


874  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

city  and  not  one  has  said  anything  but  the  most  encouraging  words  about  it, 
and  we  beheve  the  meeting  next  Monday  evening  will  be  attended  by  every  citizen 
who  has  the  best  interest  of  the  citv  and  district  at  heart." 


"A  large  number  of  our  business  men  met  in  the  opera  house  last  Monday 
evening  and  took  further  steps  toward  the  organization  of  the  Commercial 
Association.  The  committees  on  by-laws  and  finance  reported  and  the  reports 
were  accepted.  The  name  adopted  is  'The  Kennewick  Commercial  Association.' 
The  constitution  and  by-laws  adopted  are  the  same  as  govern  the  North  Yakima 
Commercial  Club,  with  a  few  changes  made  necessary  by  the  difference  in  the 
conditoins  prevailing  in  the  two  towns.  The  temporary  organization  that  was 
perfected  at  the  previous  meeting  was  allowed  to  stand  for  the  present  and  the 
first  election  of  permanent  officers  will  take  place  on  the  second  Tuesday  in 
September.  The  roll  of  members  is  open  at  the  secretary's  office  and  several 
of  our  business  men  who  were  not  able  to  attend  the  meeting  have  called  around 
and  signed.  We  hope  all  will  become  members  before  the  election  of  officers 
so  that  those  who  are  elected  will  represent  the  entire  town. 

"The  first  thing  the  Commercial  Association  will  have  to  tackle  is  the  caring 
for  the  Knights  Tenjplar  delegation  that  is  to  visit  the  city  on  the  30th  of  this 
month.  Word  was  received  a  few  days  ago  that  a  train  carrying  a  hundred 
knights  would  stop  here  on  the  30th  in  order  that  the  excursionists  might  spend 
a  few  hours  looking  over  the  city  and  surrounding  country.  At  the  meeting 
of  the  Commercial  Association  held  last  Monday  evening  it  was  decided  to  give 
them  a  blow-out  worthy  of  the  city  and  the  occasion.  A  committee  was  appointed 
to  make  all  necessary  arrangements,  and  we  understand  it  is  the  intention  to 
meet  the  train  with  sufficient  rigs  to  take  all  the  guests  for  a  drive  through  the 
city  and  out  to  the  neighboring  orchards  after  which  a  6  o'clock  dinner  will  be 
served  in  the  opera  house.  This  is  a  good  opportunity  to  place  the  city  in  a 
favorable  light  before  a  lot  of  influential  gentlemen  and  we  hope  all  our  citizens 
will  take  hold  and  see  that  the  affair  is  a  success." 


The  name  became  changed  to  the  Commercial  Club  within  a  short  time. 
Throughout  its  history  this  club  has  been  active  in  promoting  all  the  larger 
enterprises  of  the  community.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  regular 
publication  of  attractive  and  reliable  booklets  for  distribution,  a  collection  in- 
deed remarkable  for  a  town  of  the  size  of  Kennewick.  This  literature,  with  the 
equally  remarkable  series  of  publications  issued  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Irriga- 
tion Company,  has  doubtless  made  Kennewick  the  best  advertised  small  city  in 
central  Washington. 

As  a  matter  of  historic  reference  our  readers  will  be  glad  to  see  a  list  of 
the  members  of  the  club  as  they  were  massed  for  a  picture  in  1906.  The  list  of 
members  of  that  date  follows: 

KENNEWICK     COMMERCr.-\L     Cr.UB     MEMBERS 

H.  C.  Stringer.  H.  D.  Sweet,  K.  DePriest,   John  Sercomb.  M.  H.  Church, 


BRIDGE   BKTWKKN    K  K  N  X  K  W  I  r  K    A  X  1 1    I'Af- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  875 

L.  W.  Soth,  George  A.  Fendler,  Alex  Bier,  A.  Nevlow,  J.  L.  McPhee,  E.  L. 
Kolb,  A.  F.  Brown,  J.  N.  Scott,  Professor  A.  E.  Nelson,  Thomas  McKain,  J- 

A.  Rose,  Superintendent  O.  L.  Hanson,  Charles  Holmes,  J.  Clemens,  F.  A. 
Swingle,  Dr.  F.  B.  Crosby,  G.  E.  Hanson,  Arie  Hover,  Dr.  J.  W.  Hewitson, 
President  George  F.  Richardson,  Pioneer  D.  W.  Owens,  H.  A.  Howe,  O.  W. 
Rich,  J.  E.  Tull,  L.  A.  Peters,  G.  A.  Schlund,  Guy  Hayden,  Don  Creswell,  C. 
H.  Collins,  H.  W.  Desgranges,  Edward  Sheppard,  H.  A.  Bier,  Peter  Roech,  J. 
M.  Hawkins,  A.  W.  Tomkins,  O.  C.  Melvin,  R.  H.  Anderson,  G.  W.  King,  R. 
L.  Whitlock,  W.  A.  Hawes,  J.  H.  Graveslund,  G.  A.  Hamilton,  Albert  Dance, 

B.  F.  Knapp,  E.  D.  Collins,  C.  King,  William  Folsom,  W.  H.  Collins,  Phil  Bier, 
E.  C.  Copeland,  I.  H.  Hamlin,  M.  P.  Fuller,  A.  W.  Hover,  G.  W.  Taylor,  Harry 
Rosman,  A.  H.  Wheaton,  H.  B.  Haney. 

Besides  this  special  activity  in  publications  the  club  has,  beyond  any  other 
interior  town  except  Lewiston,  Idaho,  led  in  the  movement  which  eventuated 
in  the  completion  of  the  Celilo  Canal  in  the  Columbia  River  and  the  opening  of 
this  whole  region  to  unobstructed  navigation  to  the  ocean,  330  miles  from 
Kennewick.  Another  great  aim  was  the  construction  of  a  sewage  system  and 
street  paving.  Yet  another  was  the  establishment  of  a  wharf  on  the  Columbia, 
essential  to  the  realization  of  the  benefits  of  water  transportation. 

It  should  be  especially  noted  in  this  connection  that  by  vote  of  the  people  in 
accordance  with  state  law,  Kennewick  became  a  regular  port  district  and  the 
dock  was  constructed  and  road  connections  made  by  the  district.  The  river 
front  for  several  miles  is  in  control  of  the  district,  a  fact  of  vast  importance  for 
the  future. 

The  club  also  cooperated  heartily  with  the  irrigation  company  during  its 
regime  and  then  became  an  active  force  in  enlisting  the  interest  of  property 
owners  in  Government  irrigation,  from  which  so  much  seems  now  on  the  verge 
of  attainment.  At  this  time  the  officers  of  the  Commercial  Club  are  as  fol- 
lows: President,  M.  W.  Mattechek ;  first  vice  president,  E.  W.  Trenbath ; 
second  vice  president,  E.  M.  Sly;  secretary,  George  E.  Tweedt;  directors,  G. 
W.  Sherk,  J.  J.  Rudkin,  F.  M.  Crosby,  A.  F.  Browne,  G.  R.  Bradshaw,  A.  R. 
Gardner. 

The  most  notable  local  event  in  the  history  of  the  Columbia  River  in  recent 
years  was  the  opening  of  the  Celilo  Canal.  A  series  of  celebrations  occurred 
all  the  way  from  Lewiston  to  the  ocean  beach.  The  place  that  Kennewick  took 
in  the  week's  festivities  is  narrated  in  the  "Reporter"  by  Editor  A.  F.  Gardner, 
and  we  will  leave  the  telling  to  his  brilliant  pen. 

"Courier-Reporter,"  May  6,  1915: 

The  Columbia  River,  the  second  greatest  waterway  in  the  country,  which 
for  untold  ages  marked  its  way  through  desert  and  cliff,  "hearing  no  sound  save 
its  own  dashings,"  feeling  no  touch  save  the  splashing  paddle  of  the  Indian 
canoe;  which,  through  another  cycle  of  years,  was  harnessed  to  the  use  of  man, 
only  to  lapse  into  disuse,  has  this  week  been  reclaimed  and  officially  dedicated 
to  the  commercial  use  of  the  people  of  a  great  empire.  The  Celilo  Canal,  the 
dream  of  half  a  century  and  the  hope  of  a  decade,  is  now  a  fact.  The  waterway 
is  now  open  to  continuous  navigation   from  where   it  mingles   its   foregathered 


876  HISTORY  UF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

waters  with  the  flood  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  to  where  the  Clearwater  joins  with 
the  Snake  at  Lewiston,  Idaho,  a  distance  of  500  miles. 

The  brilliancy,  the  spontaniety,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  celebration  now  in 
progress  characterizes  it  as  the  premier  event  of  the  Northwest  this  year.  From 
sunrise  Monday  morning,  when  the  explosion  of  tons  of  dynamite  awoke  the 
echoes  along  the  Lewiston  hills,  until  waters  from  a  score  or  more  of  tribu- 
taries went  splashing  into  the  canal  yesterday  afternoon,  the  memories  of  the 
past  have  been  greeting  the  activities  of  the  present  in  a  manner  so  spectacular 
as  to  compel  a  firm  faith  in  the  possibilities  of  the  future. 

It  was  the  greatest  day  Lewiston  has  ever  known  ;  it  was  the  greatest  event 
in  the  history  of  Kennewick  and  Pasco;  it  was  epoch-making  for  Wallula  and 
the  biggest  night  Limatilla  has  ever  seen.  The  whole  Columbia  and  Snake 
River  valleys  are  celebrating  as  they  never  celebrated  before.  The  spirit  every- 
where is  the  same,  whether  manifest  in  the  gaiety  of  parading  thousands  or 
whether  it  has  found  expression  in  the  frantic  flag-waving  of  freckled  and 
tanned  urchins  in  holiday  attire  at  an  isolated  homestead. 

The  week  has  been  notable  too,  in  another  particular.  Never  have  so  many 
high  public  officials  gathered  together  in  the  Northwest.  Governors,  United 
States  senators  and  representatives  in  congress  have  been  as  common  and  as 
numerous  as  camera  enthusiasts  and  souvenir  vendors.  All  have  been  drawn 
by  the  same  common  impulse — to  commemorate  the  connection  of  the  interior 
country  with  tidewater. 

A  census  of  the  dignitaries  who  are  participating  in  the  trip  includes  Gov- 
ernors Alexander  of  Idaho,  Lister  of  Washington,  Withycombe  of  Oregon, 
United  States  Senators  Jones  and  Poindexter  of  Washington,  Borah  and  Brady 
of  Idaho,  Lane  of  Oregon,  William  H.  Humphrey  representative  in  congress 
from  Washington,  and  Rejiresentatives  Sinnott.  Hawley  and  3.1cArthur  of 
r)regon.  The  pioneers  whose  names  are  linked  with  the  notable  historic  events 
of  the  Northwest  are  here,  too.  On  board  Admiral  Gray's  flagship  is  Mrs. 
Nancy  Osborne  Jacobs,  survivor  of  the  Whitman  massacre,  and  many  others 
whose  residence  in  the  old  Oregon  country  dates  back  half  a  century. 

.\T    KENNEWICK    .\ND    P.\SCO 

A  perfect  day  and  an  enormous  crowd  greeted  the  "progressive"  celebra- 
tion at  this  point.  The  festivities  opened  on  the  Pasco  side,  where  at  eleven 
o'clock  the  spectacular  parade  formed.  Near  the  head  of  the  column  were  the 
cars  carrying  the  bride  and  her  party  who  were  to  figure  in  the  allegorical  wed- 
<ling  of  the  Columbia  and  the  Snake  later  in  the  day.  Following  the  bridal 
party  were  several  hundred  school  children  and  citizens'  marching  clubs  from 
both  to\\ns.  while  interspersed  throughout  the  length  of  the  parade  were  units 
symbolizing  the  progress  of  civilization  as  well  as  several  attractive  floats  from 
the   Richland  district. 

The  spectacular  and  symbolic  features  of  the  parade  were  the  work  of  the 
Kennewick  parade  committee  and  of  George  E.  Finley,  of  Finley,  to  whom  had 
been  given  the  task  of  working  up  the  old  settlers'  feature.  All  of  these  gentle- 
men deserve  much  praise  for  the  manner  in  which  they  "put  over"  Kennewick's 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY  877 

part  of  the  parade.  Mr.  Finley,  especially,  is  to  be  commended  for  the  interest 
he  displayed,  as  he  spent  many  days  of  his  time  and  no  little  cash  out  of  his  own 
pocket  in  getting  his  prairie   schooner   ready   for  the   line  of   march. 

At  the  close  of  the  Pasco  parade  the  crowd  began  to  move  to  the  Kenne- 
wick  waterfront  where  the  big  feature  of  the  day,  the  wedding  of  Miss  Colum- 
bia and  Mr.  Snake  was  to  take  place  upon  the  arrival  of  the  flotilla  from  Lewis- 
ton.  By  special  trains,  admirably  handled  by  the  Northern  Pacific ;  by  gasoline 
ferry  and  by  way  of  the  "Inland  Empire"  which  had  been  impressed  as  a 
passenger  ferry  for  the  day,  the  people  streamed  to  the  Kennewick  side  to  await 
the  coming  of  the  boats. 

Here  the  delay  occurred  which  somewhat  marred  the  festivities  and  made 
the  carrying  out  of  Kennewick's  part  of  the  program  a  difficult  affair.  Although 
the  fleet  was  supposed  to  be  docked  at  Kennewick  at  noon,  it  was  long  after  one 
o'clock  before  the  flagship  "Undine"  poked  her  nose  through  the  open  draw- 
span  to  the  accompaniment  of  tooting  whistles  and  waving  handkerchiefs  and 
parasols.  When  the  "Undine"  finally  docked  after  a  brief  stop  at  the  Pasco 
wharf,  it  was  found  that  although  she  carried  Senator  Jones,  who  was  to  tie 
the  allegorical  wedding  knot,  the  groom-to-be,  Wallace  Stanton,  of  Lewiston, 
was  not  aboard.  He,  unhappily,  had  been  placed  upon  the  "J.  N.  Teal,"  a  later 
and  slower  boat,  so  was  still  some  miles  away  at  the  time  the  wedding  party 
were  assembled  and  waiting.  The  expectant  hundreds  gathered  about  the  cere- 
monial platform  growing  restless  and  after  a  considerable  wait,  it  was  decided 
to  proceed  with  the  "wedding."  F.  A.  Jones,  of  Pasco,  one  of  the  groomsmen, 
needed  no  urging  to  accept  the  role  of  the  groom. 

Miss  Kate  Williams,  of  this  city,  as  the  bride,  "Miss  Columbia."  was  sup- 
ported by  four  maids  of  honor.  Miss  Pearl  Cunningham,  Miss  Olga  Fylpa,  Miss 
Mayme  Jorgensen  and  Miss  Ruby  Slaugenhaupt,  and  was  attended  by  a  score 
of  bridesmaids,  representing  cities  and  towns  in  all  sections  of  the  Inland  Em- 
pire. The  men  of  honor  were  Gushing  Baker  of  Walla  Walla,  and  L.  E. 
Thomas  of  Prosser,  with  a  dozen  or  so  groomsmen  from  Kennewick,  Pasco,  and 
various  other  towns  also  in  attendance.  Little  Lucile  Collins  and  Esther  Moul- 
ton  were  flower  bearers. 

The  bride  was  given  away  by  Admiral  W.  P.  Gray  and  the  ceremony  was 
performed  by  Senator  Wesley  L.  Jones,  who  paraphrased  the  usual  wedding 
vows  in  an  apt  and  ready  manner,  which  aroused  the  big  crowd  to  applause. 

The  wedding  party  made  a  pleasing  spectacle,  the  attractive  bride  and  her 
attending  young  ladies  in  their  summery  gowns  and  the  men  in  their  holiday 
attire  of  serges  and  flannels  forming  an  interesting  and  pleasing  tableau. 

After  the  ceremony  the  crowd  made  a  swoop  down  upon  the  barbecue 
grounds,  where  a  thousand  pounds  of  the  finest  beef  had  been  roasting  over  the 
pits  most  of  the  night  previous.  Soon  a  half  dozen  sandwich  makers  and  as 
many  more  waiters  were  hustling  as  they  had  never  hustled  before  in  the  effort 
of  trying  to  serve  the  hungry  horde  which  crowded  around  them.  Right  here 
the  barbecue  committee  wishes  to  thank  those  who  assisted  in  the  arduous  task 
of  preparing  and  serving  the  huge  meal.  It  was  a  big  job  and  necessarily  put 
much  hard  work  on  the  shoulders  of  a  few  men. 

By  this  time  the  U.  S.  S.  "Asotin"  had  docked  and  she  was  followed  by  the 


S78  HISTORY  UF  YAKIMA  A'ALLEY 

"J.  X.  Teal"  on  board  of  which  were  Governors  Moses  Alexander  of  Idaho  and 
Ernest  Lister  of  Washington.  The  executives  were  escorted  to  the  speakers' 
stand  where  they,  together  with  Assistant  Attorney-General  Scott  Z.  Hender- 
son, held  the  attention  of  the  audience  with  interesting  addresses,  pointing  out 
the  importance  of  the  great  work  now  finished  and  felicitating  this  community 
upon  the  advantages  sure  to  accrue  therefrom. 

The  "Undine"  meanwhile  had  pulled  out  for  the  next  stop  of  the  day  at 
Wallula  and  at  the  finish  of  the  speaking  she  was  followed  by  the  rest  of  the 
fleet,  while  the  crowd  turned  their  faces  townward,  where  the  rest  of  the  after- 
noon's entertainment,  consisting  of  a  ball  game,  auto  rides  and  dancing,  kept 
them  amused  until  the  special  trains  began  to  arrive  to  again  transport  them  to 
Pasco.  There  the  big  day  came  to  a  fitting  close  with  a  band  concert,  dancing 
and  a  banquet  to  the  visiting  dignitaries,  an  outline  of  which  program  is  to  be 
found  in  another  column. 

.\T   WALLULA 

If  any  there  are  who  doubt  Walla  Walla's  belief  that  they  are  to  share 
largely  in  the  benefits  of  the  Open  River,  those  doubters  should  have  been  at 
Wallula  Tuesday.  The  scene  w-hich  greeted  the  excursion  steamers  will  linger 
long  in  the  memory  of  those  present.  On  the  site  of  Old  Fort  Walla  W^alla 
were  aligned  647  automobiles  and  between  4,000  and  5,000  people  who  had 
journeyed  thirty  miles  to  join  in  the  celebration. 

With  appropriate  ceremonies,  the  first  gang  plank  was  throw-n,  this  being 
participated  in  by  the  five  survivors  of  Colonel  Steptoe's  command  of  United 
States  Dragoons.  Professor  W.  D,  Lyman,  of  Whitman  College,  one  of  the 
most  enthusiastic  of  the  open  river  advocates,  delivered  the  address  of  welcome 
and  formally  opened  the  afternoon's  celebration  program. 

In  the  absence  of  Governor  Lister,  who  arrived  on  a  later  boat,  the  re- 
sponse was  delivered  by  Senator  Wesley  L.  Jones.  Other  numbers  on  the  pro- 
gram were :  "Dr.  D.  S.  Baker,  Washington's  Pioneer  Railroad  Builder ;"  Prof. 
L.  F.  Anderson:  "Life  Work  of  Dr.  N.  G.  Blalock,"  Allen  H.  Reynolds;  Greet- 
ings, by  Governor  Withycombe  of  Oregon,  United  States  Senator  Miles  Poin- 
dexter,  of  Washington,  and  Tames  H.  Bradv.  of  Idaho. 


Before  a  crowd  of  20.000  people  the  climax,  though  not  the  finish,  of  The 
Dalles-Celilo  celebration,  came  here  Wednesday  afternoon,  when  the  eight  and 
one-half  miles  of  waterway  was  formally  presented  to  the  public  by  United 
States  engineers,  Lieut. -Col.  C.  H.  McKinstry,  Major  Jay  J.  Morrow  and  staiY 
and  a  bevy  of  thirty-two  pretty  girls  who  sent  a  shower  of  tributan-  waters 
sjiraying  over  the  lower  entrance  gates.  The  quota  of  upper  Columbia  River 
waters  was  mingled  with  that  of  the  canal  from  bottles  carried  by  Miss  Elda 
Clements  and  jMiss  Josephine  Kouba,  representing  Kennewick  and  Pasco,  the 
twin  cities  of  the  Columbia. 

In  point  of  attendance,  number  of  distinguished  guests  and  demonstrative 
enthusiasm,  Wednesday  afternoon's  was  the  big  feature  of  the  historic  celebra- 
tion.    The  ceremonies  were  presided  over  by  Joseph  N.  Teal,  of  Portland,  who 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY  879 

has  been  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  Crpen  River  movement  since  its  inception. 
An  eloquent  dedicatory  invocation  was  dehvered  by  Rt.  Rev.  Charles  J. 
O'Reilly,  D.  D.,  bishop  of  Baker  City,  Oregon.  A  patriotic  and  inspiring  touch 
was  given  the  program  by  the  presentation  and  unfurling  of  the  canal  flag  by 
Gen.  H.  S.  Fargo,  department  commander,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Oregon.  The  hand- 
some silk  banner  is  the  gift  of  the  citizens  of  Lewiston,  Idaho. 

Letters  of  congratulations  and  of  greetings  were  read  from  President  Wil- 
son and  Senator  Joseph  E.  Ransdell,  of  Louisiana,  president  of  the  National 
Rivers  and  Harbors  Congress.  Senators  James  H.  Brady,  of  Idaho,  Miles 
I'oindexter  of  Washington  and  Congressman  N.  J.  Sinnott,  of  Oregon,  speaking 
as  a  specially  appointed  committee,  voiced  the  formal  greetings  of  the  national 
congress.  Addresses,  voicing  the  faith  of  the  people  of  the  three  great  North- 
western states,  were  delivered  by  Governor  James  Withycombe,  of  Oregon, 
Governor  Lister,  of  Washington,  and  Governor  Moses  Alexander,  of  Idaho. 
James'  S.  Ramage,  president  of  the  Spokane  Chamber  of  Commerce,  spoke  for 
the  commercial  bodies  of  the  Columbia  Basin. 

Interesting  scenes  and  events  of  other  days,  each  playing  its  part  or  wield- 
ing its  influence  in  the  development  of  the  Northwest,  were  interestingly  re- 
called in  an  address  by  T.  C.  Elliott,  of  Walla  Walla,  representing  the  Oregon 
Historical  Society.  Brief  responses  were  given  by  Senator  Wesley  L.  Jones 
and  Congressman  William  E.  Humphrey,  of  Washington. 

Following  the  dedicatory  program  the  up-river  fleet  steamed  out  of  the 
lower  end  of  the  canal  to  be  met  by  the  lower  river  fleet.  Thousands  of  people 
lined  the  rocky  shores  of  the  rugged  chasm  through  which  the  canal  has  been 
hewn,  and  awakened  the  echoes  of  the  distant  buttes  with  their  shouts  of  wel- 
come as  the  flagship  "Undine"  pointed  her  nose  out  of  the  last  locks  and  rocked 
in  the  swirling  waters  of  Big  Eddy. 

The  Dalles  that  night  witnessed  scenes  which,  like  the  other  river  towns, 
are  writing  new  pages  in  its  history.  The  arrival  of  the  "Undine"  was  the 
signal  for  throwing  wide  open  every  steam  whistle  in  the  city  and  harbor. 
Crowds,  finding  parallel  only  in  the  Pendleton  Round-LTp,  thronged  the  streets 
and  dignitaries  and  common  people  alike  lent  their  presence,  their  voices  and 
their  great  good  fellowship  in  bringing  to  a  close  the  third  day  of  the  celebration. 

Prominent  citizens  and  representatives  of  the  Columbia  and  Snake  river 
towns  were  the  guests  last  night  of  the  citizens  of  The  Dalles  at  an  elaborate 
banquet  and  speaking  program. 

Among  many  notable  things  in  this  rapidly  improving  town  we  find  the 
most  unique  and  prospectively  important  of  all  that  have  not  yet  been  described 
to  be  the  grape  juice  and  cider  enterprise  of  the  Church  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. J.  D.  Clark  is  president  and  W.  H.  Hoyt  vice-president  of  the  company. 
The  secretary-treasurer  and  manager  and  the  active  ()rt;anizer  of  the  entire 
business  is  M.  H.  Church.  Briefly  outlined,  the  history  of  this  interesting  enter- 
prise is  this : 

Early  in  1908.  Church  &  Stringer,  as  partners,  established  an  ice  and  cold 
storage  plant  at  Kennewick  under  the  name  "Twin  City  Ice  &  Cold  Storage 
Company."  The  ice-making  capacity  of  this  plant  was  ten  tons,  besides  the  re- 
frigeration of  several  cold  storage  rooms. 


880  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

In  1909  the  company  was  incorporated  under  the  name  "Twin  City  Ice  & 
Cold  Storage  Company."  The  same  \ear  the  manager  erected  a  cold  storage 
j)lant  in  Pasco,  and  installed  refrigerating  machinery.  He  also  erected  coal 
sheds  and  engaged  in  the  coal  business  at  both  Pasco  and  Kennewick. 

In  1910  the  company  built  an  addition  to  the  Kennewick  plant  and  installed 
an  equipment  for  manufacturing  soft  drinks. 

In  1913  they  erected  additional  buildings  and  installed  machinery  and  ap- 
paratus for  the  manufacture  of  unfermented  grape  juice  and  apple  cider,  and 
made  the  first  year  about  20,000  gallons  of  grape  juice  and  2,000  gallons  of  apple 
cider,  which  was  stored  in  glass  in  refrigerated  rooms. 

In  1914  the  company  reorganized  and  increased  its  capital  stock  to  $100,- 
000.00.  They  have  greatly  increased  their  output  each  year  to  keep  up  with  the 
demands  for  their  goods. 

In  1915  the  Church  Company  was  awarded  gold  medals,  which  were  the 
highest  awards  for  quality,  on  the  grape  juice,  at  both  the  San  Francisco  and 
San  Diego  expositions. 

In  1918  conditions  were  such,  on  account  of  war,  that  grapes,  bottles,  labor, 
etc.,  were  so  high  that  the  company  made  only  about  40,000  gallons  of  grape 
juice,  which  is  equal  to  about  twenty  carloads  when  bottled  and  cased,  but  they 
used  about  900  tons  of  packinghouse  cull  apples,  which  make  about  135,000  gal- 
lons of  cider,  a  large  share  of  which  was  condensed  by  evaporation  to  a  syrup. 
The  increasing  demand  for  the  goods  is  evidence  of  their  high  quality. 

The  Concord  and  Worden  grapes  are  the  only  varieties  they  use  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  grape  juice,  and  while  they  have  up  to  this  time  used  not  more  than 
about  350  tons  in  one  season,  it  has  greatly  affected  the  market  price  for  grapes 
in  the  Yakima  Valley,  and  more  grapes  of  these  two  varieties  are  being  planted 
each  year.  They  have  started  a  small  vineyard  of  fifteen  acres  of  their  own,  and 
are  in  hopes  of  increasing  this  to  80  or  100  acres.  Mr.  Church  expects  to  in- 
crease the  capacity  of  his  plant  to  the  extent  that  it  will  be  iiossible  to  use  all  of 
the  grapes  of  the  varieties  mentioned  grown  in  the  valley  more  than  what  are 
needed  and  what  there  is  a  demand  for  on  the  market,  as  table  grapes.  He  also 
expects  to  add  buildings  and  equipment  for  the  manufacture  of  vinegar  and 
cider  on  a  much  larger  scale.  It  is  now  universally  conceded  that  the  Concord 
and  Worden  varieties  of  grapes  are  grown  to  the  highest  perfection  in  the 
Columbia  River  Valley  of  any  locality  in  the  L'nited  States,  and  as  it  requires 
grapes  of  the  highest  quality  to  make  the  best  grape  juice,  it  stands  to  reason 
that  it  is  possible  to  produce  a  grape  juice  in  this  locality  that  is  unsurpassed 
anywhere  in  the  United  States,  if  not  in  the  world. 

Inasmuch  as  the  entire  Northwest  has  "gone  dry,"  and  there  is  a  good  pros- 
pect that  the  whole  United  States  will  follow, — and  yet  people  are  bound  to 
drink  some  kind  of  refreshing  and  palatable  drink — it  seems  a  fair  forecast  that 
the  Church  grape  juice  and  cider  factory  will  develop  into  one  of  the  greatest 
enterprises  in  the  country.  Already  Mr.  Church  finds  the  demand  for  his 
products  entirely  l)eyond  the  capacity  of  his  present  plant.  His  market 
extends  from  \'ictoria  to  Los  Angeles.  It  is  surprising  that  he  could  have  en- 
tered the  latter  city,  in  a  land  of  grapes  and  wine.     But  it  is  considered  there 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  881 

that  there  is  no  soft  drink  to  compare  with  Church's,  and  some  of  these  days 
CaHfornia,  too,  will  cut  the  alcohol  out  of  her  drinkables. 

Mr.  Church  is  now  installing  equipment  for  utilizing  the  by-products  of  his 
factory  for  making  vinegar  and  jelly.  Indeed  he  already  does  a  considerable 
business  in  those  lines.  He  ships  hundreds  of  casks  of  condensed  cider,  so  con- 
densed as  to  require  the  addition  of  six  times  its  volume  of  water  for  proper 
dilution.  When  his  present  plans  for  enlargements*  and  betterments  are  com- 
pleted he  hopes  to  put  up  400,000  gallons  of  grape  juice  and  other  products  in 
proportion.  One  fact  is  worthy  of  note,  and  that  is,  the  producing  regions, 
mainly  of  New  York  and  Michigan,  from  which  the  chief  supplies  of  grapes  for 
the  immense  Welch  and  Armour  factories  are  drawn,  do  not  compare  in  any 
degree  with  the  lower  Yakima  for  quality  and  quantity  of  grape  production. 
While  five  or  six  tons  per  acre  of  Concord  grapes  are  a  large  amount  on  an 
acre  in  those  eastern  sections,  the  Kennewick  section  will  produce  eight  and  ten 
or  even  twelve  in  some  of  the  older  vineyards.  The  Worden  is  found  to  be  the 
best  adapted  for  manufacturing  juice,  though  many  tons  of  Concords  and  other 
varieties  are  produced.  The  Church  factory  seems  to  point  the  way  to  one  of 
the  greatest  and  most  distinctive  industries  of  the  lower  Yakima. 

An  additional  fact  of  interest  in  connection  with  the  grape  industry  is  the 
regular  "Grape  Carnival"  of  each  September.  Displays  are  made  that  would 
rival  California. 

Another  of  the  great  coming  industries  of  the  Yakima  Valley,  in  which  the 
Benton  County  section  is  taking  a  keen  interest,  is  the  beet  sugar  industry.  There 
is  already  a  large  sugar  factory  at  Yakima  City,  another  at  Sunnyside,  and  an- 
other nearing  completion  at  Toppenish.  Experiments  around  Prosser  and 
Kennewick  indicate  that  the  lower  valley  will  be  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  pro- 
duction of  beets.  The  neighbor  of  the  Yakima  Valley  on  the  southeast,  Walla 
Walla,  has  entered  actively  upon  the  raising  of  sugar  beets,  with  the  hope  of 
the  construction  of  a  sugar  factory. 

As  with  some  of  the  other  towns  of  the  valley,  a  stay  in  Kennewick  pre- 
disposes the  visitor  to  desire  to  return.  Without  question  a  great  city  will  some- 
time exist  at  the  junction  of  the  big  rivers.  Whether  the  chief  location  be  Pasco 
or  Kennewick,  or  both  in  equal  proportion,  is  a  question  that  only  the  future  can 
answer.  One  of  the  vital  questions  for  both  places  now  is  the  completion  of  the 
Inland  Empire  Highway  and  the  Evergreen  Highway  and  a  bridge  across  the 
Coknnbia  at  this  point. 

The  builders  of  Kennewick  have  wisely  laid  out  a  large  plan  and  only  future 
building  will  disclose  the  amplitude  of  possibilities  for  filling  the  plan.  One  of 
the  most,  probably  the  most,  unique  and  beautiful  addition  in  any  cit}-  of  the 
Yakima  Valley  is  found  in  the  Olmstead  addition. 

The  comparative  dullness  in  building  and  real  estate  has  prevented  the  fill- 
ing up  of  this  beauty  spot  as  rapidly  as  anticipated  by  the  projectors.  But  it  is 
only  a  question  of  a  few  years  till  the  tasteful  design  is  realized  in  a  group  of 
homes  that  will  indeed  fulfill  the  vision  of  the  forward  lookers. 

We  may  fittingly  include  at  the  close  of  this  general  view  of  Kennewick  a 
summary  of  the  part  of  that  city  in  the  World  War,  as  found  in  the  issue  of  the 
Kennewick  "Courier-Reporter"  of  January  2,  1919. 

(56) 


882  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

KENNEW'ICK's   war   record  creditable — THIS   COMMUNITY    HAS   GIVEN    LIBERALLY 
OF    ITS    MANHOOD,    ITS    MONEY    AND    ITS    LABOR — SOME    TOTALS    ARE    COM- 
PILED  PEOPLE    OF    KENNEWICK    DISTRICT    HAVE    GIVEN    $6.00 

PER    CAPITA    AND    INVESTED    $75    PER    CAPITA 

It  is  difficult  to  attempt  to  measure  patriotism,  loyalty  to  a  cause,  or  fealty 
in  service  in  material  terms.  Were  it  possible  though  to  hold  up  to  a  community 
a  definite  standard  of  "duty  done"  in  the  war,  Kennewick  would  not  be  found 
wanting  whether  the  standard  be  applied  to  those  who  went  or  those  who  stayed 
at  home. 

Wherever  the  boys  of  this  community  have  worn  the  uniform  of  their  coun- 
try', and  they  are  to  be  found  on  land  and  sea  in  almost  everj'  quarter  of  the 
globe,  they  have  worn  it  with  credit.  As  yet  there  has  been  prepared  no  com- 
plete roster  of  the  boys  who  have  entered  their  country's  service  from  this  com- 
munity, but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  community  in  the  nation  has  given  more 
liberally  or  more  proudly  of  its  young  men  than  has  this  one.  The  community 
has  to  its  credit  five  captains,  two  first  lieutenants  and  scores  of  men  in  the 
ranks.  In  every  branch  of  the  ser\'ice  at  home  and  abroad,  letters  from  home 
bear  the  Kennewick  postmark.  More  than  a  score  of  Kennewick  boys  are  with 
the  146th  Field  Artillery  which  took  part  in  every  big  American  battle  in  France 
and  won  an.  enviable  reputation  for  itself.  When  the  "devil-dogs"  .won  ever- 
lasting fame  for  the  LTnited  States  Marines  at  Chateau  Thierry,  Kennewick's 
boys  were  there.  They  were  there  with  the  fighting  91st  division  when  it  went 
into  action  in  France  and  again  in  Belgium.  They  were  there  when  Marshal 
Haig's  forces  broke  the  famous  Hindenburg  line  in  Flanders.  They  were  at  St. 
Mihiel,  they  were  at  Sedan,  and  now  many  of  them  are  in  Germany.  They  were 
with  the  engineers  who  built  the  docks  and  kept  the  trains  running.  They  were 
likewise  there  on  those  silent  guardians  which  chased  the  German  U-boats  off 
the  high  seas.     Proud  of  them?     Of  course  we  are  proud  of  them! 

When  the  boys  come  home  they  will  have  no  cause  to  feel  ashamed  of  but 
few  of  their  people  who  stayed  behind,  for  the  home  folks  have  been  busy  and 
have  met  every  war  demand  made  upon  them.  The  community  as  a  whole  has 
done  its  full  duty.  Although  not  riding  upon  the  free  and  easy  waves  of  pros- 
perity the  people  have  given  freely  and  liberally  from  their  modest  earnings. 

Although  the  mere  totaling  of  dollars  and  cents  can  by  no  means  tell  the 
full  story  of  home  ser\'ice,  these  totals  do  make  a  very  creditable  showing  and 
in  a  measure  index  the  efforts  of  the  community  to  win  the  war  and  keep  the 
home  fires  burning.  In  doing  this  many  men  and  women  and  children  of  the 
community  have  given  not  only  of  dollars,  but  of  their  time. 

Kennewick  and  the  immediately  surrounding  territorv,  not  including  Rich- 
land, has  given  to  various  war  work  a  total  of  $18,177.74.  Of  this  a  total  of 
$10,790.01  has  been  given  to  the  Red  Cross  and  $5,487.73  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
and  kindred  organizations.  Contributions  for  which  no  definite  figures  are 
available,  such  as  Armenian  and  Tlelgian  relief.  Smileage  books,  Navy  League 
and  various  other  war  activities  are  estimated  at  $1,500. 

In  the  four  drives  the  people  of  the  Kennewick  district  have  purchased 
$235,650  worth   of   Libertv   Bonds  and   this   total   will   be   increased   bv   several 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 


883 


thousand  dollars  by  the  purchase  of  Thrift  and  War  Savings  Stamps,  figures 
for  which  are  not  as  yet  available. 

Estimating  the  population  of  the  Kennewick  district  at  3,000,   which  is  a 

very  liberal  estimate,  the  per  capita  war  contribution  is  more  than  $0.00  and 
the  Liljerty  Bond  purchase  is  in  excess  of  $75  per  capita. 

Some  idea  of  the  tireless  efforts  of  the  women  of  the  Red  Cross  is  gained 

from  the  fact  that  they  have  made  3,852  garments,  most  of  which  were  large 

garments,  such  as  pajamas,  convalescent  robes,  underwear  and  sweaters.  This 
total  does  not  include  garments  made  by  the  D.  A.  R.  Auxiliary,  which  was 
active  during  the  first  few  months  of  the  war. 

Such  figures  as  are  available  on  the  different  war  fund  drives  follow : 

RED    CROSS 

Quota.  Subscribed. 

First  war  drive $     1,900  $     3,103.40 

Second  war  drive 2,500  3,052.59 

First  membership  drive 1,041.00 

Second  membership  drive 900.00 

Contributions  to  local  branch 2,293.02 

Contributions  to  D.  A.  R.  Auxiliary..        400.00 

Total    $10,790.01 

Battery  E  Aless  Fund $400.00 

Miscellaneous  (estimated) 1,500.00 

Y.   M.   c.  A. 

Quota.  Subscribed. 
First  drive   (no  record) 

Second   drive   $     1,000  $     2,017.25 

United    drive    2,500  3,470.48 

Total    $  5,487.73 

Grand    total   contributions 18,177.74 

LIBERTY  BONDS 

Quota.  Subscribed. 

First  loan $12,000 

Second  loan $  52,672  75,100 

Third  loan   43,800  51,500 

Fourth  loan 84,907  97,050 

Total  $235,650 


THE    SM.\Lt.ER   RIVER  TOW: 


Down  the  river  from  Kennewick  the  traveler  will  find  a  highly  cultivated 
country,  the  oldest  producing  section,  except  the  comparativelv  small  "Garden 
Tracts"  just  up  the  river. 

In  that  "Kennewick  Valley"  section  down  the  river,  are  two  little  towns, 


884  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  \'ALLEY 

Finley  and  Hover,  and  numerous  clusters  of  ranches  so  closely  joined  that  they 
present  almost  the  appearance  of  towns.  The  conditions  of  life  and  the  type  of 
people  found  in  these  places  are  similar  to  those  in  Kennewick.  The  two  sections, 
in  fact,  the  one  above  and  the  other  below  Kennewick,  relatively  a  small  area  of 
only  about  14,000  acres,  have  been  the  producing  areas  on  which  the  town  has 
hitherto  mainly  depended  for  business.  The  rapid  development  of  the  high- 
lands and  the  general  connection  of  the  much  larger  tract  of  country  around  Rich- 
land have  already  increased  the  support  of  business  lines  centering  in  Kennewick. 
It  is  obvious,  however,  that  the  support  of  the  near  future  is  to  come  from  the 
vastly  larger  area  to  be  developed  by  the  water  systems  of  the  High  Line  Canal 
or  Sunnyside  Extension.  When  still  further  the  Horse  Heaven  country  receives 
its  supply  of  creative  moisture,  Kennewick  with  150,000  or  more  tributary  acres 
under  intensive  farming  will  be  indeed  some  city. 

The  student  of  Benton  County,  to  do  real  justice  to  it,  should  certainly  make 
his  way  down  the  river  below  the  Umatilla  Highlands,  the  "Wallula  Gateway," 
with  its  superb  scenery,  and  pursue  his  journey  even  to  the  Klickitat  County  line. 
There  are  no  towns  in  this  section,  however,  but  there  are  the  beginnings  of  cul- 
tivation, and  with  adequate  water  the  ardent  sun  and  the  rich  volcanic  soil  will 
quickly  bring  orchards  and  alfalfa  fields  to  fruition.  That  section,  as  also  the 
Kennewick  Valley,  is  traversed  by  the  Spokane,  Portland  &  Seattle  Railroad,  but 
the  next  improvement  in  transportation  now  most  eagerly  awaited  is  the  Ever- 
green Highway,  to  be  constructed  down  the  north  bank  of  the  Columbia  all  the 
way  to  Vancouver. 

Retracing  our  course  to  Kennewick  we  may  resume  our  in\estigation  by  vis- 
iting the  three  fine  little  towns  upon  the  bank  of  the  Columbia,  Richland,  Hanford 
and  White  Bluffs.  Each  of  these  places  is  the  center  of  a  fine  tract  of  cultivated 
land,  all  of  which  have  been  described  in  the  chapter  on  Irrigation.  We  have  also 
spoken  in  the  chapter  on  Benton  County  of  the  early  settlements  in  the  Richland 
country.  Richland  was  founded  by  Howard  Anion  as  an  adjunct  to  the  enterprise 
inaugurated  by  himself  and  Nelson  Rich  for  irrigating  that  region.  The  author 
has  l:)een  informed  by  Ben  Rosencrantz,  first  original  settler  in  the  vicinity,  that 
Levi  Ankeny  had  called  Mr.  Anion's  attention  to  the  place  as  the  natural  location 
for  a  town.  During  the  development  brought  on  by  the  Benton  Land  &  Water 
Company  of  Messrs.  Anion  and  Rich  and  its  successor  the  Horn  Rapids  Irriga- 
tion Company,  the  town  made  considerable  growth. 

In  1910  the  development  seemed  to  justify  incorporation.  .Accordingly  in 
August  of  that  year  Richland  became  an  incorporated  town.  A  number  of  active 
and  intelligent  men  have  carried  on  the  necessary  business  for  the  gradually  de- 
veloping country,  among  whom  the  most  permanent  are  Wheelhouse  Brothers, 
Harry  and  Louis.  At  present  date  O.  B.  Rollins  is  mayor,  E.  G.  Bier  is  clerk, 
A.  L.  Nelson  is  treasurer  and  Lou  Wheelhouse.  W.  H.  Muncey,  H.  E.  Yedica. 
M.  S.  Miller  and  C.  S.  Teachout  are  coimcilmen. 

A  vast  amount  of  produce  comes  from  the  orchards,  corn  fields  and  alfalfa 
fields  of  the  fine  tract  of  land  around  Richland.  On  account  of  the  warmth  of  the 
weather  and  the  very  quick,  rather  sandy  soil,  this  section  seems  to  be  in  the  very 
forefront  in  early  production.  It  is  commonly  claimed,  in  fact,  that  the  earliest 
strawberries  in  the  state  come  from  Richland. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY  •  885 

The  town  is  not  directly  upon  any  railway  line,  though  the  Oregon-Wash- 
ington Railway  and  Navigation  Company  has  a  station  about  three  miles  distant. 
The  ten  mile  journey  can  be  made  by  auto  over  the  elegant  highway,  or  by  boat, 
the  "Hanford  Flyer"  or  some  other.  It  is  a  delightful  ride  by  boat  up  the 
majestic  tlood  of  the  Columbia,  sublimest  of  rivers,  whether  in  deserts  or  moun- 
tains or  "continuous  woods." 

Richland,  though  a  small  town,  is  not  a  whit  behind  her  larger  sisters  in  the 
pride  and  effort  taken  in  her  schools.  An  excellent  building  and  good  equipment 
has  habituated  the  pupils  to  expect  ample  provision  for  their  mental  and  discip- 
linary needs.  A  general  high  grade  of  teachers  has  been  maintained.  In  debate 
and  oratory  and  athletics  the  pupils  of  the  high  school  department  have  held  their 
own  with  those  of  the  larger  towns. 

The  school  property  in  the  district  has  an  estimated  value  of  $40,000.  The 
teaching  force  at  the  present  date  consists  of  C.  W.  Holt  as  superintendent  and 
Miss  Myrtle  Gray  as  principal  of  the  grade  schools.  There  are  ten  teachers  in  the 
Richland  schools  and  one  at  Fruitvale,  which  is  also  in  the  district.  The  names 
of  these  teachers,  as  of  all  in  the  county,  appear  in  the  directory  in  the  chapter  on 
Benton  County. 

The  school  board  consists  of  H.  J.  Clark,  C.  C.  Harding  and  S.  M.  Ross. 
C.  S.  Teachout  is  clerk.  A  newspaper,  the  "Richland  Advocate,"  is  published  by 
Perry  Willoughby.  We  have  referred  to  him  in  the  chapter  on  the  press  as  very 
nearly  the  dean  of  the  newspaper  men  of  this  section,  having  been  the  founder 
of  the  "Hanford  Columbian"  and  the  "Hover  Sunshine."  One  specially  pleas- 
ant feature  of  this  section  is  the  regular  Richland  Festival  in  September.  To 
this  gathering  are  brought  the  characteristic  productions  of  the  section,  exhibit- 
ing the  wonderful  capabilities  of  the  soil. 

From  Richland  we  may  resume  our  journey  by  a  first-class  highway, 
almost  entirely  in  sight  of  the  river,  or  the  even  pleasanter  journey  by  motor 
boat  to  the  next  stopping  point,  Hanford.  Hanford  derives  its  name  from 
Judge  C.  H.  Hanford  of  Seattle,  who  in  conjunction  with  Gen.  H.  M.  Chitten- 
den of  the  same  city,  conceived  and  inaugurated  the  plan  of  irrigating  the 
splendid  belt  of  fertile  land  stretching  for  thirty  miles  along  the  river,  by  a 
pumping  station  for  which  jiower  is  derived  from  Priest  Rapids.  The  iiox.er 
at  that  point  is  estimated  at  a  minimum  of  240,000  H.  P.,  at  high  water  prac- 
tically without  limit.  The  fall  is  about  seventy  feet  in  a  distance  of  ten  miles. 
When  the  Government  gets  around  to  build  a  dam  and  install  a  power  plant 
commensurate  with  the  possibilities  this  will  become  one  of  the  greatest  sources 
of  electric  energy  in  the  world. 

Boats  have  descended  Priest  Rapids  with  no  serious  trouble  and  some  have 
e\en  made  their  way  up,  but  the  river  can  not  be  considered  commercially 
navigable  in  its  present  state.  With  the  proposed  dam  and  locks  it  will  become 
navigable,  and  with  some  improvements  at  those  and  a  few  other  points,  it  can 
be  regularly  navigated  to  Kettle  Falls,  three  hundred  and  more  miles  above 
Kennewick.  Canal  and  locks  would  be  necessary  at  Kettle  Falls.  Then  with 
some  improvements  at  Little  Dalles,  the  river  might  be  navigated  continuously 
through  the  .Arrow  Lakes,  three  hundred  miles   farther,  to  Revelstoke,  nearh   a 


886  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

thousand  miles  from  the  ocean.  Sometime  this  will  be  accomplished,  and  one 
of  the  grandest  waterways  in  the  world  will  then  be  open  to  travelers. 

Priest  Rapids  is  but  one  of  a  number  of  great  powers  in  eastern  and  cen- 
tral Washington.  It  has  been  estimated  by  the  department  of  engineering  of  the 
University  of  Washington  that  the  possible  water  power  of  the  state  is 
13,125,000  H.  P.  That  of  the  Columbia  and  its  tributaries,  not  counting  the 
White  Salmon,  the  Klickitat,  the  Chelan,  and  the  Spokane,  is  5,800,000.  Those 
four  rivers  named,  estimated  separately,  total  1,260,000.  Thus,  the  Columbia 
with  all  its  tributaries  in  the  state  has  a  total  horsepower  of  over  7,000,000. 
It  has  been  estimated  that  the  Columbia  with  all  its  tributaries  in  Oregon, 
Washington  and  Idaho,  has  a  third  of  the  horsepower  of  the  United  States. 

The  belt  of  land  in  which  Hanford  and  White  Bluffs  are  located  is  there- 
fore favorably  located  for  the  greatest  future  development.  Moreover  a  vast 
area  extending  many  miles  along  the  easterly  flanks  of  the  Rattlesnake  hills 
can  be  irrigated  from  the  Sunnyside  Extension  Canal.  Thus  the  two  towns  are 
assured  of  an  ever  developing  tributary  country  of  great  extent  and  almost  lim- 
itless resources.  Both  Hanford  and  White  Bluli's  are  on  the  branch  line  of  the 
Milwaukee  Railroad.  This,  with  the  future  possibilities  of  river  transportation, 
place  these  two  towns  upon  the  list  of  prospective  cities  of  large  population 
and  extensive  commerce.  The  whole  region  is  without  question  one  of  the 
coming  regions. 

We  find  Hanford  a  well-built  and  well-platted  village  of  250  inhabitants. 
It  has  a  library,  a  park,  two  churches,  and  the  excellent  schools  regularly  found 
in  this  section. 

From  Prof.  W.  L.  Beaumont  we  learn  that  the  high  school  building  is  valued 
at  $16,000  and  the  grade  school  building  at  $10,000.  During  the  current  year 
there  has  been  an  enrollment  of  twenty-four  in  the  high  school  and  seventy-six 
in  the  grades.  The  high  school  department  was  established  with  a  two-year 
course  in  1917,  when  B.  G.  Johnson  was  principal  and  ]\Ir.  Hoover  and  Miss 
Lovely  were  assistants.  The  present  year  marked  an  increase  of  one  year  to 
the  high  school  course,  with  a  faculty  consisting  of  W.  L.  Beaumont  and  Mr. 
T'erkins.     The  grade  teachers  are  Miss  Weismiller,  Mrs.  Evett  and  Mrs.  Clark. 

White  BlufTs,  eight  miles  up  the  river  from  Hanford,  has  a  superb  location 
on  a  sightly  bench  fifty  or  sixty  feet  above  the  river  level.  It  has  an  estimated 
population  of  500.  There  are  excellent  water  and  lighting  systems,  a  bank — 
First  Bank  of  White  BlufTs — a  fine  system  of  grade  schools,  though  as  yet  no 
high  school,  and  several  well-stocked  stores. 

The  splendid  tract  of  land  of  15,000  acres  adjoining  the  town  is  new  in- 
deed and  only  just  coming  into  productive  bearing,  but  already  large  quantities 
of  alfalfa  hay  and  fruit  are  coming  into  market.  There  are  three  churches: 
Presbyterian,  Lutheran  and  Catholic. 

An  excellent  weekly,  the  "White  Blufl's  Spokesman."  of  which  E.  J. 
O'Leary  is  editor  and  publisher,  supplies  news  and  an  advertising  medium  for 
the  district  of  which  Priest  Rapids  in  Yakima  County  and  W'hite  BluiTs  and 
Hanford  are  the  business  centers.  We  find  in  the  "Spokesman"  of  November 
8,  1918,  a  series  of  items  of  value  bearing  on  the  agricultural  and  political  con- 
ditions.    We  include  them  at  this  point. 


I 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  887 

"The  C.  A.  Whitney  hay  baler  has  been  running  almost  steadily  for  the  last 
two  weeks,  baling  out  the  hay  crop  of  local  ranchers.  None  of  the  tonnage  to 
speak  of  has  been  purchased  so  far  by  sheepmen  and  unless'  they  get  busy 
pretty  soon  it  is  probable  that  most  of  the  crop  will  be  shipped  out.  A  few  cars 
have  already  moved  to  outside  markets.  Up  until  recently  the  price  has  been 
around  $25  per  ton  f.  o.  b.  the  cars,  but  it  is  ofT  a  little  now  and  buyers  are  said 
to  be  offering  around  $23.  Unless  picked  up  by  stockmen,  it  is  estimated  that 
there  will  be  about  fifty  cars  shipped  out  of  White  Blufifs  this  Fall. 

MAY    START   DAM    BY    CHRISTMAS 

Milton  Dam,  of  Seattle,  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Diamond  "D"  ranch  at 
Priest  Rapids,  was  in  the  valley  this  week  looking  after  business  interests.  Mr. 
Dam  had  just  returned  from  Washington,  D.  C,  and  says  that  the  water  power 
leasing  bill  is  all  ready  for  passage  and  will  be  enacted  into  law  before  Decem- 
ber 1st  and  that  actual  construction  work  on  the  dam  at  Priest  Rapids  will  be 
under  way  by  Christmas.  Mr.  Dam  has  extensive  real  estate  holdings  around 
Priest  Rapids  and  has  worked  incessantly  for  the  last  four  or  five  years  to 
secure  the  passage  of  some  law  through  Congress  liberal  enough  to  tempt  the 
power  companies  to  develop  the  large  power  site  there.  The  legislation  in  Con- 
gress seems  to  have  developed  into  a  race  between  a  water  power  leasing  bill 
and  one  that  will  permit  the  government  to  develop  power  sites. 

The  development  of  the  Priest  Rapids  site  by  either  private  capital  or  the 
Government  would  undoubtedly  lend  tremendous  impetus  to  the  settlement  of 
the  valley. 

ASSOCIATED    CHARITIES    ASK    YOUR    SUPPORT 

The  United  War  Work  Campaign,  which  begins  next  Monday  and  closes 
the  following  Saturday,  should  merit  the  approval  of  every  good  American  citi- 
zen. Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  have  differences  in  creeds  been 
laid  so  utterly  in  the  background  and  the  efforts  of  all  these  great  world-wide 
charitable  organizations  directed  toward  the  one  object — that  of  providing  every 
possible  comfort  for  our  boys,  not  only  on  the  battlefield  but  at  the  rest  billets 
and  training  camps  as  well.  These  associated  charities  are:  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
Knights  of  Columbus,  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  Salvation  Army,  American  Li- 
brary Association,  War  Camp  Community  Service,  and  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

The  campaign  at  White  Bluffs  is  under  the  direction  of  Ben  Hering  and 
D.  S.  Wilkinson  and  of  D.  C.  Priddy  at  Hanford.  The  quota  for  this  district 
is  approximately  $500  and  as  apportioned  at  White  Bluffs  amounts  to'  about 
$2.25  per  family.  Read  the  big  display  ad  on  the  back  page  of  the  "Spokesman," 
and  by  all  means  send  your  contribution  in  and  save  the  committee  the  neces- 
sity of  a  personal  canvass. 

APPLE    HARVEST    IS    OVER 

The  apple  harvest,  which  has  just  come  to  a  close  in  this  valley,  has  been, 
weather  considered,  the  most  satisfactory  in  the  history  of  the  district.  There 
was  scarcely  any  wind  to  contend  with,  and  therefore  fewer  windfalls  than  ever 
to  be  marketed.    While  the  scarcity  of  help  was  keenly  felt  at  times,  growers  as 


888  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

a  rule  were  able  to  get  their  apples  ott  the  trees  on  schedule.  There  was  some 
difficulty  about  getting  sufficient  color  on  some  of  the  earlier  varieties,  but  later 
ones  took  on  a  beautiful  tint,  the  Winesaps  in  particular  being  the  finest  ever 
shipped  out  of  the  valley. 

Unusually  warm  weather  during  the  harvesting  of  the  Jonathans  was  not 
conducive  to  the  keeping  qualities  of  that  variety,  or  others  that  were  har\'ested 
about  that  time  and  those  growers  who  made  immediate  shipment  secured  the 
best  results. 

This  is  what  is  known  as  an  "ott-year"  in  apples  and  the  yield  on  the  old 
trees  was  not  as  large,  generally,  as  last  year.  The  younger  orchards  coming 
on,  however,  especially  around  White  Bluffs,  made  up  for  much  of  this  defec- 
tion of  the  older  trees  and  the  tonnage  here  was  nearly  as  great  as,  last  year.  At 
Hanford,  the  packed  out  crop  was  not  much  more  than  half  last  year's  tonnage. 

Quite  a  little  damage  was  done  this  year  by  the  codling  moth,  particularly 
to  the  larger  varieties  like  the  Spitz  and  Romes.  This  was  partly  due  to  the 
season,  which  seems  to  have  been  exceptionally  favorable  to  the  propagation  of 
this  pest,  and  partly  to  the  carelessness  of  the  growers  in  not  spraying  a  sufTi- 
cient  number  of  times. 

Except  in  a  few  cases  where  small  lots  were  shipped  to  Seattle,  no  com- 
plete returns  have  been  received  by  the  growers  to  date.  Some  of  the  growers 
have  stored  a  part  of  their  Winesaps,  in  the  belief  that  the  price  after  the  first 
of  the  year  will  be  considerably  better  than  it  is  now.  The  big  bulk  of  the  crop, 
however,  has  been  sold  at  prices  much  better  than  in  ordinary  years. 

Eleven  cars  of  pears  were  shipped  out  of  Hanford  and  White  Bluff's.  The 
bulk  of  these  were  Bartletts  and  the  balance  D'Anjous  and  Winter  Nellis.  Five 
of  these  cars  were  shipped  by  the  Spokane  Fruit  Growers'  Company  and  six 
cars  by  the  Wenatchee  Valley  Fruit  Exchange. 

The  Spokane  Fruit  Growers'  Association  report  their  apple  pack  out  at 
Hanford  will  be  approximately  17,000  boxes,  or  about  twenty-three  cars;  and 
at  White  Bluffs  19,000  boxes,  or  approximately  twenty-five  cars.  The 
\\'enatchee  Fruit  Exchange  reports  a  shipment  of  sixteen  cars  of  apples  from 
Hanford  and  forty  from  White  Bluff's.  In  addition,  there  were  about  twenty- 
seven  cars  shipped  independently  from  White  Bluff's,  making  a  total  of  131 
cars  of  aijples  for  the  season  from  the  valley. 

BASH    WINS    IN    HARD    FIGHT 

The  election  in  Benton  County  last  Tuesday,  which  looked  a  few  days 
before  like  a  friendly  little  skirmish,  developed  into  one  of  the  toughest  battles 
of  ballots  waged  in  this  county  for  some  time,  with  Bash  and  McGlothlen,  for 
commissioner  of  this  district,  as  pivots.  All  the  other  contests  became  secondary 
considerations.  Bash  led  the  hosts  from  the  east  side  of  the  countv  and 
McGlothlen  those  from  the  west  side.  E.  W.  R.  Taylor  and  his  crew  at  Prosser 
had  worked  out  their  scheme  carefully,  with  much  attention  to  detail.  They 
had  selected  as  their  candidate  an  old  timer  in  the  district  with  no  political  tar- 
nish to  his  name.  They  had  gotten  practically  every  eligible  voter  on  the  west 
side  to  register  and  while  holding  before  the  dazzled  eyes  of  the  voters  the  pic- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKLAIA  VALLEY  889 

ture  of  an  elaborate  courthouse  at  I'rosser,  spared  neither  expense  nor  ettort 
to  see  that  they  all  got  out  and  voted.  Had  they  not  been  quite  so  cock-sure  and 
spilled  the  beans  to  one  or  two  that  they  thought  were  friends,  they  might  have 
gotten  away  with  their  scheme.  It  was  only  in  the  last  few  days  before  the  elec- 
tion that  the  east  side  wakened  to  the  possibilities  of  the  impending  struggle. 

Only  a  fair  proportion  of  the  voters  in  the  Kennewick  district  were  reg- 
istered but  they  all  got  out  and  voted.  Bash  received  about  90  per  cent,  of  the 
east  side  vote  and  10  per  cent,  of  the  west  side  vote.  White  Bluffs  gave  Bash 
an  even  100  and  McGlothlen  25.  Hanford  gave  Bash  115  and  McGlothlen  19. 
The  unofficial  count  in  the  county,  with  four  small  precincts  to  hear  from  was : 
Bash,  1160  and  McGlothlen  996. 

The  entire  republican  ticket  in  the  county  was  elected.  Summers  for  Con- 
gress beat  AlcCroskey  1178  to  831  and  had  a  big  lead  in  the  district.  Moores 
for  the  legislature  beat  Furgeson  1134  to  960.  Starr  for  treasurer  had  a  big 
lead  over  Airs.  Huntington.  Main,  Mount  and  Alitchell  were  elected  to  the 
Supreme  Court. 

LEMCKE  BRIXGS  IN  BIG  TR.\CTOR 

Shortly  after  he  had  secured  the  last  of  his  oil  leases  on  a  large  body  of  land 
in  the  Cold  Creek  country  this  summer,  H.  W.  Lemcke  purchased  from  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  the  section  of  land  lying  directly  west  of  the  Archie 
Brown  homestead,  paying  $2.75  per  acre.  At  that  time  this  was  considered  a 
very  fair  price.  Since  the  discovery  of  artesian  water  in  the  Brown  well,  how- 
ever, the  value  of  the  land  there  has  been  considerably  enhanced  and  Mr. 
Lemcke  is  considered  now  to  have  a  nice  little  fortune  in  this  land. 

He  is  not  content  to  sit  idly  by,  though,  while  waiting  for  the  drill  in  the 
Brown  well  to  prove  whether  or  not  there  is  oil  in  that  field,  and  has  bought  a 
Ford  truck  and  a  tractor  and  will  seed  as  much  as  possible  of  the  land  to  wheat 
and  alfalfa,  utilizing  the  water  from  the  artesian  well  for  irrigation. 

He  recently  secured  a  lease  on  the  Brown  homestead  for  a  term  of  years 
and  plans  to  seed  part  of  this  place  first.  Mr.  Lemcke  says  he  can  sell  to  sheep- 
men all  the  alfalfa  he  can  raise,  at  the  highest  market  price. 

Murray  E.  Cobb  is  associated  with  him  in  the  enterprise  and  will  have 
active  charge  of  the  work.  The  tractor  bought  by  Mr.  Lemcke  is  the  first  to  be 
brought  into  the  valley  and  if  it  proves  practical  and  economical  it  is  probable 
they  will  be  used  here  generally  where  large  tracts  of  land  are  farmed." 

With  this  last  visit  at  White  Blufifs  we  complete  our  journey  through  the 
last  of  the  counties  and  sections  of  the  Yakima  Valley.  We  concluded  the  pre- 
ceding chapter  with  a  general  summary  of  production  for  Yakima  and  Benton 
counties.  We  may  conclude  this  chapter  with  the  statement  that  Mr.  Luke 
Powell  of  Prosser,  state  inspector  of  orchards  for  the  Kennewick  and  White 
BluiTs  district  of  Benton  County,  estimates  the  production  of  fruit,  mainly  apples 
and  pears,  in  the  district  in  1918,  at  550  carloads.  According  to  Mr.  Powell's 
judgment  the  estimates  in  the  preceding  chapter  for  the  Yakima  and  Wenatchee 
districts  are  below  the  actual  product.  He  believes  that  a  conservative  estimate 
for  1918  would  be  8,000  carloads  of  fruit  in  Y'akima  Valley,  including  Yakima, 
Kittitas  and  Benton  counties,  and  an  equal  amount  for  the  Wenatchee  district, 
including  Chelan,  Okanogan,  Douglas  and  Grant  counties. 


CHAPTER   VIII 
THE   CAMP-FIRES   AND   TALK-FESTS    OF   THE    PIONEERS 

ORGANIZING      PIONEER      ASSOCIATION  —  WOMEN's      CLUBS OFFICERS      OF      KITTITAS 

PIONEERS — RECOLLECTIONS  OF  O.  A.  FECIITER — HEADGATES  OF  CANAL  RAISED- 
FIRST  REAL  ESTATE  BOOM — THE  BUBBLE  BURSTS TOWN  WAS  WIDE  OPEN- 
PIONEERS — THE  woman's  CLUB,  YAKIMA — MUSICAL  CLUB — TWENTIETH  CEN- 
TURY CLUB — PORTIA  CLUB — HOME  ECONOMICS  CLUB THE  COTERIE   CLUB ART 

COMMITTEE YAKIMA    VALLEY    DISTRICT    FEDERATION MOTHER'S    CONGRESS 

D.  A.  R. CHAPTER  P.  E.  O. WAR  ORGANIZATIONS MRS.  HARRISON'S  RECOL- 
LECTIONS  OF  THE   BUILDING   OF   SUNNYSIDE — TOWN    BUILDING OLD   TIMES    IN* 

THE  YAKIMA  VALLEY^  AS  NARRATED  BY  MRS.  WARNECKE — RETURN  TO  PENDLE- 
TON  A    FERRY    BOAT THE    FIRST    GIRL's     RECOLLECTIONS     OF    KENNEWICK 

SAGEBRUSH     EVERYWHERE PREEMPT     A     CLAIM FIRST     BUSINESS    BUILDING 

MEADOW  lark's  SONG  LINGERS — TWO  NOTED  CONTEMPORARY  INDIAN  CHIEFS, 
AS  GIVEN   BY  L.  V.   MCWHORTER. 

A  Chapter  of  Recollections 

This  is  to  be  a  chapter  of  recollections.  We  preserve  here  special  contribu- 
tions from  a  number  of  residents  of  the  Yakima  Valley  who  participated  in  making 
the  foundations,  or  who,  as  children,  saw  those  foundations  laid.  No  one  can 
tell  the  story  from  the  heart  as  those  can  who  helped  make  it.  We  believe 
therefore  that  the  records  of  this  chapter  will  have  an  exceptional  interest  to 
future  readers  as  descendants  of  the  builders. 

In  each  of  the  chief  places,  and  even  in  several  of  the  small  ones  repre- 
sented in  this  work,  there  have  been  pioneer  and  historical  societies.  It  will 
strike  the  reader  as  singular,  but  it  is  nevertheless  a  fact,  that  in  the  very  first 
number  of  the  first  newspaper  in  Yakima  City,  the  "Weekly  Record"  of  Sep- 
tember 6,  1879.  there  is  a  call  for  a  meeting  to  organize  a  Pioneer  Association. 
The  call  is  printed  in  full  in  the  chapter  on  the  Press,  but  it  is  suitable  that  we 
reproduce  part  of  it  here : 

ORGANIZING    PIONEER    ASSOCI.'VTION 

"On  Saturday  night,  October  11,  1879,  at  the  courthouse  at  Yakima  City, 
there  will  be  a  meeting  to  organize  a  Pioneer  Association  for  Yakima  County, 
of  all  persons  who  resided  in  said  county  on  the  day  the  first  issue  of  this  paper 
was  published.  Turn  out,  all  professions  and  pursuits!  Come,  ye  honest  sons 
of  toil!  Come,  ye  who  have  braved  the  storms  of  pioneer  life!  Come,  ye 
whose  matchless  valor  has  never  quailed  before  war-whoops  and  scalping- 
knives." 

From  that  day  to  this  there  has  been  more  or  less  of  regular  organization 
for  preserving  the  records  of  "the  brave  days  of  old."  There  has  been  for  many 
890 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY  891 

years  a  Yakima  Pioneer  Society,  of  which   David  Longmire  is  now   president 
and  John  Lynch  is  secretary. 

There  is  also  a  Yakima  Historical  Society,  of  which  A.  E.  Larson  is  presi- 
dent and  W.  W.  Wiley  is  secretary.  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution, 
of  which  Frederic  C.  Hall  is  president,  have  taken  an  active  part  in  preserving 
local  history.  Very  fittingly  these  three  presidents  are  members  of  the  Advis- 
ory Board  of  this  work. 

women's  clubs 

There  have  been  also  most  active  Women's  Clubs,  Daughters  of  the  x\meri- 
can  Revolution,  and  other  patriotic  organizations,  which  have  borne  a  leading 
part  in  everything  pertaining  to  preservation  of  history  as  well  as  in  the  culti- 
vation of  local  spirit  and  in  the  beautification  of  the  city.  These  societies  have 
cooperated  in  erecting  monuments  and  otherwise  marking  historic  spots.  A  full 
view  of  the  Women's  societies  is  given  in  this  chapter  by  Mrs.  E.  A.  Larson. 
The  Pioneer  and  Historical  Societies  have  united  from  time  to  time  in  regular 
meetings  which  may  be  called  their  "talk-fests."  The  latest  of  these  occurred 
on  June  30,  1918,  at  the  farm  of  Wallace  Wiley  near  Tampico. 

The  place  is  known  as  Kamiakin's  Gardens,  and  the  stern  old  chief,  "Last 
Hero  of  the  Yakimas,"  was  the  main  theme  of  discussion.  Thousands  of  peo- 
ple, whites  and  Indians,  were  present.  Several  of  the  notable  students  of  his- 
tory from  other  regions  were  present,  as  well  as  representatives  of  all  the  lead- 
ing local  organizations.  For  one  of  the  most  notable  of  the  visitors  this  was  the 
last  pioneer  gathering.  This  was  Gen.  Hazard  Stevens,  known  throughout  the 
Northwest  and  the  nation,  both  for  his  own  qualities  and  for  the  fact  that  he 
was  the  son  of  Governor  I.  I.  Stevens.  A  few  months  later  he  passed  away,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight. 

Addresses  were  made  by  a  number  of  visitors  and  local  members.  .An  iron 
post  was  placed  with  imposing  ceremonies  at  a  point  by  the  roadside  where  it 
was  believed  that  Kamiakin's  irrigating  canal  had  passed,  the  first  in  the  valley. 
A  grand  and  glorious  "feed,"  even  though  jt  were  war  times  and  the  specter  of 
Herbert  C.  Hoover  loomed  above  the  eastern  horizon,  in  the  profuse  luxuriance 
of  the  Ahtanum  farmers,  was  an  essential  feature.  Though  it  was  a  hot  sum- 
mer day  some  blazing  logs  recalled  the  "Camp-fires  of  the  Pioneers." 

The  addresses  of  the  occasion,  with  the  subjects  were  these :  Chief  Stwires, 
of  the  Yakimas,  a  Klickitat  Indian  by  birth,  on  the  Indians  of  the  old  times,  a 
really  remarkable  speech ;  George  H.  Himes,  of  Portland,  on  the  Naches  Immi- 
grant road:  Mrs.  A.  J.  Splawn,  of  Yakima,  on  Kamiakin  and  his  garden:  Prof. 
E.  S.  Meany,  of  the  State  LTnJversity,  on  the  Yakima  Treaty:  Air.  W.  P. 
Bonney,  secretary  of  the  Washington  State  Historical  Society,  on  the  work 
of  that  society ;  Gen.  Hazard  Stevens  on  his  personal  recollections  of  Kamiakin 
and  the  treaty  of  1855  at  Walla  Walla;  Miss  Martha  Wiley,  of  Ahtanum,  on 
Pioneer  Missionaries ;  Prof.  W.  D.  Lyman,  of  Walla  Walla,  on  Pioneer  Patriots : 
j\lr.  Talcott,  of  Olympia,  on  the  historical  societies  of  his  part  of  the  state:  L.  \'. 
McWhorter,  of  Yakima,  on  his  personal  observations  of  the  Yakima  Indians; 
and  finally  that  by  Mr.  Wallace  Wiley,  on  whose  ranch  the  gathering  was  held, 
explaining  localities  and  historical   connections. 


892  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

That  last  notable  galherint;;  may  be  considered  as  a  sample  of  others  of 
earlier  date. 

EUensburg  is  no  whit  behind  her  older  sister  in  the  activity  of  her  histori- 
cal students.  Those  whom  we  are  so  fortunate  as  to  name  as  members  of  the 
Advisory  Board  in  EUensburg,  have  made  invaluable  contributions  to  local  his- 
tory ;  Airs.  John  B.  Davidson,  Lion.  Austin  Mires,  Judge  Ralph  Kauffman,  Dr. 
J.  A.  ■\Iahan,  Oliver  Hinman,  Prof.  Selden  Symser  and  Miss  Mary  A.  Grupe 
of  the  Normal  School. 

In  connection  with  the  Normal  School,  the  work  of  the  students  and  even 
of  the  children  of  the  sixth  grade  in  the  training  school,  is  worthy  of  special 
recognition,  and  has  been  used  in  earlier  chapters  of  this  part.  Besides  those 
on  the  Advisory  Board  at  EUensburg,  special  mention  may  be  made  of  Mr. 
(jerrit  d'Ablaing,  Mrs.  C.  P.  Cooke,  Henry  Schnebly  and  Mr.  and  Mrs-.  William 
Taylor,  perfect  encyclopedias  of  pioneer  knowledge. 

An  event  of  special  interest  in  connection  with  the  Pioneers  of  Kittitas 
County  was  a  picnic  in  Sliger's  Grove  on  August  22,  190L  At  that  meeting, 
with  its  camp-fires  and  barbecue  and  other  frontier  features,  a  pioneer  asso- 
ciation was  organized,  composed  of  all  who  had  come  to  Kittitas  in  or  prior 
to  1886.  A  thousand  people  or  more  were  [iresent  and  an  eloquent  address  was 
given  by  Edward  Whitson,  one  of  the  earliest  Kittitas  boys,  later  a  distin- 
guished Yakima  attorney,  and  still  later  a  Federal  judge. 

OFFICERS    OF    KITTITAS    PIONEERS 

The  officers  of  that  association  were :  J.  F.  LeClerc,  president ;  Tilman 
Houser.  vice-president ;  R.  A.  Turner,  secretary ;  M.  M.  Dammon,  Matthew 
Bartholet,  A.  J.  Sliger,  J.  W.  McDonald,  W.  L.  German,  J.  G.  Olding,  F.  Bos- 
song,  and  John  Packwood,  directors. 

The  newer  towns  of  the  valley,  Prosser,  Kennewick,  Sunnyside.  Toppenish, 
Alabton,  Grandview,  Richland  and  others,  while  having  a  smaller  background 
in  time,  have  also  had  their  zealous  students  of  local  history.  To  members  of 
the  Advisory  Board  in  those  places  great  praise  is  due.  The  women's  organiza- 
tions in  all  those  places  have  led  in  the  work  of  collecting  historical  data. 

With  these  prefactory  facts,  the  special  contributions  may  now  appear. 

The  Recollections  of  O.  A.  Fechter  of  Yakima  may  fittingly  begin  these 
contributions.  Coming  here  but  little  more  than  a  boy  just  after  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  Mr.  Fechter  has  been  one  of  the  true 
Ijuilders  in  the  business  and  municipal  life  of  the  valley.  Aside  from  his  accu- 
racy of  observation  and  report,  Mr.  Fechter's  literaiy  skill  and  taste  are  mani- 
fest in  all  that  he  writes. 

Yakima  as  seen  through  the  eyes  of  this  leading  business  man,  makes  a 
most  vivid  companion  picture  of  the  fair  city  of  the  present. 

RECOLLECTIONS    OF    O.    A.    FECHTER 

More  than  thirty  years  have  passed  since  on  a  fourth  day  of  July,  the  writer, 
firompted  by  idle  curiosity,  stepped  from  a  railway  coach  on  which  he  was 
journeying  to  the  coast  to  seek  his   fortune,  to  the  station   platform  at   North 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  893 

Yakima  and  looked  at  a  typical  western  village  lying  dormant,  exhausted  and 
sweltering  in  a  blazing  midsummer  sun. 

Yakima  Avenue  extended  before  him,  a  wide  white  stretch  of  gravel  and 
sand  from  which  rose  clouds  of  dust.  It  was  crowded  with  Indians  who,  with 
true  western  spirit  and  in  true  western  fashion,  were  celebrating  the  Nation's 
birthday.  Dressed  in  gay,  highly  colored  holiday  attire  and  mounted  in  twos 
and  even  threes  on  a  nondescript  lot  of  ponies,  which  looked  as  if  they  would 
succumb  under  their  burdens,  they  presented  an  unusual  sight  and  were  not 
only  guests  at  the  feast  but  provided  a  large  share  of  the  entertainment. 

The  town  was  largely  hidden  by  the  dense  foliage  of  young  locust  and  Cot- 
tonwood trees  that  had  made  an  extraordinarily  rapid  growth  and  which  at 
that  time  were  planted  on  all  of  the  streets,  including  both  sides  of  Yakima 
Avenue.  What  was  visible  of  it  consisted  almost  entirely  of  rough  board 
buildings  with  square  fronts  many  of  them  in  a  dilapidated  state. 

These  fronts,  while  anything  but  attractive  themselves,  served  to  conceal 
what  was  still  less  so  and  to  distinguish  the  buildings  as  business  houses.  It  is 
worthy  of  comment  that  not  one  of  them  is  left  on  the  avenue  today.  The  town 
looked  to  be  old  and  in  a  state  of  decay  rather  than  young  and  with  a  vigorous 
growth  before  it.  Only  that  and  the  dense  mass  of  foliage  crowning  the  shade 
trees  on  every  street  saved  it  from  being  classed  with  a  large  number  of  other 
small  towns  along  the  line  of  the  railway  on  which  the  journey  had  been  made, 
since  entering  the  new  and  undeveloped  West,  towns  that  showed  evidences  of 
haste  and  were  new  and  crude  and  characteristic  of  the  open  country  and  vast 
empty  spaces  in  which  they  were  situated. 

The  sight,  while  novel,  was  not  inspiring.  It  was  saved  from  being  com- 
monplace by  the  Indians  and  the  canopy  of  green  under  which  they  were  gath- 
ered. The  writer  wondered  whether  his  coming  to  this  state  meant  that  he 
would  be  doomed  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  a  town  like  that.  His 
apprehension  was  not  unfounded  for  three  weeks  later  he  again  alighted  from 
a  train,  this  time  an  east-bound,  and  walked  down  the  avenue  under  the  shade 
of  the  trees  just  as  the  sun,  setting  behind  the  western  range  painted  the  nearby 
hills  with  purple  and  gold,  and  with  fading  lights  and  darkening  shadows  re- 
touched the  old  and  worn,  and  made  bright  the  dingy  and  dull,  leaving  an  im- 
pression on  him  of  subtle  charm  and  exquisite  beauty  that  has  never  been 
eft'aced. 

As  he  stepped  from  the  railway  coach,  he  was  the  only  arrival,  a  horde  of 
men  gazed  at  the  incoming  stranger  with  curiosity.  The  arrival  of  a  train  was 
one  of  each  day's  important  events.  All  the  male,  inhabitants  of  the  town 
seemed  to  have  congregated  there.  There  were  cowboys  booted  and  spurred 
whose  saddle  ponies,  with  bridles  trailing  on  the  ground,  waited  nearby  without 
other  restraint,  for  the  return  of  their  riders.  Indians  wrapped  and  muffled  in 
blankets  held  close  to  their  chins,  stood  leaning  lazily  against  the  depot  walls 
or  stepped  softly  on  moccasined  feet,  looking  on  with  stolid  air.  Beside  them 
on  the  platform  sat  their  squaws  holding  their  bundled  babies  strapped  to  boards, 
powerless  to  move  and  scarcely  able  to  assert  themselves  even  with  their  only 
language  of  a  cry. 

The  station  was  located   at  the   intersection   of   Front    Street  and   Yakima 


894  HISTORY  UF  YAKLMA  VALLEY 

Avenue  which  at  that  time  was  no  thoroughfare.  West  Yakima  Avenue  being 
nothing  but  a  cow  trail  winding  through  the  sagebrush. 

As  the  train  moved  out  the  crowd  moved  on  and  the  writer  moved  with  it 
down  the  avenue  under  the  canopy  of  trees,  turning  south  at  First  Street  until 
the  old  Guilland  House  on  the  corner  of  Chestnut  was  reached.  This  was  not 
the  only  but  the  leading  hotel  in  the  city.  I'nder  a  wooden  awning  exteniling 
across  the  sidewalk  sat  the  owaier,  smoking  his  pipe  at  his  ease.  In  a  decided 
French  accent  he  extended  a  cordial  welcome  to  the  only  arrival  on  that  train. 

The  hotel  was  built  of  boards  in  the  prevailing  style  but  was  two  stories 
high.  It  too  was  far  from  new,  having  been  moved  on  wheels  from  the  "Old 
Town"  over  four  miles  of  trackless  sagebrush  at  the  time  that  the  "Mew  Town" 
was  planned  and  built  on  the  ruins  of  the  old.  It  continued  to  be  the  leading 
hotel  until  "The  Yakima"  was  built  and  opened  on  a  summer  night  in  1889  with 
a  dance,  in  one  of  the  store  rooms  on  the  first  floor,  that  was  the  leading  social 
function  that  had  ever  been  held  in  the  town  that  gave  the  hotel  its  name.  Only 
one  thing  marred  the  festivities  of  the  evening.  While  the  dance  was  at  its 
highest  a  red  glow  w'as  observed  on  the  northern  horizon  and  soon  afterward 
word  was  received  that  the  neighboring  and  rival  town  of  Ellensburg  was  on 
fire  and  was  threatened  with  destruction. 

Many  men  who  made  history  in  the  West  have  been  sheltered  under  the 
hospitable  roof  of  the  Guilland  Hotel.  Among  them  were  Henry  Villard,  jour- 
nalist in  the  period  before  the  Civil  War  and  war  correspondent  during  the 
four  years  of  combat  and  later  one  of  the  great  financiers  and  railroad  builders 
of  the  country.  Also  his  associate,  Paul  Schulze,  Land  Commissioner  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  who  dealt  the  death  blow  to  the  "Old  Town"  in  plat- 
ting and  exploiting  the  new  and  was  feared  and  hated  as  a  consequence  of  it, 
and  who  later  built  the  Sunnyside  Canal.  The  writer  will  never  forget  his 
first  sight  of  these  two  men.  It  w-as  another  such  a  summer  evening.  They 
had  just  arrived  on  the  train  and  were  walking  down  the  avenue  on  their  way 
from  the  station  to  the  Guilland  House. 

News  of  their  coming  had  spread  and  the  town  was  out  curiously  intent  on 
seeing  these  men  who  held  in  their  hands  the  destinies  of  an  empire  and  the 
fortunes  of  those  who  lived  in  it.  On  Henry  Villard  more  than  any  other  man 
had  depended  the  completion  of  that  great  enterprise,  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad.  On  the  successful  issue  of  this  great  undertaking  hung  in  the  bal- 
ance the  fortunes  of  the  country  through  which  the  road  passed  and  to  it  the 
town  of  North  Yakima  owed  its  birth  and  its  continued  existence. 

It  was  a  silent  awe-stricken  crowd  that  watched  these  men  who  apparently 
were  olilivious  of  the  fact  that  they  were  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes, 

\  illard,  the  personification  of  controlled  force  and  reserve  power,  heavy  of 
countenance  and  of  serious  mein,  walked  with  bowed  head  and  measured  step. 
Schulze,  alifable  but  arrogant,  true  representative  of  his  race,  dressed  in  the 
height  of  fashion,  walked  with  head  erect  and  jaunty  air. 

The  two  presented  a  marked  contrast  to  each  other  yet  each  was  true  to 
type.  The  modest  and  (juiet  dignity  of  the  one  served  only  to  emphasize  his 
apjjarent  strength  and  force  of  character  and  as  a  foil  to  the  egotism  and  vanity 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  895 

of  the  other  but  Schulze  was  a  big  man  in  his  own  way  and  a  considerable  fac- 
tor in  the  upbuilding  of  the  state. 

Villard  was  gifted  with  the  vision  of  a  builder  of  empire.  He  built  a  rail- 
road through  a  trackless  country,  sparsely  inhabited,  in  which  there  was 
scarcely  any  traffic,  but  the  growth  and  development  of  which  he  foresaw  and 
which  has  since  confirmed  his  judgment.  He  did  not  foresee  the  vicissitudes 
and  periods  of  depression  through  which  the  country  would  pass  and  the  length 
of  time  required  to  develop  a  traffic  adequate  to  support  the  great  enterprise, 
and  its  failure  and  that  of  its  great  promoter  occurred  simultaneously.  P.oth, 
however,  possessed  the  inherent  strength  to  recover,  but  Mllard's  troubles 
hastened  his  end  and  he  died  in  1900.  The  railroad  has  developed  into  one  of 
the  world's  greatest  transportation  enterprises  and  to  a  large  extent  it  is  a 
monument  to  his  genius. 

To  Schulze,  the  Yakima  Valley  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  because  he  con- 
ceived and  carried  out  the  irrigation  of  that  part  of  the  valley  known  as  the 
Sunnyside  country  by  means  of  the  Sunnyside  Canal  which  at  the  time  was  per- 
haps the  largest  in  the  west.  It  has  since  been  acquired  by  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment under  the  terms  of  the  Reclamation  Act  and  has  been  greatly  improved 
and  extended. 

HE.\DG.\TES    OF    CANAL   RAISED 

On  a  raw,  cold  day  in  December  of  the  year  1890,  the  headgates  of  the  canal 
were  raised  for  the  first  time  with  appropriate  ceremonies  and  the  waters  of 
the  river  tumbled  and  surged  into  it  with  a  rush  and  roar  that  told  of  their  life- 
giving  qualities  that  have  since  transformed  that  section  from  a  vast  desert  into 
a  land  of  orchards  and  meadows  and  gardens  and  homes  of  a  prosperous  and 
contented   people. 

A  comparatively  small  number  of  men  and  women  had  assembled  there. 
Schulze,  over  whom  even  then  hung  the  shadow  of  impending  doom,  was  mas- 
ter of  ceremonies.  The  headgate  which  was  large  enough  to  accommodate  a 
considerable  number  of  people,  servetl  as  a  platform.  Fashionably  dressed  as 
usual  and  carrying  a  small  bunch  of  flowers  in  his  hand  and  leaning  on  a  cane 
he  made  a  short  address.  He  and  his  special  guests  had  been  driven  from  the 
town  of  North  Yakima  to  the  intake  of  the  canal  in  the  one  covered  hack  that 
the  town  afforded.  Among  those  assembled  were  several  so-called  cattle  kings 
whose  stock  for  many  years  had  fattened  on  bunch  grass  that  grew  on  the  plain 
which  now  would  cease  to  be  a  range.  They  were  silent  but  interested  wit- 
nesses of  the  event.  To  them  it  meant  that  their  day  was  passing,  that  the 
ownership  of  large  herds  would  no  longer  be  profitable,  that  the  old  West  of 
vast  unoccupied  spaces  and  long  distances,  with  here  and  there  a  corral  or  a 
low  roofed  cabin  home  near  a  spring  or  watering  place,  was  passing  out  for- 
ever. A  new  era  had  come  and  the  cattle  range  and  the  picturesque  cowboy 
and  the  unbroken  solitude  would  soon  be  only  a  memory.  Not  long  afterward 
it  became  impossible  to  longer  conceal  that  the  enormous  and  unexpected  cost 
of  building  the  Canal  had  led  Schulze  to  wrongfully  convert  the  funds  of  the 
railroad  company  of  which  he  was  a  trusted  employee  into  the  coffers  of  the 
irrigation  company  of  which  he  was  the  controlling  spirit.  Game  to  the  last, 
however,  he  died  by  his  own  hand  before  his  defaidt  had  been  exposed. 


S96  HISTORY  OF  YAKIAIA  VALLEY 

FIRST    REAL    ESTATE    BOOM 

It  was  at  about  this  time  that  the  tirst  real  estate  boom  was  inaugurated. 
The  Western  boom  is  a  creation  of  man  and  is  not  necessarily  justified  by  con- 
ditions as  they  exist  but  is  a  product  of  the  imagination  and  of  the  hopes  and 
aspirations  and  cupidity  of  man.  Llnder  the  guidance  of  those  who  had  been 
a  part  of  the  development  of  the  West  and  who  had  followed  it  in  its  westward 
course,  the  measure  of  a  man's  wealth  soon  became  the  number  of  town  lots 
he  owned.  Additions  to  the  town  for  which  there  was  no  need  were  platted, 
the  lots  were  sold  not  for  the  purpose  of  building  homes  or  improvement,  but 
for  resale  by  the  purchasers  at  advanced  prices.  A  few  pretentious  buildings 
were  erected,  for  which  there  was  no  real  demand,  to  some  extent  at  least  for 
the  purpose  of  influencing  values  and  accelerating  sales  of  nearby  properties. 
Many  real  estate  offices  were  opened  and  many  men  without  offices  made  it  a 
business  to  buy  and  sell,  and  for  a  time  at  least  they  prospered. 

Among  the  large  non-resident  owners  of  property  were  Martin  \'an  Buren 
Stacy,  who  was  a  frequent  visitor  and  for  short  intervals  made  his  home  at  the 
Guilland  Hotel.  He  was  the  most  plausible  of  men,  full  of  resources  and  with 
an  extraordinary  ability  in  carrying  conviction  to  others.  It  was  worth  whatever 
it  may  have  cost  to  come  under  the  influence  of  and  to  be  swayed  by  the  won- 
derful power  of  this  man.  He  met  adversity  in  the  same  spirit  as  success  and 
he  never  admitted  defeat  until  he  met  that  imjilacable  enemy  before  whom  we 
all  must  succumb  in  the  end. 

y\nother  of  the  large  non-resident  owners  was  Allen  C.  Mason  of  Tacoma. 
His  was  the  spirit  of  a  crusader  and  the  faith  of  a  religious  bigot.  He  believed 
in  the  State  of  Washington  and  in  his  home  city  and  in  Yakima  and  he  believed 
in  himself  and  with  good  reason,  because  everybody  that  knew  him  believed 
in  him  as  well.  He  financed  the  Selah  Canal  and  other  large  enterprises  and 
in  many  ways  was  a  considerable  factor  in  the  early  development  of  the  city 
and  valley.    He  still  lives  at  Tacoma  respected  and  honored  by  all  who  know  him. 

Among  the  local  real  estate  promoters.  Fred  R.  Reed  was  the  outstanding 
figure.  He  was  not  a  large  owner  himself  but  represented  large  owners.  He 
was  a  spender  rather  than  a  saver  and  was  filled  with  an  enthusiasm  that  spent 
itself  in  eiTervescence  and  with  a  kindliness  and  charitableness  that  found  their 
outlet  in  many  generous  deeds  and  that  made  everybody  his  friend  and  made 
him  the  friend  of  everybody.  For  the  brief  space  of  a  year  he  was  mayor  of 
the  city  and  his  duties  as  such  were  more  honored  in  the  breach  than  in  the 
observance,  but  he  gave  a  certain  glamour  to  the  office  that  shed  a  reflected 
light  on  the  city  that  gave  it  much  gratuitous  publicit}-. 

Although  he  has  lived  elsewhere  a  quarter  of  a  century,  his  was  such  an 
unusual  per.sonality  and  he  was  so  much  admired  and  loved,  that  there  are  those 
among  old  timers  to  this  day,  who  hope  and  believe  that  some  da\-  he  will 
return  to  his  first  love  that  has  in  the  fullness  of  time  so  richly  fulfilled  his 
highest  imaginings.  It  is  such  men  as  these  that  made  tlie  West.  It  is  the 
\\'est  that  made  such  men  as  these.  The  child  is  father  to  the  man.  It  is  with 
the  passing  of  such  men  that  the  West  is  passing  away  forever  and  with  it,  the 
spirit  of  tolerance,  the  charity,  the  breadth  and  unconventionality  of  the  pioneer. 
It  is  like  the  passing  of  youth  never  to  return  and  it  is  an  irreparable  loss. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  897 

THE    BUBBLE    BURSTS 

But  the  bubble  burst  as  all  bubbles  will.  Rapidly  rising  real  estate  values 
anticipate  not  the  immediate  but  the  distant  future,  and  many  of  the  prospective 
developments  that  values  were  based  on  in  that  distant  day  have  come  to  pass 
only  in  recent  years,  twenty  or  twenty-five  years  after  the  transaction  in  real 
estate  which  was  prompted  by  them  was  made,  but  they  have  come  to  pass  and 
the  prophets  of  old  have  been  vindicated. 

It  was  the  boom  that  changed  the  character  of  the  town  and  its  people.  It 
ceased  to  be  a  village  and  that,  after  all  is  said,  was  its  greatest  charm.  In  the 
true  village  there  is  a  restfulness  and  lack  of  conventionality  and  a  degree  of 
good  fellowship  that  is  not  found  in  larger  places  or  those  that  are  rapidly 
increasing  in  numbers.  There  is  time  for  leisure  and  rest  and  sociability.  This 
is  especially  true  in  localities  in  which  the  Summers  are  long  and  warm.  During 
the  heat  of  the  day  there  is  no  incentive  to  work,  business  is  at  a  low  ebb  and 
the  indoor  dweller  seeks  the  out  of  doors  and  relief  in  idleness.  The  heat  leads 
to  relaxation  of  the  restraints  of  life.  This  was  true  of  Yakima.  It  was  no 
uncommon  sight  of  a  late  Summer  afternoon  to  see  business  and  even  pro- 
fessional men  gathered  around  a  box  on  the  sidewalk  eating  watermelon  or 
sitting  on  the  curb  discussing  the  weather.  Chairs  tilted  against  the  walls  of 
the  buildings  told  their  own  stories  and  so  did  their  occupants.  The  wonderful 
Summer  nights,  peculiar  to  the  arid  regions,  clear  and  starry  and  with  a  slight 
breeze  drifting  down  from  cooler  altitudes,  were  spent  out  in  the  open.  People 
sat  out  on  their  porches  and  visited  with  each  other  and  as  the  Summer 
advanced  all  those  who  were  able  to  do  so,  camped  out  in  the  mountains  for 
a  week  or  two  usually  at  the  Ahtanum  Soda  Springs  located  about  thirty  miles 
from  the  city.  Public  entertainments  were  of  the  amateur  variety  and  usually 
much  enjoyed  regardless  of  merit. 

TOWN    WAS   WIDE  OPEN 

In  marked  contrast  to  present  day  conditions  were  the  large  number  of 
saloons  that  were  run  wide  open  and  the  practice  of  gambling.  There  were 
professional  gamblers  known  as  tin  horns  whose  sole  business  and  a  profitable 
one  at  that  was  dealing  in  a  stud  poker  game  or  at  faro  or  turning  a  roulette 
wheel.  Large  sums  were  staked  and  won  and  lost  and  many  men  of  good 
standing  in  the  community  were  addicted  to  the  habit.  The  games  were  carried 
on  without  much  concealment  and  the  click  of  chips  as  they  passed  from  hand 
to  hand  could  be  plainly  heard  by  the  passer-by  even  though  the  players  were 
hidden  from  view.  Saloons  were  open  day  and  night  including  Sundays.  Efforts 
made  by  churches  to  enforce  the  Sunday  closing  laws  for  a  long  time  were 
unavailing  and  in  one  instance  at  least,  almost  ended  in  a  riot.  It  was  the 
frontier  spirit  that  held  sway,  the  spirit  of  adventure  that  knew  no  bounds.  It 
was  a  part  of  the  first  beginning  of  the  West  that  did  not  survive  the  influx  of 
people  intent  on  building  homes  and  permanent  development. 

This  new  era  of  hom^  building  and  development  was  ushered  in  by  the 
construction  of  irrigation  canals.  The  Sunnyside  Canal,  which  covers  sixty 
thousand   acres  of   the   lower  valley,   has   been   referred   to.     The   first   settlers 

(57) 


898  HISTORY  OF  YAKDIA  VALLEY 

under  that  consisted  largely  of  such  as  had  lost  their  positions  and  means  of 
making  a  livelihood  in  the  collapse  of  the  boom  throughout  the  state  and  imme- 
diately after  the  first  blighting  touch  of  the  panic  of  1893.  They  were  attracted 
by  the  alluring  stories  of  opportunities  to  secure  productive  farms  and  attrac- 
tive homes  at  a  low  cost,  land  that  would  pay  for  itself  within  the  time  that 
payment  for  it  was  stipulated  to  be  made.  No  account  was  taken  of  the  diffi- 
culties of  subduing  the  land,  of  successfully  irrigating  it  and  of  the  hardships 
of  pioneering.  The  result  was  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  scarcely  a 
settler  remained  and  the  partially  improved,  abandoned  farms  and  homes  told 
a  sad  story  of  blighted  hopes  and  tragic  failure.  It  was  the  successors  of  these 
people  that  have  made  the  Sunnyside  country  the  equal  of  any  in  the  West  in 
the  value  and  quantity  of  its  production. 

The  Selah  Valley  Canal  is  another  of  the  early  irrigation  enterprises  whose 
vicissitudes  were  many  but  all  of  which  were  overcome  in  the  course  of  time 
by  those  who  profited  by  the  costly  experience  of  its  original  promoters.  It 
was  conceived  and  carried  out  ten  years  before  its  time  by  John  A.  Stone,  w  ith 
the  financial  assistance  of  Allen  C.  JNIason. 

Stone  was  in  every  sense  a  Western  product.  A  strong  man  physically, 
full  of  energy  and  resources,  he  lacked  stability  and  moral  fibre  and  this  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was  intensely  religious  and  believed  the  Bible  from 
cover  to  cover.  His  faith  was  unquestioning  and  that  was  to  him  all  sufficient. 
It  did  not  ser\'e  him  as  a  moral  guide  nor  as  a  restraint  to  the  freedom  of  his 
actions.  He  had  little  book  learning  but  his  wits  had  been  sharpened  in  the 
school  of  experience  and  by  contact  with  specific  situations  and  he  possessed 
the  faculty  of  putting  to  eft'ective  use  the  knowledge  thus  acquired.  He  was 
generous  to  a  fault  and  would  give  his  last  dollar  to  a  friend  and  as  is  often 
the  case  the  day  came  when  he  no  longer  had  a  dollar  to  give. 

To  finish  the  Canal  he  exhausted  his  every  financial  resource  and  after  the 
failure  of  the  enterprise  it  was  with  difficulty  that  he  raised  sufficient  money  to 
go  to  Alaska  in  the  vain  efl:'ort  to  retrieve  his  fallen  fortunes. 

The  development  of  the  country,  however,  in  spite  of  the  reverses  of  the 
men  engaged  in  it  went  on  apace  and  was  reflected  in  the  growth  of  the  town, 
and  the  village  has  long  since  ceased  to  be. 

Today  the  city  of  Yakima  and  the  A'alley;  of  the  Yakima  in  the  fullness 
of  their  development  are  the  realization  of  the  hopes  and  aspirations  of  those 
men  who  toiled  and  struggled  in  the  da}-s  of  long  ago,  the  days  that  have  so 
swiftly  and  silently  passed  away. 

THE   women's    clubs 

One  of  the  most  potent  influences  for  culture  and  progress  in  the  history 
of  Yakima  has  been  the  women's  clubs.  We  count  ourselves  fortunate  indeed 
to  be  able  to  present  here  a  sketch  of  these  organizations,  together  with  some 
pioneer  remembrances,  from  one  who  is  eminently  qualified  to  give  such  a  view, 
Mrs.  A.  E.  Larson. 

PIONEERS 

Of  the  sacrifices  of  the  pioneer  women  many  interesting  "earlv  dav"  stories 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  A'ALLEY  899 

are  told  by  the  siir\iving  few,  of  liovv  they  braved  the  hardships  and  kept  faith 
alive  in  their  hearts,  looking  toward  the  great  future.  The  community  spirit 
linked  together,  as  neighbors,  the  people  of  Yakima — disregarded  distances  and 
the  mode  of  traveling,  which  in  the  very  early  days  was  a  lumber  wagon  or  an 
Indian  pony. 

Nurses  were  unknown  and  doctors  were  not  to  be  obtained.  The  good 
pioneer  women  cared  for  the  sick  and  needy.  The  roads  were  never  too  rough 
nor  the  weather  too  cold  for  them  to  respond  if  there  was  sickness  or  trouble 
in  one  of  the  families.  And  when  conditions  prompted  it,  food  was  shared 
among  the  pioneers  as  willingly  as  were  their  joys  and  their  sorrows. 

The  spirit  of  comradeship  prevailing  in  the  community  was  conducive  of 
happy  times  in  "get  together"  meetings :  chief  among  them  was  the  all-day 
"quilting  bee"  joined  by  the  men  folk  in  the  evening  for  supper  and  later  in 
the  evening  indulging  in  a  "corn  popping"  and  a  "taffy  pull."  Then  there  was 
each  year  the  community  Christmas  tree  in  the  schoolhouse  followed  by  a  dance 
and  supper :  singing  schools  and  spelling  schools  were  very  popular  during  the 
W'inter  months. 

In  the  Summer  time,  on  a  Sunday,  a  very  attractive  diversion  was  a  horse- 
back ride  to  see  Airs.  Lauber's  flower  garden.  Mrs.  Lauber  lived  in  the  suburbs 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Union  Gap,  and  was  noted  for  her  wonderful  flov.'er- 
garden.  Her  friends,  all  citizens  were  friends  in  those  days,  would  come,  often 
as  far  as  fifty  miles,  to  get  a  little  sprig,  cutting,  or  some  seeds  of  those  choice 
flowers.  The  seeds  were  sent  to  Mrs.  Lauber  from  a  friend  in  the  east,  and  out 
of  this  fact  grew  the  dandelion  story. 

A  story  is  told,  relating  the  origin  of  the  dandelion  in  the  Yakima  Valley, 
thusly — Visitors  viewing  the  flower-garden  of  Mrs.  Lauber,  who  was  unaware 
of  the  nature  of  the  dandelion,  admired  very  much  the  soft  little  yellow  blos- 
soms and  invariably  carried  away  a  few  seeds  or  small  plants  which  were  lov- 
ingly and  carefully  planted  in  their  own  front  yards,  to  be  divided  the  next 
year  as  they  grew  and  waxed  strong,  with  the  neighbors  who  had  not  vet  pro- 
cured them.  The  sun  shone,  the  floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew,  and  the 
precious  little  seeds  were  scattered  on  Yakima  soil. 

With  the  coming  of  the  railroad  in  1885  and  the  building  of  the  citv,  the 
people  of  Yakima  stood  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  era,  and  new  ideals  actuated 
the  minds  of  the  women  toward  a  broader  education,  self  culture,  and  higher 
standards  in  social  conditions.  The  study  club  idea  grew  and  culminated  in 
the  organization  of  six  clubs  in  the  city  of  Yakima.  Following  is  a  short 
sketch  of  each  presented  by  the  club : 

THE    WOM.\x's    CLUB,    YAKIMA 

The  Woman's  Club  of  Yakima  was  organized  March  7,  1894,  through  the 
efforts  of  Mrs.  Susanna  E.  Steinweg,  at  whose  home  a  group  of  women  gath- 
ered socially,  planned  a  future  meeting,  which  convened  at  the  home  of  Airs. 
Edward  Whitson,  on  the  date  given  above,  and  organized  the  club.  I'pon  the 
adoption  of  a  constitution,  twenty-five  women  signed  the  roll  as  charter  mem- 
bers.    The  membership,   at   first   limited  to  twenty-five,   was  later   increased    to 


900  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

fifty,  and  finally  to  one  hundred  and  ten.  Although  the  club  was  formed  origi- 
nally for  social  and  intellectual  culture,  it  was  from  the  first  ready  to  cooperate 
with  kindred  forces,  and  when,  in  1896,  the  Washington  State  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs  was  formed,  the  Woman's  Club  of  Yakima  became  a  charter 
member,  sending  as  its  representative,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Gilbert,  one  of  its  charter 
members. 

In  the  early  years,  the  club  purchased  the  books  needed  for  its  study,  which 
was  along  the  line  of  literature,  history,  and  art,  with  discussions  of  practical 
questions  and  current  events,  and  these  books  helped  form  the  nucleus  of  a 
public  library,  also  founded  by  Mrs.  Susanna  E.  Steinweg.  Besides  books  and 
magazines,  the  club  gave  two  hundred  dollars  to  the  library.  For  many  years 
a  member  of  the  club  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  library  board.  Thus, 
almost  from  the  beginning,  the  club  formed  for  study  and  self-improvement 
widened  its  interests  to  include  the  good  of  the  community,  and  when  in  1908, 
the  acquirement  of  property  in  the  way  of  real  estate  required  by-laws  which 
should  govern  the  club,  it  became  a  corporation  by  the  adoption  of  those  by-law\s 
in  1909. 

The  objects  of  the  corporation  were  stated  to  be  the  promotion  of  stand- 
ards of  social  and  intellectual  culture  among  its  members,  and  the  community 
in  general,  along  literary,  social,  intellectual  and  civic  lines.  The  work  the 
club  has  done  in  assisting  the  local  Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  the 
Educational  Loan  Fund  of  the  Federation,  its  initiative  in  calling  a  health  com- 
mittee of  the  Federated  City  Clubs,  which,  in  conjunction  with  representatives 
from  the  medical  society  and  other  organizations,  accomplished  a  marvelous 
improvement  in  sanitary  and  health  conditions  in  Yakima — all  show  that  its 
interest  is  in  the  life  of  the  community  and  that  it  is  a  force  in  molding  public 
opinion. 

In  1913,  the  Woman's  Club  became  to  an  extent  departmental  by  organizing 
classes  for  study. 

In  1917,  the  Woman'.s  Club  acquired  a  club  house,  by  purchasing  a  suitable 
building,  formerly  a  church,  for  club  uses. 

When  the  demands  made  by  the  World  War  reached  the  Yakima  Chapter 
of  the  Red  Cross,  the  Woman's  Club  gave  time,  financial  aid,  and  encourage- 
ment to  the  work.  For  two  years  past,  half  of  its  meetings  have  been  given 
entirely  to  Red  Cross  work  and  from  its  ranks  several  have  been  chosen  as 
leaders  in  the  patriotic  work  demanded  by  the  times.  It  has  also  aifled  the 
patriotic  work  of  the  state  and  nation. 

MUSICAL  cr.uB 

The  Ladies'  Musical  Club,  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  women's  clubs  of 
Yakima,  was  organized  in  the  year  1898,  the  outgrowth  of  a  choral  society, 
which  had  been  meeting  under  the  direction  of  George  Vance.  The  most 
prominent  w'omen  of  the  city  were  the  charter  members,  among  whom  were 
Mrs.  Edward  Whitson,  Mrs.' Frank  Horsley,  Mrs.  H.  M.  Gilbert^,  ]\[rs.  H.  M. 
P.artlett,  Mrs.  Guy  L.  McRichards,  Mrs.  Slemmons,  Mrs.  O.  A.  Fechter,  Mrs. 
A.  B.  Dow  and  Mrs.  Verdie  Erwin. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  901 

The  club  was  organized  with  the  same  ideals,  those  for  promoting  the  best 
in  music  for  its  members  as  well  as  for  the  community,  as  it  holds  today,  in  its 
twentieth  year.  Meetings  were  held  twice  a  month,  at  first  in  the  homes,  and 
later  in  the  club  houses.  Choral  singing  has  always  held  a  prominent  place  on 
the  club  programs,  and  among  its  many  members  during  the  years,  there  have 
been  many  very  fine  soloists,  singers,  and  pianists,  the  product  of  the  world's 
finest  teachers.  As  an  organization  it  has  been  an  iniluential  and  progressive 
asset  to  the  city,  bringing  gifted  musicians  as  soloists,  and  giving  programs  of 
such  worth  as  to  attract  a  large  following. 

TWENTIETH    CENTURY   CLUB 

In  the  year  1900,  there  was  organized  in  the  city  of  Yakima  the  Twentieth 
Century  Club,  the  second  study  club  to  be  organized  in  this  growing  little  inland 
city  of  the  Northwest.  It  began  its  existence  with  a  membership  of  fourteen. 
Mrs.  Mary  Blanker  served  as  the  first  president.  The  club  grew  in  member- 
ship and  at  the  present  time  has  seventy-five  members,  with  the  husbands  as 
social  members. 

Originally  organized  for  self  culture,  it  soon  broadened  its  horizon  and 
in  1904  initiated  the  civic  movement  in  this  city,  assuming  as  its  maiden  efifort 
the  beautifying  of  the  High  School  grounds,  which  at  that  time  occupied  the 
site  of  the  present  Lincoln  Ward  School  building. 

In  all  movements  for  the  betterment  of  the  community  life,  this  club  has 
been  a  coworker,  and  its  initiative  in  forming  the  art  committee  has  brought 
lasting  results.  The  first  food  inspector.  Mrs.  Olive  Kurtz,  whose  work  has 
been  particularly   efifective,   is  a  member  of  this  club. 

In  the  Lincoln  School  building  hangs  a  reproduction  of  a  Corot  master- 
piece, and  in  the  Public  Librarv  is  a  marble  bust,  Dante's  Beatrice,  gifts  of 
this  club. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  Young  ^Woman's  Christian  Associa- 
tion and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  the  Twentieth  Century  Club 
contributed  in  a  verv  substantial  manner.  At  present  six  of  its  members  are 
active  members  of  the  governing  board  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation. 

The  Twentieth  Century  Club  is  on  the  "Founders  Roll"  of  the  State  Fed- 
eration Endowment  Fund,  having  contributed  one  hundred  dollars  to  the  fund. 

The  war,  with  its  varied  activities,  brought  a  greater  vision  of  service  to 
its  members,  as  they  did  all  phases  of  war  work  from  driving  a  motor  to  making 
four  minute  speeches.     Also,  adopted  a  war  orjihan. 

With  the  dawn  of  peace,  the  club  is  active  in  the  reconstruction  work. 


On  June  9,  1903,  twelve  women  met  and  formed  a  class  for  the  study  uf 
Parliamentary  Law  and  the  following  Seiitemlier  the  little  class  was  organ- 
ized into  a  club  to  be  called  the  Portia  Club  with  a  two-fold  object,  the  study 
of  Parliamentary  Law  and  civic  betterment.     Alembershi])  was  unlimited. 

The  Portia  Club  has  taken  its  place  with  the  other  clubs  of  the  city  in  con- 


902  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  A'ALLEY 

trilniting  to  the  various  funds  for  welfare  work,  and  has  many  achievements 
to  its  credit  of  its  own  individual  efforts.  Tree  iilanting  was  made  a  distinc- 
tive feature  and  fifty-six  shade  trees  were  planted  by  the  club  around  the  high 
school  grounds,  and  many  given  to  other  public  grounds.  The  planting  of 
trees  was  promoted  by  the  club  throughout  the  county,  and  a  member  of  this 
club  planted  a  mile  of  trees  along  the  Lincoln  Highway. 

An  annual  "clean-up-day"  was  proclaimed  by  the  mayor  of  the  city  at  the 
request  of  the  Portia  Club.  Out  of  the  civic  convention  called  by  the  club,  grew 
the  Yakima  Valley  District  Federation,  and  the  public  play  grounds  situated  on 
Seventh  Avenue  were  equipped  and  presented  to  the  city  by  the  club. 

In  the  World  War,  1917-1918,  the  Portia  Club  has  been  100  per  cent,  loyal 
in  every  call  of  the  Government,  and  has  adopted  a  war  orphan. 

Thus  the  story  of  the  Portia  Club  is  that  it  has  expanded  from  a  little  class 
for  the  study  of  Parliamentary  Law  into  a  large  club  of  far  reaching  interests. 

HOME    ECONOMICS    CLCB 

The  Home  Economics  Club  of  Yakima  was  organized  November  9,  1911, 
under  the  name  of  the  K.  K.  Club  with  eight  charter  members.  At  first  it  was 
a  Kensington  with  short  literary  jjrograms  but  in  a  few  months  the  programs 
were  changed  to  home  economics  entirely.  The  membership  was  gradually  in- 
creased until  there  were  thirty-five  and  the  meetings  were  held  at  the  domestic 
science  room  of  a  school  building  which  would  only  accommodate  that  num- 
ber. The  club  joined  the  State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  May  12,  1912. 
and  the  name  was  soon  changed  to  the  Home  Economics  Club. 

The  programs  consisted  of  papers,  discussions  and  demonstrations.  Each 
year's  program  contained  one  meeting  on  sewing  or  textiles  and  another  on 
apples.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  war,  the  apple  day  was  changed  to  include 
beans  and  potatoes  and  was  a  public  demonstration.  Also,  all  the  meetings 
were  entirely  on  war  conservation  and  were  altered  to  meet  each  new  war 
measure  or  need.  INIuch  time  has  been  devoted  to  Red  Cross  and  all  the  war 
organizations. 

One  year  the  clul>  brought  Miss  Sutherland,  our  state  leader  of  home 
demonstration  work,  for  daily  demonstrations  for  one  week.  The  meetings 
were  held  at  the  Young  ]\Ien's  Christian  Association  and  were  all  well  at- 
tended. The  club  has  always  responded  to  all  calls  for  any  help  along  its  line 
of  activity,  though  most  of  the  members  have  small  children  and  man\'  home 
duties.  Much  aid  was  given  to  the  caring  for  soldiers'  hospitals  under  the 
aus|)ices  of  the  National  League  for  Women's  Service. 

THE    COTERIE    CEUB 

The  Coterie  Club  with  a  membership  of  twenty-five,  the  smallest  federated 
club  in  ^'akima,  was  organized  February  12,  1903,  federated  April  2S.  1914. 
The  jiersonnel  of  this  club  has  changed  from  year  to  year  until  but  two  or 
three  charter  members  remain. 

The  Coterie  Club,  as  the  name  indicates,  is  "A  circle  of  familiar  friends." 
Its  object,  according  to  its  constitution,  is  "intellectual  and  social  culture." 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  903 

Its  programs  embrace  a  study  of  present  day  conditions  as  well  as  litera- 
ture past  and  present. 

As  a  club  it  always  responds  generously  and  faithfully  to  public  needs.  The 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association  scholarship  and  endowment  funds  are 
among  its  annual  benefactions.  Its  most  unic[ue  feature  has  been  for  several 
years  past,  the  "^Mothering"  of  the  AIcKinley  School,  giving  timely  gifts  to 
help  pay  for  a  phonograph,  etc.,  and  by  giving  little  annual  picnics  to  its  teachers. 

The  Coterie  Club  is  strongly  patriotic.  Its  latest  enterprise  has  been  the 
adoption  of  a  war  orphan. 

ART    COMMITTEE 

Cooperation  is  the  keynote  of  success  as  a  valuable  asset  to  the  city.  Some 
most  worthwhile  public  activities  have  been  perpetuated  through  federated  com- 
mittees, particularly  those  of  art  and  health. 

The  Art  Committee  was  formed  to  further  the  interest  of  art  in  the  city. 
The  attention  of  the  members  was  first  directed  toward  needed  civic  improve- 
ment ;  as  a  result  of  an  improvement  contest,  a  hundred  new  parking  strips 
were  planted,  and  splendid  results  toward  a  cleaner  city  came  from  offering 
prizes  for  the  best  collection  of  local  views  by  amateur  photographers,  both 
beautiful  and  unsightly  scenes,  which  prompted  the  cleaning  up  of  many  back 
yards. 

The  Committee,  by  obtaining  an  expression  from  the  various  organizations, 
brought  about  the  adoption  of  an  official  flower,  a  red  rose  (Gruss  an  Teplitz) 
was  chosen.  An  annual  "City  Beatitiful"  ball  was  given  to  finance  the  work  of 
the  Committee.  jNIany  thousand  rose  plants  were  planted  on  the  school  yards 
and  other  public  grounds.  Many  were  also  given  to  families  who  agreed  to 
grow  them,  but  could  not  afford  to  buy  them.  The  Art  Committee  for  many 
years  fostered  the  Children's  School  Gardens,  holding  an  annual  exhibit  in 
September. 

The  chairman  of  the  Art  Committee  organized  a  Rose  Society  in  1914 
with  one  hundred  members,  promoting  the  growing  of  roses,  with  an  annual 
June  Rose  Show.  The  Art  Committee  has  secured  a  number  of  collections  of 
pictures  for  exhibition  in  Yakima,  and  five  school  buildings  and  the  Public 
Library  have  each  been  presented  with  a  picture  by  a  noted  artist. 

The  ambition  of  the  Art  Committee  for  the  future  is  to  establish  and  equip 
a  public  art  gallery  and  several  hundred  dollars  worth  of  Liberty  Bonds  is  the 
nucleus  toward  the  fulfilment  of  this  aim. 

The  Federated  Health  Committee  is  credited  with  many  worthwhile  en- 
deavors in  cooperation  with  the  public  health  officials,  but  that  which  stands 
out  in  the  annals  of  club  history,  is  the  securing  of  a  woman  food  inspector, 
Mrs.  Olive  Kurtz,  who  as  the  municipal  housekeeper  brought  public  eating  places 
and  markets  to  a  state  of  cleanliness  not  excelled  by  any  citv  in  the  L'nited 
States,  according  to  the  statement  of  a  National  food  inspector. 

Y.\KIM.\  V.\LLEY  DISTRICT   FEDER.XTIOX 

A  number  of  Yakima  club  women  have  been  selected  to  fill  prominent  and 
responsible   positions  in   the   state.      :Mrs.    T.    C.    Gawler   has   the   distinction   of 


904  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

National  honor.  She  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  home  economics  depart- 
ment in  the  General  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  by  the  president,  Mrs.  Percy 
V.  Pennybacker,  in  1916. 

Mrs.  Wallis  Williams  was  elected  in  1916  as  a  member  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature, and  her  influence  for  good  has  been  felt  throughout  the  Northwest. 

Miss  Sue  Lombard,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Frank  Horsley,  was  in  1905  elected 
president  of  the  State  Federation,  and  was  in  1915  appointed  by  Governor  Lister 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  State  Normal  at  Ellensburg,  and  is 
serving  in  that  capacity  at  the  present  time. 

Mrs.  W.  W.  Robertson  and  Mrs.  A.  C.  Davis  have  each  served  a  term  of 
two  years  as  recording  secretary  in  the  State  Federation.  Mrs.  I.  H.  Dills  was 
elected  to  the  ofifice  of  corresponding  secretary  in  1905.  At  an  earlier  date  !Mrs. 
Nona  Snyder  served  as  auditor.  In  1913  Mrs.  A.  E.  Larson  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  the  State  Federation  as  first  trustee  and  had  charge  of  the 
campaign,  during  her  term  of  office,  to  raise  the  $13,000  endowment  fund  which 
was  created  at  the  time  of  her  election. 

The  late  Mrs.  Granville  Ross  Pike  made  a  lasting  name  for  herself  by  her 
loving  interest  in  our  "Feathered  Friends."  She  traveled  over  the  state  organ- 
izing "Bird  Clubs"  among  the  boys  and  girls.  Mrs.  Pike  was  for  a  number  of 
years  consenation  chairman  of  the  State  Federation  and  held  that  position  at 
the  time  of  her  demise  last  August. 

It  will  not  be  possible  to  mention  all  of  the  Y'akima  women  who  were  ap- 
pointed on  standing  committees  in  the  State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  but 
they  include  Mrs.  Olive  Kurtz  as  chairman  of  food  sanitation ;  Mrs.  Edna 
Haines  and  Mrs.  A.  J.  Splawn  in  the  historical  department ;  Mrs.  Lucy  Ellis 
on  the  press,  and  Miss  Frances  Townsen  on  the  Art  Committee.  Yakima  clul) 
women  have  entertained  the  State  Federation  twice,  in  1000  and  1917. 

The  club  spirit  permeates  the  atmosphere  of  the  entire  valley.  In  1911 
the  "Yakima  Valley  District  Federation"  was  organized,  with  Mrs.  J.  M.  Perry 
as  president :  ^Irs.  E.  B.  Williamson,  of  Prosser,  served  as  the  second  efficient 
leader  and  Mrs.  F.  M.  Hornby  of  Grandview,  was  third  president  and  at  present 
holds  that  ofifice. 

The  organization  is  composed  of  twenty-seven  clubs  covering  a  radius  of  a 
hundred  and  fifty  miles.  In  each  town  and  in  many  of  the  rural  districts  there 
are  one  or  more  women's  clubs,  varying  in  membership  from  fifteen  to  one 
hundred. 

Sunnyside  and  Prosser  each  possesses  a  Departmental  Club  of  si.xty  members. 
The  Sunnyside  "Woman's  Club"  has  the  lionnr  of  having  provided  a  state 
president,  Mrs.  R.  C.  McCredie.  who  at  the  present  time  holds  the  office  of 
director  in  the  General  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  and  was  appointed  in 
1913  by  Governor  Lister  on  the  State  Board  of  Health. 

Mrs.  O.  K.  Williamson  of  the  Prosser  "Woman's  Club"  served  two  vears 
as  vice  president  of  the  State  Federation  and  was  elected  recording  secretarv 
of  this  organization  at  the  convention  last  June.  Mrs.  Williamson  is  also  a 
member  of  the  State  Librar\-  Board,  appointed  by  Governor  Lister  in  lOln. 

Ellensburg  has  five  active  cluljs  which  have  formed  a  Citv  Federation  that 


Cgurlesy  o(  L.  V.  ilcWliorter 

MOXUMf:NT  ERECTED  BY  THE  YAKIMA  INDIANS  AND  THEIR  FRIENDS,  AT 
UNION  GAP;  WHERE  THE  TRIBESMEN  MADE  THEIR  LAST  STAND  AGAINST 
THE  GOVERNMENT  TROOPS,  NOV.  9,  1855 


t.Hirti-sy  of  L..  V.  Mc\MiCirtcr 
MONUMENT    ERECTED    BY    THK    D.    A.    R.    AT    UNION    (iAl 
THE    VICTORY    WON    THKRK    BY    THE    U.    S.    TROOPS 
NOVEMBER  9,  1855 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  905 

has  also  contributed  a  number  of  officers  to  the  State  Federation,  including  Mrs. 
H.  S.  Elwood  as  president  and  Mrs.  David  Murray,  treasurer. 

Open  conventions  of  the  Yakima  Valley  District  Federation  are  held  semi- 
annually. A  splendid  cooperative  spirit  prevails.  It  is  an  impossibility  to  reckon 
the  influence  radiating  from  these  inspirational  gatherings  as  the  club  women 
exchange  ideas,  in  the  spirit  of  love,  for  the  welfare  of  humanity,  for  the  gen- 
eral good,  and  the  common  interest  which  exists  in  this  particular  section. 

mothers'  congress 

\'aluable  organizations  other  than  the  so-called  "Women's  Clubs"  were 
formed  from  time  to  time.  In  1912  the  Mother's  Congress  was  organized  in 
Yakima,  with  Mrs.  Mary  Blanker  as  president.  This  organization  is  devoted 
to  child  welfare  and  organizing  Parent-Teachers  Associations.  Much  has  been 
accomplished  in  bringing  the  schools  and  the'  homes  in  closer  relationship  and 
raising  the  standards  of  home  life. 

Mrs.  A.  C.  \'arney  has  been  a  faithful  worker  in  this  organization,  assist- 
ing Mrs.  R.  C.  Nichols,  county  school  superintendent,  in  organizing  Parent- 
Teachers  Associations.  Mrs.  \^arney  was  elected  in  1918  president  of  the  state 
organization  of  the  Mothers'  Congress. 

D.\rGIlTKRS   OF   .\MERJCAN    REVOLUTION 

The  Xarcissa  Whitman  Chapter.  Daughters  of  The  American  Revolution, 
was  organized  in  "S'akima,  Washington,  June  19.  1909.  with  twenty-one  members. 

The  objects  of  this  chapter  are :  "To  foster  patriotism  and  to  perpetuate 
the  memory  of  those  who  achieved  American  Independence.'' 

"To  assist  in  preserving  the  records  pertaining  to  the  services  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  state  of  Washington." 

In  order  to  help  create  an  interest  in  the  study  of  United  States  history, 
the  chapter  has  each  year  given  a  prize  to  the  High  School  student  of  the 
graduating  class  who  has  attained  the  highest  average  in  this  subject. 

The  chapter  has  also  contributed  each  year  to  the  support  of  the  Martha 
Berry  School. 

One  of  the  most  important  things  the  chapter  has  done  was  to  mark,  with 
a  granite  boulder,  properly  inscribed,  the  site  of  the  last  battle  which  took  place 
between  the  Indians  and  the  whites.  This  spot  is  known  as  "Pahoticute"  or 
"Two  Battles." 

When  war  came  upon  us  the  chapter  took  a  very  prominent  part  in  war 
work,  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  C.  E.  Udell,  regent.  "Housewives"  were 
n^ade  and  furnished  to  hundreds  of  soldiers,  great  numbers  of  sweaters,  socks, 
wristlets,  helmets,  and  scarfs  were  knitted  and  given  to  the  men  in  the  service. 

Every  member  has  given  unsparingly  of  her  time  and  means  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  Red  Cross;  to  the  work  of  the  Council  of  Defen.se,  and  as  Minute 
Women. 

"America  and  Americanism"  has  become  the  slogan  of  this  chapter.  It 
can  truthfully  be  said  that  Narcissa  Whitman  Chapter,  Daughters  of  The  Ameri- 
can Revolution,  has  not  been  found  wanting  in  this  critical  hour. 


906  HISTORY  OF  YAKDIA  VALLEY 


\TIOXAL   ORDER 


Public  Educational  (  )rder,  while  not  a  club,  is  a  \voman"s  organization,  a 
sisterhood,  wherebv  the  members  are  bound  l)y  lasting  ties  to  a  work  for  gen- 
eral improvement,  for  individual  growth  in  charity,  and  for  mental  and  moral 
culture.  Springing  from  a  group  of  seven  college  girls  who  organized  them- 
selves into  the  first  Public  Educational  Order  Chapter,  Public  Educational  Order 
has  become  almost  nation  wide,  chapters  being  organized  in  almost  all  the  states 
of  the  Union. 

Public  Educational  Order's  work  is  essentially  for  women  and  for  that 
purpose  an  educational  fund  has  been  established,  and  maintained  by  the  chap- 
ters of  the  sisterhood,  to  assist  worthy  young  women  to  higher  education  with 
a  view  to  self  support.  Since  the  establishing  of  this  fund  in  1907.  up  to  1917. 
260  young  women  have  received  help  from  it. 

When  a  P.  E.  O.  finds  herself  in  a  new  town  with  a  population  of  at  least 
one  thousand,  and  no  P.  E.  O.  Chapter,  she  usually  does  not  feel  quite  at  home 
until  she  has  formed  a  chapter  in  that  town.  Such  was  the  history  of  Chapter 
P.,  of  Yakima. 

Three  P.  E.  O.'s  who  had  come  from  other  towns  gathered  around  them 
six  friends  and  in  May,  1908,  organized  Chapter  P.  The  nine  charter  members 
were:  Mrs.  Evangeline  Howick,  Mrs.  Etta  Clausen,  Mrs.  Minnie  Lucas,  ?^Irs. 
3\Iaude  W'eisberger,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Raymond,  ]\Irs.  May  Roberts,  Mrs.  Alberta 
Udell.  Mrs.  Jessamine  \'an  Amberg  and  Mrs.  Agnes  Joyce.  The  chapter  now 
numbers  fifty-one.  The  local  work,  aside  from  the  intellectual  and  social,  has 
consisted  of  work  for  the  poor,  support  of  the  local  and  national  Young  \Vomen's 
Christian  Association,  war  work,  purchasing  of  Liberty  Bonds.  Just  at  present 
the  chapter  is  uniting  with  all  the  \\'ashington  chapters  in  a  special  war  work 
assigned  to  them,  the  furnishing  of  extensive  comfort  bags  for  the  refugee 
women  of  France  and  Belgium. 


During  the  period  of  the  perilous  war  times,  the  Yakima  women  proved 
themselves  to  be  "good  soldiers."  Their  hearts  were  tested  as  never  before, 
and  individually  and  collectively  through  the  clubs  and  other  organizations  they 
responded  to  the  call  with  the  spirit  of  true  patriotism. 

Every  phase  of  Red  Cross  work  was  faithfully  pursued  ;  indeed,  the  women 
of  the  valley  are  few  in  number  who  do  not  deserve  honorable  mention  for  their 
invaluable  service.  Those  giving  untiring  efforts  as  leaders  include :  ]\Irs.  \V. 
L.  Lemon  and  Mrs.  Halsey  W^atson,  as  secretaries :  JMrs.  Jessie  Gamble  ai\d 
]\Irs.  R.  C.  Sinclair  in  charge  of  the  work-room;  Mrs.  G.  J.  Listman,  the  Jumble 
Shop,  and  ^Irs.  Ed  \'an  Brunt  at  the  head  of  the  canteen  work:  and  every  train 
was  met  by  two  or  more  members  of  her  coterie  of  splendid  women,  wdio  pre- 
sented the  soldier  boys  passing  through  with  a  basket  of  luscious  Yakima  fruit. 

Another  equally  patriotic  organization  is  the  Woman's  Committee  of  the 
Council  of  Xational  Defense.  State  Chairman  Mrs.  J.  S.  McKee  appointed 
j\Irs.  Frank  Llorsley  county  chairman  for  Yakima.  She  -resigned  on  account 
of  illness  and  Mrs.  A.  E.  Larson  was  appointed  to  take  her  place  and  organized 


HISTORY  OF  YAKI^IA  VALLEY  907 

the  -Minute  Service  Women,  to  mal<e  the  house  to  house  canvass  carrying  the 
Government  messages.  The  Minute  Women  number  three  hundred  and  fifty 
and  every  home  in  the  entire  county  is  reached  on  short  notice.  This  organiza- 
tion had  charge  of  the  woman's  work  in  all  campaigns.  In  the  Fourth  Liberty 
Loan  the  women  sold  more  than  a  half  million  dollars  worth  of  bonds. 

JMrs.  O.  K.  Williamson  of  Prosser  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  Woman's 
Committee  of  the  County  Council  of  Defense  for  Benton  County  and  Mrs.  L. 
Baker  was  appointed  for  Kittitas  County.  Each  of  the  counties  has  a  complete 
organization  of  Minute  ^^'omen.  ]\Irs.  R.  C.  McCredie  of  Sunnyside  is  the 
district  chairman,  which  covers  four  counties  including  with  the  above  men- 
tioned Klickitat  County. 

Whether  as  individuals  or  "club  women,"  since  the  arrival  of  the  first 
pioneer  settlers,  the  women  have  been  co-partners  with  the  men  in  shaping 
•the  destiny  of  the  beautiful  inland  valley  of  Yakima,  not  only  doing  in  a  spirit 
of  unselfish  love  that  which  was  at  hand  to  do,  but  reaching  out  with  a  broader 
vision  of  duty,  realizing  that  the  ideals  of  the  state  and  nation  are  in  the  hands 
of  the  mothers  of  the  land. 

THE   ni'ILDING  OF  SUNNYSIDE 

In  our  progress  down  the  \"alley  we  reach  a  town  of  somewhat  unique 
history  and  interest.  This  is  Sunnyside.  The  founder  and  chief  organizer  of 
the  activities  of  this  interesting  and  important  place  is  still  a  resident  of  it,  S. 
J.  Harrison,  and  he  has  kindly  prepared  a  short  sketch  of  the  history  of  the 
place. 

TOWN    BUILDING 

Xorthern  Illinois  began  to  be  settled  about  1850.  Eighty-acre  tracts  in 
the  heart  of  Chicago  were  then  for  sale  at  $25  to  $50  per  acre.  At  that  time 
and  for  several  years  later  "Government  land"  all  over  the  "corn  belt"  begged 
for  takers  at  $L25  per  acre.  These  lands  with  improvements  now  sell  for  .'^=200 
to  $300  per  acre.  The  wife  of  the  writer  was  a  daughter  of  one  of  these  pio- 
neers. From  these  "first  settlers"  we  received  first  hand  information  regard- 
ing the  development  of  this  then  new  country. 

One  thing  that  stood  out  prominently  in  these  early  settlements  was  the 
attention  given  to  religion.  With  the  first  colonists  was  the  preacher.  Aleet- 
ings  were  held  in  houses  and  barns  and  then  in  the  little  red  schoolhouse  for 
years  until  "meeting  houses"  were  built.  What  the  places  of  meeting  lacked 
in  comfort  and  convenience  was  more  than  made  up  in  the  warmth  of  devo- 
tion and  fellowship. 

The  value  of  lands  aside  from  the  f|uality  of  soil  and  cost  of  operating  was 
measured  definitely  by  distance  from  town. 

With  the  knowledge  of  the  rise  in  value  of  farm  lands  in  the  "corn  belt," 
the  principles  that  controlled  in  their  development,  I  began  to  investigate  the 
thinly  populated  districts  of  the  ^^'est  and  South  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  local- 
ity where  soil  and  climatic  conditions  were  good.  Several  trips  South  and 
West  were  made  in  quest  of  such  a  location.  The  result  was  the  choice  of  the 
Sunnyside  district,  Yakima  Valley,  Washington.     Sage  brush  land  with  a  water 


908  HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY 

right  was  then  ( 1898)  selHng  at  $30  per  acre  in  five  equal  annual  installments, 
six  per  cent,  annual  interest. 

In  order  to  control  the  moral  influences  of  the  community  we  decided  that 
it  would  be  necessary  to  purchase  the  townsite  of  Sunnyside. 

\\'hen  we  were  considering  the  locating  of  a  colony  we  had  no  idea  of 
town  building,  but  with  our  ears  to  the  ground  it  was  soon  evident  that  as  the 
town  went  so  the  country  would  be.  The  hotels,  banks  and  leading  business 
firms  have,  much  more  to  do  in  establishing  moral  standards  than  the  agencies 
giving  exclusive  attention  to  those  cjuestions. 

At  tlie  time  we  acquired  the  townsite  of  Sunnyside  the  state  was  univer- 
sally "wet."  The  first  and  principal  business  in  towns  of  all  sizes  was  the 
saloon  and  card  table.  This  was  most  obnoxious  to  the  class  of  people  we  were 
laboring  to  colonize.  We  therefore  decided  to  sell  no  lots  in  Sunnyside  with- 
out a  clause  in  the  conveyance  prohibiting  the  sale  and  manufacture  of  intoxi- 
cants, the  carrying  on  of  gambling,  or  prostitution :  also  another  clause  not 
allowing  owner  to  permit  his  lots  to  grow  up  to  weeds.  These  restrictions 
attracted  the  kind  of  people  we  sought  to  locate.  Although  we  had  no  railroad, 
business  developed  at  a  very  rapid  rate.  Lots  sold  at  higher  prices  than  were 
obtained  in  surrounding  "open"  towns  that  had  railroad  accommodations. 

The  religious  interests  were  taken  care  of  as  a  matter  of  business  just  as 
they  were  in  the  American  Army  in  the  Great  War  with  Germany.  When  the 
aggregate  of  church  members  did  not  exceed  125  an  organization  known  as 
the  "Federated  Church"  was  effected.  It  embraced  in  its  membership  Baptists, 
Brethren,  Christians,  Congregationalists,  Methodists  and  Presbyterians.  It  was 
agreed  in  the  organization  that  each  denomination  should  have  such  part  of 
the  Sunday  services  as  its  contribution  was  part  of  the  whole  amount  received. 
This  encouraged  all  the  members  of  each  denomination  to  be  liberal  in  their 
subscriptions.  It  was  further  agreed  that  after  five  years  any  one  of  the  de- 
nominations desiring  to  withdraw  could  do  so  b}-  submitting  a  price  which  it 
was  willing  to  give  or  take  for  the  property  and  the  others  should  within  sixty 
days  give  answer  as  to  whether  they  would  buy  or  sell,  and  seller  was  to  receive 
such  percentage  of  its  investment  as  the  price  stipulated  was  of  the  cost  of  the 
property.  After  six  years  of  harmonious  and  successful  cooperation  the  Metho- 
dists decided  to  withdraw  and  submitted  a  price  which  the  Brethren,  Congrega- 
tionalists and  Presbyterians  decided  to  accept.  The  Baptists  and  Christians  also 
decided  to  w^ithdraw  at  the  same  time.  The  Federation  of  the  Brethren.  Con- 
gregationalists and  Presbyterians  continued  three  years  longer.  The  Brethren 
and  Presbyterians  had  pastors  that  did  not  approve  of  the  Federation,  and 
obtained  sufficient  sujiport  in  their  congregations  to  decide  to  separate.  The 
Brethren  purchased  the  "Federated"  church  building  and  the  Congregationalists 
and  Presbyterians  each  built  commodious  houses. 

After  the  separation  denominational  lines  were  tightlv  drawn  and  tlie 
ri\alry  and  acrimony  associated  with  competition  took  the  place  of  the  pre- 
vious harmony  and  cooperation.  The  town  now  laments  "too  many  churches," 
too  great  a  burden  to  give  all  proper  support.  Although  there  are  now  twelve 
I'laces   of   regular   worship   it    is   very   seldom   at    the   evening   service    that    the 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  909 

original  Federated  church  would  not  accommodate  more  than  all  of  the  people 
that  attend  all  of  the  churches. 

As  a  community  influence  the  Federated  organization  was  a  controlling 
factor.  Everything  it  supported  was  put  over  successfully.  People  not  in  sym- 
pathy with  church  standards  complained  that  the  church  dominated  and  con- 
trolled everything,  which  of  course  was  true.  On  account  of  this  Sunnyside 
was  nicknamed  "The  Holy  City." 

While  religion  was  given  first  place  in  importance  to  the  town  building  it 
was  a  good  ally  in  material  ways.  Sunnyside  has  led  in  schoolhouse  building 
and  curriculum,  substantial  business  blocks,  street  and  road  fmprovemtfcit,  and 
in  irrigation  and  drainage  development. 

Stephen  J-  Harrison. 

One  of  the  best  known  among  the  early  builders  in  the  lower  Valley  has 
been  named  in  an  earlier  chapter  as  the  first  teacher  in  Prosser.  This  is  Mrs. 
Emma  Cobb  Warnecke.  Not  only  as  the  first  teacher,  but  as  one  of  the  genu- 
ine builders  of  the  early  community,  this  woman,  still  in  vigorous  health,  a 
blessing  to  her  neighbors  and  full  of  good  works,  has  kindly  prepared  a  sketch 
which  we  take  pleasure  in  introducing  here. 

OLD   TIMES    IN    THE    Y.VKIMA    VALLEY 

I  became  interested  in  the  Yakima  \'alley  in  1883,  while  living  in  Pendle- 
ton, Oregon.  Hearing  so  much  about  it,  we  decided  to  go  there  and  locate. 
I  lived  with  my  sister,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Wilgus  and  family,  at  that  time.  We  left 
Pendleton  the  7th  of  September,  by  wagon,  for  the  Yakima  Valley,  and  crossed 
the  Columbia  River  at  Wallula.  The  ferryman  told  us  a  great  many  people 
were  going  to  the  Yakima  country.  We  followed  an  old  trail  up  the  Columbia 
River,  passed  a  surveyor's  tent  near  where  Kennewick  now  stands,  and  struck 
the  Yakima  River  at  the  Rosencrantz  ranch.  We  passed  a  small  railroad  camp 
where  Kiona  was  afterward  built  and  followed  the  river  up  to  where  Prosser 
now  stands.  As  we  came  near  we  could  hear  the  noise  of  the  Falls.  Not 
having  heard  of  the  Falls  we  could  not  imagine  what  the  noise  could  be.  They 
made  a  great  deal  more  noise  then  than  they  do  now. 

We  passed  a  house  with  a  family  living  in  it.  Afterwards  we  learned  it 
was  Colonel  Prosser's  homestead  and  that  the  family  had  been  there  but  a 
few  days.  We  went  up  the  river  a  short  distance  and  camped.  As  soon  as 
we  had  camped  I  went  to  have  a  look  at  the  Falls.  Also  stopped  at  the  house 
and  met  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Prosser. 

During  the  night  our  horses  wandered  off  and  went  over  the  hill  into  Horse 
Heaven.  When  Mr.  Wilgus  came  back  from  getting  them  he  gave  such  a 
glowing  description  of  the  land  over  the  hill  that  we  decided  to  locate  there. 
We  stopped  at  James  Kinney's  homestead  just  west  on  the  river  from  Colonel 
Prosser's  and  stayed  several  days,  finding  out  what  we  could  about  the  country. 

Then  we  went  to  Yakima  to  file.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Haines  went 
with  us.  We  went  on  the  Reservation  side  of  the  river.  About  one-half  wav 
to  Yakima  City  some  squaws  had  a  lunch  counter.  The  men  took  lunch  but 
I  was  not  hungry.     We  got  into  Yakima  City  about  nine  o'clock.     In  the  morn- 


910  HISTORY  OF  YAKI^NIA  VALLEY 

ing  we  went  to  the  land  office  and  filed  on  land,  G.  W.  Wilgus  taking  land  on 
the  Yakima  River  where  he  now  lives  and  Mr.  Haines  and  myself  taking  land 
in  Horse  Heaven.  James  Kinney  claimed  the  honor  of  naming  it  Horse  Heaven. 
Michael  Ward  and  his  daughter,  Agnes,  now  Mrs.  Pengruber,  filed  on 
land  near  here  during  the  Summer  but  did  not  come  here  to  live  until  late  in 
the  Fall.  A  mail  route  was  started  between  Yakima  City  and  Ainsworth  aliout 
three  weeks  before  we  came  into  the  valley. 

RETURN   TO  TENDLETOX 

In  October  I  went  back  to  Pendleton,  having  a  three  months  school  to 
teach  near  there.  I  paid  $5.00  to  ride  on  the  stage  from  Prosser  to  Ainsworth. 
Said  stage  was  a  big  lumber  wagon  with  sideboards.  Myself  and  grip  and  a 
very  thin  mail  sack  was  all  the  passengers  and  baggage  he  carried. 

I  came  back  to  Yakima  Falls  the  last  of  January,  1884,  and  there  I  found 
a  big  change  all  along  the  valley ;  but  the  greatest  improvement  was  at  Yakima 
Falls.  It  looked  like  quite  a  town  in  comparison  to  what  it  was  when  I  left 
three  months  before.  One  lone  house  stood  there  then.  Now  there  were  stores, 
saloons,  a  restaurant,  and  a  hotel  being  Iniilt,  besirles  several  dwelling  houses 
and  numerous  tents. 

j\lr.  Carpenter  had  built  a  boat  on  the  river,  and  was  boatman  for  all  who 
wished  to  cross  the  Yakima  at  this  place.  When  my  brother-in-law  moved  upon 
his  homestead,  he  fastened  three  railroad  ties  together  and  ferried  his  family 
and  household  goods  across.  When  they  took  teams  or  stock  across  they  went 
up  the  river  to  Rocky  Ford  and  crossed  over. 

James  Kinney  tried  to  start  a  town  on  his  homestead.  A  few  resident 
buildings  were  put  up.  a  saloon  or  two  and  a  store  building,  but  the  store  was 
never  opened.     Most  of  the  buildings  were  put  up  near  Colonel  Prosser's  home. 

In  March  a  meeting  was  called  to  xote  on  the  location  of  a  schoolhouse. 
There  was  some  rivalry  between  the  two  settlements  as  to  where  the  school 
election  was  to  be  held,  but  as  Kinney ville  {as  they  called  it)  had  a  vacant 
house,  it  was  decided  to  hold  it  there:  The  location  selected  was  near  where 
the  Riverview  schoolhouse  now  stands.  Our  school  precinct  was  first  called 
"Lone  Tree,"  afterward  changed  to  No.  16. 

L'ntil  now  we  had  no  mail  service,  only  as  the  mail  carrier  brought  it  from 
Yakima  City.  He  charged  ten  cents  per  letter.  Few  papers  were  brought  in. 
r)ur  postoffice  was  Prosser  (the  name  sent  in  was  Prosser  Falls)  and  Mrs. 
Prosser  was  the  fir-^t  postmistress,  dilbert  Chamberlain  was  deputy  postmaster 
and  ran  the  postofifice. 

Work  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  was  being  pushed  along  at  a  lively 
rate,  and  people  began  settling,  or  more  correctly,  squatting  in  Prosser.  No 
town  had  been  sun'eyed  or  platted  yet. 

A  FERRY  BO.^T 

In  April  Nelson  Rich  put  in  a  ferry  boat  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
]niljlic.  About  this  time  Henry  Creason,  a  blacksmith,  moved  into  Prosser  and 
put  up  a  blacksmith  shop.      It  burned  down   in  tlie   b'all  InU   he  rel)uilt   immcdi- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKDIA  VALLEY  911 

ately.     A   feed  yard  and  corral  were  put  up  about  this  time  by  H.  Jenks  and 
C.  Hooper. 

In  Alay  i\Irs.  Nelson  Rich  asked  me  to  start  a  private  school.  She  would 
furnish  the  room  and  all  necessar\'  furniture.  But  before  we  had  thint;s  ar- 
ranged to  our  mutual  satisfaction  word  was  received  informing  us  that  if  a 
schoolhouse  was  built  public  school  money  would  pay  the  teacher.  The  com- 
munity decided  to  build  a  schoolhouse.  Deciding  and  doing  have  the  same 
meaning  when  women  like  Mrs.  Rich  and  Mrs.  Prosser  are  the  leaders.  The 
lumber  had  to  be  hauled  thirty-five  miles  from  the  Bickleton  sawmills,  and  not 
very  good  roads.  But  men  and  teams  were  found  who  donated  the  hauling. 
Carpenter  work  was  mostly  donated  too.  Some  money  was  collected  but  most 
of  the  funds  came  from  a  dance  the  ladies  gave,  the  first  entertainment  ever 
given  in  Prosser.  In  June  the  schoolhouse  was  completed  and  a  three  month 
school  started  with  Miss  Emma  Cobb  (Mrs.  Warnecke)  as  teacher.  Nelson  Rich 
was  the  first  school  director.  There  were  twenty  pupils  enrolled  during  the  term. 
About  one-half  were  transient,  some  coming  but  a  few  days. 

Prosser  celebrated  on  July  4,  1884.  A  good  sized  crowd  from  the  railroad 
camps  attended.  A  platform  for  dancing  was  erected  and  all  seemed  to  have 
a  good  time. 

In  August  I  went  to  Yakima  City  to  attend  the  teachers'  examination  and 
while  there  was  married  to  Fred  Warneke,  a  rancher  in  Horse  Heaven. 

The  railroad  was  completed  to  Prosser  in  the  Fall.  The  depot  was  built 
and  an  agent  sent  here.  The  first  agent  was  Mr.  French.  Late  in  the  Fall 
Colonel  Prosser  had  his  homestead  laid  out  in  town  lots  and  people  began  to 
build  near  the  depot.     Prosser  was  now  a  real  town. 

In  the  Fall  I  was  hired  by  Mr.  Chamberlin,  one  of  the  directors,  to  teach 
a  five  months  term  of  school  beginning  the  first  of  November.  About  the  20th 
of  December  we  had  a  very  heavy  fall  of  snow,  fifteen  inches  on  the  level 
prairie  after  it  had  settled.  The  first  death  occurred  just  after  the  holidays. 
A  section  man  on  the  railroad  was  found  dead  in  his  bed  one  nioming. 

About  this  time  a  small  tract  of  land  south  of  Colonel  Prosser's  townsite, 
was  proved  upon  and  sold  to  a  number  of  local  men  who  platted  it  out  in  town 
lots.     It  was  called  Rich's  Addition  to  Prosser, 

The  first  county  commissioner  from  Prosser  was  Ira  Van  Antwerp.  In 
the  Spring  of  1885  all  the  buildings  except  Colonel  Prosser's  home,  were  moved 
into  town,  and  Prosser  took  her  proper  place  on  the  map. 

Old  times  in  Prosser,  these  words  recall  to  my  mind  memories  of  old 
friends  and  associates  long  forgotten.  Few  are  left  to  remind  one  of  old  days. 
Some  have  drifted  away  and  have  been  forgotten,  others  come  hack  now  and 
then  and  are  seen  on  the  streets,  looking  as  familiar  as  of  old.  But  the  greater 
part  have  taken  the  trail  to  the  Great  Beyond,  the  trail  we  all  must  take. 

Mrs.  Emma   Corr  \A'arxekk,  Prosser,  Washington,  R.   No.   1. 

Each  location  has  its  peculiar  interest  or  charm.  We  have  spoken  in  the 
chapter  preceding  this  of  some  of  the  distinctive  features  of  Kennewick.  As 
this  place  appeared  in  its  wildness  of  thirty-five  years  ago  is  vividly  told  for 
us  in  the  next  selection,  by  Mrs.  Daisy  Beach  Emigh,  the  "first  girl  in  Kennc- 


912  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

wick."  now  residing  in  Spokane.     Rare  literary  ability  enables   Mrs.  Emigh  to 
impart  a  peculiar  charm  to  what  had  indeed  a  frontier  charm  in  the  old  days. 

RECOLLECTIONS    OF    KENNEWICK 

Having  spent  my  first  years  in  the  two  largest  cities  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
of  that  time,  San  Francisco  and  Portland,  the  announcement  of  my  mother  one 
Spring  morning  in  1882,  that  we  would  go  to  Ainsworth  for  a  time,  was  re- 
ceived with  great  joy. 

Father  was  a  millwright  by  trade,  and  had  gone  to  work  in  a  saw  mill  that 
was  being  built  on  the  Columbia  River  near,  or  rather  in  the  town  of  Ains- 
worth. Looking  over  the  deserted  site  of  this  pioneer  railroad  town  recently, 
it  was  difficult  to  realize  that  once  it  was  the  scene  of  so  much  activity ;  that 
once  it  was  the  important  town. — the  only  town  of  a  large  section  of  eastern 
Washington. 

Father  had  built  a  little  house  near  the  mill  and  near  the  river — too  near 
the  river,  for  high  water  occupied  it  before  we  did.  However,  we  moved  in 
in  the  early  Summer,  expecting  to  return  to  Portland  in  a  few  months — the 
change  being  in  the  nature  of  an  outing. 

The  great  Columbia  was  our  chief  source  of  pleasure,  and  while  we  chil- 
dren boated,  fished  and  waded  daily,  our  big  times  were  the  days  when  father 
was  free  to  take  us  in  a  row  boat,  on  a  picnic.  One  of  our  first  boat  rides  was 
to  the  site  of  Kennewick,  the  party  consisting  only  of  our  family,  laden  with 
the  all-important  lunch  basket  and  off  for  a  good  time. 

Starting  from  hotne  early  one  morning,  we  rode  up  the  river  past  the  P>ig 
Island  where  there  was  a  really  truly  Indian  village.  Here,  later,  occurred  the 
big  wedding  and  dance  of  the  chiefs  daughter.  We  were  among  those  invited 
to  the  dance  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  sight  nor  the  sounds  perceived  while 
standing  at  the  end  of  a  long  tent  near  those  noisy  musical   (  ?)   instruments. 

The  Big  Island  was  beautiful  with  wild  begonias,  as  well  as  alluring  with 
its  Indians  on  that  Summer  morning,  but  only  a  brief  stop  was  made.  Across 
the  river  and  on  up  the  stream  we  went  till  we  came  to  one  of  the  very  few 
clumps  of  willow  and  cottonwoods  to  be  found  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  for 
the  "Old  Oregon"  is  a  barren  banked  stream  in  this  section,  in  keeping  with 
its  desert  environment. 

Here  at  the  willows,  we  landed,  ate  our  lunch  and  then  explored  farther 
on.  Just  above,  where  the  dock  now  stands,  was  such  a  prettv  green  place,  so 
rare  in  those  day.s — not  green  grass  but  a  weed,  somewhat  like  alfalfa.  Then 
we  came  to  what  we  always  called  the  Little  Island  covered  with  wild  rose  and 
currant  bushes.  This  little  island  was  the  scene  of  many  of  our  good  times 
and  picnics  of  the  early  days.  Extreme  high  water  has  so  changed  it  that  its 
original  attractiveness  is  not  appreciable.  As  we  walked  back  from  the  river 
what  a  different  sight  met  our  gaze  than  one  beholds  today! 

SAGEBRUSH    EVERYWHERE 

We  saw  the  desert  primeval. — not  yet  touched  bv  the  hand  of  man.  Acres 
and  acres,  miles  and  miles!     Such  a  wide,  wide  horizon,  broken  bv  the  rather 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  913 

level  hill  on  the  south,  Rattlesnake  in  the  west  and  a  faint  outline  of  the  Blue 
^fountains  in  the  east.  The  gray  lines  of  the  sagebrush  were  everywhere.  And 
such  a  stillness  over  all !  A  stillness  broken  only  by  the  chirp  of  the  cricket, 
and  the  beautiful  but  brief  song  of  the  meadow  lark,  and  in  the  evening  by  the 
lonely  hoot  of  the  owl  and  the  howl  of  the  coyote. 

The  vastness  especially  impressed  us  children,  accustomed  only  to  the  town 
with  its  buildings  close  together,  and  its  narrowed  horizon  further  emphasized 
by  trees  bordering  the  streets. 

But  even  more  than  the  broad  expanse,  did  the  freedom  appeal  to  us.  While 
it  was  really  only  a  desert,  to  us  children  it  was  one  vast  playground — the  wind- 
blown sand  surpassing  any  sand-box,  wonderful  wild  flowers  in  abundance  that 
we  might  gather  and  arrange  as  we  pleased,  wild  rabbits  to  chase  and  above 
all  the  delights  of  the  river. 

On  later  picnics,  we  visited  Doc.  Livingston,  whom  we  first  met  at  the 
mill  where  he,  too,  worked.  Perhaps  he  was  one  who  preferred  to  live  apart. 
Howbeit,  he  built  a  little  house  here,  the  first  in  Kennewick  and  took  up  his 
lonely  abode.  Here  he  dispensed  hospitality,  or  sold  of  his  food  supply  to  the 
cowboy  or  occasional  passerby.  Even  at  that  early  date,  a  few  stockmen  were 
living  farther  up  the  river  and  drove  down  along  its  banks  to  the  ferry  and 
Ains worth.  Well  do  I  remember  the  generous  slices  of  bread,  thickly  spread 
with  the  coarsest  of  brown  sugar  and  moistened  with  water,  with  which  Doc 
treated  us  children.     Such  were  my  first  visits  to  Kennewick. 

Summer  waned ;  Winter  came  and  our  outing  had  changed  to  a  permanent 
stay.  Father  was  working  on  the  Snake  River  bridge  but  we  continued  to  live 
near  the  mill. 

PREEMPT  A   CLAIM 

The  next  Summer,  we  resumed  our  picnics  and  one  day  father  said  he 
coitld  get  the  pretty  green  place  and  the  willows  by  filing  a  preemption  claim. 
Somehow  it  seemed  a  good  thing  to  do,  so  he  made  the  filing  (1883)  which 
was  later  changed  to  a  homestead.  But  when  the  surveys  were  made,  we 
learned,  much  to  our  disappointment  that  the  line  was  farther  south,  cutting 
ofif  the  green  picnic  grounds  entirely  but  passing  close  to  the  willows. 

That  Fall,  father  built  the  first  part  of  the  new  home  and  the  rest  of  the 
family  made  a  long  deferred  visit  to  mother's  people  in  Chicago,  going  on  one 
of  the  first  through  trains  over  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 

The  coming  of  the  railroad  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  pioneer.  It 
was  supposed  to  make  towns,  sometimes  cities  as  the  track  was  laid.  In  the 
Winter  of  '83-'84  work  was  started  on  what  was  then  termed  the  Cascade 
branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific.  By  Spring,  a  well  had  been  dug,  tank  built, 
inclines  started  and  the  track  laid  as  far  as  Kiona.  On  the  green  picnic  grounds, 
a  hustling  railroad  camp  was  established. 

One  May  day  in  '84,  with  our  household  goods,  we  made  the  trip  from 
our  home  near  the  mill  to  the  new  home,  the  first  in  Kennewick.  We  went  on 
the  ferry — The  Rattler  by  name  and  by  nature.  It  was  not  a  very  dependable 
craft,  for  it  sometimes,  yea  often,  decided  in  the  middle  of  the  river  to  stop 
work  and  float  a  bit  instead  of  following  the  simple  path  of  duty.  But  it  hauled 
the  lumber  for  our  modest  home  and  then  took  us  to  it  without  accident 

(58)  .     : 


914  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Our  home  was  near  the  north  line  of  the  land  but  was  not  as  near  the 
river  as  we  wished  it  were.  However,  it  was  near  enough  so  we  could  spend 
a  good  part  of  the  time  there,  and  I  could  often  visit  the  contractor's  young 
daughter  who  was  at  the  camp.  She  and  I  had  much  pleasure  in  helping  our- 
selves bountifully  from  the  immense  pickle  barrel  though  it  required  a  long 
reach  on  my  part  at  least. 

i\Iore  than  average  ability  and  skill  was  necessary  in  those  days,  to  make 
a  little  house  into  a  home,  but  our  mother  proved  equal  to  the  life  and  work  of 
the  pioneer.  No  telephone  for  her  to  use  in  ordering  the  day's  supplies,  not 
even  a  grocery  or  butcher  shop  at  first  and  the  mail  order  catalogues  were  only 
in  their  infancy.  She  had  to  get  things  in  quantity  when  and  where  she  could, 
and  much, — so  very  much  depended  on  her  own  two  capable  hands.  Trains 
were  not  running  till  late  in  '84  and  ever}'thing,  including  mail,  was  brought 
from  Ainsworth  by  boat  or  ferried  across  the  river  and  hauled  on  wagons  over 
sandy  roads.  That  year,  '84,  the  track  reached  the  site  of  Yakima,  and  our 
camp  was  replaced  by  a  little  railroad  town,  now  large  enough  to  name.  It 
was  desired  to  name  it  after  Chenoweth,  an  early  trapper,  but  as  pronounced 
by  the  Indians  it  sounded  like  Kennewick,  and  Kennewick  the  town  was  named. 
A  postoffice  was  started,  the  school  district  organized  with  fifty-four  children, 
and  both  have  been  continued  throughout  the  entire  interval. 


The  first  building  for  business  purposes  was  erected  by  Joseph  Dimond, 
who  had  a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  It  was  quickly  followed  by  hotel, 
restaurant,  saloon,  grocer)-,  etc..  till  we  had  a  typical  main  street  of  the  western 
town  in  its  first  stages.  A  number  of  railroad  men  made  this  their  home,  for 
it  was  practically  the  end  of  the  division.  Trains  were  transferred  on  the  boat 
Frederick  Billings  and  many  a  happy  time  did  we  have  on  it  with  genial  Cap- 
tain Gray  and  his  family. 

Besides  the  station  and  tank,  the  railroad  company  had  a  round  house,  turn 
table,  coal  bunkers  and  stock  yards  all  between  the  Northern  Pacific  track  of 
today  and  the  river. 

The  stockyards  were  another  source  of  interest  to  us  children.  Here  were 
gathered  in  Spring  and  in  Fall,  herds  of  cattle  and  of  horses.  Not  only  did 
we  like  to  watch  the  cowboys,  even  as  children  now  enjoy  them  at  our  fairs 
and  movies,  but  sometimes  we  were  happy  recipients  of  a  colt  or  a  calf,  too 
weak  or  young  to  be  taken  farther.  He  was  prized  not  only  as  a  pet  but  also 
for  his  future  worth  or  service  whicli,  in  our  case  was  never  realized,  for  not 
one  outgrew  either  his  weakness  or  his  youth  :  they  were  fed  not  wisely,  but 
too  well. 

Our  school  was  the  typical  school  of  the  pioneer — home-made  desks  and 
benches  where  several  sat  together,  equipment  of  the  rudest,  though  for  the 
most  part  lacking  entirely.  The  building,  which  was  on  our  land,  was  provided 
by  donations  of  both  material  and  labor.  We  always  had  a  competent  instruc- 
tor. Our  first  teacher  was  ]\Irs.  Haak  from  Portland.  T.  B.  Thompson,  a 
graduate  of  a  New  York  state  nortnal,  who  was  in  the  West   for  his  healtli, 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  915 

taught  us  two  or  three  terms.  He  was  followed  by  Miss  Josie  Miller,  a  grad- 
uate of  the  San  Jose  Normal.  Our  terms  were  short  but  we  must  have  done 
good  work  for  on  entering  graded  schools,  we  were  not  behind  those  of  the 
same  age.     We  had  a  joy  in  our  school  life  not  always  apparent  today. 

Religious  services  were  few  and  far  between.  Neither  minister,  doctor 
nor  lawyer  dwelt  in  our  midst.  We  sometimes  had  Sunday  school  but  it  was 
hard  to  find  workers  and  I  remember  at  least  one  occasion  when  the  benedic- 
tion was  pronounced  by  a  small  girl. 

Sickness  and  sorrow  were  indeed  hard  to  bear  under  those  conditions,  yet 
at  such  times,  families  were  exceedingly  helpful  to  and  sympathetic  with  each 
other.  The  home  missionary  was  here,  it  is  true,  but  the  field  was  so  large, 
travel  so  slow  and  settlements  so  far  apart,  he  was  a  long  time  reaching  us — 
but  he  came.  The  ^lethodist  and  Congregational  denominations  were  the  first 
to  efifect  any  permanent  organization.  Most  of  our  early  settlers  remember 
the  first  visits  of  Dr.  Samuel  Greene  in  the  late  '80's.  In  his  twenty-three  years' 
service  as  state  superintendent  of  Congregational  Sunday  Schools,  he  did  much 
for  our  state  and  especially  for  the  work  in  Kennewick. 

This  first  Kennewick,  the  little  railroad  town,  lasted  only  till  the  bridge 
was  completed  ('87  I  believe)  then  Pasco  became  the  division  point.  Most  of 
the  people  moved  to  other  new  towns,  some  taking  their  buildings  with  them. 
Only  a  few  remained.  When  we  had  lived  five  years  on  the  homestead  we,  too, 
moved,  going  to  Seattle  and  later  to  Ellensburg,  where  we  remained  till  1892. 

It  seemed  as  if  Kennewick  had  had  its  day  and  also  that  a  railroad,  by 
itself,  does  not  make  a  city  or  even  a  town. 

MEADOW    L.\RK',S    SONG    LINGERS 

Those  old  days  have  a  charm  of  their  own,  perhaps  because  they  are  the 
days  of  my  childhood.  The  adult  mind  might  dwell  on  their  lonesomeness,  the 
barrenness,  the  awful  stillness  broken  by  the  hoot  owl  and  the  coyote,  but  the 
child-mind  remembers  the  meadow  lark's  song,  the  wild  flowers,  the  sports  of 
the  river — swimming,  boating  and  fishing  in  Summer;  ice  cutting  and  skating 
in  Winter.  Most  of  the  men  working  on  the  transfer  boat  were  fine  skaters, 
and  the  children  who  could  not  skate  found  keen  delight  in  being  pushed  over 
the  ice  in  chairs  by  them.  A  roaring  fire  of  driftwood,  on  the  bank,  gave  w^irmth 
and  light.  Surely,  those  were  delightful  Winter  evenings.  At  first  the  rail- 
road company  cut  ice  here  and  stored  it  elsewhere.  Most  of  the  settlers  also 
put  up  ice,  so  we  could  have  it  for  the  hot  Summer  months.  Even  the  sage- 
brush was  made  to  give  us  pleasure  for  many  a  big  bonfire  did  we  have,  usually 
in  the  evening.  Those  days  were  not  gray  days  for  the  children  and  it  may  be 
that  the  desert  developed  their  resourcefulness  more  than  the  town  would. 

If  anyone  thought  of  this  vast  area  as  an  agricultural  section,  he  was  very 
quiet  about  it  and  it  is  doubtful  if  the  most  imaginative  of  our  earliest  settlers 
could  have  pictured  Kennewick  as  it  is  today.  Near  our  house,  we  planted 
shade  trees  and  apple  trees  (which  we  children  were  hired  to  water  with  pails) 
and  each  succeeding  Spring  we  planted  garden.  With  squirrels  and  rabbits  so 
numerous,  the  harvest  was  small.  Only  one  of  the  shade  trees  is  now  alive 
to  mark  the  spot. 


916  HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY 

Xot  until  1892  did  irrigation  become  the  principal  theme  of  conversation. 
That  year,  the  Yakima  Irrigating  and  Improvement  Company,  which  was  made 
up  of  New  York  men  and  capital,  turned  water  on  our  desert  and  we  began  to 
dream  of  a  future  for  the  almost  deserted  town.  Again  it  took  on  new  life 
and  began  to  thrive.  This  time  the  people  came  to  build  homes  and  develop 
the  country.  The  townsite  was  platted  and  was  farther  l.iack  from  the  river 
than  the  first  town.  Besides  the  usual  general  merchandise  store,  hotels,  drug- 
store, saloon,  etc.,  we  boasted  a  weekly  newspaper  ("The  Columbian"),  a  new 
schoolhouse,  and  a  church  organization  with  a  resident  pastor.  But  the  financial 
conditions  of  '94  compelled  a  withdrawal  of  Eastern  money,  the  formation  of 
an  irrigation  district  and  finally  a  return  to  former  conditions.  By  1899  the 
town  was  again  all  but  deserted,  but  it  had  been  demonstrated  that  we  had 
wonderful  resources  for  agricultural  production.  No  longer  was  our  country 
only  a  desert  fit  for  the  wild  beasts  and  birds ;  no  longer  was  it  to  be  considered 
a  barren  waste.  Only  man's  ingenuity  and  energy  were  necessary  to  make  it 
"a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey."  Never  again  would  the  desert  be  con- 
tent till  it  had  its  chance.  So,  while  the  town  was  almost  depopulated,  hope 
was  left. 

In  1902,  the  Northern  Pacific  Irrigation  Company  bought  the  ditch  and 
Kennewick  for  the  third  time  made  a  start.  So  wonderful  has  been  its  growth, 
and  so  fine  and  abundant  are  its  products  that  it  is  the  pride  of  that  section  of 
the  state.  This  is  not  a  temporary  growth,  neither  is  it  an  experiment.  Its 
future  is  an  assured  fact  for  it  is  builded  on  the  resources  of  a  wonderfully 
productive  country. 

Standing  on  the  old  picnic  grounds  looking  south,  the  view  is  changed 
indeed.  No  longer  the  pristine  desert  meets  our  gaze.  Instead,  we  behold  a 
modern  town  with  its  network  of  wires,  power  station,  its  three  railroads,  ware- 
houses, mill,  a  live  business  street,  homes  shaded  by  beautiful  trees  and  sur- 
rounded by  lawms  and  flowers,  church  spires  and  large  brick  schools,  orchards 
and  green  fields  almost  continuous  to  the  farthest  hill.  Truly,  the  desert  has 
been  made  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose. 

August  6,  1918.  Daisy  Be.\cit  Emigh. 

One  of  the  best  known  and  most  enthusiastic  of  students  of  Indian  life  is 
L.  V.  McWhorter,  of  Yakima.  He  is  one  of  our  Advisory  Board,  and  he  has 
provided  for  the  work  a  valuable  sketch  of  certain  Indians. 

TWO    NOTED    CONTEMrOR.\RY    Y.\KIM.\    CHIEFS 

(Contributed  by  Lucullus  \'irgil  ]McWhorter.) 

(Jf  the  several  prominent  later  day  Yakimas,  none  stood  more  eminent  than 
did  IVc-yal-Iup  IVa-ya-cika.  and  Sliiskin  JVe-oiv-ikt.  These  men,  although  rep- 
resenting two  distinctive  elements  in  the  domestic  and  political  life  of  the 
Indian — the  progressive  and  the  non-progressive — were  the  embodiment  of 
honest  integrity  and  fair  dealing.  .Associated  in  tribal  affairs,  they  did  not 
always  work  in  harmony,  but  it  is  best  that  the  narrative  of  each  be  given 
separately. 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY  917 

Weyallup  Wayacika,  who  died  December  17,  1915,  was  born  in  the  Selali, 
of  lowly  parentage,  poor  and  obscure.  The  year  of  his  birth  is  uncertain,  but 
he  was  a  lad  of  understanding  when  the  Yakima  war  of  1855-56  broke  out.  It 
was  at  the  village  at  the  Selah  Gap  where  he  saw  Chief  Moses  and  Qualchen 
mounted  on  a  single  horse,  after  the  Indian  custom,  ride  about  the  tepees 
announcing  to  the  tribesmen  the  advent  of  hostilities  and  urging  the  young  men 
to  take  the  warpath  against  the  invaders.  He  saw  the  termination  of  this  war, 
the  defeat  of  the  Yakimas  and  the  establishment  of  peace.  Of  an  observing 
mind,  young  WeyaUup  early  learned  the  futility  of  contending  against  the  w'hite 
man;  saw  that  the  only  salvation  of  the  Yakimas  was  a  change  of  life  fitting 
the  new  conditions  thrust  upon  them. 

Before  maturity,  Weyallup  found  himself  without  a  home  and  was  taken 
into  the  teepee  of  Ne-sou-tus  and  Ti-sun-ya,  whose  daughter,  Yah-pah-mox,  was 
the  recognized  belle  of  her  tribe.  Weyallup  soon  won  the  heart  of  this  really 
handsome  girl,  gave  his  only  horse  to  the  parents  and  went  away  with  her  in 
marriage.  Before  tiiat  time,  according  to  his  own  narrative  to  me,  Weyallup 
was  wild,  "having  learned  this  evil  from  the  white  people,"  but  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  gentle  Yahpahmox,  he  settled  down  to  work  and  rapidly  accumu- 
lated a  competency  and  lived  in  comfort.  Indian  like,  he  loved  a  good  horse 
and  even  up  to  his  death  kept  a  few  splendid  racers. 

As  time  rolled  by,  Weyallup's  superior  intelligence  and  force  of  character 
asserted  sway  among  his  people  and  won  for  him  the  highest  honors.  For 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Tribal  Court,  a  part  of  the  time  President,  or 
Chief  of  that  body.  With  Captain  Eneas  he  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  Na- 
tional Capitol,  and  was  the  recognized  chief  of  the  Ahtanum  clan  of  the  Yakimas. 
As  an  orator,  he  stood  pre-eminently  above  any  of  his  tribesmen,  and  although 
uneducated  and  witli  but  a  slight  knowledge  of  the  English  language,  his 
strength  was  felt  in  the  last  hard  fought  battle  for  the  preservation  of  the  tribal 
w^ater  rights.  His  logic  is  in  evidence  in  the  archives  of  the  Indian  Office  in 
many  ways.  The  "Memorial  of  the  Yakima  Tribe  of  Indians,"  published  in 
pamphlet  form  by  order  of  Congress,  1913.  is  striking.  The  petition  therein, 
signed  by  the  chief  and  his  colleague,  Louis  ^lann,  the  watch  dogs  of  their 
tribe,  has  been  quoted  in  some  of  the  leading  magazines  as  a  "wonderful  Indian 
production."  To  this  petition  has  been  ascribed  the  final  overthrow  of  the 
powerful  and  well  organized  attempt  to  wrest  from  the  Yakima  their  water 
rights  to  the  value  of  undetermined  millions.  It  was  these  two  men  who  held 
the  Ahtanums  aloof  from  the  graft-fostered  and  pernicious  "Brotherhood  of 
North  American  Indians,"  so  mysteriously  launched  during  the  hottest  of  the 
fight  in  behalf  of  justice  for  the  tribe. 

Although  the  hand  of  Chief  Weyallup  Wayacika  was  never  against  the 
white  man,  his  friendship  was  often  requited  by  uncharitable  acts  by  the  "higher" 
race.  The  confirmation  of  the  theft  of  the  Reservation  waters  on  the  Ahtanum 
by  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  Garfield,  to  the  tune  of  "Potlatch  nika  hiyu  chuck" 
(give  me  plenty  water),  improvised  and  sung  for  his  election  by  a  chosen  choir 
at  an  Ahtanum  picnic,  is  a  substance  of  record,  and  the  taking  over  of  the 
Indian  Canal,  built  by  Chief  Weyallup  and  his  "boys"  under  the  supervision 
of  Agent  Erwin,  and  for  which  they  received  not  a  dollar's  pay,  has  never  been 


918  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

righted.  The  history  of  tliis  crime  is  set  forth  in  the  chief's  own  language  at  the 
end  of  this  sketch.  But  perhaps  the  most  pitiful  and  unprovoked  wrong  suii'ered 
by  the  old  chief  was  the  destruction  of  his  fishtraps  in  the  Tieton  River.  For 
the  of¥ense  of  an  unknown  Indian  giving  a  white  woman  a  drink  of  whiskey, 
the  Sherifif  destroyed  the  traps  of  the  chief  and  ordered  him  to  refrain  from 
ever  fishing  there  again  on  pain  of  being  arrested  and  jailed.  This  terminated 
for  all  time  his  fishing  at  that  place,  recognized  as  his  right  under  the  treaty  of 
1855.  As  a  fact  the  chief  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  whiskey-white  woman 
episode. 

During  the  alarm  caused  by  the  Peyute  war  in  1878,  to  which  the  unfor- 
tunate Perkins  tragedy  in  the  Rattlesnake  Mountain  can  be  traced,  Weyallup 
continued  on  the  most  friendly  terms  with  the  settlers,  mingling  with  them  and 
joking  freely  as  was  his  wont.  He  was  at  Yakima  City  for  three  or  four  days 
during  the  panic,  watching  the  whites  build  the  "Fort"  at  that  place.  There 
were  hot  heads  among  the  men  and  it  was  proposed  that  they  hang  Weyallup, 
but  cooler  judgment  prevailed  and  perhaps  the  friendly  Indian  never  knew  how 
near  he  came  to  stretching  hemp.  i\Ir.  W.  Z.  York,  then  Deputy  SheriiT,  told 
me  of  this  affair.  He  regarded  the  chief  as  a  good  man  and  with  no  hostile 
intentions  towards  the  whites.  Athletic  in  his  younger  days,  the  chief  was  a 
noted  wrestler  and  once  engaged  in  a  wrestling  bout  with  a  white  champion  at 
Yakima  City,  when  a  bystander  unprovokedly  struck  the  Indian  over  the  head 
with  a  piece  of  timber,  for  the  time  rendering  him  hors  du  combat.  Weyallup 
never  forgave  this  flagrant  wrong  as  long  as  he  lived. 

On  page  163.  "History  of  Klickitat,  Yakima  and  Kittitas  Counties,  Wash- 
ington," is  to  be  found  an  account  of  the  arrest  and  gun  intimidation  of  Weyallup 
during  the  alarm  in  question,  because  of  his  alleged  threat  to  a  man  who  was 
harvesting  his  wheat  on  the  Naches  that,  "the  Indians  will  attend  to  that  for 
you."  Seemingly  this  is  all  a  fanciful  fabrication.  There  was  an  incident  not 
unlike  it  which  happened  on  the  Ahtanum  at  that  time.  The  settlers  were  con- 
structing a  fort  built  of  "mud  and  logs"  on  the  Dickerson  ranch,  and  Weyallup 
riding  liy  called  out  to  the  workers:  "Make  the  walls  strong  for  the  bull  has 
long  horns  and  will  tear  it  down."  For  this,  the  old  Indians  tell  me,  the  chief 
was  "arrested  and  fined  one  horse  wofth  $40."  AMiether  this  was  through 
legal  channels  I  do  not  know.  The  "fine"  may  have  been  imposed  and  col- 
lected by  a  private  or  self  constituted  tribunal,  as  was  often  the  case  on  the 
border,  and  an  Indian  the  victim.  The  chief  was  only  jesting,  for  which  he 
was  ever  noted. 

In  the  work  quoted,  page  357.  is  an  account  of  the  headless  trunk  of 
"Tisanawa,"  a  "witch  doctor,"  found  in  the  tepee  of  Weyallup  on  the  Ahtanum 
in  September,  1903.  It  might  be  infered  that  the  chief  had  a  hand  in  the  mur- 
der of  this  woman,  his  mother-in-law,  Tisunya,  but  such  could  not  have  been 
the  case.  He  was  at  the  time  with  his  wife  in  the  mountains  gathering  huckle- 
berries. The  Indian  who  is  supposed  to  have  done  the  deed  is  still  living.  The 
body  was  found  after  hogs  had  devoured  the  head  and  was  carried  to  the  tepee 
where  it  was  later  examined  by  the  coroner. 

Among  his  other  accomplishments,  the  chief  was  a  medicine  man  of  en- 
\i;il)lc  reputation  among  his  people  and  is  reputed  to  have  performed  some  won- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY  919 

derful   cures.     He   understood   the   Linguage   of    the   Wahk-puch    (rattlesnake) 
and  gained  occult  power  from  his  communication  with  them. 

Following  is  the  memorial  of  Chief  Weyallup  to  the  "higher  officials,"  as 
dictated  to  me  April  13,  1913,  Louis  Mann  interpreter.  Ihe  speech  is  redo- 
lent with  the  beauty  of  unconscious  native  oratory. 

Ahtanum,  Yakima  Indian  Reservation,  Washington. 
April  13,  1913. 

"You  are  an  adopted  Yakima  and  a  friend  to  the  tribe.  I,  Weyallup 
Wayacika,  Chief  of  the  Ahtanum,  will  show  you  my  mind  that  you  may  send 
it  to  Washington  that  justice  will  be  given  us. 

"I  hear  that  a  committee  is  coming  soon  to  learn  how  we  are  treated,  and 
I  want  to  know  ahead  when  this  committee  will  be  here,  that  I  may  meet  these 
gentlemen  and  consult  about  our  business.  Sometimes  when  the  Inspector 
comes  our  Agent  does  not  tell  us  that  he  is  coming  and  we  never  are  per- 
mitted to  see  him  and  tell  him  our  wrongs.  If  I  speak  to  the  Agent  about  this 
he  gets  mad.  After  this,  I  find  the  laws  have  been  passed  and  that  it  is  too 
late  to  fight  these  wrongs. 

"I  am  an  old  man  and  no  longer  a  boy.  I  want  everything  carried  out  right 
while  I  am  yet  living.  We  want  to  meet  these  men  and  this  is  what  I  am 
telling  you  that  you  may  write  it  for  me. 

"I  am  glad  of  our  new  Commissioner.  He  will  be  good  to  all  the  Indians. 
I  want  an  eastern  man  for  our  Agent,  also  clerks.  This  I  am  telling  you  is 
for  all  my  people.  I  talk  for  all  the  tribe.  We  want  good  eastern  men  to  look 
after  our  affairs.     Western  men  help  to  rob  us. 

"Regarding  our  irrigation,  the  Reclamation  people  want  my  money  or  I 
get  no  water.  If  I  pay  not,  my  ditch  is  kept  dry.  It  was  not  always  so.  I 
claim  the  soil,  the  water.  Water  was  always  here.  It  comes  from  the  moun- 
tains ;  the  boundary  lines.  Had  these  men  brought  this  water  from  a  distance,  1 
would  be  willing  to  pay  for  it.  This  year  they  want  $1  an  acre  for  water.  I 
am  sick.  I  do  not  sleep.  I  can  not  understand  why  each  year  they  want  more 
money.  I  want  you  to  write  to  the  proper  officers  and  learn  why  this  is.  When 
the  treaty  was  signed  the  law  was  established  that  the  land  and  water  was 
Commissioner.'  When  we  have  done  this  in  the  past,  the  Commissioner  slept. 
We  were  left  to  be  robbed.     This  is  bad. 

"Now  I  want  to  talk  of  the  Ahtanum  ditches  where  I  live.  This  is  dift'er- 
ent  from  the  Wapato  Canal  of  the  Jones  Bill.  The  Reclamation  Service  took 
three-fourths  of  my  water  and  now  I  must  pay  for  the  other  fourth  or  go  dry. 
I  am  a  ward  of  the  Government.  They  get  after  me  for  this  water.  When 
the  treaty  was  signed  the  law  was  established  that  the  land  and  water  was 
given  us.  The  law  was  satisfied.  We  were  satisfied.  This  law  is  still  there, 
but  it  is  not  regarded  by  the  whites.  I  have  not  forgotten  this  law,  but  my 
people  are  passing  away.  I  am  grieved  that  the  white  man  has  not  kept  his 
word.  When  an  Indian  lies,  Me-yay-wah  (God)  is  angry.  When  the  white 
man  lies  his  God  is  not  ashamed. 

"That  day  when  the  treaty  was  set,  'the  sun,  the  rivers  and  the  white  moun- 
tains' were  witnesses  of  the  words  spoken  by  the  Indians  and  the  white  man. 
The  law  agreed  that  when   'these  witnesses  disappear,'  then  will   our  reserva- 


920  HISTORY  OF  YAKBIA  VALLEY 

tion  be  taken  from  us.  You  see  those  witnesses.  The  sun  shines;  the  river 
flows.  Tlie  mountains  white  with  snow  are  there.  The  grass  grows,  but  the 
white  man's  word  has   faded.     He  schemes  our  water  and  our  country  away. 

"Years  ago  when  Mr.  Irwin  was  agent,  1  went  after  him  for  a  ditch  on 
the  .\htanum.  The  Government  agreed  to  build  a  ditch  for  me.  Mr.  Erwin 
said,  "You  people  have  the  W'enatche  fishery  money  and  that  money  will  build 
your  ditch.'  He  said,  'You  make  the  ditch  and  I  will  pay  you.'  He  set  me  as 
a  foreman  and  said,  'Make  the  boys  work  and  keep  count  of  the  days.'  I  did  so. 
All  the  Ahtanum  Indians  helped.  We  worked  hard.  I  cut  timber  and  brought 
it  down  for  the  dam.  All  Fall  we  worked,  then  came  deep  snow  up  to  our 
hips.  We  shoveled  the  snow  away  and  then  plowed.  I  had  two  teams.  I 
used  to  get  $6  a  day  for  team  work.  We  camped  too  far  to  go  home  and  too 
deep  snow.  We  worked  three  weeks  in  the  deep  snow.  The  Agent  said,  'When 
the  boys  quit,  bring  them  to  the  Fort  and  I  will  pay  them.'  When  too  cold  we 
quit  and  I  took  them  to  the  Fort.  Lots  of  them.  Many  are  now  dead.  I  said, 
'Boys  want  pay.'  Erwin  said,  'No  money  now.'  He  ask  if  the  boys  work  hard. 
I  said,  'Yes;  hard  work  in  the  snow.'  The  Agent  told  me  that  later  on  we 
would  get  pay.  I  took  the  boys  home  without  pay.  Three  times  I  went  with 
them  to  the  Fort,  but  we  got  no  pay.  Never  got  pay.  Towards  Spring,  we 
worked  again.  We  do  not  care  about  pay,  we  want  the  ditch  completed.  It 
was  for  us.  During  the  coming  years  I  kept  the  ditch  in  repair  and  kept  it 
good.  I  turned  in  the  water  and  it  came  to  my  place.  Erwin  did  not  look 
after  it.  The  ditch  broke,  we  fix  it.  We  took  care  of  it  for  many  years.  One 
old  man,  Wal-li-li-ki,  now  blind,  had  his  team  there  every  year.  We  got  no 
pay.     We  did  not  want  pay.     We  were  glad  to  get  water  for  our  crops. 

'I  do  not  want  to  lose  all  my  labor.  Nobody  ever  paid  for  my  labor.  I 
look  at  this  ditch  as  alive  today.  It  is  mine ;  as  God  gave  me  water  for  my 
land.  Now  the  Reclamation  men  steal  my  water  and  I  want  to  see  why  I 
must  pay  for  water  which  is  mine.  When  they  made  the  new  canal,  they  took 
my  old  ditch.  They  rob  me.  I  have  nothing,  but  I  own  the  water.  I  used  it 
for  years.     Now  it  is  gone.     I  have  no  money  to  pay  for  this  water. 

"The  ditch  we  built  is  about  five  or  six  miles  long.  These  two  men  here, 
John  Grant  and  William  Adanis,  helped  build  it  when  they  were  little  boys. 
They  drove  teams.  They  got  no  pay.  The  ditch  is  ours.  I  want  no  lies  in 
this  letter.  You  write  it  good  and  send  it  to  Washington,  D.  C.  I  can  get  no 
justice  here.  I  want  the  high  officials  to  know  how  we  are  treated  and  robbed. 
I  want  to  hear  from  them. 

"This  is  all." 

Copies  of  this  appeal  were  mailed  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  Com- 
missioner of  Indian  Affairs  and  Hon.  J.  H.  Stevens,  chairman  of  the  House 
Committee  on  Indian  Affairs.  Mr.  Stevens  acknowledged  receipt,  but  nothing 
was  ever  heard  from  either  of  the  other  copies.  The  old  Chief  died  waiting  to 
hear  from  the  "higher  officials." 

Yahpahmox,  the  wife  of  Chief  Weyallup,  died  December  17,   1913. 

CHIEF    SLUSKIN    WEOWIKT 

Chief  Sluskin  JVcon'ikt,  the  primitive,  was  the  opposite  of  Chief  Weyallup 


HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY  921 

W'ayacika,  the  progressive.  Representing  the  non-progressive  of  his  tribe,  he 
opposed  the  stamping  out  of  the  ancient  customs  of  his  people  with  aU  the 
power  of  a  stern,  uncompromising  wilL  He  was  born  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Yakima  River,  just  east  of  the  Washington  State  Fair  grounds,  where  his 
father,  Twinite,  a  secondary  chief,  had  his  village  gardens  enclosed  with  a 
fence.  Traces  of  this  Indian  occupation  were  still  in  evidence  when  a  part  of 
the  tract  on  the  L.  V.  McWhorter  ranch  was  plowed  a  few  years  ago.  Also  the 
excavations  of  five  winter  lodges  were  plainly  discernable  on  a  secondary  "bench" 
near  a  fine  spring — Pool-hl — "water  pushed  up" — located  near  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  fair  grounds.  These  lodge  pits  were  on  the  five-acre  lot  lately 
owned  by  Mr.  Elijah  J.  Craft,  and  disappeared  only  within  recent  years.  The 
Winters  of  Sluskin's  boyhood  were  passed  in  such  underground  dwellings.  The 
ruler  of  this  Indian  settlement  was  Twinite,  the  son  of  former  Chief  Sluskin,  who 
had  twelve  wives.  That  Sluskin  was  the  son  of  Chief  Weowikt,  the  primal  stock 
of  the  "Pishwanwapum"  of  Tolmi,  as  quoted  by  Lord ;  but  more  generally  known 
as  "Yakima,"  a  corruption  of  Yah-ah-ki-ma;  a  name  which  appears  foreign  to  the 
tribe.  It  was,  according  to  tribal  legend,  conferred  on  them  by  the  Nespelems 
or  Spokanes,  or  Indians  of  Idaho.  None  of  the  old  tribesmen,  including  chiefs 
Weyallup  and  Sluskin,  have  been  able  to  give  me  any  definition,  or  meaning  of 
the  name.  Space  will  not  permit  of  further  discussion  as  to  its  origin  in  this 
sketch. 

With  Weowikt,  the  genealogical  table  of  the  family — indeed  of  the  tribe — - 
ends  and  legend  steps  in.  Two  sisters  were  kidnapped  and  wed  by  two  stars. 
To  Tah-pql-lou,  wife  of  the  brighter  star,  a  single  son  was  born,  and  from  this 
son  sprang  the  warlike  race  of  Weowikt.  Owhi,  the  renowned  War  Chief  of 
the  Yakimas  was  a  half  brother  of  Twinite.  The  twelve  wives  of  the  father, 
selected  after  the  Indian  custom  from  several  different  tribes,  evinced  diplomacy, 
securing  a  wide  neutrality  and  immunity  from  hostile  invasions. 

Chief  Sluskin's  age  is  not  known  to  a  certainty,  but  compatible  with  his 
own  statements  he  was  old  enough  to  accompany  his  tribesmen  to  the  treaty 
grounds  of  Walla  Walla,  1855,  as  caretaker  of  horses  for  his  half-uncle,  Chief 
Owhi.  Later  he  was  on  the  bluiT,  west  side  of  Pah-qy-ti-koot,  a  boy  warrier 
with  the  Indian  forces  ready  to  roll  stones  down  on  the  soldiers  had  they  attempt- 
ed to  rush  the  pass.  Holite,  better  known  as  Billie  Captain,  was  also  there.  With- 
out guns,  these  lads  could  assist  in  dislodging  the  ready  boulders  and  basaltic 
blocks  on  the  advancing  cavalry.  This  battle  (  ?)  declared  the  chief  to  me.  was 
"no  fight."  But  few  of  the  Indians  had  guns  and  the  one  single  shot  fired  from 
their  side  was  by  Qalchen.  This  intrepid  warrior  was  stationed  with  a  few 
chosen  followers  in  a  canyon  in  the  west  side  of  the  pass  and  near  the  base  of 
the  hill  to  oppose  the  expected  charge  of  the  troopers.  But  the  unforeseen 
flanking  movement  of  the  enemy  disconcerted  the  Indians  who  precipitately  fled 
without  putting  up  any  resistance.  The  only  Indian  hurt  was  Tow-tow-nah-hee, 
a  noncombatant,  who  because  of  his  inferior  mount,  was  overtaken  and  shot 
(killed),  by  Ow-hah-tah-ma-so,  a  Columbia  River  Indian  and  Scout  for  the 
Government,  about  three  miles  north  of  the  Pass.  The  victim  was  a  young 
man,  unarmed  and  defenseless. 

Chief  Sluskin  went  on  the   warpath  once.     It   was   in   the   '80's  when  his 


922  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

brother  Columbus,  filled  with  bad  whiskey,  was  killed  by  two  white  men  at  a 
cabin  on  the  Umptanum,  Klickitat  County.  Mr.  Richard  Strobach  gives  me 
this  vivid  picture  of  the  occurrence. 

■'I  went  to  Ellensburg,"  said  Mr.  Strobach,  "to  look  up  some  coal  claims 
and  had  been  'stutYed'  by  John  Clenians  concerning  the  terrible  warlike  deeds 
of  the  Indians.  Columbus,  drunken  and  restless,  perhaps  unaccountable  for  his 
actions  and  with  no  hostile  intentions,  went  to  the  cabin  of  the  men  and  accord- 
ing to  their  story,  attempted  to  break  in.  Not  heeding  their  warning  to  desist, 
they  fired  through  the  door  and  killed  him.  Sluskin,  then  on  the  Cowiche, 
heard  of  the  tragedy  and  immediately  started  for  the  scene.  I  was  returning 
to  the  lower  valley  and  met  him  on  the  road.  I  shall  never  forget  his  wild, 
savage  appearance.  Decked  out  in  full  war  toggery,  his  headgear  was  a  sort  of 
cap  with  eagle  feathers  in  it.  and  his  entire  garb  was  Indian.  Streaks  of  bril- 
liant paint  added  ferocity  to  his  countenance,  blazing  with  anger.  He  was 
armed  with  a  rifle  and  carried  a  big  knife  at  his  belt.  His  steed  was  a  strong 
looking  race  horse  which  came  at  a  plunging  gallop,  foaming  with  perspiration, 
yet  pressing  hard  on  the  bit.  I  confess  that  I  was  startled  by  the  sudden 
apparition  of  this  grim  warrior,  but  he  passed  on  to  my  great  relief.  Arriving 
at  the  place  of  the  killing,  Sluskin  found  only  a  deserted  field.  The  men  had 
gone  to  Ellensburg  and  were  acquitted  of  all  blame.  They  very  judiciously  kept 
out  of  the  sight  of  the  enraged  brother." 

Chief  Sluskin  had  the  Indian's  passion  for  good  horses  and  up  to  near  the 
time  of  his  death  kept  some  fine  steppers.  "Pencil"  was  a  noted  racer  he 
owned  just  prior  to  the  death  of  his  brother  Columbus.  I  have  seen  a  tin-type 
of  the  brothers  mounted  on  fine  looking  steeds.     "Pencil"  was  in  the  picture. 

The  Chief  was  fearless  and  in  his  younger  days  very  athletic.  He  engaged 
in  many  physical  "arguments"  with  both  whites  and  Indians  and  seldom  if  ever 
came  out  second  best.  Nor  did  his  courage  wane  with  the  burden  of  age.  Only 
a  few  years  ago  he  engaged  single  handed  three  burly  grave  robbers  at  the  Indian 
cemtery  near  the  Union  Gap.  They  had  disentered  a  body,  severed  the  head 
and  were  carrying  it  away  in  a  gunny  sack  when  the  old  chief  overtook  them 
and  a  fight  ensued.  He  recovered  the  head  which  he  then  supposed  to  be  that 
of  his  own  son.  but  subsequent  investigation  proved  that  it  was  that  of  a  nephew 
instead  and  on  this  technicality  of  law  the  ghouls  went  unpunished.  The  Chief 
afterwards  declared  that  had  he  had  a  gun  he  would  have  killed  them  all. 

Chief  Sluskin  was  ever  friendly  with  the  whites  and  was  known  to  befriend 
the  early  settlers  on  many  occasions.  In  one  instance  he  carried  from  his  own 
scant  \^'inter's  store  of  dried  berries  and  roots,  supplies  to  a  needy  settler,  who 
afterwards  in  his  days  of  wealth  and  plenty,  seemingly  forgot  his  aged  bene- 
factor, when  in  his  last  illness  he  was  in  sore  need  of  medical  atteiUion  and 
foods  which  he  had  not  the  means  of  procuring. 

The  Chief's  reputation  for  veracity  and  honest  convictions  were  well  known. 
In  a  conversation  the  late  Hon.  A.  J-  Splawn  said  to  me:  "Sluskin  is  the  only 
Injun  I  have  ever  known  but  what  would  both  lie  and  steal.     He  will  do  neither." 

His  high  sense  of  honor  is  well  portrayed  in  his  refusal  to  permit  the  con- 
fering  of  his  name  on  a  certain  reservation  postoffice.  now  named  for  a  wealthy 
new   settler.     When   questioned  by  me   concerning  the   report   that   he   had   de- 


HISTORY  OF  YAKnrA  \'ALLEY  923 

manded  a  monetary  consideration  for  the  use  of  his  name,  he  vehemently  denied 
the  accusation.  He  regarded  the  town  as  the  rendezvous  of  an  unscrupulous 
trader  who  preyed  on  the  Indians  and  he  said:  . 

"I  did  not  want  a  thief  town,  a  stealing  town  to  have  my  name." 

An  orator  of  distinction,  Chief  Sluskin's  council  addresses  were  striking, 
if  not  always  compatible  with  sound  judgment.  He  stood  high  with  his  fol- 
lowing, and  was  several  times  sent  to  the  National  Capitol  as  a  delegate  of 
"The  Brotherhood  of  Xorth  American  Indians,"  with  which  he  unfortunately 
became  entangled.  Well  versed  in  the  history  and  legends  of  his  people,  it  is 
regrettable  that  more  has  not  been  proserved  of  him.  It  is  owing  to  him,  assisted 
by  Holite,  that  many  of  the  truly  classical  Indian  appellations  for  objects  and 
places  surrounding  the  city  of  Yakima  have  been  rescued  from  oblivion. 

Chief  Sluskin's  last  public  talk  was  at  the  unveiling  of  the  Towtownahhee 
monument  at  Pahqytikoot.  November  6.  1917,  the  sixty-second  anniversary  of 
the  so-called  "battle"  at  that  place.  Owing  to  enfeebled  health,  his  speech  was 
brief,  yet  replete  with  pathos.  He  died  of  a  malignant  throat  ati'ection  the 
following  Christmas  morning  at  his  home  on  the  Yakima  River,  near  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Parker,  and  in  compliance  with  his  request,  was  buried  by  the  side 
of  his  son  in  the  Indian  Cemetery  near  the  Gap,  and  within  sight  of  the  monu- 
ment where  he  last  spoke.  The  obsequies  were  according  to  the  ancient  rites 
of  his  tribe,  modified  only  to  suit  the  modern  mode  of  casket  burial. 

It  is  notable  that  at  the  unveiling  of  the  A.  J.  Bolon  monument  in  the 
Simcoe  Mountains,  November  6,  1918,  General  Hazard  Stevens  made  his  last 
public  address,  which,  like  that  of  Chief  Sluskin's.  was  brief  because  of  ill 
health.     General  Stevens  died  on  the  morning  of  the  11th  of  the  same  month. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  and  replete  of  the  few  narratives  left  by 
Chief  Sluskin,  is  that  of  his  guidance  of  two  unknown  explorers  to  Tahoma, 
the  "White  Mountain,"  not  long  after  the  close  of  the  Yakima  War.  Owing 
to  its  historic  importance  it  is  here  given  with  the  annotations  as  prepared  at 
the  time  of  narration  by  the  Chief,  November.  1915,  and  later  published  in 
the  "Washington  Historical  Quarterly."  In  the  "Quarterly"  a  few  typographi- 
cal errors  in  names  appear,  which  are  here  corrected. 

CHIEF  sluskin's  TRUE    N.\RR.\TIVE  OF   HIS  GUIDANCE  OF  TWO   \\1HITE    MEN   TO  THE 

"white  mountain" 

(By  Lucullus  V.  McWhorter,  November,  1916.) 
In  the  correspondence  and  statements  which  went  the  rounds  of  some  of 
the  coast  papers,  October,  1915,  a  great  injustice  was  done  Chief  Sluskin,  of 
the  Yakimas.  The  interview  of  the  Chief  by  an  over-zealous  correspondent, 
reported  that  the  aged  Indian  acted  as  guide  for  the  Stevens- Van  Trump  ex- 
pedition to  the  great  mountain  in  1870.  Chinook  jargon  is,  at  best,  a  very 
unsatisfactory  medium  of  conversation  when  questions  of  importance  are  at 
stake,  and  unfortunately  the  Chief  was  credited  with  statements  he  did  not 
make.  Sluskin  has  never  claimed  to  have  acted  as  guide  for  the  explor.ers  of 
1870.  Inadvertently  I  was  led  to  corroborate  the  published  error,  but  when 
my  attention  was  directed  to  it,  I  determined  to  sift  the  afifair  directlv  with  the 


924  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

Chief.  This  I  did  in  November,  1915,  in  four  different  interviews  and  with 
two  interpreters.  The  narrative  was  given  to  a  Tacoma  paper,  after  which  I 
had  a  fifth  talk  with  the  venerable  tribesman,  in  which  a  few  minor  errors, 
niostlv  typographical,  were  corrected  and  some  new  data  obtained.  The  result 
is  here  given  in  full.  It  is  the  clear,  simple  statement  of  the  Sluskin  of  today, 
devoid  of  perversive  injections.  Those  who  are  closely  acquainted  with  Chief 
Sluskin,  believe  him  incapable  of  wilful  prevarication.  Seemingly  he  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  1870  expedition.  To  a  direct  query,  he  plainly  stated  that  he 
knew  nothing  of  this  exploration  of  later  years.  That  the  Chief  did  act  as 
guide  for  two  white  men  who  visited  the  mountain  just  subsequent  to  the 
Treatv  of  Walla  Walla,  shoulfl  now  be  conceded.  The  facts  are  too  obvious 
to  be  ignored. 

A    RIDDLE    FOR    THE    HISTORI.XX 

\\'ho  were  those  mysterious  strangers?  While  the  Chief  may  be  in  error 
a  year  or  two,  either  way,  it  is  not  at  all  possible  that  the  explorers  were  either 
Dr.  Tolmie,  who  visited  the  mountain  in  1833,  nor  General  Ivautz,  about  twenty- 
four  years  later.  The  riddle  is  one  for  the  student  and  historian  to  unmask. ^ 
Chief  Sluskin's  narrative  follows : 

"I  am  thinking  of  my  people — the  old  people  who  are  no  more — and  of 
this  countn-  which  once  belonged  to  us.  I  was  raised  here  since  the  sun  was 
created  and  I  do  not  want  to  speak  the  lie.  You  white  people,  you  big  men,  I 
know  what  you  are  thinking,  but  you  ought  to  listen  to  me.  You  were  lucky 
to  come  here,  but  I  am  sorry  the  way  you  have  treated  us.  You  now  have  all  but 
a  little  of  our  land.  I  wanted  everything  straight.  Governor  Stevens  was  to 
settle  all  the  troubles,  and  for  this,  he  called  the  big  Indians  to  Walla  Walla 
in  council.  I  was  there  as  a  boy  to  care  for  the  horses  of  Chief  Owhi.  After 
the  treaty,  Governor  Stevens  finished  the  work  [arrangements]  and  in  about 
four  years  we  were  to  go  on  the  reservation. 

THE  T.\LL  AXD  SHORT  STRANGERS 

"It  was,  I  think,  one  or  two  years  after  this,  our  people  were  camping 
above  the  [now]  Moxee  bridge  [about  two  miles  east  of  North  Yakima].  For 
a  long  time  a  big  topis  [pine]  tree  stood  there. - 

"One  day  an  old  man,  Yak-num-kun,  came  to  me  and  said:  'Two  King 
George  men  come.'  I  look  and  see  them.  Both  were  short  [scarce]  middle 
age.  They  came  to  us.  One  was  a  short  man :  black  eyes  like  Indian.  Fine 
looking  man,  clean  face.  Some  old  Indian  said:  'He  is  ^Mexican.'  His  clothes 
looked  like  corduroy.  He  wore  a  hat,  and  had  a  big,  banded  flintlock  pistol. 
It  shot  big  bullets. 

"The  other  man  was  tall,  slender.  Not  good  looking,  but  about  right.  He 
had  brown,  not  quite  red,  hair  on  upper  lip;  light  hair  and  brown  eyes.  He 
looked  some  mixed  blood  with  white;  just  little  mixed.  He  had  grey  clothes 
and  cap.  Had  long  flintlock  gun  with  ilquis  [wood]  all  along  the  barrel. ^ 
Barrel  was  round  and  shot  big  ball  wrapped  in  blanket  [patching].  I  found 
the  short  man  had  strongest  mind. 


KA-YA-TA-NI 
Daughter  of  Chief  Kamiakin,  Head  Chief  of  the  Yakimas,  Treaty  1855 


CHIEF    NOUH    SLUSKIN 
Sou   of,    and   successor   to   the   late   Chief   Sluskin   Weowikt's    Clan    of    Yakimas.      A    direct 
descendant   of   Tah-pal-lou   and   Has-lo    (star),  progenitors  of   the  proud 


HISTORY  OF  YAKOIA  VALLEY  925 


RODE   INDIAN    CAVUSES 


"They  rode  Lidian  horses,  one  blue  [or  roan].  Had  two  pack  horses,  one 
a  buckskin.  No  big,  or  American,  horses  here  then.  All  cayuses.  No  white 
men  here.     Old  man  Thorp  had  not  come."* 

They  wanted  to  know  a  man  who  could  go  to  Tahoma,  the  White  Moun- 
tain. The  old  people  were  afraid  and  said:  'Do  not  show  them  the  trail. 
They  want  to  find  money'  [mineral].  Then  the  Indians  asked:  'Why  do  you 
go  to  the  White  Mountain  ?'  The  men  said :  'We  are  Governor  Stevens'  boys 
[employes].  We  came  up  the  river  from  W'alla  Walla  and  are  looking  for 
reservation  line  made  at  treaty.'     They  had  long  glass  to  look  through. 

OLD  SLUSKIN   NOW 

"Then  the  old  people  said :  'All  right.'  They  told  me  to  show  them  the 
trail.  I  am  old  man  Sluskin  now.  I  was  young  then.  My  father  raised  me 
here.  I  knew  the  trail.  I  asked  my  father  if  I  must  go.  He  answered :  'Yes.' 
I  was  not  afraid.  It  was  about  the  middle  of  June  and  patches  of  snow  still  in 
mountains. 

"I  started,  leading  the  buckskin  pack  horse  and  my  extra  saddle  horse.  I 
took  them  to  mouth  of  Tieton  and  camped.  We  got  lots  of  trout — plenty  of 
fish. 

"Next  day  we  traveled  and  camped  in  Tieton  Basin.  The  white  men  catch 
plenty  of  fish  again. 

"Next  day  we  went  to  Ai-yi  [trout]  and  camped.  [This  was  Fish  Lake]. 
We  camped  at  mouth  of  river  at  head  of  lake. 

"We  went  on  big  ridge  near  head  of  Natches  River  and  camped.  Next 
morning  the  men  looked  with  glass  every  way. 

"Then  we  started  and  went  to  Tahoma,  the  big  White  ]\Iountain.  The 
men  look  all  around.  South  side  is  bad.  They  asked  me  about  west  side.  Yes, 
I  knew  it.  On  sunny  side  [east]  water  comes  out;  called  Mook-mook.  Dirty 
water  from  middle  of  mountain  and  ice.  The  tall  man  killed  young  yahmas 
[deer]  as  we  crossed  the  Mook-mook.  Shot  it  as  it  passed  in  front  of  us. 
This  was  all  the  game  killed. 

"We  got  to  ridge-like  place  and  found  plenty  green  grass  and  nice  lake, 
good  sized,  called  Wah-tum.  We  camped  there.  The  men  looked  every  where 
with  glass. 

"The  Soom-soom  [sharp  ridge]  runs  down  from  the  mountain.  It  was 
covered  with  noon   [mountain  sheep]. 

"The  men  ask  if  I  could  catch  sheep  for  them.  I  told  them:  'Nb!  Only 
when  they  have  young  one.'  They  "said:  'If  you  catch  one  we  will  buy  it. 
Big  one.'  I  never  try  to  catch  that  sheep.  Too  wild.  That  night  we  roast 
yahmas  for  supper. 

"Next  morning  we  went  to  a  lake,  not  a  big  lake,  only  tenas  [little]  big,  at 
foot  of  mountain.  We  got  there  about  one  hour  after  noon,  camped  and  had 
dinner.     This  was  north  side  of  mountain. 


926  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

'in   morning  wIe  go  somewhere' 

"Next  morning  the  men  took  glass  up  the  mountain  and  looked.  They 
asked  if  I  could  take  them  to  top  of  mountain.  I  did  not  know  the  trail.  Too 
many  splits  in  ice.  No !  I  was  not  afraid  of  bad  spirits.  Maybe  that  is  all 
lie.  We  camped  over  night  and  roasted  yahmas.  The  men  said :  Tn  morn- 
ing we  go  somewhere.' 

"Next  morning  I  saw  them  put  lunch  in  pockets  and  leave  camp.  I  did 
not  know  where  they  go,  but  they  start  up  the  mountain.  They  put  on  shoes 
to  walk  on  ice.  No !  not  snow  shoes,  but  shoes  with  nails  in  two  places  like 
this  [heel  and  toe].  They  started  early  at  daylight  and  came  back  after  dark 
same  day.  I  stayed  in  camp  all  day  and  thought :  'They  fall  in  ice  split  and 
died.'  At  night  I  saw  smoke  go  up  from  top  of  mountain,  and  I  heard  it  like 
low  thunder.  [Here  the  Chief  gave  an  imitation  of  the  noise  he  heard,  in  a 
deep  gutteral  throat  sound,  not  unlike  the  distance  rumble  of  thunder].  The 
men  did  not  tell  me  if  they  heard  this  sound. 

"The  white  men  told  me  they  went  on  top  of  mountain  and  looked  with 
glass  along  Cascades  towards  Okanogan  and  British  Columbia,  Lake  Chelan 
and  everywhere.  They  said :  'We  find  lines.'  They  told  me  they  set  stick,  or 
rock  on  top  of  mountain.  I  did  not  understand  much  Chinook,  and  could  not 
tell  if  wood  or  stone.  They  said:  'Ice  all  over  top,  lake  in  center,  and  smoke 
[or  steam]   coming  out  all  around  like  sweat  house.' 

"Next  day  I  started  home  and  did  not  know  where  these  men  went.  I  left 
them  there.  I  do  not  know  if  they  got  other  Indians  to  guide.  Before  I  left 
each  man  gave  me  a  double  blanket  and  shirt.  They  gave  me  a  cotton  hand- 
kerchief, big  and  green  striped.  A  finger  ring  [plain  brass  band]  lots  of  pins 
and  fish  hooks.  Too-nes  [steel]  and  sow-kus  [flint]  to  make  fire;  a  file  and 
[common]  hatchet.  They  gave  a  lunch  of  yahmas.  I  was  two  days  and  a 
half  getting  home. 

"On  this  trip,"  concluded  the  Chief,  "I  tasted  bread  for  first  time.  It  was 
nice.  We  had  no  colTee.  only  some  kind  of  tea  made  from  berries  I  did  not 
know." 

OTHER   WHITE    MEN    CAME 

Wlien  asked  if  he  ever  heard  of  any  other  strangers  visiting  the  White 
Mountain  in  the  early  days,  he  answered : 

"Soon,  not  many  snows  after  I  guided  these  men,  we  heard  that  four  white 
men  were  in  the  Cowlitz.  All  the  big  men  [chiefs]  held  council  and  said: 
'\\'e  will  go  see  what  these  men  want.'  \\'e  started  to  Cowlitz  about  berry  time 
and  went  to  Fish  Lake.  There  came  to  our  camp,  Poniah,  Kom-kane  and 
Koo-ciash,  whose  hand,  I  forget  which  one,  had  been  broken.  It  was  crooked 
in  the  joints.  We  had  council  and  these  old  men  told  us  the  white  men  had  two 
horses  and  two  mules. 

"After  council  we  went  to  see  the  white  men.  One  of  them  was  old  man 
Longmire.-'  We  asked:  'Why  are  you  here?'  They  said:  'Only  to  see  the 
country.  We  are  looking  for  a  mine  found  by  Poniah.'  Then  we  would  not 
bother  them,  because  they  only  came  to  see  the  mine.     To  a  question : 

"\es,  I  was  there.     I  saw  those  men.     I\Iost  white  men  coming  here  came 


HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  \'ALLEY  927 

to  see  me.  I  was  born  here,  grew  up  here  and  in  the  Cowlitz  country.  I  knew 
all  the  trails.  I  am  telling  the  truth.  I  am  not  fooling.  Longmire  at  that  time 
looked  to  be  about  thirty  or  thirty-five  years  old,  not  very  tall,  but  near  middle 
size,  not  very  heavy." 

In  answer  to  further  questions  the  Chief  replied : 

"I  did  not  think  either  of  the  men  I  took  to  Tahoma  were  sons  of  Governor 
Stevens.  They  only  worked  for  him,  his  boys.  Most  Indians  thought  they 
were  King  George  men.     I  did  not  know  their  names.     They  did  not  tell  me. 

"There  were  no  white  people  li\-ing  here  when  I  guided  to  the  White  Moun- 
tain.    We  saw  lots  of  deer,  lots  of  sheep  and  plenty  of  wow   [goat]. 

THE    N.\ME    OF   THE    MOUNTAIN 

"The  name  of  the  White  Alountain  is  Tahoma.  It  was  called  that  before 
the  white  people  came.  It  was  Tahoma — standing  up  to  the  skies.  We  some- 
times call  it  the  White  Mountain. 

"We  met  but  two  persons.  Indian  boys,  Charley  Tooms-kin  [possibly 
Tompkins]    was  one  of  them.     Met  them  this  side  of  Tieton  Basin. 

"I  am  no  relation  to  the  Shluskin  [note  difference  in  the  name]  with  the 
crippled  hand  [guide  to  the  Stevens- Van  Trump  expedition].  He  was  half 
brother  to  my 'wife  on  the  father's  side.  He  used  to  live  at  Thappenish  [cor- 
rupted to  Toppenish]  about  six  miles  below  Mool-mool  [Fort  Simcoe].  He 
worked  at  the  Agency.  He  went  to  Cowlitz  and  married  two  sisters,  daugh- 
ters of  Poniu.  He  wore  two  sleigh  bells,  suspended  under  each  arm  and  they 
thought  him  a  big  chief.  His  little  finger  on  right  hand  was  gone.  He  was 
drowned  in  the  Yakima  River  several  years  ago.  Never  found  his  body.  I 
never  heard  he  took  two  men  to  the  White  Mountain.  My  crippled  thumb 
[right  hand]  I  got  broke  in  a  fight  with  four  Columbia  River  Indians.  We  were 
gambling.     My  thumb  was  caught  in  blanket. 

ONE    SLUSKIN    H.ANGED 

"No!  The  Sluskin  hanged  at  Old  Town  [Yakima  City]  for  helping  kill 
tre  Perkins  people,  was  a  Columbia  Ri\er  Indian,  and  not  a  Yakima.  I  am  a 
Yakima,  and  no  kin  to  him.  ]\Iy  father's  mother  was  a  Cowlitz  woman;  my 
mother  was  a  Yakima  named  So-patkt.  My  father  was  a  Yakima,  named 
Twinite.     He  was  a  chief. 

CinXOOK    NOT  GOOD  FOR  STORY   TELLING 

"If  you  do  not  understand  my  talk — if  not  interpreted  straight — then  you 
will  write  it  as  a  lie.  It  must  be  right.  Chinook  is  not  good  for  story.  I  am 
glad  to  have  two  interpreters.     You  must  get  this  story  as  I  tell  it. 

"White  people  are  always  making  me  stand  up  and  talk.  Why  is  this? 
I  do  not  understand  what  they  want.  They  get  me  tangled.  Then  the  temis 
[paper]  tells  my  talk  dift'erent  from  my  words.  I  do  not  want  this.  It  is  a 
lie.  It  is  same  as  stealing.  I  did  not  show  the  White  Mountain  to  Stevens 
and  another  man.     I  only  guided  the  two  strange  men  there.     I  have  given  you 


928  HISTORY  OF  YAKIMA  VALLEY 

my  true  story.  It  is  all  that  I  ever  told  to  any  one.  I  never  told  it  but  once 
before  this.  I  did  not  know  what  they  wanted.  You  are  the  first  man  to  tell 
me  about  the  Stevens  man  going  to  the  White  Mountain.  But  you  say  that  he 
went  there  long  time  after  we  had  all  gone  on  the  reservation.  I  know  nothing 
about  this.  It  was  before  we  went  on  the  reservation  that  I  took  the  white  men 
over  the  trail  to  Tahoma." 

NOTES   TO    CHIEF    SLUSKIN'S    TRUE    NARRATIVE 

iMr.  Elcain  Longmire  contends  that  it  was  not  until  1853  tliat  Dr.  William  P.  Tolmie 
ascended  Tahoma,  but  the  Doctor's  descendants  affirm  that  he  made  the  ascent  in  1833. 
(Information   j:iven   by  Mr.   David  Longmire,   September,    1916.) 

=  The  Yakimas  were  camped  on  the  Moxee  side  of  the  Yakima  River,  east  of  the 
present  city  of  North  Yakima.  The  large  pine  tree,  still  remembered  by  many  of  the 
older   white   settlers,   was   in   later  years   cut   down. 

^  Chief  Sluskin's  statement  that  these  men  were  armed  with  flintlocks  has  been 
cited  as  reflecting  on  the  truth  of  his  entire  narrative;  that  such  weapons  were  at  that 
time  obsolete.  I  brought  this  fact  to  his  notice  and  he  vehemently  insisted  that  he 
was  correct.  He  came  to  my  house  and  I  showed  him  both  a  flintlock  musket  and 
rifle.  He  discarded  the  former  and  taking  the  rifle,  pointed  out  wherein  it  was  like 
the  one  carried  by  the  taller  of  the  strangers.  The  only  difference  was  in  the  barrels. 
That  owned  by  the  explorer  was  round,  while  the  one  examined  is  an  octagon.  Taking 
the  powder  horn,  the  aged  Indian  showed  in  pantomime  how  it  was  loaded.  After  the 
powder  was  measured  and  poured  into  the  muzzle,  the  large  bullet  was  put  in  a 
"blanket"  and  rammed  home,  after  which  priming  was  placed  in  the  "pan."  The  older 
Indians  generally  use  the  term  "musket"  in  describing  all  guns  used  in  an  early  day. 
The  ground  taken  by  the  critics  is  not  well  founded.  It  is  an  historical  fact  that  flint- 
locks were  in  use  in  many  isolated  localities  long  after  the  introduction  of  the  per- 
cussion cap.  Captain  Boggess'  company  of  militia  called  out  in  Lewis  County  (now) 
West  Virginia,  at  the  commencement  of  the  Civil  War,  was  armed  with  flintlock 
muskets.  Captain  McNeill's  company  of  Confederate  Spartans  when  surrendered  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  were  to  lay  down  their  arms  above  Romney,  on  the  "Wappatomaka, 
"Virginia.  Nothing  but  antiquated  guns,  including  many  flintlocks  were  found.  It  is 
said  that  the  men  concealed  their  better  arms  and  the  old  guns  were  procured  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  out  the  terms  of  surrender.  Not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago  an  old  hunter  in  West  Virginia  killed  a  bear  with  his  ancient  flintlock. 

*  P.  M.  Thorp  was  the  first  settler  in  the  Yakima  Valley.  He  came  there  in  1861  and 
his   homestead   was   in   the   Moxee.      He   had   come    to   Oregon   in    1844. 

=  Mr.  David  I/ongmire.  son  of  "old  man  Longmire."  tells  me  that  this  description  and 
location   of   the  mining   party   tallies   with   the   known   tacts   in   the   case. 


INDEX 


A.    B,    C.   of   Economic   Science 329 

Abernethy,    A.    S.    293 

Abernethy,    Clark    &    Co.    330 

Abernethy,   George   220 

Aboriginal  and  Physical  History 33 

Abrams.  W.  R. 779 

Abstract,  N.  P.  R.  R.  lands  set  aside 

for  tovvnsite 395 

Academy  now  a  memory 474 

Academy   Emanuel   870 

Academy  Trustees,   1889  474 

Acre:ige   under  government   project--375 

Act  creating  Yakima   County 284 

Act    regulating    irrigation    and    water 

rights    350 

Act  to  change  boundaries   599 

Act  to  create  county  of  Kittitas 596 

Act  to    incorporate    Ellensburg 671 

Act  to  incorporate   North   Yakima 404 

Act  to  remove  county  seat 415 

Actual  discovery  of  the   Columbia — 113 

Adams,  Mrs.  Fred 568 

Adams,  J.   M.  291,  401 

Adams,  J.  M.  and  Mrs.  P.  D 502 

Adams,  William   L.    510,  919 

Address  of  Ex-Governor  Moore 308 

Address  of   Governor   Ferry   310 

Address  to  voters  of  North  Yakima_-436 
Adopts  War  Orphan,  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury,  Portia   and   Coterie   Clubs 900 

Adkins,  L.   H. 256 

Agitation  for  new  county 738 

Advertisements     from    Yakima     Her- 
ald,  1889   415 

Advertisers  in  the  "Bulletin"  in  1905.839 

Advertisements  in   "Record" 500 

Advertisements,   1883   646 

Advertisements  in  "Courier,"    1903---854 

Advisory    board    33 

Aftermath  of  wars 247 

Agents    appointed    499 

Agricultural    lands    on    reservation 559 

Ahtanum    479,  785 

Ahtanum    Red    Cross 476 

Ainsworth,  J.  C. 330 

"Albatross"  The 137 


Aleshecas  Mission 188 

Alfalfa   a  successful   crop 803 

Allen  and  Chapman  open  drug  store-402 

Allen,   Dora   360 

Allen,    Frank   J.    423 

Allen.   George    M.    517 

Allen,  James   W.   275 

Alien.  John    273,  298,  792 

Allen,  Lieut.  J.  K. 254 

Allen,  W.   R. 364 

Aliens,  Bert.  Fred  and  Jacob 267 

Allied   war   benevolences    449 

Allotment  of  land  in  Severalty 544 

All   Sing   (Visions   Fulfilled) 384 

American  fur  companies 136 

American  fur  traders.   Later 158 

American   State   Bank,  Wapato 556 

"Americans  follow  me!" 163 

"America  and  Americanism" 904 

Ames,  Frank 524 

Ames,  W.  O.  591 

Amon.    Howard    364 

Amon,  S.    H.    851 

Anders.  T.  J. 288 

Anderson,   C.   O.   538,  859 

Andrews,  Lucy 473 

Annis,   G.  M.  847 

Annual  "Clean-up"  day 901 

Annual    miners'   election 782 

.^pashwayiikt   234 

Apples  are  prize  winners 803 

Apple  harvest  is  over 886 

Applegate,  Jesse  201 

Archaeological    explorations    98 

Art    Committee,   The 902 

Area    irrigated   by   wells 72 

.^rea    of    reservations 559 

.\real  extent  of  schist 57 

"Argus,"  The 510 

.Arid  lands  on  reservation  559 

.Armstrong,   Father   . 473 

Armstrong,    John    B.    516 

Armstrong.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  W 859 

Artesian   water   69 

Ash.    James    780 

Ascending  Mount  .Adams 39 


930 


INDEX 


Ashburton   Treaty   174 

Ashley,  William    H.    159 

Associated  Charities  ask  support 886 

Aster,  John  Jacob 139 

"Astoria"    164 

Astoria,  Founding  of  139 

Anti-monopoly    party    291 

Atkinson,   Dr.   G.   H 176,  474 

Attack  on  Seattle,   1856 247 

Attendance  keeps  up   (Fair) 490 

Attorneys  at  first  court 601 

At  Big  Eddy,  celebration 877 

At  Kennewick  and  Pasco,  celebration  875 

At  the  river 837 

At  Wallula,  celebration 877 

Auction    canned    fruit    493 

Auditors,    territorial    308 

"Aunt  Pop"  Woolery 206 

Averill,   H.   B.   516,  780 

Awards,  Poultry,  1918  Fair 492 

"Bad   tomanowas"   241 

Bagley,   C.    B.   496 

Bailey,  Rev.  A,  J. 475 

Bailey,  C.  F, 360,  506 

Baker,   Mrs.   L. 906 

Baldwin,  E.  H.  374 

Ballinger,  R.  L.  852 

Bancroft,  A.  A. ____540 

Bancroft    and    Chittenden   on    Bonne- 
ville     162 

Bancroft,  H.  H. 92 

Bank  deposits,  Yakima 450 

Bank  personnel  entirely  Indian 556 

Bank  robbery  at  Roslyn 778 

Banks  of  North  Yakima  prosperous-448 

Banks.   J.    L.    779 

Barge,  B.  F. 371,  457 

Barker  Brothers  donate  block 285 

Barker,   O.  D.   276 

Barker,    Sumner    276 

Barlow,  S.  K. 200 

Barnard.  E.  C. 545 

Barnes.  Alexander 204 

Barnes,  Capt.  James 273 

Barnes,   T.   B.   289 

Barnum.   Smith   277 

Barron,   Henry   522 

Barrows,  Rev.  Wm. 175,   178 

Bartlett.  Mrs.  H,  M. 899 

Bartlett,  Rev.  H.  M. 432 

Basalt,  Yakima 59 

Basaltic   eruptions   56 

Bash  wins  in  hard  fight 887 

Bateaux   158 

Bates.  J.  E, 356,  573 


Bates,   Samuel 579 

Batterson,  A,  A.   514,  517 

Battles  in  Yakima   239 

Baxter,   Joe    277 

Beach,   C.   J.   277,  850 

Beach.   L,   P.   285 

Beach.  M.  C.  J. 847 

Beail,  R.   F.   473 

Beall,  Thomas 124 

Beaumont,  Prof.  W.  L. 885 

"Beaver,"  The  ship 146 

Beck,  James 456 

Beck,  J.  W.  353 

Beck,    Martha    277,  457 

Beck,  R.  M. 456 

Beck.  Robert ^ 414 

Beck,   W.   H.   573 

Becker   Matthias   281.  567 

Beckner.  Tobias   791 

Beek.  James  W.  — _' 276 

Beers.  Alanson       220 

Beginning   of  improvements   573 

Beginnings  of  stock  raising  and  farm- 
ing      580 

Beginnings  in  Kittitas  Valley 563 

Bill,  A.  A. 516.  567 

Below    Pohotecute    786 

Bennett,    Fred    281 

Benson,    Commissioner,    enthusiastic-490 

Benson,    E.    F 355.  485 

Bent,    George    177 

Bent,    Governor    177 

Benthien,    Henry    491 

Benton,  H.  M.  275,  288 

Benton    City   and    Kiona 842 

Benton   City  "Herald" 535 

Benton    County   747,  810 

Benton   County  a  natural  unit 738 

Benton  County  an  actual  fact 744 

Benton   County   doing  business 748 

Benton    County    exhibit    (Fair) 491 

Benton   County  getting  ready 745 

Benton    County    "Republican" 535 

Benton  "Independent" 525 

Benton.  Mrs.  M.  J.   456 

Benton   Water   Co.   364 

Bent's  and  Savery's  fort 177 

Benyowski,  Maurice  de 132 

Benz    Brothers    555 

Bierce,  Ambrose,  on  Bancroft 165 

Billie   Captain    (Holite) 920 

Bird   Clubs   903 

Bird,  E.   275 

Bishop,  B.  B. ,W0 

Black,  A.  S.  - 358 

Blain,  Rev.  Wilson 510 


Blaine.   E.  F.  360 

Blalock,    Dr.    ^ 346 

Blanchet,  Rev.  A.  M.  .A. 187 

Blanchet,  Rev.  Francis  N. 186 

Bland,    James    456 

Blands,  The 276 

Blanker,   Mrs.   Mary   -..gOO 

Bleecker.  J.  S. 360 

Blumauer,   S.    L.   591 

Boardman,  E.  L. 506,  534 

Board  of  Trustee?,   Woodcock  Acad- 
emy,  1889   474 

Boas,  Franz 93 

Boats   of  the   traders.   The 158 

Bolen,  A.  J.  237,  540,  922 

Bond     issue     by     Cascade     irrigation 

district   621 

"Bone-dry  law"   514 

Bonfire  at  night   520 

Bolon    murder.    The    238 

Bonneville,  B.  L.  E. 159 

"Bonneville's   Adventures"   162 

Bonney,  W.   P.   890 

"Book  of  Life,"  The 166 

Boomer,  Alice 525 

Boomer,  George 525 

Borden,   D.   Y.   579 

Born ^_, 652 

Boundaries  claimed  by  various  chiefs-235 

Bounds,   I.  J.  492 

Bounds,   Margaret   268 

Bourne,  Prof.  E.  G. 175 

Bouton,  W.  D. , 357 

Bowers,   Jacob    357 

Boyle,  E.   P.  280,  288 

Boyle.    Frank    520 

Boy   Scouts   and    Minute   Women 790 

Bradford  &  Co.  .._: 331 

Bradford,    Dan    330 

Brannan.   Wm.   204 

Breithaupt,    C.    F.    851 

Brents,  Thomas  H. 340 

Brewer,   B.   M.    799 

Brick  and  Clays 640 

"Bridge  of  the  Gods,"  The 97 

Broshea,    Doshca   and    Nason 272 

Broughton,  Lieut.  W.  R. 117 

Brouillet,  J.  B.  A. 187 

Brown,  J.  P. 780 

Brustin,    Father    473 

Bryan's  visit   612 

Bryant,  H.  M, 516 

Bryce.   Mrs.   538 

Bubble  burst.s.  The 896 

Buchore.  Father 473 

Building  inspection 444 


Building  of  Sunnyside,  The 906 

Building   stone    .:  68 

Building  the   C.   M.   &  St.   P.   through 

Kittitas    county    632 

Bull,  W.  A. 567,  573,  579 

Bumping  Lake   Reservoir 373 

Bunting,   Blanche 255 

Bunting,    Joseph    275 

Burch,  Ben 272 

Burch,  J.  J. 288 

Burch,  Lucy 275 

Burge,    Andy    . 207 

Burke,  J.  E. 357 

Burleigh,  Andrew  F. 399 

Burlingame,  E.  C. 357 

Burned   area.   Lie   Elum 770 

Burnett,   Peter   198,  220 

Burrage,  W.  H.  369 

Bush,   W.   O.   207 

Business    failures    693 

Business  house   losses   770 

Business    Men's    Association    (Grand- 
view)    524 

Business  places  in  Kennewick,  1903__852 

"Caldron    Linn"   144 

Camas   digging   587 

"Camas    Post,"   The    517 

Campaign  of  1902 613 

Camp  Fires  and  Talkfests  of  Pioneers  889 

Canaday  Brothers  577 

Canal  from   Pend  Oreille  River 386 

Canals  bring  home-building  era 896 

Canby,  Gen.  E.   R.  S. 541 

Candidates   for  Yakima   offices,   1903-433 

Canned    fruit    auctioned   oflf 493 

Cannon.    Miles    799 

Canoe  and  Saddle   92 

Cantonwine,  Dr.  Charles 354,  848 

Captains,   Pilots  and   Pursers 332 

Carloads   in    and    out   of  various   sta- 
tions, Y.  V.  Trans.  Co.  lines,  1917_344 

Carpenter  builds  boat  on  river 909 

Carpenter,   Charles  275,  352 

Carpenter.    R.    E.    491 

"Carrie    Ladd,"    The 330 

Carr.  Abigail  Walker 172 

Carr,    Donn    M.    473 

Carver,  Jonathan   108 

Cary,  .-Mfred  L. 400 

Gary.    G.    W.    402,414 

Cary.   Louise   Heiler 256 

Cascade    Canal    356 

Cascade    Canal    Company 374 

Cascade  irrigation   canal 628 

■'Cascade  Miner,"  The 508,  516,  780 


932 


INDEX 


Casey,   Colonel   219 

Cast  of  "Visions  Fulfilled" ill 

"Catholic    History   of    Oregon" 190 

Catlin,    George    167 

Caton,  N.  T. 288 

Catron,    Mrs.    Marie   353 

Cattle  kings  see  their  "passing" 894 

Cattle  raising  the  only  business 574 

Cavalier    Gale    wins 178 

Cavanaugh,  Thomas  535 

Caves  around  Mount  Adams 36 

Cayuse  war.  The   224 

Celebrating  opening  of  canal 346 

Celebrate  New  Year's  Day,  1812 145 

Celebration  a  grand  success 833 

Celilo  canal  opened 346 

Census  of  crops,  Yakima  Indian  Res- 
ervation     ' 553 

Century  of  dishonor.  Our 222 

Chadd,  R.  V.  497 

Chalcraft,  Mrs.  T,  T 491 

Chamberlain,    Gilbert   909 

Chamber  of  Commerce  721 

Chambers,  A.  J.  257 

Chambers,  Thomas 275 

Chandler,  E.  M. 362 

Channing,    C.    S 473 

Chappelle,    Samuel    275 

Chapter  of  Recollections   889 

Charlie  Cultee 108 

Charlton,  A.  D. 530 

Characteristic  stories  of  old  times 279 

Charities    447 

Charter  for  Ellensburg 642 

Cheadle,   Rev.  S.   H 475 

Cheney,  Mrs. 257 

C.  M.  &  St.  P.  Railway  System 343 

Chief  Joseph   ."_ 224 

Chief  Moses   224,  916 

Chief  Moses  in  his  true  light 256 

Chief  Sluskin  Weowikt 919 

Chief   Stwires    44.  239 

Chief  Stwire   Waters   556 

Chief    Yellow    Wolf    97 

Chiefs  killed  or  banished 266 

Chiefs    who   signed   treaty 264 

Children's    School    Gardens 902 

Child  Welfare,  Interest  in 493 

"Chinook   Book,"   The 96 

Chinook  Dance,  The 588 

Chinook  not  good  for  story  telling-_926 

Chittenden.  Gen.  H.  H 145 

Chittenden,   Major   H.   M 364,  884 

Chorus  (Visions  Fulfilled) 383 

Chorus  of  Cowboys   379 

Chorus  of  Grains  and   Grasses 380 


Chouteau.    Pierre    136 

"Christian    Cooperative    Movement". _799 

Christmas   tree.  The 669 

Church   directory,   Ellensburg 684 

Churches.   The    478 

Churches   and   pastors   at   Kennewick, 

1918 871 

Churches     and     pastors     of     Yakima. 

1918 483 

Churches  and  schools,  Toppenish 789 

Churches  and  schools  of  Yakima 454 

Churches   at   Sunnyside 800 

Churches  in  Prosser,  1905 841 

Churches  of  Ellensburg 716 

Churches  of  White  BlufTs 88? 

Churchill,   A.    579 

Churchill,  Mrs.  C.  C 566 

Cinnabar     66 

"City  Beautiful"   Ball.  The   Annual___902 

City   Campaign   of   1903 432 

City    Charter,    Ellensburg   671 

City    Charter,   The    (Yakima) 403 

City  commissioners    (Yakima)    440 

City   government    (Ellensburg) 696 

City  government  in  Kennewick 859 

City  library  of  Ellensburg Hi 

City  mills  built 577 

City  of  Ellensburg 642 

City  officials,  1886-1917  (Yakima) 430 

City  officials  of  Wapato 788 

City  of  Toppenish  and  reservation — 78S 

City  treasurer's  report 441 

City  water  question.  Facts  about 436 

Claimants  satisfied;  scalp  saved 82 

Clark,   Doctor   277 

Clark.  Frank 250,  287 

Clark.  George    Rogers   122 

Clark.  J.   O. 289.  456 

Clark.  T.  G.  V.   402.  410 

Clark.  Lieut.    William    122 

Clark,  Samuel  A. 95 

Clark,  William    293 

Clark.  W.  T 361 

Clarke.  Gen.  N.  S. 252 

Clausen,  Mrs.  Etra 905 

Clayton.    N.    H.    4.?6 

Cle   Elum  and   Roslyn 761 

"Cle    Elum    Echo" 516.  762,  775 

Cle  Elum  "Echo"  editorials  on  fire — 771 

Cle  Elum    history   774 

Cle  Elum   schools    709 

Cle  Elum   swept  by   fire   762 

Cleland,    George    B.    517 

Clenian.    Augustan    273 

Clemans.   John    921 

Clements.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  B.. 8.=;9 


I 


INDEX 


933 


Climate   (ZiUah) "95 

Cline,   William    799 

Coal    , 66,  579,  640 

Coal  discovered   761 

Coal    mines,    The 635 

Cobb,    Miss    Emma 910 

Cobb,  Murray  E. 888 

Cock,  Col.  H.  D 275,  240,  403 

Coe,  James    R.    506 

Coe,  Lawrence    330,  334 

Coleman,  Charles 567 

Collier,  H.  H.  492 

"Colonel"   Colt  "argues" 217 

"Colonel   Wright,"   The 330 

Colowash    278 

Colter,    John    148 

"Columbian,"  The 535 

"Columbia  Courier." 536 

Columbia  Irrigation  District 363 

"Columbia  Rediviva,"  The 115 

Columbia  River  Fishing  and  Trading 

Company    161 

"Columbian"  The 915 

Coming  of  immigrants 193 

Coming  of  the  railroad 381 

Commercial    Club,    Kennewick   872 

Commercial  Club,  Mabton 792 

Commercial   Club  of  Pasco 389 

Commercial  Club  of  Prosser 830 

Commercial  Club  of  Toppenish 550 

Commission      form      of     government. 

The    422 

Commissioned     men     in     world     war. 

Yakima's   450 

Completion  of  Tieton  project 372 

Congdon,   Chester  A.   361 

Congdon   ditch   361 

Condon,  Thomas 45,  94 

Congressmen,   1892 299 

Connell's   Prairie   248 

Connell,   Thomas   275 

Connell,  William   267 

Conservation  of  health 444 

Constantine,   Father   780 

Constitution    Ellensburg    Chamber   of 

Commerce  723 

Constitutional   amendments 617 

Contrast,  A.  ,584 

Conway,  J.   S.   374 

Cook,  H.    D.    293 

Cook,  Capt.    James 113,  132 

Cook  stove  brought  in 269 

Cooke,  Clara    567 

Cooke,  C,   P.   275.  284.  .567 

Cooke,  Eliza    .567 

Cooke,  E.  P.  456 


Cooke.  Mrs.  C.  P. 891 

Coone,   Elizabeth  Ann 255 

Cooper,    Thomas    399 

Cooper  hauls  first  load  of  goods 575 

Coplen,  J.  W. 275 

Copper  and   silver 65 

Corbett,   P.  W.   401 

Corn  award  to  Prosser  boy 494 

"Corn    Belt"   land   at  $1.25   goes   beg- 
ging  906 

Cornelius,    T.    R.    242 

Cornett,  J.  D. 361,  790 

Corney,   Peter   164 

Correspondence  from  the  "Standard"  SUZ 

.  Cosgrovc,   Thomas   851 

Cost  of  Tieton  project 372 

Coterie   Club,   The 901 

Could  irrigate   Eureka  Flat 389 

Councilmen,   Roslyn   781 

County  commissioners,   1867 284 

County  division 563,  592 

County  making  and  records  of 

mother   county   283 

County  news  notes . 750 

Count}'  officers   645 

County  seat  at  Mr,  Thorp's  house 285 

County    seat    question    (Benton) 756 

County    seat    removal    settled 291 

County  seat   removed  to   North   Yak- 
ima     415 

Courcurs  des  bois  and  voyageurs 145 

Courier,  The   496,  536,  851 

"Courier-Reporter,"  The 535.  538 

"Courier-Reporter"     on     Kennewick's 

war  record   881 

Cowboy   era   379 

Cowichc  and  Wide  Hollow  irrigation 

district   361 

Cox.    Ross    164 

Coxey's   "army"    342 

Crabtree.  Malcolm ,520 

Craft.  Elijah  J.   920 

Cram.  Capt.  T.  J. 251 

Creason,    Henry    812,  909 

Crocker,  Wilbur 423 

Crockett,  W.  H.  567 

Crooks,  Ramsay 145 

Crop   values    (reservation") 555 

Crosno,  Ollie 475 

Crosno,    W,    P.    276 

"Cross   of   Gold"   campaign 300 

Crownover.    C.    E.   374 

Culver  Gulch 63 

Curios    640 

Curtis,   A.   571 

Curtis,  S.  B. 288 


934 


INDEX 


Curry,   Governor   239 

Curry,  Gen.    George    L 510 

Cut-Mouth  John's  message 239 

d'Ablaing,    Gerrit   574,  579,  891 

Daily  Republican  502 

"Daily  Union,"  Portland 511 

Dairying    , 552 

Dairy   Products,    1917 327 

Dairy   products   shipments 807 

Dale,   Helge  805 

Dam  at  Cle  Elum  Lake 551 

Dam,   Milton   886 

Damman.  J.   D.   573,  576 

Damman,  M.    M.   573 

Damman   and   Tjossem 576 

Daniels,  W.   B.  293 

Daughters  of  American  Revolution 

890,  904 

Davern,    Mrs.    Martin 566 

Davidson.  Mrs.  J.  B._— 260,  508,  568,  891 

Davies,   H.   H 568 

Davis,  A.  P. 366 

Davis,  Mrs.  A.  C. 903 

"Dawn,"    The    515 

Dawson,  Mrs.  Dora  S 377 

Dawson,  R.  J. 535 

Day.  John    143,   145 

Day,  Joseph    204 

Dealing  with  thieving   Indians 269 

Death  of   D.   J.   Schnebly .509 

Death  of  Leschi 249 

Delano,   C.    230 

Delegate   Thurston    221 

Demers,    Rev.   Modesto    186 

"Democrat"  gives  election  results 434 

Demosthenes,  an   Indian 77 

Dennis,   Wm.    ,567.    573 

Denny  &   Co. 555 

Denny,  R.  H. 360 

Dent.     Captain    247 

Departments    of   commission    govern- 
ment    424 

Designation    of   units     368 

Desirable  lands  in  lower  Yakima 866 

De  Smet,  Pierre  J. 186 

Development    of    Benton    County 735 

Development    of    Kittitas    County 592 

Development    of   mineral    resources--578 
Development     of     the     two     younger 

counties      563 

"Devil's   Scuttle-hole."   The 144 

Diary   of   Mrs.   Whitman    169 

Dickerson,   J.    B.    288 

Dictionary  of  Chinook  jargon 97 

Dills,  Mrs.  I.  H ."_ 903 


Dimond,   Joseph    850,  913 

Directory   of   city   officers    (Yakima)-441 
Directory   of    teachers.    Yakima    City. 

1918    460 

Discord  between  volunteers  and  reg- 
ulars    240 

Discovery  of  gold  in  Swank  region__578 

Disoway,   G.   P. 167 

Dix.    Mary    174 

Dixon,   Mary   475 

Dixons,  The 575 

Ditter    Brothers    414 

Ditter.   Henry  &  Sons 402 

Ditter.    Phil   A.   432 

Doc  Livingston 912 

Dollar    Strawberry,    The 857 

Donald,  George    360.  414,  485 

Donald.  W.    H.    573 

Donation  land  law,  1850 201 

Donation   party   for    Mr.   Thomas 590 

Dorion.    Madame   147 

Doshea.    Broshea    and    Xason 272 

Douglass.  W.  S. 360 

Dow,   Mr.   A.   B. 899 

Down     The     Dalles     in     the     "D.     S. 

Baker"   in    1888 334 

Downs.   M.   E.  364 

Drayton.    Joseph    . 173 

"Dude"    Lewis    305 

Dudley,  Frank  A. 354 

Dudley.   1.  W.  354 

Dunn,   Capt.   Roliert    363 

Durant,   P.   A.   ' 535 

Durgon.    Alonzo    275 

Durr,  Jacob   574 

Durr   Restaurant,  The   682 

Durr  toll  road  __.. 575 

"Dutch   John"   565 

Dynamite  used  765 

Dysart.  J.  S. 576 

Dysert.  J.   D.    573 

"Ea.gle."  The  330 

Earliest  businesses  in  North  Yakima-402 

Earliest   settlers   735 

Early  elections  and  results 602-3 

Early    Ellensburg    591 

Early  fairs   487 

Early  mail  "service" 285 

Early  officials  of  Cle   Elum 774 

Early  sedimentation   56 

Early  steamers,  names  of 330 

Early  settlers  near  Sunnyside 798 

Early  settlers  at  Sunnyside 830 

Easton   doesn't   forget   771 

Easton  schist 57 


INDEX 


Eaton,   George   P 523 

Ebberts,  George  \V. 163 

Eby,  D.   B.  804 

Editorial  on  election   (Yakima) 435 

Editorial  on  water  supply,  Ellensburg  694 

Editors  of  "Spectator" 512 

Education — public  library 446 

Edwards,   Rosine   475 

Eells,  Gushing 174 

Eells,   Rev.   Myron   94,  175 

1889,  year  of  statehood 292 

Eight  thousand  carloads  of  fruit 888 

$8,000  for  an  axe 133 

Eight  to  twelve  tons  potatoes  to  acre  552 
Election  of  1874,  288;  of  1876,  289; 
of  1878,  289;  of  1882,  290;  of  1884, 
290;  of  1886,  291;  of  1888,  292;  of 
1892,  298,  606;  of  1894,  300';  of  1896, 
300,  607;  of  1898,  301,  608;  of  1902, 
302;  of  1904,  302,  613;  of  1906,  302; 
of  1908,  303,  615,  751;  of  1910,  303, 
752;  of  1912,  303,  616,  752;  of  1914, 
304,  617,  753;  of  1916,  304.  618,  754; 

of  1918 305,  619,  755 

Election    records    601 

Election  results  in  1872 288 

Election,    North    Yakima    (provision 

for)   410 

Electric  light  generator  arrives 832 

Electrical  inspection   444 

Ellensburg  postoffice   646 

Ellensburg    .... 659 

Ellensburg  keg  house   688 

Ellensburg  fire  of  1889 690 

Ellensburg  helps   767 

Ellensburg  food  men  help 768 

Ellensburg   "Capital"    514 

Ellensburg   "Dawn"    515 

Ellensburg  "Localizer"   508 

Ellensburg  named   for   woman 591 

Ellensburg   "Register"   514 

Ellensburg  "Standard" 395 

Eleven  cars  of  pears  shipped 887 

Elevation 580 

Elgin   ranch 189 

Elijah     243 

"Elija,"    murder    of 184 

Elliott,  Mrs.  M.  A. 479 

Ellis,  Mrs.  Lucy 903 

Elks  and  friends  start  fun  at  fair 489 

Elks'   derby   492 

Elwood.  Mrs.  H.  S. 904 

Ely,   Adriel    B.    866 

Emigh,  Mrs.  Daisy  Beach 910 

Enabling   act   approved 293 

Enas,  Head  Chief 256 


End  of  the  war 253 

Eneas,   Captain 916 

Enterprises   at   Toppenish    789 

"Enterprise,"   The   535 

Epilogue   (Visions  Fumiled) 385 

Era  of  discovery 103 

Era     of     early     growth     and     mother 

county    266 

"Era  of  Liars"  The 104 

Era  of  trappers,  hunters,  trail-makers  131 

Erickson,   E.   E.   573 

Erwin,  Mrs.  Verdie 899 

Erosion     55 

Essig,  Dr.  N.  F. 355 

Estimate      of      expenses,      Sunnyside 

Water  Users'  Association,  for  year.370 

Estimates  of  cost  of  storage,  etc 551 

Ethnologists,  list  of 93 

Evans,   Elwood   175,  240 

Evening  "Localizer" 515 

Evening  "Record" 515 

Evening  "Republic"   on    1918   fair 489 

Eventful  years  of  1883-1888 337 

Events  at   Kennewick,   1889-1914 848 

Exchange  Bank  of  Kennewick  opens-851 
Executives  of  Chamber  of  Commerce.485 

Ex-Governor    Moore's    address 308 

Explorations  by  land 120 

Exports  from  Sunnyside 801 

Extracts      from     Yakima     "Courier," 

1904    • 868 

Fa'oian,  Harry  A. 400 

Facts  about  city  water  question 436 

Facts  about   Granger 797 

Facts   from   government   reports 550 

Faculty  for   1918-19 713 

Fair   officials   pleased 490 

Families    in    immigration    of    1853 202 

Famine 378 

Farming  by  irrigation   796 

Farm  survey  of  Yakima  County 326 

Farnham,  T.  J. 173 

Farnsworth,    Levi    289 

Fauntleroy,  J.  D. 374 

I'echter,  O.  A.   354,  363 

Fechter,   Mrs.   O.  A.   899 

Fechter,  O.  A.,  Recollections  of 891 

I'echter  elected  mayor  for  sixth  time.434 

"Federated  Church"  started 907 

Federated   health  committee 902 

Fellows,  A.  W. 8S9 

Ferguson  County 284 

Ferguson,  James   573 

Ferrel,   O.   P. 798 

Ferry  boat.  A.. 909 


936 


Fertile  and  beautiful  valley 795 

Fifteen  churches   in   Yakima 448 

Figures  on   irrigation    (reservation^.. 560 

Figures  on  river  business,   1863 332 

Filkin,  J.  R. 289,  456,  480 

Filkins,   Mrs.  E.  C.  480 

Finances,  Yakima  County,   1917 315 

Financial   statement    441 

Fire    department    444 

Fire   of  July  4,   1889 690 

Fire  and  strike 778 

Fire  sweeps  Cle  Elum 762 

Firevi^orks  and  ball 837 

Fireworks  at  fair 494 

First  advertisers  in  Yakima 500 

First  brick  building 591 

First  business  buildings 913 

First  Christian  crusaders 168 

First    churches    590 

First  comers    194 

First   court   601 

First  drug  store   (North  Yakima) 414 

First  election   of  U.   S.   senator 298 

First  election  under  commission  form  431 

I'irst  governor  of  California 198 

First  hops  raised 352 

First  immigration   through   Yakima__202 

First   immigration   train    564 

First   in   city   of   Ellensburg 660 

First  inhabitants   (Zillah) 795 

First  men  in  stock  business 581 

First  mill   576 

First  names  those  of  cattlemen 267 

First      National      Bank.      Ellensburg, 

Closed    1893   342 

First  newspaper  at  Kennewick 849 

First  newspapers   591 

First  N.  P.  train  reaches  Yakima 395 

First  officers   at   Granger  797 

First   officers   at    Mabton   791 

First    officers   of    Prosser 830 

First    officers    of    Sunnyside 799 

First  paper  in  Yakima  Valley 497 

First  political  conventions 601 

First  postmaster  at  Kennewick 847 

First  postmistress 909 

First  "postoffice" 573 

First  real  estate  boom 895 

First    real    settler    267 

First  river  steamer 330 

First  school  at  Zillah 796 

First   school   directors   849 

First  school  districts  laid  out 455 

First  school  in  Yakima 272 

First  settlement,   Ellensburg 643 


First  settlements 264 

First    state,   and    last    territorial    gov- 
ernors      308 

First    telephone    in    Kennewick 856 

First  things  in  Ellensburg 661 

First  pig  iron   642 

First  school   teacher 813 

First    settlers    564 

First  water  power  right 576 

First  wedding  in  Kittitas 567 

First  white  child  born  in  the  Kittitas. 566 
First     white     girl     born     in     Yakima 

County    271 

Fisher.   David   573 

Fiske,  John 120 

Fitterer,    Mrs,    Phil   ....566 

Five    Crows   224 

Five   hundred   dollars   for   half   acre-.803 

Flanders,    Alvin    287 

Flett.   Letitia  272 

Flint.   A.   B.   401 

Flint.  P.  J.  288 

Flint,   Purdy     275 

Flood.  E.  E. 490 

Flour  and  coffee  $50  per  hundred 181 

Flower,   Edward   792 

Flower,   Mrs.   Amy   M 792 

Flower.  S.  P. 792 

Flow   of   oratory,   A 835 

Flynns,  The   276 

Fogarty,    John    565 

Food  almost  exhausted 199 

Fort    Boise    164 

Fort   Dalles    245 

Fort   Hall    178 

Fort  Simcoe.   1856 247 

Fort  Simcoe  Indian  school 558 

Fort    Stcilacoom    249 

Fort   I'inta   176 

Fort   Vancouver   156 

Fort    William    161 

For  the  coal  fields 653 

For  the   Sound   653 

For  the    Tennaway    653 

Foster,  C.   D.  524,  806 

I'ounding-      and      growth      of      North 

Yakima    392 

Founding  of  Astoria 139 

I'our  hundred  publications  in  state 538 

Four   men    killed    by    Indians 238 

Four  newspapers  (Yakima") 448 

Fourth  of  July,  1905 834 

Fowler,  W.  F. 520 

Franchere,   Gabriel   109,  164 

Frasier,   F.   A.   779 


INDEX 


937 


Fraternal   orders  at   Kennewick 872 

Fatcrnal  orders  at  Toppenish 790 

Fraternal  orders  in  Yakima 484 

Fraternal  orders,  Mabton 793 

Fraternal   societies,   etc.    720 

Freeman,  Commandant  Miller 489 

Freeman,  L.  R. 487 

Freeman's   Farmer   487,  512 

Freeman,    Yancy    517 

Free   Trappers,   Some    unique 163 

Free   trappers,  The 143 

French  and  French 535 

French,    Egbert    275 

Frisbee,  Mr. 456 

Frisbie,  F.  M.  573 

From  coal  centers,  through   hay  cen- 
ters to  orchards 783 

Frost,  J.  E 357 

Fruit   and   vegetable   products,    1917. _328 
Fruit  and  vegetable  products  shipped-809 

Fruit    culture.    Advantages    for 797 

Fruit   products    1917 326 

Fruits   638 

Fruit  shipments.    Grandview   807 

Fruit  trees,  first  to  plant 581 

Fuller,   F,   B.   490 

l-'ullerton,   Mr.   and   Mrs.    Rufus 860 

Fulton,  Mrs.  W.  G. 519 

Fur  trade   begins   114 

Fur   traders.   Later   American 158 

"Fur  Traders  of  the  West" 164 

"Future  is  Bright"  (Review  editorial)  518 

Gale   fans   flames   765 

Gale,  Joseph   196,  220 

Gale,  William   137 

Gamble,  Mrs.  Jessie   906 

Gamble,  Thomas    L.    603,  762 

Game   hunting  around   Mount  Adams  i7 

Gant  family.  The 204 

Gantt,    Captain    179 

G.  A.  R.  in  Yakima 484 

Gardner,  A.  R. 535.  538 

Garfielde,  Selucius   288 

Garnett,    Major   247,  2.54 

Gawler,   Mrs.  J.   C.   903 

Geddis,  S.  R. 567 

Geographical    sphinx,   The 117 

Geological  conditions  making  Kenne- 
wick     845 

Geology  of  Yakima  Valley 48,  51 

George,  W.   A.   293 

Gerlick,  Caroline    281 

German  brings  liquor  to  reservation-543 

German,  William 566 

"Germany  runs  true  to  form" 518 


Gervais,   Andy   275,  565 

Gibbs.  General  George 92 

Gilbert,  Col.    F.   E.    242 

Gilbert,  J.    M.    485 

Gilbert,  Mrs.   H.   M.   900 

Gilbert,   Mrs.  J.  M.   900 

Gill,    John    97 

Gillespie,    George    567 

Gilliam,    Cornelius   224 

Gillis,   D.   C.   801 

Gillispie,    John    281 

Girls  in  great  demand 201 

Goflf,   William  N. 456 

Gold  discovery  at  Ringold  bar 279 

Gold-quartz   veins    63 

Goller.   John   275,  565 

Gonzaga    College    189 

Goodwin,   Benton 573 

Goodwin.  George     276 

Goodwin,  G.    W.    579 

Goodwin,  J.   W.    275 

Goodwin,  Dr.   L.   H 275 

Goodwin,  N.   T.   794 

Goodwins,   Thomas  and   Benton 

275,  277,  352,  573 

Gorsuch,   Mr.  and  Mrs.   R 860 

"Gospel  Preacher" 516 

Goss,  A.  S.  363 

Gould,  D.   E.   363 

Government   expeditions   195 

Government  (North  Yakima) 409 

Government  projects  365 

Government  reports.  Facts  from 550 

Governor    Ferry's    address 310 

Governor  sees  great  possibilities 387 

Governor's  day  at  fair 490 

Governors    of   territory 306 

Governor's  proclamation 746 

Grade   of  Yakima   river 54 

Grade    principals,    Ellensburg 709 

Grain  and  grasses  in  sheaf ^.638 

Grain  shipments 808 

Grains   produced.    1917 327 

Grand  ball.  New  Year's,  1884 670 

Grandfather    Wheeler,    ifamous    "fid- 
dler"     569 

Grandview     805 

Grandview    Business    Men's    Associa- 
tion     524 

Grandview  "Herald"  524,  806 

Graidview  Roll  of  Honor 806 

Grandview  State  Bank 525 

Grange    Hall    571,  572 

Granger 798 

Granger   and   Zillah   795 

Granger  "Enterprise" 523 


INDEX 


Granger,  Walter  N.  - 359,  795 

Grant,  John   920 

Grant,  }.  W. 284 

Grant,  President     190,  229 

Grape    Carnival,   Annual   881 

Gray,   Captain    914 

Gray,  Mary  Dix 185 

Gray,   P.   P.   342 

Gray.  Robert    115,  133 

Gray,  W.   H.   174,   185,  217 

Cirazing  lands  on  reservation 559 

Grease    lamps    590 

Great  boom,  The 341 

Great  immigration.   The    197 

(ireeley,  Horace 179 

(ireen.  Rev.  Samuel 475 

Greene,  E.    P.   536 

Greene,  Rev.    Samuel    852,  915 

Greeting  of  Yakima  "Herald" 418 

Grewell,  L. 572 

Grewell,    Mary    573 

Grosscup,  B.  S. 354 

Grow   peaches,    pears,    apples 387 

Growing   settlement    272 

Growth  in  the  'seventies 592 

Grumbling  few,  The 594 

Grupe,  Miss  Mary  A 892 

Guild,  H.  G. 528 

Guild,  H.    H.    534 

GuiUand,  David 402,  410 

Guilland  Hotel    402 

Guilland  House    shelters    noted   char- 
acters     894 

Gunning,   E.   860 

Haak,   Mrs.   May 851,  914 

Haasze,  E.  J. 525 

Had  long  glass  to  look  through 925 

Haines,  Albert    272 

Haines.  Edna  796.  904 

Haines,   Letitia    Flett    457 

Hale.  Dr.   Edward 178 

Haley,  Thomas 567 

Halhaltlossot    (Lawyer)    224 

Hall,  F.   C. 891 

Hall.  George    267 

Hall,  H.   H.   359 

Hall.  W.  H. 795 

Hallakallakeen   (Joseph)  224 

Haller.    Major   239 

Halm,  Joe 813 

Halo    Cumtux    498 

Haltern,   O.   O.   775 

Hambleton.  J.  W. 280,  456 

Hamilton,  A.  X.   514 

Haney,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  B 860 


Hanford     885 

Hanford   "Columbian"   538 

Hanford,   Judge    C.    H 364,  885 

Hanford's   teachers   886 

Hanson.    G.    E.   852 

Hard   winter   of   '61-'62 272 

Harper,    Winfield    535,  850 

Harriman.   E.   H.   343 

Harrington,     Wm.    275,  565 

Harris,  Hymen 402 

Harrison,   President    294 

Harrison,  S.    H.    514 

Harrison.  S.    J.    843,  907 

Harsell.  Agnes   C.   — 513 

Harsell,  I.    T.    513 

Hart.  Eliza 169 

Harvey,   George  796 

Hatch.    Reuben    796.    800 

Hathaway,    Felix    196 

Hauser.  C.  M. 413 

Hawn.  Fred  R. 524.  806 

Hawthorne.   Mrs.  Catherine 491 

Hawthorne,   Wm.    B.    491 

Hay  and  grain.  First  to  raise 581 

Hayes,  Harry    806 

Haynes.  Burdette 860 

Haynes.  G.  .\lford 527 

Haynes.   M.    B.    364 

Haynes.   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross   R 860 

Hay  produced,    1917    327 

Hay   shipments   808 

Hays.  L.   G.  489 

Headgates  of  canal  raised 895 

Heaton,    David    275 

Heavy   voting   at   primaries 782 

Hcbcrling,  Guy 491 

Hcccta's    account    111 

Hed.£jer.   Dr.   848 

Hcg.  Dr.  E.  E. 484 

?lclp    for   merchants    (Cle    Elum) 771 

Hembree,   Capt.   A.   J.   243 

Henderson,    Edward    275 

Henderson.  Scott  Z. 538 

Henderson.  William    267.  275 

Henny.   D,   C.   366 

Henry,    Andrew   136 

Henry's   Fort 137 

Henry's    River    136 

Henson.   Alfred   284.  794 

Henson.  Philena   (Mrs.  Thorp) 267 

"Herald."  Sept.  21,  1918.  on  the  fair-491 

"Herald."   The    Yakima 506 

Hering.    Ben   887 

Hickenbottom,  William 275 

Hickey.  Captain  F. 147 

Higgins.  L.  L, 803 


INDEX 


939 


High  school  faculty,   Ellensbiirg 709 

Highways    445 

Hill,  David    220 

Hill,  Samuel    525 

Hills,  A.   F.   535 

Hillyer,  A.  S,   517,  523,  802 

Himes,   George   H.   205,  891 

Hinman,  Oliver 410,  892 

His  rich  uncle 197 

History  of  reservation,   Outline 539 

History  of  sixth  grade  Edison  school 

pupils    |-_585 

Hitchcock,  William 802 

Hoadley,  Miss    Nellie    860 

Hoadley,   Mr.    and    Mrs.    Cyrus 860 

Hobday,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas 860 

Hobson,  E.  G. 389 

Hoffman,  Miss  Isabelle 377 

Holbrook,    Martin    276 

Holidays 1 590 

Holladay   system   stages 333 

Holt,    L.    M.    554 

Holton,  Capt.  C.  M. 501 

"Holy  City,"  The , 909 

Home    Economics    Club 902 

Homes,  Florence  204 

Homes,  Frederic    204 

Homes,  Louisa 204 

Homes,  Mrs.   Samuel 204 

Honey  produced,  1917 i28 

Honey   shipments    809 

Honor   roll,   Yakima's   451 

Hooper,   C.  911 

Hopp,  George  W. 517 

Hopper,    R.   V.   447 

Hopson.  E.  G. 366 

Hops  produced,  1917 327 

Hops  shipments  808 

Hornby,  Mrs.  F.  M. 904 

Horse    Heaven    country    531 

'•Horse   Heaven   Wheat   Belt,"   The_-532 

Horse  stealing 652 

Horsley,  Mrs.  Frank 900,  906 

Horton,  Dexter 568 

Houser,  Tilman 275,  565 

"Housewives"  made  for  soldiers 903 

Hover,  H.  A. 852 

Hover  "Sunshine"  538 

Howard,  General 254,  256 

Howell,  T.  W 524.  792 

How  Horse   Heaven   Happened 529 

Howick,  Mrs.  Evangeline 906 

How  it  happened 787 

Hewlett,   Col.   L.   S,   787 

Hubbard,  G.  G. 333 

Hubbard,  W,  J.  .804 


Hubbcll.  J.  C.  357 

Hudnal,   M.   N.   363 

Hudson's  Bay  Companj- 135,  155 

Huff,  Henry 491 

Hughes,  G.  N, 363 

Hughes.  H.  S. 363 

Hughes,  John   L.   423 

Hull,  George 567,  573 

Hull,  N.  P. 475 

Humane  display  pretty 494 

Humphrey,  H.  M. 480 

Humphrey,  J.  A.   792 

Humphrey,  T.  C. 480 

Hunt,  Dayton  A. 860 

Hunt,   Wilson   Price   143 

Hunters.    Trappers,    Trail-makers 131 

Huntington,   J.    B.    799 

Huson.  H.  S.  847 

Hutchinson,  Clara  L. 519 

Igneous  intrusions 55 

Implements   for  securing  food 99 

Important   advantages   789 

Important  fire   facts  763 

"Independent,"   The   528 

"Independent-Record" 525,  528,  812 

Indian  agents  or  superintendents 544 

"Indian,  cayuse  and  coyote 529 

Indian   court.   An 559 

Indian   Demosthenes,   An 77 

Indian   Era 377 

Indian   feasts   586 

Indian   life.   Literature   of 74 

Indian   medicine   588 

Indian  mythology 83 

Indian   myths   43,  87 

Indian  names,  varied  spellings  of_-7S,  84 

Indian   Rights  Association   549 

Indian  School  interests  visitors 558 

Indians  in  pioneer  days 586 

Indians  "making  good"  farming 554 

Indians  near  Kenncwick 846 

Indians   swindled  out  of  pay 919 

Indians'   vapor  baths   125 

Indian  wars.  Period  of 222 

Industrial  and  commercial  Toppenish 

790 

Tngalls,   Captain   278 

Ingraham    and    McBride    280 

"In    morning   we   go   somewhere" 926 

Instructors  at  the  academy.  Early 473 

Interest   in   child   welfare   492 

Interesting  records,  Prosscr 833 

Interest    in    Oregon    198 

"Interestin'.  Readin'  "   497 

Inter-Mountain    "Rights"    515 


940 


INDEX 


Interurban  Railways 344 

In   the   Eocene   period   49 

"Into    the    hostile    camp" 718 

Invaluable  collection  of  Mr.  Bagley--S02 

Inverarity,   Capt.   W.   D.   395 

Invitation   party   419 

Invitation  to  a  dance 584 

Irrigated  lands   795 

Irrigated  lands  near  Prosscr 530 

Irrigation    378.  575,  622 

Irrigation  and  development 849 

Irrigation   brings   gold   from   land 809 

Irrigation  in  the  Kittitas 356 

Irrigation  in  the  valley 347 

Irrigation  laws   348 

Irrigation  on  the  reservation 549 

Irrigation,  Poetry  of 376 

Irving,    Washington    139 

It  was  a  landslide 434 

Jackson,   Helen  Hunt 222 

Jacobs,   Orange   289,  293 

Jacquot,    L.    533 

Jaeger,    E.    J.    196 

Jahnkc,   Robert   391 

'•Jason  F.   Flint,"   The   330 

Jay   Cooke   &    Co 337 

Jefferson,  Thomas 121 

Jefferson's   Tribute   to    Capt,    Lewis--129 

Jeffrey,  John 267 

Jenks,    H.    911 

Jenkins,  W.  S. 813 

"Jennie  Clark"  The 330 

Jensen,  Nis 580 

Jenson,  Carl  A. 813 

Johns,    William    B.    and    family 204 

Johnson,    Mr.   and    Mrs,    A 860 

Johnson,    Fred    491 

Johnson,     Fullerton    853 

Johnson,    L.    E.   363 

Johnson,    Ruth    48 

Johnson,   William    567 

Jones,  D.  R. 245 

Jones,   Richard   B.   400 

Jones,  Senator  W,  L.__305,  355,  391,  475 

Jones,  "Wheat  Chart" 299 

Jones  writes  of  work  at  Washington. 388 

Joslyn,   E.   S 288 

"Journal"  of  Capt.  Gale 138 

Journey     thru     the     Valley,      Benton 
county,    811:    Kittitas    and    Yakima 

Counties    760 

Joyce,    Mrs.   Agnes 906 

Juan   de   Fuca  104 

Judson,  J.  P. 289 

Judson,    Rev.    Lyman    P . 172 


Jumble  Shop,  The 906 

Jumps   the   track   (fire)    767 

June    Rose    Show,    The 903 

Kachess  Lake  Reservoir 374 

Kamiakin   described    227 

"Kamiakin's    Gardens"    277,   891 

"Kamiakin    Last    Hero    of    the    Yaki- 

mas"   97 

Kamiakin,   Leschi  and  Owhi 224 

Kamm,   Jacob   330 

Kanasket,   Xelson,  Stahi  and   Kitsat--248 

Kauffman,    Ralph    357,  892 

Kautz,  A,  V.  248 

Kaynor,    H.    G,    515 

Kaynor,   J.   C,   515 

Kays,     Ray    522 

Keechelus    Dam,    Government    report 

374 

Keelcr,    Dr.   C.   E.   1 377 

Keith,  J.   147 

"Keep     The     Home     Fires     Burning" 

520 

KcUey,    Hall   J.    160,   194 

Kelley.  J.  K. 232,  242 

Kelly,    P, 456 

Kelso,   Mrs.  W.   A 843 

Kendrick,  John 115 

Kennedy,    I'ather,   on   Wilhur 543 

Kennewick   844 

Kennewick    Commercial    Club    Mem- 
bers     873 

Kennewick       Courier — Reporter       on 

Irrigation   385 

"Kennewick    Courier,"    The 853 

Kennewick   derivation    847 

Kennewick  election    results,    1904 862 

Kennewick,  1883  to  1889 846 

Kcnnewick's    first    ordinances 862 

Kenewick  incorporated   862 

"Kennewickles"    and    Advertisements 

from  "Courier"  May  1,  1903 854-5 

Kennewick  on  the  Columbia 537 

Kcnnewick's    war   record    creditable_-882 

Kennewick    Woman's    Club 872 

Kennewick  papers   535 

Kennewick    Printing    Co 535 

Kcnnewick's  second  Stage 851 

Kcnnewick's  third  Stage 853 

Kennewick   "Reporter"    538 

Ker,   Jack   271 

Ker,    William   353,  484 

Kesling,   James   289,  480 

Kcsling,   Mrs.  Jane   480 

Ketcham,  Miss  Libbie  843 

Keys,  Captain  249 


Kiefer,    Sam    520 

Kiester,    W.    H.    567 

Kilbourne,    Ralph    196 

Kilmore  plants  a  switch 582 

Kingston,     C.    E 517 

Kinney,   James   529,  811,  910 

Kiona  and   Benton    City.  843;   Papers 

^     _-_. ^ 535 

Kip,   Lieutenant   225 

Kitsap,    Kanasket,    Stahi    and    Nelson 

._-, 248 

Kittitas    County    666 

Kittitas  County   Democrat 515 

Kittitas    County   "Independent" 515 

Kittitas  Exhibits,  The  637 

Kittitas   County  in   Spanish-American 

War 730 

Kittitas  Pioneers,  Officers  of 892 

•  Kittitas    "Spokesman"    517 

Kittitas    "Standard"___497.  507,  566,  645: 

on  County  Division 592 

Kittitas    Valley.    11\    Irrigation    Com- 
pany    356 

Kittitas   Valley    (Verse)    656 

Kittitas    "Wau-Wau,"    The 516 

Klickitat    90 

Knight.    W.    E.    803 

Knowles.   Arthur    796 

Konnewock  Canal 362 

Kurtz.   Mrs.   Olive 901 

Kuykendall.   Dr.   C.   B. 95 

LaChappelles,    The    276 

Ladd,  W.  L. 360 

Ladies'  Aid,  The 869 

"Lady  Washington"  The   115 

LaFayette,    General    162 

Lake   Cle   Elum   Reservoir 374 

Lake  Keechelus  Reservoir 3/4 

Lake  Reservoirs 373 

Lane,    Secretary    Franklin    K 385 

Langdon,  John   97 

Large  increase  in  plantings 552 

Larson,  A.  E.  377,  891,  904 

Larson.  Mrs.  A.  E 898,  904 

Last   Territorial   and   first   State   Gov- 
ernors    308 

Later   American    fur   traders 158 

Later  and  Larger  private   Canals 353 

Later    General    History    of    Kittitas 

County    621 

Later  History  of  Irrigation  in  Lower 

Valley   363 

Later    newspapers,    Yakima    and    El- 

lensburg   512 

Later    Sedimentation    56 


Lauber's    Flower   Garden,    Mrs 899 

Lauljcr,   Sebastian   353 

Lawrence,    Joe     277 

"Lawyer"    229 

Leasing   System  on  reservation 561 

LeBreton,   George   W 219 

LeClaire,   William   187 

Lcdbetter  Scheme 354 

Ledyard.    John    132 

Lee.  Jason 161,  168,  185,  510 

Lee,  Miss  Helen ill 

Leg   crushed    652 

Legislation  is  required 387 

Lemcke,  H.   W.  889 

Lenicke  brings  in  big  tractor 889 

Lemon.  Mrs.  W.  L. . 906 

Lemon.    W.    L.    residence 414 

Leonhard,    Frederick    574 

Leonhard    Mountain   576 

Le  Play  House 211 

Leschi    248 

Leschi    and    Quiemuth    248 

Leschi,  Owhi  and  Kamiakin 224 

Leschi  Tragedy.  The 223 

Leschi's  death 249 

Lesh.    D.    E 355 

"Lest  We  Forget" 308 

Letter   from   Swauk 584,  659 

Letter   postage   ten   cents 910 

Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition 122 

Lewis.  F.  B. 456 

Levi'is,  James  Hamilton 305 

Lewis,  J.  J 289 

Lewis.    Merriwether    122 

Lewis,  Mrs.  I.  L. 456 

Lewis,  William  288,  573 

Liberty  Bonds,  War  Savings  Stamps, 

etc.,  449 

Lillie,   AI.    286 

Lilly  House,  The  old 414 

Lime    - 640 

Lindsay,    Walter    275 

Lisa,    Manuel    136 

Listman,  Mrs.  G.  J. 906 

List  of  Immigrants  of  1853 202 

List    of    Mayors    and    clerks,    Kenne- 

wick   867 

List  of  Soldiers  from  Mabton 521 

Lister.    Ernest   304.  386 

Literature  of  Indian  life 74 

Lively  debate   at   Business  meeting-_524 

Live   stock  Product,   1917 327 

Livestock    shipments    808 

Livingston,    "Doc"    851 

Livingston   family.  The 204 

"Localizer"   statement   508 


042 


-Localizer"   The    507,  652 

Local    Names    85 

Lodges  (Cle  Eluni) 111 

Lodges,    Ellensburg    685 

Lodges   in   Prosser   at   present 842 

Lodges   in   Yakima    484 

Lodges  of  Sunnyside   802 

Logical   opinion,   A 594 

Lombard,   Henry   432 

Lombard,  Mrs.  Sue 377,  904 

Long,   Philip    456 

Longmire,    David    202.  267,  564,  891 

Longmire,    James    207 

"Looking   Glass"   224 

Loolowcan    212 

Loowit    90 

"Lot  Whitcomb"   330 

Louisiana  Purchase,  The 121 

Lounsdale,  R.  H.  . 540 

Lovejoy,  A.   L.   174 

Lovejoy's   letter   176 

Loveland,    E.    N.    491 

Lowe,  S.  J.   402,  410 

Lowther.   Dr.   Granville   490 

Lucas,   Mrs.   Minnie   906 

Luce,   E.   A.   423 

Luce,    Frank    H.    299 

Lueicr,    Etienne    219 

Ludi,  Frederick 275,  565 

Lum,   C.   A.   848 

Lum,  Mrs.  C.  E. 848 

Lumber    Produced,    1917 328 

Lumber  Shipments  808 

Lundy,  C.  A. 852 

Lyen,   E.  W.   284 

Lyen   family.   The   275 

Lyman,   H.   S 94 

Lyman,   Prof.  W.   D 891 

Lynch,    Daniel    275 

Lynch,    Jay    98,  229,539 

Lynch.  John    H.    423,  890 

Lynch,   Patrick 567 

McArthur,  G.  A.  517,  523 

McAusland,   T.   288 

McBean,    William    229 

McBeth,   Kate   87.  96,  167 

McBride,  Henry 304 

McCandless,    Frank    357 

McCaw.  Samuel 98.  554 

McClellan.    George    B 208 

McComb,  Robert 506 

McConaughy,  Rev.  Frank 475 

McConnell,    C.    B.    852 

McCredic,  Mrs.  R.  C. 904,  907 

McCrimmon,   Needham   Masters 402 


McCrosky,  T.  E. 538 

McCuIlough,    E.   369 

McCullough,    James    204 

McDaniels,  Andy 274 

McDaniels,   Elisha 274 

McDonald,    Dan    275.  363 

McDonald,  E.   R.  525 

McDonald,   Fenton   573 

McDonald,    Finnan    142 

McDonald,   James   573 

McDonalds,   The   799 

McEwen,  C.  E. 402 

McEwen,   John   57! 

McEwen,    J.    H.    573 

McGrath,    P.    C.    780 

McGraw,   Governor 298 

McKay,   Dr.   William   C.   97 

McKay,    Tom    225 

McKee,  Mrs.  J.  S. 906 

McKinley,    Allen    330 

McKinley,   Archibald   199 

McLeod,  Mrs.  Crystal 97 

McLoughlin,    Doctor   John   156,  200 

McLoughlin,   E.    L.   538 

McMorris.    Lewis    242 

McRichards,  Mrs.   Guy  L. 900 

McWhorter.    L.    V 96,  239,  244.  549, 

891,    916 

Mabton    792 

Mabton    "Chronicle"    520,  792 

Mabton,    First    officers    of    792 

Mabton  Gold  Stars 522 

Mabton   officials,   present   792 

Mabton.   Townsite    Co.    792 

Mabton's  War  Work  Allotment 521 

Machine  Shop  for  Prosser 833 

MacKenzie,    .Alexander    135 

Mahan.    Dr.   J.   A.    892 

Mahoney.  Mrs.  M. 535 

Mandarins  want   furs   132 

Mann,    Mrs.    W.    T.    ...l 845 

Mantey,  O.  M.   473 

Many   pioneer  buildings   left   413 

Marine    Gazette    511 

Marks,  J.  P. 456 

Marony,  T.   J.   519 

Marquette    College    413,  473,  478 

Marshall,   W.    I.   175 

Martha  Berry  School 905 

Martin,    Frank    792 

Martin,    J.    W.    560 

Martin,   Joseph   491 

"Mary"    The    330 

Maryland  refuses  to  ratify 120 

Mason,    Allen    C.   896 

Mason,    Governor    241 


INDEX 


943 


Masters,   J.   W.    289,  456 

Mathews,  J.  D. 515 

Matthieu,    Francois    219 

Mattoon,  J.  P.  288,  414 

Mattoon,    Mrs.    Martha    H.    456 

"May  Dacre"  The   161 

May,  Mrs.   L.  J.   257 

May   Start   Dam   by    Christmas 886 

Mayor   Ruiifner   520 

Mayors  and  Clerks.   Ellensburg 700 

Mayors  and  Clerks  of  Prosser  to  date 

831 

Mayor's    Message    (;)97 

Mayor's  powers  and  duties   (Yakima) 

410 

Ma.xon.    Libranis    _.._-4.=.b 

Meacham,  A.   B. 541 

Mead,  C.  S. 363,  456 

Meade,  T.  S. 289 

Meadow  Lark's  Song  Lingers 915 

Meaning  of  Indian  Names 589 

"Me  and   President   Keep   the   Peace" 

_, 259 

Meany.  Prof.   E.   S.   890 

Mearcs.  Capt.  John 114 

Measured  the  rivers   126 

Medill,   J.    D.    485,  513 

Meek,  Joe   163,  219 

Meeker,    Ezra    205 

Meeker-Stevens  controversy 223 

Meigs,   L.  O 486 

Mellen,  C.  S.  400 

Members     Constitutional     Convention 

294 

Members       Kennewick       Commercial 

Club   874 

Memorable    Mid-Winter    ride    176 

Men   in   World    War,    Yakima's   com- 
missioned    450 

Men    Wanted    652 

Menzies,   J.    B.    579 

Meredith,    Frank   490 

Messerly,    Elias    573 

Methods  of  disposing  of  the  dead lOO 

Methods   of   local   management   illus- 
trated    369 

Michener,   C.   B.   528 

Mileage  of  Yakima  Valley  Trans.  Co. 

lines    344 

Mill   burns   577 

Miller,   Alexander   432,  486 

Miller,  Alfred   275 

Miller,   Rev.   C.    E.   520 

Miller,  G.  W. 242 

Miller,  Miss  Josie 851,  915 

Miller,   L,   W.. 517 


-MiUigan,   J.    K.   289 

Mills  576 

Mills,    Billy    575 

Mills,  J.  L.  357 

Milroy,  Judge   R.   B. 401 

■Minerals    639 

Miner-Echo    Publishing    Co.    516 

Miners  come  to  the  front  774 

Miners  elect  officials 784 

Miners'  homes  catch 767 

Mining  in  Yakima  Valley 278 

Minto,   John   _' 97,  218 

Minute  Women  and  Boy  Scouts 791 

Mires.    Austin    357,  565,  892 

Mires,   Mrs.   Austin   568 

Miscellaneous    638 

Miscellaneous  provisions  North  Yak- 
ima Incorporation  Act 412 

Missionary  Period,  The 166 

Missouri  Fur  Company 136 

"Mr.   Greatheart" 199 

Mitchell,    William    204 

Mix,  James   D.   288 

Money   Order   Office    652 

Monroe,  James   121 

Monument    to    1853    immigration 204 

"Mool-Mool"   540 

Moore.    E.    B.    432 

Moore,    Governor    M.    F.   284 

Moore,  Maj.  Robert 509 

"More   Stars   for   Mabton's    Flag 521 

Morgan,  J.   E. 781 

Morgan.  Jock 273,  799 

Moritz,   E.  A.   369 

"Morning   Star"    82 

Morris,   N.   H. 800 

Morrison.  Rev.  and  Family 204 

Morrison.  W.  T.   357.  577 

Aloses    254,  258 

Mosier,   L.   F.   273 

Mothers'   Congress,  The   905 

"Mother"    Whitman    183 

Moulton,  M,  M. 363 

Moving  the   City  (Yakima) 394 

Mowry,  Prof.  William   175 

Moxce   City   786 

Muller.  Sr.,  C. 522 

Municipal    Government    in    Prosscr^_831 

Municipal   ownership   favored 436 

Munn.    David    579 

Murfin.  A.   M.  517 

Murphys,   James,    John    and   William 

267 

Murray,   Mrs.  David 905 

Musical   Club,  The   Ladies   900 

Musical    Program    520 


944 


INDEX 


Mutual   Creamery  Co., 552 

Myors  A.  C 268 

Naches    786 

Kaches-Selah   Canal   352 

Nagle,  Mrs.  H.  H. ^843 

Names  of  advertisers  in  "Herald"    in 
1889 416,  418 

Xamcs  of  chiefs     signing  treaty 264 

Xames   of  contributors   641 

Xames    of   early   steatnboats   330 

Names  of  immigrants  of  1853,  __202,  205 

Xames  of  Mabton  soldiers 521 

X'ames     of     petitioners     for     Kenne- 

wick's  incorporation 861 

Xames     of     present     Yakimans     who 

moved  from  old  town  to  new 402 

Xames    of   presidential    electors.    1892 

298 

Xames    of    river    captains,    pilots    and 

pursurers 332 

Xames  of  schools,  and   district  num- 
bers     458 

Names   of  the   mountain.   The    927 

Xamcs    of   witnesses    to   treaty   sign- 
ing     265 

Xason,  Broshea  and  Doshea 273 

National    League   for  Women's   Serv- 
ice    902 

"Xative   Races,"   Bancroft's   92 

.\ative   races    of   Central    Washington  74 

X'avigation  and  Irrigation 389 

X'egro  Creek  district 64 

Nelson    Ditch    of    1867 352 

Xelson,    John    B.    267.  273 

Xelson,    Stahi,    Kanasket   and    Kitsap 

248 

Nesoutis    915 

X'esselhouse,  .'Kugust 573 

New    Development    (editorial) 518 

Newell,    F.    H 352,  366 

Newell,  Robert ]63,  241 

New    order    of    things,    A 252 

Xewlands,  Senator   F,   G 352 

Xew  railway  lines 342 

Xewspapcr   typewritten   516 

Xewspapers  arrive  twice  yearly 510 

Newspapers  come  around  the  Horn__S10 

Newspapers    of   other    towns 516 

Newspapers   of  Yakima   Valley 496 

.  Xcz  Perce  war  in  the  Wallowa  in  77  254 

Nichols,    Miss    Lucy   414 

Nichols.  Mrs.  Anna  R. 455 

Nichols,   Mrs.   R.   C.   ^905 

Nickel  and  quicksilver 66 

Nickel    Ledge    "_  _'  53 


Xi.xon,  Dr.  O.  W _  175 

Xoble,  T.  K. 366 

Norman,    W.    H.    303 

North  Coast  Railroad  Co 344 

Northern   Pacific   begun   337 

Northern    Pacific    Company,    The 530 

Northern  Pacific  Irrigation  Co.— 363,  916 
-Northern   Pacific,   Yakima  and   Kitti- 
tas   Irrigation    Co 797 

"Northwest  Forum"   514 

North-West    Fur    Company 142 

Xorthwestern       Improvement      Com- 
pany     355 

Xorthwcst    Light   &   Water   Co.    fran- 
chise   436 

Xorthwestern    Magazine,   The   -_796,  376 

Xorthwestern   Stage  Company 336 

Xorth    Yakima,   Act   to    incorporate^_404 
Xorth  Yakima,  Founding  and  growth 

of 392 

Xorth      Yakima      (From      Oregonian, 

Jan.  '89)   419 

Xorth  Yakima  oflicials 441 

Xorth     Yakima     townsite     lands     set 

aside   395 

Xoticc    (Cascade    district),   628 

Xotice   to   shareholders   of  Sunnyside 

Water    Lisers    .Association 369 

Xotice:     To  whom  it  may  concern-_596 

Xourse,   M.  F. 559 

Number    of    teachers    in    each    school 

district   458 

-Xuttall,  Thomas 161 

Oakes,    ZiUah    795 

O'Brien,    F.    J.    ;"]364 

"Observer."  The 517 

Odell.   J.   W.    288 

Odencal.   T.    B.   541 

Offers  of  help   (to  Cle  Elum) 769 

Oflicers'    bonds    filed 750 

Officers   Chamber   of  Commerce 730 

Officers    elected    in    Yakima    County. 

1868 285 

Ofticcrs  Kennewick  Commercial  Club  873 

Officers  of  Grandview 807 

Ofticers   of   Kittitas   Pioneers 892 

Official  results 776 

O'Hara.  Rev.  E.  V 187 

O'Larcy.   E.   J.    .-"-538 

Old    churches 413 

Oldest  house   in   Yakima   Valley 793 

Oldest    Indians    interviewed    854 

Old  grist  mill  on  Simcoe  Creek 558 

Olding,  J.   G. 569 

Olds.   D.   F.    791 


INDEX 


945 


Old  times  in   the  Yakima  Valley 909 

"Old   Whitehead"  200 

O'Leary,  E.  J. 886 

Olmstead,  J.   D 573 

Olmstead,  Phil 572,575 

Olmstead,  S.   B 571 

Olney,   Frank   85,  554 

Olney,    Nathan   98,  240,  273 

Olney,    Nealy    557 

Olney,    William    85 

"Olympia   Columbian"  511 

O'Malley,       Dan,       discovers      Indian 

burying   ground   854 

One  hundred  and  thirty-one  cars  ap- 
ples     888 

O'Neil,  James  218 

O'Neil,  Miss  M. 456 

One  Sluskin  hanged 927 

One  thousand  men  to  the  front 584 

"Only  $1500.   for   soldier  morale" 520 

Only   partial  darkness   769 

On   the    tip   of   Mt.   Adams 40 

Orchard    gardening,    Profits    in 804 

Orcharding    source    of    profit 804 

Ord,    Capt.    E.    O.    C 241 

Ordinances    (No.   Yakima) 411 

"Oregon   Dragoons,"   The   195 

"Oregon    fever,"    The    201 

Oregonian  writes  up  North  Yakima-_419 

"Oregon  or  the  grave" 195 

O.  S.  N.  Company 331 

Oregon  "Spectator"   507 

O.-W.  Railway  &  Navigation   Co 343 

Organizing   Pioneers    Association 890 

Origin  of  fire  (Cle  Elum) 764 

Origin  of  Names   86 

Other    crops    552 

Other  white  men  came 926 

Outbreak  of  war 238 

Outline    history   of   Reservation    539 

Over  the  top  the  first  day 522 

Owens.    D.    W.,   "Dad    Owens," 859 

Owens,  H.  K. 364 

Owhigh   213 

Owhi.   Leschi  and   Kamiakin   224 

Pacific    Fur    Company   138 

Pacific  Light  &  Power   Company 356 

Pacius,    B.    C.   520 

Pacius,    B.    J.    792 

Packwood,   H. 573 

Packwood,  S.  T. 357 

Page,    Henry    491 

Pahotacute.  Battle  of 241 

Paino.   Thomas   162 


Painter,    Margaretta   568 

Painter,  Margaretta  A. 509 

Painter,    Philip   509 

Palmer,   General  225 

Palmer,   Mrs.   L.   B.   481 

Pambrun,    Pierre    160 

Pandosy,  Father 227 

Papers  of  other  towns ^516 

Parker,  Dr.  Samuel 169,  178 

Parker,   Fred  395 

Parker,    Russell    525 

Parker,   William    273,    793 

Parish,  G.  W. , 288,  455,  573 

Pasco   leads    the   way   389 

Pastors    in    1902,    Yakima's 483 

Pastors   in   Yakima,    1918 483 

Patriotic  day  at  fair 489 

Paving   improvements   447 

Pay  of  county  officers 599,600 

Parker    Bottom    793 

Parent-Teachers'  Associations   905 

Pastors   of  Sunnyside   churches 801 

"Pea    Greene"    538 

"Peace    and    its    meaning"    519 

Peace    celebration    519 

Pearson,  A.  B.,  House  of 414 

Pearson,  the  express  rider 231 

Peck,  J.   P 579 

Peed.  W.  J.  681 

Pel!,  Gilbert 273 

Pengruber,  Agnes   (Ward) 910 

P.    E.    O.    906 

People's  ticket  won   (Yakima)   434 

"Peoria  Party,"  The 173 

Period  of  Indian  wars    222 

Perkins,    Lorenzo    257 

Perkins  murder.  The 255 

Perry.     Hugh    573 

Perry,  J.  M.  573 

Perry,   Mrs.   J.    M.   904 

Personal   mentions  in  "Courier,"   1903 

,__.856 

Personals    652 

Peshastin   District   62 

Peshastin   formation   58 

Petition   for  division 595 

Petrographic    characters   60 

Pcupeumoxmox,    Chief 184,224 

Petition   for  incorporation    860 

Petition   (Cascade  district)   628 

Phillips,  W.  W.  95 

Physical  and  aboriginal  history 33 

Picnic   to   Swauk   658 

Piendl.   Henry 522 

Pierce    County's   display    (Fair) 491 


946 


INDEX 


Pierce,   Thomas    275 

Pike,    Mr';.   Granville    Ross 904 

Pioneer    380,    S9S 

Pioneer      Association      for      Yakima 
County    890 

Pioneer   buildings   left   413 

Pioneers,  camp  iires   and   talkfests__-890 

Pioneer  journalism   510 

Pioneer  life  in   the  valley 589 

Pioneer  meeting,  to  organize 499 

Pioneer   merchants   780 

Pioneer  stage  lines.  The 335 

Pitman,   F.   L,   843 

Plans  complete  for  registering 524 

Piatt,    Miss    Lima    792 

Pleasant    Bounds    house    414 

Poetry  of   Irrigation 37(i 

Pohotecute,   or   Pahquytecoot 787 

Poindexter,    Miles   304 

Police  department 443 

Political   history,   Benton    Co 736 

Political  history,   Kittitas   Co 592 

Pond,  C.  B., 780 

Poppleton.  Irene  Lincoln  331 

Population  figures,  1889-1890 295 

Populist  and   prohibition   votes 299 

Porter,   James    M.    178 

Portia   Club   901 

Postoffice    established    780 

Postoffice  in  Shoudy's  store 574 

Potatoes  by  carload 805 

Potato  crop,  $3,364 803 

Potatoes,  eight  to  twelve  tons  to  acre 

552 

Potatoes,    "Home    of    the    Great    Big 

Baked" 552 

Potato    Growers'    .Association 792 

Poultry  awards  (Fair) 492 

Powder  at  $50.00  per  hundred 181 

Powell,    Luke    889 

Powers,   I.   N.   342 

Powers  of  the  corporation   (Yakima)  404 

Pratt,  A.  J,  289,  480 

Pratt,   Eben   480 

Pratt,   G.  W.   456 

Pratt,  Mrs.  Hanna 480 

Preempt  a  claim 913 

Prentiss,   Narcissa   169 

Preparing  the  bread  root 587 

Prc-railroad    facts    679 

Present   officers   of   Granger    798 

Present  officials  of  Sunnyside SOO 

Present      residents     of    Yakima     who 

moved   from  old  to  new  town 402 

Presidential   electors,   1892 298 

Presidential   electors,    1904   615 


Press  in   Benton  County,   The 525 

Press  of  Yakima   Valley,   The   496 

Pre-Tertiary   Periods   54 

Pre-Tertiary   rocks 57 

Press,   The,   in  smaller  towns 517 

Prevost,    J.    B.    147 

Priddy,   D.    C.   887 

Principal    Crops    552 

Principals  of  the  Academy 474 

Pringle,  Mrs.  C.  S.,  on  Whitman 182 

Prior,    Robert    492 

Private    irrigation    enterprises,    Sum- 
mary of 365 

Private  irrigation  systems 352 

Private  school  by  Mrs.  Rich 911 

Private  schools,  Yakima  Count}' 473 

Proclamation  of  statehood 294 

Productions    797 

Profiteering,   Would   eliminate 386 

F'rofit  in   orcharding 804 

Profits  of  the  fur  business 133 

Prosch,  Thomas  W. 238,  251 

Prospects  better  than  ever 388 

Prospects    are    good    for    government 

irrigation     838 

Prosser    811 

Prosser  "American"   525 

Prosser  boy  wins  on  corn 494 

Prosser  celebrates  July  4,  '84 911 

Prosser  churches  at  present  842 

Prosser    Community    Club    812 

Prosser,    Facts    about    530 

Prosser  Falls  "Bulletin" 528 

Prosser     Falls     Irrigation     Company 
355,  520;  improvements  814,  830 

Proser    papers,    525 

Prosser    Publishing    Co.    .535 

Prosser   "Record"    525 

Prosser's  water  power 531 

Prosser   to   .Ainsworth,   fare   $5.00 910 

Prosser  Townsite.   The   813 

Prosser.    W.    F.    277,  355,  485,  812 

Protection   to   person   and   property__443 

Provenchcr.    Doctor   186 

Provisional  government  217;   institut- 
ed     197 

Public  acts  of  58th   Congress 545 

Public   Educational    Order   906 

Publications,  Yakima  and   Ellcnsburg 

; 512 

Public  I'tilities,  Toppenish 790 

Pumping   system   installed   857 

Pnrdy   Flint   house.  The   old 414 

Qualchan    238.  917 

(juicksilver  and  Nickel 66 


Quiemuth   and    Leschi   : 248 

Quiltenenock    233 

Quilting   bees   899 

Races  at  1918  Fair 489 

Races  native  to  Central  Washington.  74 

Raiberti,  Jean  Baptiste 190 

Railroads    632 

Railroad  Age.  The 336 

Railroad    Commission,    The    748 

Railroad  completed  to  Prosser 911 

Rainfall,   Variation   of   347 

Rains,   Major  239 

Randall,  Amasa  S. 516 

Randall.    U.    M.    516 

Randalls.  A.  S.  and  U.  M. 508 

Rankin.   George  S. ' 344,  361 

Ratification  of  Trustee  acts 397 

Raymond,    Mrs.    Charlotte    906 

Reavis,  J.   B. 360.  401 

Rebuilding   our   burned   city   772 

Reclamation  act 352 

Reclamation  era 382 

Reclamation    payments    extended 373 

Recollections   of   Kennewick 912 

Recollections  of  O.   A.   Fechter 892 

Record   of   elections    751 

"Record-Press."  The 508,  515 

Record  Publishing  Co 497,  515 

Recreation  parks   446 

Record  of  disaster 146 

Rector.   William    200 

Red   Cross   arrives 769 

Red  Cross  notes 522 

Red  Cross  work  of  Home  Economics 

Club    902 

Redfield.  T.  J. 410 

Redman.  W.   H.  371 

Red  Wolf 231 

Reed,   Charles   B. 567 

Reed,   D.   C.   457 

Reed.    E.    M.    506 

Reed,   Miss  Emily 377 

Reed,  Fred 355,  484,  896 

Reed,    Mrs.    Mary    480 

Reed,  Walter  J.  762 

Reeser,   Mr.   573 

Relief  work  starts  (Clc  Elum  firc')„768 
Registrars  and  places  of  registration_524 
"Republic"  gives  list  of  commissioned 

men    4.50 

"Republican-Bulletin"    525,  .528,  812 

Reservation     ships     about    8,000    cars 

yearly    555 

Resolutions  for  and  against  railroad-338 


Result    of    first    election    in    Yakima 

county    285 

Results  attained   (Sunnyside)   803 

Results  of  1890  election   605 

Results  of  races 490 

Return  to  Pendleton 910 

Ricard,   Rev.   Father 240 

Rich.    Nelson    277,  364,  813,  910 

Richards,   G.  W. 491 

Richards,   N.   C.   486 

Richland    "Advocate"    538,  885 

Richland   incorporates   884 

Richland  school  board 884 

Richland   Festival,  The 885 

Richland,   Hanford  and  White   Bluflfs 

sections    364 

Richmond.   Mrs.   271 

Riddle  for  historian,  A 924 

Riggs,  H.  B. 432 

Riot     of     fun     as     Elks     invade     Fair 

Grounds    489 

River  business  enormous  in   1863 332 

Road   metal    69 

"Robbers'  Roost" 272.  510.  508 

Robbins.  Dr.  John 573 

Roberts,   Jack   277 

Roberts.    Mrs.    May    j> 906 

Robertson.  Col.  W.  W. 502,  506,  904 

Robinson.    A.    B.    250 

Robinson,   E,  T. 791 

Robinson.   George   573 

Robinson.  Thomas   R.   525 

Rocky    Mountain    Fur    Company 158 

Rode    Indian    Cayuses    925 

Rodman,  G.   E. 370 

Rogers,    Cornelius    174 

Rose    Society    formed    903 

Roselle,   John   565 

Rosencrantz,    Ben    277 

Ross,    Alexander    148,   164.  564 

Ross,   Mrs,  Mary  A.   491 

Ross.   S.   M.   491 

Roslyn    777 

Roslyn    Bank   Robbed   777 

Roslyn    Basin    66 

Roslyn   Commercial  Club   781 

Roslyn    churches    781 

Roslyn  drill  squad  out 768 

Roslyn    incorporated    782 

"Roslyn    Miner"   516 

Roslyn    "News"    516 

Rousch,  H.  G. 801 

Rowland.    Mary    T.    569 

Rozelle.  John  and  family 275 

Ruckle   &   Olmstcad   331 


048 


INDEX 


Kudkin,  J.  J.  363 

Rudow,   L.   A.   860 

Kudow,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  C. 860 

Running   true    to    form    (Germany)__518 

Rusk,   C.   E. 528 

Russia    wakes    up    107 

Sacrifices    required    476 

Sagebrush    everj-where    912 

Sager  children  taken  in  by  Whitmans 

Sahale    90 

St.   Elizabeth's   Hospital  413 

Saint,  H.  Y. 486 

St.  Joseph's   Academy  for   GirIs-190,  473 

St.    Joseph's    Catholic    church 478 

St.  Joseph's  Mission 188,  189 

St.  Onge,  Father 541 

St.    Peter's    Mission    188 

St.  Rose's  Mission 189 

Saloons   open   day.   night  and   Sunday 

897 

Sampson,  \V.   C. 537 

Sanders,  C.  A. 573,  377 

Sanders'    Mill    652 

Sanderson,    C.    E.    377 

Sanitation    and    promotion    of   cleanli- 
ness     445 

Sargent,  Nelson   205 

Sargent,    Asher    205 

Saunders,   Professor   49 

Sawmill    built    373 

Sawyer,  W.  P. 188,  363 

Sawyer,   W.   \V.    804 

Saylor,  Fred  A. 90,  95 

Schanno,   Charles   276,  371,  353,  394 

Schanno,    Joseph 276,     280,  383,  394 

Schisthl  and  Schorn   402 

Schlosser,     R.     K.    803 

Schmidt,    John    567 

Schnebly,   Charles   567 

Schnebly,  D.  J. 288,  507,  567 

Schnebly,    Dors    259 

Schnebly,  F.  D. 260,  508 

Schnebly,  Henry 567,  892 

Schnebly,   Jean    568 

Schnebly,   J.    R.    456 

Schneblys,    The    510 

School  board   708;   of  1902 4,58 

School    districts,   valuation,   etc 317 

School  districts,  Yakima  county,  1919- 

•20   458 

Schools    455:    at    Konnewick    849;    at 
Wapato    7Si^ 


Schools,       churches       and       societies, 
Kennewick  871;  of  Yakima  454;  of 

Ellensburg   703 

Schools   (Cle  Elum)   777 

Schools   of  county   (Benton),  757;   of 
Grandview   805;    of    Prosser,    Present 

842;  of  Sunnyside   801 

Schools,   private,   in   Yakima    County_473 

School  statistics   1918,  Yakima 458 

Schulze.  Paul 359,  399,  795 

Schwingler,  Herman 357 

Scudder,  11.  B. 344 

Scudder,  Alice  B. 473 

Second    county    display    491 

Secretaries   of  the   Territory   307 

Secretary  of  War   Porter 178 

Secret   Societies   in   Prosser,    1905 842 

Sedimentation    56 

Segregation   of  warrants,   June,    1918  442 

Selah   Gap  and   Painted   Rocks 783 

Selah-Moxee    Canal    361 

Selah    "Optimist"    517 

Selah,    Town   of   785 

Selah  Valley  Canal  898 

Selah    Valley    Ditch    Company    353 

Semi-Underground   houses   101 

Senator   Jones   back   of  irrigation 391 

Sercombe,    Mr.    and    Mrs.    J 860 

Servoss.    Fred    491 

Settlements  and  occupations 848 

Seventh  Day  Advcntist  School 473 

-Shabbiest"    213 

Sharp,  J.   P.   289 

Sharp.    W.    A.    781 

Sharpc,    Harrj-    S.    376 

Sharpstein,   B.  L 288 

Shaser,   George  570 

Shaughnessey,  W.  J. .538 

Shaw,    Captain    182 

Shaw,  Colonel,  B.  F. 244 

Shaw,  Mrs.  A.  J. 414 

Shellers.  J.   B.  804 

Sheridan.    Philip    H.    241 

Sheriff  on  scene   (Cle   Elum^   768 

Sheriff's  posse  trace  robbers 780 

Sherman,  John   852 

Shipments.     1917,    from    Yakima    and 

Benton  Counties 807 

Shluskin    927 

Shock.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 204 

Shooshooskin.    589 

Short    Xotcs    653 

Shot    at    498 

Shoudy.   John   A.   272,  568,  576 


949 


ShuU,  J.  \V.  410 

Shultz,    William    491 

Shushuskin   raises   first  garden 565 

-Sicade,   Henry 98 

"Signal,"   The   502 

Silver  and  Copper 65 

Simmons.    Captain   James    259,  277 

Simmons-Vaughn   ditch    353 

Simpson,   Mrs,  S,   L. 456 

Simpson,    Sir    George    20O 

Sinclair,   Mrs.   R.   C.    906 

Size   of   Columbia    River   119 

Skloom    233 

Slaughter.     Lieutenant    239 

Slemmons.    .Arthur    L.   515 

Slemmons,   Mrs.   890 

Sluskin    died    in    1917 923 

.Sluskin  neither  lies  nor  steals 922 

Sluskin  no  relation  to  Shluskin 927 

Sluskin     on     "guiding     two     men     to 

white    mountain"    923 

Sluskin's    age    not    known    921 

Sluskin's  last  public  talk 923 

Sluskin's    passion    for    good    horses. .922 

Sluskin's   true   narrative   923 

Smaller   river  towns   celebrate   883 

Smith,    A.    B.    174 

Smith,    Birdie    Clareta    569 

Smith,  C.  .A 513.  848 

Smith,    E.    L.    97 

Smith,   Edward  P.   230 

Smith,    George    . 567 

Smith.  George  Otis 51 

Smith.    G.   W.   572 

Smith.  Hal.  S.   517 

Smith,   Harlan  T.   98.  847 

Smith.   Jedadiah   159 

Smith.  Jcflf 567 

Smith,    Joseph    183 

Smith,   Sherman   357 

Smith,   Silas   109 

Smithson,  J.   H.   357 

Smohalla  laughs  it  oH 269 

Smyser.  Prof.  Selden 569.  892 

Snake  River  project  has  advantages_-390 

Snelling,    Benjamin   268 

Snipes  &   Co.   Bank  fails 342 

Snipes.    Ben    267,  779 

Snively,    Harry   492 

Snively.  Henry  J. 299.  781 

Snowfall.    Range    of   347 

Snyder,    Mrs.    Nona    904 

Societies,     Ellensburg    703 

Societies  of  Yakima" 454 

Soda  Springs,  786 

Soil    796 


Soldiers  from   Mabton,  List  of 521 

Some   steps   in   municipal   life 413 

Sonderman    Mr.    846 

Song  of  Dust  Demons 378 

Song  of  the  Demons 381 

Song  of  the  Engineers 383 

Song   of   the    Waterwheel   382 

Sons  of  American   Revolution   891 

Soots,  O.  C. 484 

Sowles,   Capt,   Cornelius   140 

Spain's    opoprtunity    110 

Spalding  Rev.  H.  H. 169 

Special   campaigns   432 

Special  edition   of  Wapato  "Indepen- 
dent"   . 523 

Special  election  Feb.,   1891  606 

Special  election  of   1889   295 

Special   meeting    county    commission- 
ers     , 630 

"Spectator,"   Sketch   of,   Bancroft's  _.5I0 

Spcelyi   87 

Spencer.  Lancaster 556 

Sperry,    L.    E.    acquires    "Republican" 

501 

Splawn,    A.    J.    97,  267,  344,  486,  564,  891 

Splawn,  A.  J.,  on  Wilbur 541 

Splawn,  Capt.  W.  L. 258 

Splawn,   Charles  A.   ..-270,  276,  284,  564 

Splawn,  Judge  Charles 567 

Splawn,  Viola   566 

Splawn's    "Kamiakin"    232 

Splawns,   The   270 

Spoflford,    C.    A.    79S 

"Spokan."   The   on   Snake   River  line  499 

Sports,  The  (at  Prosser) 837 

Sproull,  W.  R. 528,  535 

"Squaw    Men"    among    first   comers 267 

Squibb,   H.   L.   843 

Squire,  Watson  C. 298 

Stacy,   Martin  Van  Buren 896 

Stahi,   Kanasket  and   Kitsap   248 

Stair,  D.  W. 371,  457 

Stair,    Mrs.   Ella   Parker   457 

Standard    Directory    646 

"Standard."  The.  correspondence  from 

583 

Starkey,   William   491 

"Star   of   Oregon,"    The    196 

Starting   of  the   fur   trade 132 

Start  on   return   journey   128 

State   Fair  of  Washington   487 

State    Fair,   The   487 

Statehood,    605 

State  Normal  School 455 

State  officers,  vote  for,   1892 299 

State   projects   368 


950 


INDEX 


Statistics,    Some    concluding    326 

Steamboat  Era,  The 329 

Steamers.  Names  of  early 330 

Steinweg.    Mrs.   S.    E.    899 

Steinweg,    W.    L.    415.  485 

Stelling.   Jacob    491 

Steptoe.  Colonel  E.  T. 245.  251 

Steptoe's   defeat    253 

Sterling,    Guy    371 

Sterling,  S.  T 289 

Stevens  appointed  governor 283 

Stevens.  A.  W. 574 

Stevens,  Gen.  Hazard,  223,  891 

Stevens,  Gov.  I.  I.  209,  223,  226 

Stevens,  J.  H.  920 

Stevens.  Mitchel 575 

Stevens,  \V.  A.  573 

Stevenson.   J.   \V.    275.  289 

Stewart.  Charles 275 

Stewart.  J.  K. 781 

Stewart.  Mary  Ellen 368 

Sticcas    235 

Stiles.   L.   I.   473 

Stockades,    The    586 

Stockmen.  Some  first 581 

Stone,  John  A.  898 

Stone.   Rev.  W.  W.   516 

Storage   now   developed   551 

Storage  water 370.  550.  570 

Stories  of  the  fur  traders. 147 

Storrs.  L.  S 68 

'"Stovepipe  Canal"   848 

Story  of  earlj'  days  256 

Strahoon.    Robert    343 

"Strait   of   Horrors"   200 

Strobach.    Richard    371.  414.  922 

Strong.  William 241 

Stuart,  David 142 

Stuart,   James   374 

Stuart.    John    142 

Stuart.    Robert    142 

Students  of  Indian  Myths 91 

Stwires.    Chief   delivers    an   address— 891 

Subscription   School   665 

Substitute  for  coffee 590 

Sugar  at  $50.00   per   hundred 181 

Sugar  beets   552 

Sugar  beets   produced.   1917.   32S 

Sugar  beets  shipped 809 

Sulktalthscosum    CMoses)   224 

Sullivan.    M.    C.    780 

Summary   of  engineers   report 626 

Summary  of  private  enterprises 365 

Summers  airs  views  on  irrigation 388 

Summers  and  Jones  working  for  irri- 
gation     388 


Summers.    Dr.   John   W.   388 

Summers   favors  other  projects  also-390 

Sunday  school  started 479 

Sunnyside   and   Grandview   798 

Sunnyside    Canal    359.  517 

Sininyside   Commercial   Club 803 

Sunnyside    incorporated    780 

Sunnyside    Library    802 

Sunnyside    Products   803 

Sunnyside    Project    324 

Sunnyside    projects    and    extensions 369 

Sunnyside    "Sun"    517,  802 

Sunnyside   "Times"   517 

Sunnyside    ^\"ater   Users'   Association 

report    370 

.Surprise   party,    A    859 

Swan.  James   G. 92 

Swauk   District   M 

Sweeps    onward    (Cle    Elum    fire) 766 

Swig-art.  C.  H. 366,  374 

Switchback  completed  in  '88 338 

Tahoma    Cemetery    446 

Tahoma    is    "White     Mountain"    927 

Tall  and  Short  Strangers.  The 924 

Tamsaky     225 

Tamahas  wields  tomahawk 185 

Tampico    786 

Tanner.    Miss    Alice    479 

Tanner.  Elisha 276.  474.  479.  480 

"Tasted  bread  for  first  time" 926 

Taylor.   E.  W.   R.  §88 

Taylor.    George    275 

Tavlor.   Mr.  and   Mrs.  William 

566,  569.  892 

Taylor's    experiences    with    Enamese- 

chee    Bill    586 

Taylors.    The    277 

Tea  made  from  berries 926 

Teaching  force   at   Wapato   788 

Teachers  in    Roslyn   Public   Schools-.709 
Teachers  of  Benton  County,  1918-19.758 
Teachers    of    Yakima    County.    Direc- 
tory   of    460 

Teachers    receiving    "Licenses"    1869- 

72    1 456 

"Te-he"    847 

Telephone  wires  open   769 

Ten  acres  enough  797 

"Tenderfoot"  takes  a  trip 582 

Tenneson.   .Mice    M.   377 

Ten  per  cent  made  on  $1500  per  acre 

valuation     804 

Terms  of  Sale 797 

Territorial  Associate  Justices 308 

Territorial  Att'v-General 308 


INDEX 


951 


Territorial   Auditors   308 

Territorial    Chief   Justices   308 

Territorial  Treasurers   307 

Territorial  delegates  in   Congress 306 

Territorial  Officers 646 

Territorial  legislature  of  1858 283 

Tertiary  Period,  Eocene  Epoch 56 

Thomas.    Mrs.    Sam    572 

"These      are      an      American's      pass- 
ports"     197 

Thiele,  A.  J. 525 

Thompson,   David   135 

Thompson,  T.   B.   851.  914 

Thompson,   Mrs.  Albert  J  480 

Thompson,   R.   R.   330 

Thomas   Adj.   Gen.    244 

Thornton,  J.  Q.   220 

Thorn,    Capt,   Jonathan 140 

Thorp,  Dulcena  Helen 270,  566 

Thorp.    F.    Mortimer    267,  284.  565 

Thorp.  Major  John 271 

Thorp,  Mrs.  Philena  (Henson) 267 

Thorp.   Melissa    566 

Thorp.    Leonard    267.  288,  352.  457 

Thorp.   Rulus   Clifford  566 

Thorp  helps 111 

Thorp.  Village   of 784 

Three  Thousand  acres  to  sugar  beets 

552 

"Three-ring   circus"   The 297,   610 

Three   Spanish   Voyages   111 

Three  principal  gold-mining  districts    f)l 

Three  ways  of  cooking 589 

Threshed    Grain   638 

Tieton    Project    325,  372 

Tiffany.   R.   K.   349.  360 

Tigards.    The    276 

Tilaukait  talks  to  ^Vhitman 185 

Tjosscm    Mill.   The   365 

Tjossem.   R.   P 577 

Timber   lands   on   reservation 559 

"Tisanawa.  witch  doctor" 918 

Tisunya    917 

To    alfalfa    growers    858 

Toby   and    Nancy    588 

To  keep  open  house 414 

Tolmie.  Dr.  W.  F. 205 

"Tomanowas    Bridge"   89 

Tomatoes  from   half-acre  S500 803 

Tomlinson.  John 520 

Toppenish     789 

Toppenish   boys   answer   last   call 520 

Toppenish  Commercial  Club 550 

Toppenish  over  top  in   Liberty  Loan 

791 

Toppenish  "Review" 517 


Toppenish  Schools  and  Churches 790 

Toppenish    "Tribune"    519 

Town  and  County 651 

Town     and     County      (From     Wena- 

chie)    583 

Town  almost  depopulated 916 

"Town"   Canal,  The  575 

Town    Building 907 

Towns  on  North  Side  of  River 793 

Town  was  wide  open 897 

Townsend,  J.  K. 161 

Towtownahhee    Monument   923 

Tough  place  at  first 403 

Town    hidden    by    Foliage    893 

Townsen,   Miss   Frances 904 

•Tragedy  of  Leschi,"  The 223 

Transcript   of   proceedings   626 

Transient  Papers,  Yakima  and  Ellens- 
burg   515 

Transportation  Age,  The  — ' 329 

Trappers,  Hunters,  Trail-makers 131 

Treaty  with  Yakimas,  1855 260 

"Tribune."    The    ..517 

Troglodytes   514 

Trustees  chamber  of  Commerce 730 

Trustee   property.    North   Yakima 397 

Tuesley,    George    F.   506 

Turner.   George 298,  304 

Turner,   Miss   Pauline    489 

Turner,  Robert  A. 515 

T'VauIt.    Col.  William  510 

Twentieth  Century  Club 901 

"Two  Battles" 905 

Two  bridges  built 574 

Two  factions 415 

Two  hotels  built  800 

Two    Noted     Contemporary    Yakima 

Chiefs     916 

Two    thousand    five    hundred    dollars 

from  ten  acres  potatoes 805 

Twinite    921 

Two  tons   of  potatoes   from   li  x  85 

feet   803 

"Twice-a-week    News."    The    515 

Tyler.   President   174.   178 

Tyler.  Walter  E.   535 

Tyler.    W.    D.    35? 

l"dell,   Mrs.   C.   E.   90S 

Udell.    Mrs.   Alberta   906 

"Umatilla."  The  330 

I'.  S.  attorneys  in  territory 307 

U.  S.  marshals  in  territory 307 

U.  S.  postoffice  established 573 

U.   S.  surveyors  general  in   territory_307 
United  Mine  Workers'  election 783 


INDEX 


I'nion  Gap   Irrigation   Co. 374 

I'nion  Pacific    Railroad    Co.    344 

I'nion  of   North-West   and    Hudson's 

Bay  Companies    155 

■•\'ale"  and  "Greetings,"  ("Bulletin") 
534 

"Vale"  of  George  and  Alice  Boomer 
526 

Valedictory,    Schnebly's    -508 

Value  of  exports,  1917 -523 

Value  of  reservation  crops 555 

Van  Amberg,  Mrs.  Jessamine 906 

Van  .-Antwerp,   Ira 911 

Vance,    George    900 

Vance,   R.   M,   484 

Vancouver,  Capt.  George 117 

Van  Brunt,  Mrs.  Ed 906 

Van   Marter,  J.   G.   3.-i5 

Van  Vleet,  Prtffessor 473 

Varied  spellings  of  names 75 

Varney,    Mrs.   A.    C.    905 

Vaughn,  John 567 

Vaughn,   Thomas    277.  456 

Vegetables     —638;     produced,      1917, 

326;  shipments 807 

"Venture,"    The    330 

Verity,   A.    C.    534 

Verity,  A.  E. 534 

Verran,   William   522,  557 

Victor,  Mrs.  F.  F. 175 

Victory    of    the    Volunteers    244 

ViUard,  Henry 337,  795 

"Visions    Fumiled"    377 

Vivian,    Mrs.   Alice   479 

Voice,  J.  E. 573 

Volume  shipping  over  Yakima  Valley 

Trans.   Co.   lines,   1917   344 

von  Winkel,  W. 49 

Voorhees,   Charles,  291;  Delegate 507 

Vote  of  1870  for  county  seat 287 

Vote  to  locate   school  house 910 

\^oyageurs  and  Coureurs  des  bois  — 145 

AVade,  Walter   520 

Waiilatpu    172 

W'ake,    George   T.    782 

Wakker,   Letitia   456 

Walden,   Freeman   794 

Walker,   Charles 288 

Walker.  C.  B. 573 

Walker,  Cyrus    258 

AValker,  I.    R.    162 

Walker,  R.  C. 796 

Walker,  Rev.  Elkanah 174 

Walker,  William    167 


Wallace.  J.  R.   

Walla    Walla    Bulletin 


Irrigation 

....    386,  2 


Walla   Walla  campaign 
Waller,    Rev.   A.   F.   .... 

Ward,  M.  A.  

Ward,  Michael    


242 

221 

812 

910 

Warnecke,    Mrs.   Emma   813,  909 

Warnecke.  Fred 813 

Walsh,  J.  F. 373- 

"Want   swap   coat?   Want  swap 

horse?"     212 

War  organizations 906 

Wapato   788 

Wapato    churches    789 

Wapato  "Independent"   : 522 

Wapato   project   325 

Wapatox  Canal,  The 362' 

Warbass,    Mr.    273 

Warburton,  Congressman 486 

War  chiefs  of  the  Indians 224 

War  Eagle 224 

Ward    Brothers    402 

Warren   gets  "justice"   281 

Warrior  General  Vein  63 

W»r   of   1812,   the   climax 147 

War  on    the    railroad.    The 338 

War  Savings  Stamps,  Liberty  Bonds, 

etc.    449 

"W'asco,"    the    steamer    330 

Washington  Irrigation    Co.    360 

Washington  "Historical  Quarterly"--923 

Washington  Lodging    House    858 

Washington  Irrigation  Co.,  Letter  tO-794 

Washington  "Sentinel"    514 

\\'ashington  State  Fair 449 

Washington  State  Normal  School 710 

Washington  universally  "wet" 908 

Water  question.    The    695 

W'ater  systems ^ 446 

Water  transportation 345 

Watson,  H.    R.    534 

Watson.  Mrs.    Halsey    906 

Watt,  Aaron   E.   510 

Webster,  Daniel 178 

Weed.  A.  B. 401,  410,  432,  485 

"Weekly   Epigram"   513 

"Weekly  Record,"  The,  First  Number 

of    890 

Weekly   "Free   Press"   513 

Week's   average   good    (fair) 495 

Wehe.  A.  F .525 

Weikel,    George    371 

Weller,   Martin  533 

Wells,  J.  H. 357 

West    Kittitas    Canal 356. 


INDEX 


953- 


W'estport.  Mo.,  starting  point 198 

West  Side   Canal  575 

Weyallup's   Memorial  to  "higher  offi- 
cials"     919 

Weyallup  Wayacika  917 

■Wheat   Chart"  Jones  299 

Wheat  25c  in  Walla  Walla 342 

Wheeler,  A. 570 

Wheeler    Blockhouse.   The 569 

Wheeler,  C.    H.    573 

Wheeler,  Charles    569,  571 

Wheeler,  Olin    D.    124 

Wheeler,  George    571 

White    Bluffs   "Spokesman"    538,   886 

"White    Eagle"    156 

White,-  Charles  A 285 

White,  Fred    273 

White   Bluffs 886 

White    Elephant,"    The 848 

White  Swan 548 

Whitfield,  W.  G. 781 

Whitman  becomes   lost 177 

Whitman   goes   to   Boston 179 

Whitman,   Perrin   B.   179 

Whitman's  letter  to  Secretary  Porter_179 

Whitman  massacre.    The    184 

Whitman   Mission    185 

Whitman  College    169 

Whitman  controversy.   The 175 

Whitman's  diary,  Mrs. 169 

Whitman,   Marcus    164,   169 

Whitman,  Alice    Clarissa    172 

W^hitney,  F.  C.  &  Son 514 

Whitson,   Mrs.    Edward 891 

Whitson.  A.   B. 568 

Whitson,  Edward    

288,  344,  360,  394.  410.  484.  892 

Whitsons.  Edward  and  Albert 568 

"Who   drank  whisky   off  Peupeumox- 

niox'   ears?"   243 

"Who  was  the  Jonah?" 434 

Whyama    i 87 

Wigle,    Dan    571 

Wilbur,    James    H 190,  255,  540 

Wilbur  stops   German  peddling 

booze    543 

Wilcox,  C.  A.   289 

Wiley,  A.  J.  366 

Wiley,  Hugh    and    family 275 

Wiley  City  786 

Wiley,  Lovina   Sherman 475 

Wiley,  Martha 475.  891 

Wiley.  Wallace   352,  891 

Wiley,  W.  W. 891 

Wilgus,  Mrs.  G.  W. 909 


Wilgus.  George    813 

Wilkes.  Capt.  Charles 91.  195 

Wilkes   Expedition,   The 195 

Willamette   University 169 

Williams.  Miss    N.    X 843 

Williams,  Miss    Kate    877 

Williams,  F.    A.   517 

Williams.  O.    456 

Williams,  Mrs.  Wallis 904 

Wilkinson,  D.  S. 887' 

Willoughby,    Perry    538,  885 

Williamson,  Mrs.  O.  K 904.  907 

Williamson,  Mrs.  E.  B 904 

Wilson,  William    275.  565 

Wilson.  W^oodrow 287 

Wilton.  W^iUiam 98 

Winship   Brothers   137 

Winthrop    describes    scenes    and    ad- 
ventures   209 

Winthrop,  Theodore 92 

Wishpoosh   myth   44 

Weisberger,   Mrs.   Maude 906 

Witters,  H.  C. 763 

Wiyeast  90 

Womack.   Virgil 522 

^Voman's     Committee,     Council     Na- 
tional Defense 906 

Women's  Clubs 891,  898 

Woman's  Club  of  Yakima,  The 899 

Woman's  Club  in  Red  Cross  work__900 

Woman's   Missionary  Society 481 

Woman  suffrage 617 

Woodcock,    Ernest    474,  475 

Woodcock,  Mrs.    Frances    E 478 

Woodcock.   Fenn   B.,  sketch  of 476 

Woodcock,  Etha 475 

Woodcock   Academy   principals 474 

Woodcock  Academy 474 

Woodin.    Ira    204 

Wool,  General 240 

Woolery,  Mary  Ann 206 

World's  trotting  record  broken 495 

World  war,  Yakima's  financial  part  in  449 

Would  eliminate  profiteering 386 

W^ould  develop  sugar  beet  industry__387 
Would  accommodate   50,000  families_388 

Would  cost   six  millions 389 

Wright,   Col.   George   244 

Wright's  letter  to   General   Jones 245 

Wyeth.   Nathaniel   159,  168 

Yahpahmox 917.  920 

Yakima,   an   industrial   center 447 

Yakima  Basalt    59 

Yakima  Business  College 473 


954 


Vakinia  Canal  and   Land   Co 359 

Yakima  Chamber    of    Commerce, 

Executives    of   485 

Yakima  churches 478 

Yakima  city   officials,    1886-1917 430 

Yakima  Commercial    Club— 328.  371,  484 
Yakima  County  press  in  small  towns. 517 

Yakima  County   private    schools 47.1 

Yakima  County     teachers.     Directory 

of    460 

Yakima  Daily   Times   513 

Yakima  Democrat 514 

Yakima  Democrat  on  municipal  poli- 
tics     432 

Yakima  exports,   1917 i2i 

Yakima  fruit  for  passing  soldiers 906 

Yakima  Hardware  Co. 415 

Yakima  "Herald"   advertisers,    1898 

416-41X 

Yakima  "Herald"   on   1918  fair 489 

Yakima   Historical     Society 891 

"Yakima"  Hotel,  The 894 

Yakima  Improvement   &    Irrigation 

Co.     354 

Yakima  "Independent"    514 

Yakima  Indian   reservation   539 

Yakima  Inter-Valley  Traction   Co 344 

Yakima  Irrigating   and    Improvement 

Co. 916 

"Yakima,    My    Yakima"    376 

Yakima  Pioneer  Association 204 

Yakima  "Record"    497 

Yakima  "Republican"    501 

Yakima  Reservation,  Crop  census 553 


Yakima  schools   in    1902 458 

Yakima's  commissioned  men  in  World 
war    450 

Yakima's     contribution     of     men     to 
World  war 450 

Yakima's  contribution  to  Cle  Elum--772 
Yakima's  financial  part  in  World  war.449 
Yakima's  honor    roll    (World    war)-_451 

Yakima  "Signal"     : 291,  502 

Yakima  Social    Club   485 

Yakima  Valley   District    Federation. .903 

Yakima  Valley  farmer 513 

Yakima  Valley   geology    48 

Yakima  Valley    "Optimist" 517 

Yakima  Valley    Potato    Growers'    As- 
sociation     555 

Yakima  Valley  Press,  The 496 

Yakima  Valley    Transportation     Co. .344 

Yakima  "Washingtonian"     514 

Yakima  was  tough  place  in  '86 403 

Yelieppit   128 

York.  W.  Z.  259,  918 

Young,  B.  F. 353 

Young  Chief   225 

Young.  Ewing   194.  218 

Young.  Joseph 229 

Young.  S.  A.  M. 557 

Zillah  and   Granger 795 

Zillah  "Free    Press" 517,   523.  796 

Zillah   officers    796 

Zimmerman,  W.  S. 515 

Zokeseye 279 

Zuniwalt.  John    268 


K 


(/'